Page 45 of Sacrifice
Saga emerges in sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt, not looking at me as she grabs water from the kitchen.
"There's extra blankets if you need them," she says quietly.
"I'm good."
"Okay." She hesitates at her bedroom door. "Emil?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For noticing the tires. For staying."
"I’ll always be here for you," I tell her. "Whatever you need, whenever you need it."
She nods and disappears into her room, door clicking shut.
I settle on the couch, gun within reach, every sense on alert.
Someone came for my woman tonight.
They tried to scare her, make her vulnerable.
Big fucking mistake.
Because now I'm not just pursuing Saga—I'm protecting her.
And anyone who threatens what's mine is about to learn why that's a fatal error.
The apartment is quiet except for Soren's snoring and the occasional car passing outside.
But I don't sleep. Can't. Not when there's a threat out there, not when Saga's depending on me, whether she admits it or not.
Around three AM, her door opens.
She stands there in the darkness, silhouetted by streetlight.
"Can't sleep," she admits.
"Come here."
She does, curling into my side on the too-small couch.
I wrap an arm around her, pulling her close.
"Still hate me?" I ask into her hair.
"Yes," she mumbles against my chest. "But maybe a little less than before."
"Hey, it’s some progress," I say, and feel her smile despite everything.
We don't talk about the slashed tires or Los Coyotes or what this means for us.
We just exist in the quiet darkness, her breathing eventually evening out as she falls asleep on me.
And I stay awake, standing guard over what's mine.
Whether she's ready to admit it or not.
CHAPTER FIVE
