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Her response is instant. She melts into me, her fingers tangling in my hair, tugging me closer. Her touch grounds me. It pulls me out of the darkness I’ve been trapped in for too long. With her in my arms, nothing else matters.

When I manage to pull away at last, my cheeks are wet. Her eyes widen, and she brushes her fingertips against my face, swiping away the tears I didn’t realize had fallen. “Are you okay?”

I let out a shaky, uneven laugh. “I thought I lost you, and that’s not something I think I can survive. The mere thought is too devastating to bear.”

Her breath hitches.

I clear my throat and force a smirk to push through the lingering fear. “I’d rather spend my time making you laugh and making you orgasm—not at the same time, of course—than making you cry.”

A small, startled laugh bursts from her, pure and beautiful. Much like her soul.

Lola’s tail thumps against the ground. The dog presses against Zoey’s side, whining softly and licking her hand like she understands the weight of this moment.

My chest tightens at her laugh. I grin at her and then arch a brow. “One down. One to go.”

She laughs harder, then grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pulls me in for another kiss. I scoop her up into myarms and cradle her against my chest. Her arms loop around my neck. Together, we turn to watch Damon and Cole finish off the last of the rotters.

Lola barks once, sharp and fierce, then lunges at the final rotters, with her teeth sinking into its arm. With a savage shake, she rips it clean off being jumping back to Zoey’s side with the rotter arm still in her mouth.

“No way. Buddy used to trot around with rotter limbs. Maybe it’s a normal dog thing.”

“Absolutely not.” Damon grabs the limb from Lola’s mouth and tosses it into the nearest dying fire.

By the time the last body collapses into the dirt, the air is thick with the stench of burned flesh and decay. Damon turns to us, his knuckles coated in gore. He arches a brow. “So, did you two finally work out your shit?”

Instead of answering, I tip my head down to kiss Zoey again, savoring every second, every taste. Her fingers twist into my hair, her body pressing against mine, and for the first time in forever, I feel free.

And having my girl back in my arms?

That’s the only freedom I need.

36

ZOEY

Benji carries me effortlessly. He refuses to let go, not that I’d complain. For the first time, there are no steel bars between us, and we can’t get enough of each other’s touch.

The tunnel stretches ahead, damp and endless. The air is thick with the scent of the earth and mildew, but at least we’ve left behind the stench of burning rotter flesh and death.

Cole leads the way. Damon follows a step behind, keeping his head on a swivel and his brown eyes sharp, scanning for more threats. The only source of light is the dying torch Damon salvaged from the rotter Benji set on fire to save me.

Lola pads along beside us in the back, her ears flicking while she sniffs the air, alert. Her paws make no sound, but her posture is tense after the fight we had, and her body remains low to the ground, trying to sense something that might be just out of reach.

I rest my head against Benji’s chest, letting his warmth radiate through me. I’ll never take for granted being able to touch these guys.

A small rock dislodges from the ceiling. It tumbles to theground and rolls to a stop against Benji’s foot. I lift my head and frown. Something isn’t right.

Then the ground shudders beneath us. A sharp crack echoes overhead. Dust and pebbles rain down around us. Benji ducks his head to shield me as a deep rumbling vibrates through the tunnel.

“The tunnel’s collapsing,” Cole calls back to us.

“Move, now,” Damon orders.

Benji’s grip tightens around me, and then he’s running.

“I can run,” I say. Benji’s hold remains firm while he ignores me. “I’m not fucking letting go of you, golden girl.” I bury my face against his shoulder. My heart hammers against my ribs as the rumbling intensifies. Lola whines and bolts ahead, staying close to Cole’s heels.

Behind us, chunks of rock the size of my head crash to the ground, missing us by inches.