road.
"Blow this thing up, Kyan," Saint barked as he hopped down, carrying a silver box in his arms and striding towards us. “With a bit of luck they’ll think it crashed and all the dead bodies we scattered over the city were people who either jumped or fell from the aircraft before it hit the ground.”
Kyan gave him a sarcastic salute as he stalked forward to carry out Saint's command, but my eyes were fixed on Monroe as he leapt down, cradling an unconscious girl in his arms.
I ran to open the back door of the car for him before retrieving the blankets Saint had stashed in the trunk. The moment he climbed in with Tatum, I wrapped them around her and climbed in behind him.
"Is she alright?" I asked, trying not to freak the fuck out at the sight of her lying there looking so damn frail.
"Don't worry about me, golden boy," Tatum murmured without opening her eyes, her hand reaching out in my direction.
I ripped my bloody, dirty gloves off and took her fingers in mine, wrapping them up tight and lending her my warmth as a smile touched the corners of her lips.
Saint climbed into the driver's seat and he glanced back at us, nodding once as he determined that we were all breathing. He shoved the silver box into the gap between the chairs and I eyed it curiously for a moment before turning my attention back to Tatum.
Kyan ran to leap back into the passenger seat and Saint tore away from the helicopter a moment before it went up in flames with an enormous boom that made the entire car vibrate.
"Are you okay, Cinders?" I breathed, my eyes still on my girl.
"I am now," she replied softly. "I'm back where I belong. With my Night Keepers."
Kyan twisted in his seat, staring at Tatum for the longest time as she passed out and the miles slipped away before some of the tension eventually seemed to ease from his posture.
"What's in the box then?" Kyan growled as the silence grew thick between us and Tatum slept on.
"That would be the vaccine the world has been aching for," Saint growled. "And as soon as we get home, the four of us will be getting a dose."
My brows rose with hope at the idea of that and I sucked in a deep breath. "What about my dad?" I asked, unable to help myself. But I didn't care what he had to say about that unless it was an agreement. I couldn't lose the only parent I had left.
Saint was silent for a long while and I ground my teeth, wondering if I was going to have to beat the shit out of him to make sure my dad got one of those vaccines.
"Yes," he said eventually. "We will figure out a way to get him one too. I suppose we’ll need to decide who gets the rest of the doses, but for now we need to focus on the most important tasks at hand."
"Which are?" Monroe asked.
"My father's demise. Royaume D’élite. Kyan's family. The Justice Ninja. Our futures."
"Oh, just that," I muttered, shaking my head at his bland tone.
"Just that," he agreed and though I couldn't see it with the ski mask and ventilator still in place over his features, I could have sworn the bastard was smirking at the challenge those issues presented.
I woke in a warm bed held against a bare, muscular chest and I was certain I was dreaming.
I ran my fingers down his body, knowing him by touch and scent alone. Leather and smoke and danger. My husband.
“Are you awake, baby?” his voice was deep yet velvet soft, his breath fluttering the hair against my forehead. How many times had I imagined waking up in each of their arms? And how many times had my heart sunk when I realised they weren’t truly here? It made me afraid to open my eyes, afraid my beautiful, tattooed beast of a husband would vanish and I’d be alone once more, pining for him and every one of them.
“Mmm,” I hummed.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, gruffer this time and the way his voice vibrated through me and his arms tightened around my body told me he really was here. And slowly, reality came rushing back to me.
I’d passed out at some point in the helicopter. I must have exerted myself too much and now I was confused, dazed.
“I think so,” I croaked. “Where am I?”
“Home. Safe,” he