Page 110 of Fallen Empire

As the car came to a stop, I hesitated. Part of me wanted to confront her on why she asked about the building, the other part sensing she’d tell me if she knew I needed to know.

I grabbed the handle to the door. “I’ll be back in ten.”

“Take your time.” Jax said.

I had enough clothes for a week packed by the time I was finished. I grabbed my laptop, extra chargers, and my makeup bag, stuffing them all into my carry-on. I looked like I was moving in. Truth was, I’d do it in a heartbeat if she’d let me.

I locked the door and headed back to the parking garage. When I approached, Jaxson opened the trunk and stepped out.

“Jesus, Millie. Are you planning on staying forever?”

“Haven’t decided yet.” I shrugged, pushing my suitcase toward him. The wheels stopped just before his feet.

He just shook his head. Something he’d gotten really good at over the years.

He finished loading my luggage and hopped back in. That’s when I realized that he never actually said where we were going.

“So, where did you decide we’re staying?”

“My place,” he said in a clipped tone.

Okay. So maybe he was still alittleannoyed I was intruding. I didn’t care. He needed to focus on whatever we still didn’t know about Aleksei, and I needed to take care of my best friend.

“Perfect. Once we get settled, I’m ordering some food. I’m starving.”

When we arrived, Ben was already waiting out front.

“What is he doing here?” I groaned, more annoyed than upset.

I might not have wanted to be around him, but if Savannah did, I’d deal with it. I glanced over at her, and ofcourse, she had a shit-eating grin spread across her face. Like she was enjoying someone else’s misery instead of focusing on her own.

I rolled my eyes and stepped out. Ben was already at the open trunk, waiting.

I didn’t say a word. Just reached in, grabbed my duffle and suitcase, and started wheeling it toward the entrance.

But then I noticed the wheelchair parked neatly off to the side, like he’d already thought through everything she’d need.

And damn it... if the walls I’d built around my heart didn’t start to crack. Just a little.

We stepped into the elevator, and my hands moved on instinct, muscle memory pressing the button for Savannah’s floor before I could think twice.

“We’re going to my place,” Jaxson said flatly.

I blinked at the lit button, then turned toward him, arms crossing. “Yeah? Well, she needs clothes if she’s going to your place.”

His jaw twitched as his face paled a little. A beat of silence. I knew that look. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes at him. “You already got clothes for her, didn’t you?”

He didn’t answer. Didn’t need to. The guilt on his face said it all.

Of course he had. Just like Ben, making decisions theythoughtwere protective—without ever asking. He’d already decided she was staying with him, no matter what anyone else thought.

Even her.

I shook my head, letting out a sharp breath. “The two of you will never learn to stop making decisions for us. And one day, that’ll be your demise.”

I tapped my foot to keep from punching either of them. I wasn’t sure who I wanted to hit more. When the elevator doorsopened on her floor, I didn’t even glance at it. I jabbed the button for Jaxson’s instead.

“I’m taking my normal room,” I announced, marching down the hall to the left without giving anyone time to argue. I dropped my things off just inside the door before returning.