Page 50

“Those fucking initials…” I spit out, my heart racing. “They were on my dad’s wedding band too. Laura-fucking-Henry.”

“Shit,” Felix mutters, his brows furrowed like he’s trying to piece together a puzzle. “When was the last time you talked to your parents?”

“Years,” I answer, swallowing the lump in my throat. “After escaping that hellhole, I couldn’t fucking stand being near them. Every touch, every whispered ‘I love you’ felt like acid on my skin. So, I ran to Queensland, leaving them behind. They tried calling and visiting, but I just pushed them away. Just seeing their faces brought back the horrors…”

“Fuck, Aurora,” Felix says, anger simmering beneath his words. “We need to check on them. See if they’re safe.”

“Safe?” I scoff. “No one in this fucked-up world is ever truly safe, Felix.”

“Maybe not,” he says, pulling out his phone. “But I’ll bedamned if I don’t try to protect what’s important to you.” He quickly texts Angel and Spike, asking one of them to check out my parents’ home. I don’t even know if they still live there, but it’s the only address I have.

“Thanks,” I mumble, feeling a weird mix of grateful and pissed off. I stare into Felix’s dark eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. But all I see is that fierce determination I’ve learned to love and fear. His grip on my face is firm but gentle as if he’s trying to hold me together when I’m falling apart.

“Listen to me, Aurora,” he says, his voice steady and commanding. “Whatever shit comes our way, we’ll handle it. Together.”

“Easy for you to say,” I snap back, pulling away from his touch. “You aren’t the one with a fucked-up past haunting every goddamn step you take.”

“Maybe not,” he admits, leaning back against the headboard. “But I got my own demons to wrestle with, and I’m not letting them win.”

I sigh, knowing he’s right. We’re both damaged goods in our own twisted ways. And maybe that’s why we cling to each other like two broken pieces of the same fucked-up puzzle.

“Fine,” I relent, curling up beside him, resting my head on his chest. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you when this whole thing goes to hell.”

“Never doubted it for a second, darling.” He chuckles, wrapping his tattooed arm around me. “But we’ll burn together if that’s what it takes.”

“Fucking poetic, aren’t you?” I mutter, smirking despitemyself. “Just remember, when the time comes, no one will save us but ourselves.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Felix whispers, pressing a rough kiss to my forehead before turning his attention back to the television.

As the movie plays, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re teetering on the edge of a goddamn abyss. And as much as Felix swears he’s got my back, part of me knows there aren’t any guarantees in this life.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Felix Greyson

Iwake up to a fucking cold bed, and I know something is off. Aurora isn’t there, but that isn’t a surprise. She’s probably down at the pool doing laps. Whenever that girl can’t sleep, she’s in the water, swimming like a goddamn fish.

“Shit,” I mutter, scratching my head as I kick off the covers and throw on some pants and t-shirt. I need to find her and check up on my girl. Her dark eyes and long, black hair always haunt my thoughts. And those tattoos? Damn. They cover her body like a second skin. She’s been through some real shit, but she’s strong. Resilient. A survivor of abuse and trauma, sure, but still vulnerable.

“Hey, darling!” I yell out, hoping she’ll hear me from the pool. No answer. That’s fine. I’ll go find her myself.

“Fucking hell,” I grumble, walking barefoot across the cold floor. My feet barely make a sound, but my heart is pounding in my ears. The thought of Aurora alone and swimming makes me feel all kinds of ways—protective, mostly,but also turned on. She does things to me. Things I can’t even begin to explain.

I walk down to the kitchen, and the back patio door is wide open, letting in a chilly morning breeze. Aurora must’ve left it like that when she went out for her swim.

“Fucking typical,” I mutter, grabbing some yoghurt and fruit from the refrigerator. I know my girl likes her healthy breakfast when she’s done with her laps. Nothing but the best for my Aurora. I head out to the pool, hoping to surprise her with this shit.

“Darling, I got your favourite…” I call out the open patio door. But as I step out, I find the pool fucking empty. Not a single sign of my girl. Her phone and towel are lying there on the seat next to the pool, looking all lonely and shit.

“Where the fuck is she?” I wonder aloud, trying to keep my voice steady. She must be around here somewhere, right? Maybe she just went to take a piss or something.

“Yo, Aurora!” I holler, hoping she’ll hear me wherever she is. “You done with your swim already?”

Silence. No answer at all. It’s like the whole world is holding its breath, waiting to fuck with me.

“Dammit,” I say, pushing down the worry bubbling up in my chest. I’m not going to let this shit get to me. My girl is tough and can handle herself. And if she can’t, then I will. That’s a fucking promise.

“Come on out, darling,” I whisper, glancing around the pool area. “I got our breakfast ready. Don’t keep me hanging.”