Relief.
Once my giggles subside, I use the pad of my thumb to wipe away a few wayward tears hanging stubbornly to my cheeks.
“That felt…good,” I confess, biting down on my lower lip. “Really good.”
“You haven’t laughed like that in a while,” Dom points out.
“It’s been too long,” Beckett agrees.
Zane simply offers me a secretive smile, no doubt thinking about our little game earlier.
The tattoo on his chest…
My heart flutters, gaining wings, and I’m overcome with love for these men all over again.
Silence settles over us all, but it’s not the uncomfortable kind. Yes, it’s still rife with tension, but it’s not unbearable. Before, it felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, making it immensely difficult to suck in a full lungful of air. Now, that weight has lifted, and I can finally breathe.
I hold my hands up, and Beckett and Dominic both step forward and claim one. Zane remains where he is, watching the three of us, his expression unreadable.
“We’re going to be okay,” I assure them. “I don’t know what Aria has planned, but… We’ll get through it. All of us.” There’s so much more I want to say, so much I want to promise them, but I don’t dare speak the words out loud. Not here. Not in the metaphorical lion’s den. Aria no doubt suspects that we’re actively plotting her downfall. We don’t need to broadcast it aloud.
“I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you from us,” Zane vows solemnly, his dark eyes obsidian chips in his face. “Don’t test me, Ellie.”
“Nothing matters more than your safety,” Dom agrees, using his free hand to ruffle his platinum-blond locks. “If she tries anything, we’ll get you out of here, regardless of the consequences. I’d rather be on the run for the rest of our lives than be in a world without you in it.” Dom’s expression shutters, as if overcome by a strong emotion, and he grits out, “Withoutanyof you in it.”
“We’re family,” Beckett agrees. “We’re ride or die.”
“Without the die part,” Dom quickly cuts in.
Zane makes a face, his nose wrinkling almost comically. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far…”
“You want us to die?” Dom stares at him incredulously, his brows arching until they reach his hairline.
“Not us, obviously. But other people? I don’t care too much. I actually prefer it.”
“Wouldn’t that mean we’re ride or murder?” Beckett asks, canting his head to the side. A strand of brown hair kisses his temple enticingly, and if I had a free hand, I would brush it away.
“Ride or murder.” Zane taps a finger against his chin contemplatively. “I like it.”
Dom rolls his eyes. “You all are so fucked up.”
“Is this a blanket ‘you all’?” I query. “Because I, for one, amnotfucked up.”
Dom presses a kiss to my temple, his lips lingering, his warm breath fanning across my skin and eliciting a fresh round of goose bumps.
“You’re perfect,” he promises.
My heart swells at his declaration.
These men—all five of them—are my center, helping me find my equilibrium again when the world threatens to cave in beneath my feet.
We’ll get through this.
All of us.
I refuse to allow any other alternative.
Hours later,after futilely searching the office for any damning evidence and coming up empty, I hear muffled music, followed shortly by chatter and laughter.
