Page 128 of Feral King

The warehouse doors close, cutting her sobs off.

My gaze lands on Yang. He stands in the center of the space, glancing around as if surveying the carnage. He looks tired. He meets Julian’s eyes across the room and nods.

Julian nods back, then turns, approaching me with optimistic caution.

He drops to his knees in front of me. His bloody hands—the same hands that beat Alex to within an inch of his life—come up to my face with contrasting tenderness to the violence I just witnessed. His thumbs trace my jaw and my cheekbone, lingering on a small stinging cut across my cheek where a chip of concrete hit me when the bullet ricocheted.

“Let me look at you,” he says. “Let me… are you hurt?”

“No. I’m okay.”

Amazing after surviving a car crash, a kidnapping, and a gunfight.

“Your head. You hit your head when you fell.”

“Julian, I’m okay. Ipromise.”

His gaze flicks down to my stomach.

“And the baby?”

“I don’t know. I think so. I hope so.”

He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to mine.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers. “I’m so sorry, Lyra. I should’ve been faster, I should’ve gotten to you sooner. I’m so sorry.”

“Julian, look at me. You came. That’s what matters. You came for me.”

“I will always come for you.”

He pulls a knife from his pocket and cuts off the zip ties. The blood rushes back into my hands as his arms wrap around me and I fall into him.

He pulls me tight to his chest and tears form in my eyes.

I breathe him in, his scent, his warmth, grounding me in every way that I need.

Yang approaches us. He dips his head in my direction—a polite, formal gesture.

"Ms. Thibodeaux, I'm glad you're safe."

"Thank you, Mr. Yang."

"And the child?"

"I don't know yet."

"My people have a helicopter standing by to transport you to the hospital."

"Thank you," Julian says, his voice cracking slightly with emotion.

Yang nods knowingly. "It is mutual, Mr. Volkov. Be well."

Julian's arms tighten around me once more, then he helps me to my feet. I lean into him.

"Come on," he says softly against my temple. "Let's get you out of here."

CHAPTER 46