Chapter 152 The Safehouse Night
Two hours later, the harbor was completely dark, the flashing blue lights of the federal transport vehicles slowly fading into the New York distance. Daniel Cross and Victor Hale’s shadow network was permanently erased from the grid.
Inside the damp, quiet shipyard safehouse, the air was warm, insulated from the rain that still beat gently against the glass windows.
Amelia Grant stood by the wooden table, carefully wrapping a clean white bandage around the crimson tear on Derek’s forearm. Her fingers were steady, but the emotional intensity in the room was a physical entity, heavy and thick.
"The agency contracts for Book Three are officially settled, Cooper," Amelia whispered softly, her eyes locked onto his wound as she tied off the knot. "Carlos has secured his board seat, Teresa is safe in his arms at the clinic, and our protective cover assignment is technically concluded."
Derek didn't move. He sat on the edge of the table, his massive frame towering over her, his dark eyes locked entirely onto her face with an absolute, unyielding devotion that made her breath catch.
"The assignment might be over, Amelia," Derek murmured, his rough baritone dropping into a low, gravelly vibration that filled the small space.
"But I told you out on that pier... I am never letting you take off that ring. I spent years believing my heart was expendable, but holding you in the middle of that crossfire showed me exactly what it means to live."
He reached up, his large, calloused hands gently cradling her face, his thumb tracing the faint scratch on her cheek with an adoring warmth that shivered down her spine.
"I don't want a temporary cover contract, Amelia," Derek whispered fiercely, his heart beating in perfect, unshakeable rhythm against hers. "I want you. As my wife, my partner, and my forever. No more corporate deceptions. No more exit plays."
Amelia smiled beautifully through her tears, her arms locking securely around his neck as she pulled his massive frame down into her perimeter. "I'm not going anywhere, husband. We face the front lines together."
"Forever, my love," Derek promised, and captured her lips in a deep, passionate, and unyielding kiss that permanently sealed their eternity, setting the stage for the high-octane romantic suspense of Book Four: The Final Reckoning.