Chapter 41
“Treeze FBI Agent Martinez’s voice cut through the chaos as doors burst open
I grabbed Rachel’s wrist, twisting until the knife clattered down, then drove my elbow into her jaw
Tell hard, blood spraying from her mouth.
Rachel made one last desperate
or lunge for my throat.
Suddenly Caspian was there, slamming into n her despite his injuries.
“Enough!” he reared, pinning her down. “It’s over, Rachel”
101 agents secured Rachel and Palmer, who was revealed to be
Victor Chambers in
in disguise.
“You okay?”
Caspian asked, his voice barely audible over the commotion.
Despite
Despite his injuries, his first concern was for me–the same protective instinct that had made him take a bullet weeks earlier.
“Me? You’re the one bleeding everywhere,” I replied, my laugh verging on hysteria as tears threatened to spill.
My hands trembled as they hovered over his wounds, afraid to touch and cause more pain.
His bloodied fingers reached out, catching mine with surprising strength
The warmth of his touch sent electricity racing up my arm, grounding me when everything else felt like chaos.
“Small price to pay,” he murmured, his green eyes holding mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. “To keep you safe, I’d do it again.”
The hospital waiting room felt surreal after the library confrontation. Antiseptic smell, quiet voices–so mundane compared to what
we’d survived.
“Six stitches for you, mild concussion and blood loss for Drake, but no major damage, lake reported, handing me coffee.
“Rachel?” I asked.
“Maximum security psychiatric hold,” Martinez said. “Multiple charges–kidnapping, attempted murder, conspiracy.”
Helena emerged from treatment. “He’s asking for you. Refused sedation until he could
you
Caspian brightened when I entered, despite his bandaged torso and IV.
“Hry, counselor,” he said hoarsely. “You look like hell.”
“Speak for yourself,” I replied, perching on his bedside.
His hand found mine. “Did you see the apartment before hell broke loose?”
“I did. It’s beautiful, but I can’t accept it,”
“Why not?” he asked, genuinely confused.
Because normal prople don’t buy multi–million dollar apartments for someone who hasn’t even forgiven them yet.”
Who
he countered. “The apartment is yi
is yours whether you want it or not. No strings, Just a safe
a safe place Robert and Rachel con never touch.”
My phone buzzed–Amanda Morris with news about tomorrow’s contract hearing.
The NFL cummastoner will void d all Warriors contracts if evidence of manipulation is presented,” she explained. “Caspian would become a free agent, with
Chapter 41
Hope flickered in my chest. “Send me everything.
That night in the penthouse, I stared at a sealed legal envelope marked “H.M.”
Inside was Helena’s medical report proving deliberate poisoning, with a no
note:
This proves attempted poisoning. Chemical signature matches compounds in Palmer’s
r’s labs. Use this to nail them tomorrow.
- PS. He looks at you the way most people look at miracles. Don’t throw that away because you’re scared,
Alone in the master bedroom, I stood before the half–empty closet–one side containing Caspian’s things, the other awaiting mine.
The worn copy of Nietzsche’s “Beyond Good and Evil” sat on the shelf where I’d left it, a bookmark still in place from six years ago.
For the first time in six years, I didn’t check the locks twice. Didn’t place a weapon within reach. Didn’t plan escape routes.
Maybe that was victory–not defeating monsters, but freedom from fear,
I wasn’t ready to forgive the past or embrace a future with Caspian.
But tonight, I could finally rest without nightmares.
In the darkness, I made a promise to myself that felt different from all the times before: “This time, I’m standing my ground.”
Outside, thunder rumbled as storm clouds gathered.
The contract hearing loomed just hours away–the culmination of everything we’d fought for.
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