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"Yeah. Go."
My boots echo against the concrete as I jog through the warehouse and out into the marina, leaving Domani on cleanup. My world narrows down to a singular mission: get to Karina.
Within minutes, I'm racing toward the university and the fiery little angel who needs me.
Fifteen minutes later, Northwestern University looms ahead, its grandeur doing nothing to ease the dread clawing at my gut. I park haphazardly, scanning the shadows for any sign of danger—or worse, any sign of Alessepo. All I find are students, blissfully unaware of the darkness lapping at the edges of their sanctuary.
She didn't tell me where on campus I'd find her, so I take off at a jog, checking every shadow. It doesn't take me long to find her—a lone figure huddled under an old oak tree. Her body shudders with silent sobs, her honey-blonde hair a disheveled veil hiding her face.
The sight breaks my fucking heart.
I may kill Alessepo for this moment alone. I've spent the last three days avoiding her because she deserves more—she deserves laughter and sunshine and happiness. All the shit I don't know how to give her. I'm a goddamn monster, falling in love with a lamb.
And somehow, in those three days, she's become worse off than she was when I was at her side. That's on Alessepo. And it's on me.
Never again. I won't ever allow her to cry like this again.
"Karina."
She lifts her head and sees me standing in front of her. "Coda." A fresh flood of tears pours down her cheeks as she flings herself at me, clutching my jacket with desperate fingers.
I catch her to me, pulling her into my arms.
Her body trembles—the contrast between her soft body and my hardened frame is a stark reminder of the gap that lies between us. It doesn't matter. Not any longer.
"Take me away from here," she pleads, the vulnerability in her voice ripping at my heart.
"Anywhere you want to go, cara," I promise immediately, guiding her toward the safety of my car. "You're safe now."
As she nestles into the passenger seat, I steal a glance at her.
Who knew that Miles Alessepo's princess would find solace in the arms of a man like me? But she has, and now there's no turning back. I'm her shield against the dark, her safety. I'll fucking kill anyone who tries to take her from me.
"Coda…" Her voice is a thread.
"Shh," I soothe, running my fingertips across her cheek. "Just let me take care of you."
We drive off, leaving the relative safety of the campus for a reality where survival is the only lesson that counts.
The city blurs past us, a smear of lights and shadows as I reach over and slip my hand into hers.
"Karina, look at me," I command gently.
She obeys, her wide, watery eyes meeting mine.
"You're safe with me, cara."
"I know," she whispers, her words so faint they're almost lost beneath the engine's purr.
I hear them, though. She steals the biggest fucking piece of my heart when she whispers them.
The drive to my place is silent, the streets emptying as we enter the Gold Coast neighborhood, a more affluent part of the city. The high-rise that houses my apartment looms ahead, a stark white monolith against the night sky.
"Where are we?" she asks, her voice steadier now.
"Home," I say simply.
Her gaze flits to me, searching. Eventually, she nods.
