“I saw your life in his sights, Daphne. My heart more than stopped—it died. If you had fallen tonight, I wouldn’t have just killed Rhea. I would have dismantled every soul in this city who ever looked her way.”
“She’s…” she started to say, but I cut her off.
“She’s dead. That’s what she is. No matter what it takes, I won’t rest until she’s gone.”
After taking another sip, I turned back to Daphne, noticing a fierce defiance burning in her eyes.
“Are you finished?” she snapped, her voice brimming with anger.
Startled, I blinked and asked, "Excuse me?"
“Can I talk now?” she asked, though it sounded more like a demand. “Are you going to shut up and hear what I need to say for once?”
What the hell was she trying to say?
“Daphne, don’t talk to me like that!”
“Why not?” she shot back. “It’s the only way you’ll listen.”
The atmosphere became tense as an unspoken clash of wills hung in the air.
There was a long, heavy beat of silence as our stares locked. I didn't need a phone line to feel the vibration of her presence. It was a physical thrum in my marrow. The gold in her irises caught the flickering firelight of the penthouse, and for a second, I saw the woman who had pulled the trigger. She wasn’t looking for an apology. She was looking for a claim.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I was so used to carrying the weight of this city alone, fighting an invisible war in the dark, that I’d forgotten I wasn’t the only one on the line anymore.
She started with visible frustration, saying, “First of all, you tried to stop me from going, but I ignored you. Second, I’m fine. We both are because we survived that hellish ordeal as a team. Maybe you’re not a fool after all. Maybe you’re a genius. Despite your stubbornness nearly costing us everything, you knew better than to go alone. I shudder to think what could have happened if James and his men hadn’t arrived. But don’t underestimate my skills, Thal. I’m strong, capable, and tonight I killed a man for you.”
She paused, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing her unwavering gaze on me.
“And you almost died because of me,” I reminded as I met her stare.
“And yet, here we are, alive and arguing with each other. Which aspect do you want to emphasize?”
Her words hit me hard, like a slap in the face. Why was I fucking shouting? I should have been channeling my anger intosomething more productive, like figuring out a way to get Rhea to her knees.
I didn't apologize. Apologies were for men who didn't understand the world we lived in. Instead, I grabbed her by the waist and hauled her toward the master bath.
“Thal, what are you?—”
“Be quiet, Daphne.” I set her on the edge of the marble tub, my hands trembling as I grabbed a damp cloth. I didn't look at her face yet, I couldn't. I looked at the spray of red on her shoulder, the blood of the man she’d killed for me.
I wiped the spray of red from her shoulder with slow, reverent strokes, the damp cloth coming away stained.
Each swipe of the cloth was a vow. I watched the water in the marble tub swirl with a faint pink tint, the ghost of the man she’d slaughtered to keep me breathing. She wasn't Zeno’s ward anymore. My queen. My beautiful, bloodstained ruin.
I looked up, meeting her gaze. The defiance was still there, but it was tempered by the same dark realization settling in my gut. We were past the point of no return.
“I’m grateful you were there. You’re right about everything. But honestly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t regret asking you to get involved in this at all. When I initially asked, all I wanted was your help with the plans. I never imagined you’d end up in the middle of a firefight, for fuck’s sake.” I exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed, and drew her nearer. “My god, Daphne, if anything had happened to you...”
My voice faltered, unable to complete that terrifying thought.
She muffled a soft reassurance into my chest. “Nothing happened to me. I’m fine.”
I bent my head, pressing my lips to her hair, inhaling her scent. It was a soothing balm amid chaos.
“I couldn’t bear losing you, Daphne,” I admitted. “Not to anything, not even Zeno.”
She gasped and raised her head, eyes searching mine.
