Cal turned to her. “You okay?”
She thought about it, really thought, and the answer surprised her. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I am.” No lie. She was okay. For the first time in what felt like years, she meant it.
Of course, her mind slid back to last night, to the heat of them tangled together in his bed. She opened her mouth to bring it up, to test the waters, when his phone buzzed.
Not Noah this time. Mason.
Cal glanced at the screen and a laugh broke from his chest. “Look at this.” He turned the phone so she could see.
It was another drawing. Cal in full hero-mode again, but unlike the other one he’d sent, this one had Cal rescuing several children.
Alena smiled, warmth unfurling in her chest. “He’s up early.”
“Has to be,” Cal said, grinning at the image. “He’s gotta catch the bus by eight.”
Alena watched him, saw the pride in his face, and for a moment the heaviness of the past days lifted.
Cal’s thumbs moved quickly over the screen as he typed back a reply. “Hero mode looks good on me. You nailed it, buddy. Best artist I know.” He hit send with a grin that softened the rugged lines of his face.
Alena watched him, her chest warming at the sight. Mason made Cal happy, really happy, and it showed in that smile. It tugged something deep inside her, made her think of her own plans. The ones she hadn’t said out loud yet.
“I’m going through with the adoption,” she said, her voice quiet but steady. She wanted to see how he’d take it.
Cal’s gaze shifted from his phone to her, and his smile didn’t falter. If anything, it grew. “That’s a great idea, Alena. You’ll be amazing.”
Her throat tightened with something that felt dangerously close to joy. “I’m ready,” she told him. And she was.
He leaned an elbow on the console, studying her with those steady blue eyes. “What about training? You’ll be moving into that role soon. How are you going to juggle both?”
Alena sipped her coffee, let the warmth settle her. “I’ll handle it. I’ve thought it through, and I’m ready for it.”
She was, and saying it out loud made her believe it even more.
“End of an era and the start of a new one,” Cal muttered.
Their gazes locked, the air between them thickening. Heat stirred low inside her, pulling her in, and when his hand slid around the back of her neck, she let him guide her closer. His mouth brushed hers, and then the kiss deepened, hotter, hungrier, all the things she hadn’t stopped wanting.
She would’ve let it take her under if not for the sound that broke through. The squeak of hinges.
Both of them stilled. The front door of the facility had opened.
Alena turned just in time to see David in his wheelchair, rolling outside toward them.
They climbed out of the SUV and started toward him. “You’re up early,” Cal said.
David’s hands tightened on the wheels of his chair as he rolled closer. His face carried a shadow of worry that cut right through Alena. “I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted. “The nurse told me you were coming, so I went ahead and got dressed.”
He looked between them, searching, as if needing reassurance. “Are you both all right?”
Alena crouched a little so she could meet his eyes. “We’re fine. The threat’s over now.”
“Dexter,” David said, his fingers lifting to tap his temple. “Sometimes it’s clear in here, other times it’s muddled. But I know who he is. I know what he did.” His voice grew quieter. “Is he dead?”
Cal didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
The answer hung there for a moment. The quiet pressed in until David gave a small nod. “That’s for the best.”
And it was. Alena felt the truth of it settle deep in her chest.
