Page 132 of Fallen Empire

But when?

The only time it could’ve happened was after surgery. While I was still in holding. Still vulnerable. Still unaware. Ihadcome out of surgery conscious. But then everything went black.

Something pulled me under. Dragged me into that coma. It wasn’t my injuries or my body shutting down. It washim. His voice. His threat.

And maybe… my mind did the only thing it knew to do.

It shut me down to survive.

But I didn’t need to shut down anymore. I couldn’t afford to. Not now. Now I just needed to get to her. Because Alex didn’t wantthem. He wantedme. And he knew exactly how to draw me out—by taking the person most valuable to me.

I’d give him exactly what he wanted, but on my terms. I thought out a plan, mapped the risks, and moved.

“Jaxson,” I said softly.

His head snapped toward me, and in a few long strides, he was by my side.

“Can you help me to the bed? I think I need to rest for a while.”

“Anything you need,” he said instantly, reaching down to grab the untouched bottle of water from earlier. I started to sit up, letting my movements seem slower, weaker—like my body still hadn’t recovered.

Most of it wasn’t a lie. I was still in pain. But I could push through that. I would. Because Millie needed me.

He helped shift my weight into him, guiding me gently toward the bedroom. He eased me down onto the mattress, brushing the hair from my face like I was made of glass.

“I’ll grab some medicine,” he murmured.

He left and returned a minute later with a single white pill in his palm, holding it out to me. I took it, because I’d need something to take the edge off.

“Do you know where my phone is?” I asked, careful not to seem too eager. “I just... want something to distract me.”

“It was lost the night you were taken,” he said. “But I’ve got a spare. You need something?”

“No. Just something for my mind to do. Maybe order some food.”

“Shit, that’s right,” he muttered. “You never got to eat.”

Like I could eat right now.

“I’ll go grab it—and I’ll order something, too.”

He returned a few minutes later with a brand-new device, fully charged. “Here. Got it set up with basic access for now. Ordered food, but with the roadwork down the block, it’ll take about thirty.”

Thirty minutes was more than enough time for what I was planning.

“If you want,” he added, “I can see what we have if you’re hungry now.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you. Just bring it in when it gets here?”

He nodded. “Of course. Try to get some rest. We’ll keep working.”

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against my forehead.

I stopped him. Just for a second. My fingers curled gently around his arm, holding him in place.

I wanted to memorize the weight of his touch, just in case I never got this again.

I gave it a few moments after Jaxson left before pulling up the search bar. When the browser opened, I typed the one place I knew she had to be.