Chapter 21
Twenty-One
ANEW BEGINNING
DAPHNE
The morning was so still and fragile that I hesitated to break its silence with even a single word. It felt as though we had so much left unsaid, hanging in the air like the faint light streaming through Thal’s window.
As the first rays of sunlight seeped in, illuminating the edges of the room, I found myself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the rush of feelings inside me.
Thal was safe, though injured and weak.
He was alive, and in a few weeks he would be fully healed. The bullet had narrowly missed vital organs, sparing him something far worse.
My hands were steady, a clinical, icy focus taking over, the one Zeno had spent a decade drilling into me. I treated his wound as a tactical failure that needed to be erased.
As I packed the jagged line of the bullet’s path, the doctor watched me with silent, wary respect. Every time my fingers brushed Thal’s skin, that detachment cracked. Zeno had trained me to be his shadow, but in this light, I was Thal’s lifeline.
He slept peacefully, like a baby, but I hadn’t found rest. Despite the good news from his doctor, worry gnawed at me. I stayed vigilant, watching him through the long night as I tried to read a novel by his bedside, though the pages barely registered in my distracted mind.
Outside, the city on the verge of waking up roared to life beneath a blanket of glittering lights. The Strip gleamed, its tourist traffic flowing endlessly, showcasing the glitter and glamour of this manufactured paradise.
At one point, I slipped out onto the terrace, leaving Thal deep in sleep, and looked down at the city I called home, a place that had brought me both joy and pain. The people below remained unaware of my silent suffering.
My gaze moved to Zeno’s casino, standing tall at the far end of the Strip with bright lights shining through the night.
I wondered what he was up to inside that high fortress.
Was he thinking about me? Had he accepted that I was no longer his property?
His hold on me appeared to loosen, even if just a bit.
For the first time, I questioned how he genuinely felt about all of this, about us.
I’d spent years believing my rebellion was about my own freedom, but looking at the distant glow of the Olympus, I realized I’d just been a supporting character in Zeno's personal tragedy.
I wasn't his daughter, and I wasn't his ward. I was a living, breathing monument to a fire he couldn't put out ten years ago.
Every diamond he gave me was a bribe to his conscience. Zeno didn't see me when he looked at my face. Instead, he saw the ghost of the woman he’d left in the smoke, and I wasn't his protégé—I was his penance.
I’d seen that same look on Thal’s face, to be fair.
There was so much about this city that the tourists didn’t see. The backroom deals. The double-crossing, back-stabbing actions of the rich and powerful. The undercutting that clueless entrepreneurs learned about as soon as they tried to do business here.
I’ve seen more than one bright-eyed, optimistic business owner have their dreams crushed by Rhea’s syndicate.
The fact that she got away last night was painful.
I was grateful, of course, that we’d managed to make it out alive, but it was frustrating to think she was still out there, plotting, destroying, lurking in the shadows. I had no doubt she’d leave town for a little while, but that didn’t mean she’d disappear.
She was clinging to her power as desperately as someone trying to hold onto the edge of a cliff.
She’d fail, of course.
In time, I was sure I’d have the immense pleasure of witnessing her downfall. A twinge of guilt plagued me all night that I hadn’t been able to force that downfall at my hand.
But with each attack, Rhea grew weaker.
Her power slipped. Her confidence faltered.
Most importantly, her ability to lead her men and foster their confidence in her as their leader had been obliterated.
After word of what had happened last night was spread like wildfire amongst the security forces of all the syndicates, Rhea would have an extremely difficult time replacing all the muscle she’d lost.
Nobody wanted to work for someone who couldn’t keep their operations running smoothly enough to avoid nights like last night.
While we may not have completely silenced her, we managed to send a clear message: don’t mess with us.
As I tenderly placed a fresh gauze over Thal’s stitches, he watched me work.
He had several cuts on his torso as well, the sharp result of all the shrapnel from the flying bullets. I cleaned each of them, determined to ensure he healed properly.
I needed Thal in one piece.
I didn’t know how to function if he wasn’t.
He’d become my best friend and my lover, and the urge to protect and nurture him had swollen inside me to uncontrollable levels.
He sighed as I rubbed an alcohol pad across a scratch.
A smile played on the corner of my lips, but I didn’t respond. He could handle a little stinging. He’d taken a fucking bullet, for fuck’s sake.
He would survive, but he’d come close to not being that lucky.
The doctor had told me outside of his room before he’d left that if the bullet had entered his torso just a few inches over, it would have hit a major organ, and he most likely wouldn’t have made it.
Each time that thought rang out in my head, I pushed it away.
It was overwhelming to think about. I had just found Thal. There was no way I could lose him, not this soon.
Not ever.
And now that he’d survived, I wasn’t about to let a preventable infection take him down. That was why I was so determined to care for him and make sure he healed properly.
The battle we’d endured kept flashing through my mind too. I’d dealt with those thoughts before, but I hadn’t been as successful.
The zinging bullets, the cries and moans of the injured men, Rhea’s smirk, her fucking grin...
It was painful, but I kept reminding myself that we were safe, and that was all that mattered, even though I knew that wasn’t true.
None of us would cease until Rhea was eliminated, which introduced new concerns. Our future remained uncertain, and the threat persisted. None of us knew when the next strike might occur.
But for now, yes, it was time to rest.
Thal took my hand and brought it to his lips. A wave of comfort swept over me as he kissed my palm. His eyes were soft and calm, despite the pain he was experiencing. He looked at me with love in his eyes, the fierce look from last night completely gone.
It left me breathless. He was incredibly handsome, amazing, protective, and caring. Despite the dangers we faced, he didn’t try to control me under the guise of protection. That truly meant everything to me.
Emotions surged within me, and the feeling of connection flowing between us was undeniably strong and unbreakable. That knowledge gave me strength. To know that Thal and I had each other, no matter what, gave me as much life as water.
“I’m so glad we’re safe,” I whispered, breaking the silence of the morning. Thal smiled at me, pressing my palm to his cheek. His eyes were like dark pools of comfort that I wanted to drown in forever.
“'We are safe,” he rasped, grip tightening on my hand despite the painful grimace that clenched his jaw. “Zeno’s world is a graveyard because he’s still trying to control ghosts.
But us? We created this amidst the fire.
I don’t just want to build a life with you, Daphne.
I want to command the wreckage beside you.
Zeno is chasing a fading memory, and Rhea is a dying breed.
But you? You’re the only real thing in this godforsaken city.
I am yours, not as an investment or debt, but as someone willing to walk into that warehouse a thousand times just to hear you say my name. ”
His words washed over me like a healing waterfall, resonating deeply and comforting every spinning thought and feeling I’d had since last night.
The most important part of it all was that I believed him.
I believed every single word Thal said to me. The trust he’d built in me was sacred. He’d never lied. He’d never betrayed me. Not once had he tried to control me, tell me what to do, or give me any sign that he had hidden motives. All he gave me was love and strength.
I couldn’t think of anything more profound than that.
He was stable, responsible, and powerful. How could I not want to be around a man like that every single day? How could I not want to wrap my arms around him and never let go?
How could I not want to build a future when we shared such a sacred vision?
“I love you, Thal,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.
He reached up, gently brushing them away. His touch was electric, warm, and soothing.
There was just one thing that wasn’t right.
“I’m still worried about Zeno,” I admitted.
Thal nodded, kissed my palm again, and stared deeply into my eyes.
“Daphne, tell me what you’re worried about?”
“Zeno’s response. To us. To Rhea. To whatever is going on with him and Cass….”
“But those are all Zeno’s problems, right?”
“And doesn’t it make it ours too?”
“Not necessarily.” He shrugged. “Zeno is a grown man. He’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself.”
“If Cass hadn’t acted, he’d be dead.”
“Perhaps,” he replied. “We’ll never know, though.
But listen, no matter what danger is on the horizon, no matter who threatens us or who’s foolish enough to come after us, I meant what I said.
Nobody will get close to you, Daphne. I’ll never allow that.
Together, we’re stronger, more prepared, and more resilient.
Can you see that? We can face anything together.
We can overcome any challenges that come our way. ”
“You sure do have a lot of confidence in us.” I smiled.
He paused, cocking his head slightly, before replying, “I do, and do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I trust my intuition, and it tells me we are unstoppable, Daphne. Together, there's nothing we can’t accomplish.”
I sighed as he pulled me toward him. I lay beside him, and he gathered me into his arms, being careful of his wounds.
Once I was settled, I rested my head on his chest, savoring the strong beat of his heart.
My shoulders relaxed, and the tension drained from my body with a heavy sigh.
He tightened his arms around me, holding me close for a long moment before saying anything else.
My heart filled with emotion for this wonderful man. I felt immense gratitude that we had met, connected, and overcome the stubbornness that kept us apart.
He whispered in my ear, his voice a calm, confident flow that settled into my mind once and for all. “No matter what comes next, baby, we face it together.”
“Always.” I nodded, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath for the first time in hours, comforted by the security and depth of my connection with Thal.
Swimming in that tender, powerful moment, I fully trusted our intertwined fates. I’d never been more ready and hopeful to embrace the promising path we’d chosen together, despite lingering uncertainties.
As I drifted off to sleep against his chest, listening to the steady, rhythmic thump of his heart, a stray thought chilled me.
Zeno had seen his ghost come back to life.
A man like that didn't just move on. He was going to be more dangerous than ever, and now that he knew Cassandra was alive, his leash on me was the only thing he had left to prove he was still a king.
He had lost his city and his ward, and the only thing left for him to reclaim was the power to destroy. The storm wasn't over, only gathering enough wind to level everything we’d built.