Page 81 of After the Chase

"And the protagonist?"

"Completely lost and utterly devoted."

Noah's hand finds mine, his fingers threading through mine. "Sounds familiar."

"It should be."

We sit in comfortable silence with Tyler and Ivan, as Tyler drifts in and out of sleep, and I realize this is what our life has become. Noah doing the dark work he was always meant to do and me by his side finding my own way.

And I'm okay with that.

More than okay.

I'm exactly where I'm meant to be.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHASE

Two Weeks Later

The restaurant is called La Vedova, tucked into a corner of Tribeca with dim Edison bulbs casting warm shadows across exposed brick. Our booth is in the back, private and intimate, where conversations disappear into the low hum of other diners.

Noah has been quieter than usual tonight, not withdrawn but contemplative. His fingers trace the rim of his water glass with deep focus, his gaze occasionally drifting to the window where the city pulses beyond the glass.

"You're thinking about something, would you like to share?" I say, cutting into my steak.

He's quiet for a moment, then sets down his glass. "I want to get a second home in Los Angeles."

I pause mid-bite. "Los Angeles?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I need a place to breathe, to reset away from all of this."

"All of what?"

"The constant social demands from either the clubhouse or those Kozlovs. It’s overwhelming, too many people and too much noise," he says as he takes a sip of his water.

I set down my fork, studying him. "You want to escape?"

"I want a sanctuary, a place where it's just you and me with no interference. It was always supposed to be just you and me.”

Something warm unfolds in my chest. "You want me to yourself."

"Completely, and this will be the best of both worlds, living between homes."

"Don’t you think we already have that here, where it’s just us?"

"No." His voice is firm. "Here, we're embedded with Marcus or Dima or your brother and the annoying gossip gang over there. I want you to myself. I’m not asking, Chase. I will kidnap you."

I lean back, and laugh. "Kidnap me, huh? So Los Angeles would be our getaway.”

“Yes. I’ve already found a place.”

"And when would we come back to New York?"