Chapter 30
Axel
I’ve texted Nik a dozen times. Nothing.
It’s finally go time. Sean texted saying Johnny would be out all evening, and Lina’s expecting us. Except Sean called her Aro. It’s weird. I know that’s what he calls her, but I can’t wrap my head around it. She’ll always be Lina to me.
I send Nik one last message:
Me: Going with or without you.
I don’t know what’s holding him up, but if I had to guess, it’s probably some Bratva bullshit. I get it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Sean gave me access codes for the parking garage and elevator. I’m still banned from Johnny’s guest list, so the lobby’s a no-go.
I pull into the garage, enter the codes, and step into the elevator. The ride up is excruciating. I’m buzzing with nerves. Excitement. Dread. But I can’t turn back now. Not when I’ve come this far. Not when my heart’s been stuck in neutral for eight years.
Will she be happy to see me? Will she smile? Will she cry? Did she miss me?
The elevator dings. My pulse hammers in my chest.
The doors slide open, revealing Johnny’s penthouse. It’s quiet. The air feels too still, like even it’s holding its breath. I step out and every sound I make seems to echo off the walls—my shoes, my breath, the soft creak of leather from my jacket.
And suddenly, there she is. Standing in the middle of the living room, barefoot, hair damp like she just got out of the shower. A blanket draped over her shoulders. She freezes when she sees me. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t move. Neither do I.
For a beat, we just stare.
Lina. Aro? She’s older, sharper, stronger, but still her. Still mine, in the ways that matter. In the ways that ache.
Her mouth parts slightly, but no words come.
I swallow hard. “Hey, Princess,” I say, voice rough with emotion I don’t know how to hide.
Her eyes flash. Something between shock and recognition, like her past just came crashing through her front door.
“Axel.” Her voice breaks a little on my name.
Then she crosses the room like the floor’s on fire and I’m the water. She throws herself into my arms, and I catch her. I always will. She buries her face in my neck, her fingers fisting my shirt, like she’s making sure I won’t disappear. I hold her just as tightly. I don’t want to let go.
Her breath hitches with a laugh that quickly turns into a choked sob.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again,” she whispers.
“Same,” I breathe. “But I never stopped hoping.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me, and her hands go to my face, tracing the lines that weren’t there the last time she saw me.
God, I missed her.
“You look good,” she says, fingers brushing the stubble on my cheeks.
“You look stunning,” I reply, because she does.
That makes her laugh. Seeing her beautiful face lit up with joy because of something I said does something to me. My chest aches in the best way.
There’s so much I want to say. I have so many questions. Apologies. Promises. But for now, I just hold her. Let her tremble in my arms and know she’s not alone anymore. Because I’m here. Because I found her. And I’m not leaving again.
Someone shifts on the couch, and I look over to see Sean watching us intensely. There’s no jealously or worry on his face. Just curiosity. Like he’s trying to figure out the new dynamic.
Thank you, I mouth to him. He nods, knowingly.
She pulls back just enough to look at me, eyes glossy, voice low. “You’re really here.”
“Really here. Really not going anywhere.”
Silence stretches between us again, but it isn’t uncomfortable. It’s full of memories, of missed chances, of things we want to say but don’t know how.
She nods toward the couch. “You want to sit?”
“I’d rather hold you.”
She smiles at that, leans into me again, and I wrap my arms around her like they were made for it.
“I thought you wouldn’t want anything to do with me,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.
“Never.” I close my eyes. “A part of me always hoped you’d come back. Even when I hated you for leaving.”
“I didn’t want to go,” she says. “But we both know the world didn’t give us much of a choice back then.”
She pulls back again, brushing her hair from her face. “Things are different now.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “But I’m still me. And you’re still you. And maybe that’s enough.”
She searches my eyes like she’s trying to believe me.
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” I add. “We can take this one day, one step at a time.”
She bites her lip. “I don’t know if I’m ready for all of it.”
“You don’t have to be. I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”
She pauses. Then she reaches for my hand and threads her fingers through mine. I bring her hand to my lips, kissing the back of it gently. I try to convey everything I’m feeling. My relief. My hope. My love. Because I still love her. Always have.
Before I can say more, the elevator dings again.
I freeze. So does she.
Footsteps echo across the floor, heavy and measured. Then two shadows spill across the threshold.
Johnny. And Nik. Together.
Lina stiffens beside me, hand still in mine. Sean rises slowly from the couch, eyes narrowing. Even he looks confused, and that’s saying something.
Johnny glances around the room, his expression unreadable. Nik is stone-faced as usual, but his eyes are locked on one thing only.
Her.
Lina draws in a sharp breath. Her fingers tighten around mine for half a second before she lets go and steps forward.
“Nik,” she says, voice soft and wary.
His jaw twitches, but he says nothing. Just stares at her like she’s a ghost. Or a prayer.
“Since when are you two—” Sean begins, but Johnny cuts him off with a sharp look.
“It’s a long story,” Johnny mutters.
“Try us,” Sean replies, folding his arms.
“We’re working together,” Nik says simply.
Everyone blinks.
Sean actually laughs. “Right. Because that’s normal.”
“We have a common goal,” Johnny adds, like that explains everything.
It kind of does. But it still doesn’t make it less bizarre seeing them standing side-by-side like some unholy alliance of rage and control.
Lina steps closer to Nik, something unreadable flickering behind her eyes. It’s not the way she looked at me. But it’s something. Careful. Wounded. Wanting.
“You came,” she whispers.
She lifts a trembling hand, fingertips brushing his sleeve like she’s afraid he’ll vanish. And then he pulls her into him. She sinks into his embrace, like she’s home. For a moment, nothing else exists.
Johnny clears his throat. "We all need to talk," he says, though it’s hard to tell if he means about us... or about the war we’re dragging in behind us.
“We should all stay,” Sean says. “Just for the night. It’s late. I’m sure everyone wants to catch up, and then we can hash everything out in the morning.”
No one argues.
Lina looks between us—me, Nik, Johnny, Sean—like she can’t decide who to corner first. She nods once, her expression calm.
"Can we talk?" she asks Nik, then glances back at me. I nod, even though I know it’s not my conversation. She turns and heads down the hall, and I move to follow.
Johnny exhales, finally dropping his keys on the table.
Sean raises an eyebrow as I pass. “Well,” he says. “This should be fun.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “What could possibly go wrong?”