Page 112 of Monsters Carve Thrones

Rafe smirked, handing me a glass of water and brushing his fingers down my arm. “This amazing woman was the only one to tame me enough.”

I squeezed his hand, the contact grounding me.

He sat beside us at our patio table for a few minutes, listening as we talked about returning to the office and the things I wanted to prioritize. Mostly the special project that’dbeen paused when I disappeared. His hand gently rested on my thigh the entire time. That was who he was now–gentle to me, brutal to the world.

When Laura finally stood to go, Rafe walked her to the front, their quiet voices fading as they stepped out of view. I stayed behind in the backyard, letting the sun bathe my skin. My muscles ached in the best way. The air was warm, and for once, I wasn’t haunted by the shadows. And I waited for my husband to return.

***

RAFE

I walked Laura to her car on the street, the wind carrying scents of wildflowers planted along our small front yard. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, casting everything in that warm, golden haze.

She didn’t speak at first. Neither did I. We’d seen too much together for small talk.

Laura finally broke the silence, her voice soft. “You doing okay?”

I exhaled through my nose, glancing toward the black gate before answering. “Yeah. Better now.”

Her arms folded across her chest, and for a second, she looked just like the woman who sat with me in the dark weeks ago–when I was shaking, vomiting, and holding a loaded gun to my own temple at three in the morning while fucking high. She’d seen me in hell and somehow never judged me for it.

“I haven’t had the chance to really thank you since we got home,” I told her, turning to face her fully. “You… mean a lot to me. You helped me get through. There were times that I didn’t think I’d ever see Adela again, and I wanted to die because of it.”

She blinked, her throat tightening. “Well, you werealsothere for me.”

I gave a small, dry laugh. “I wouldn’t have left you while your heart was breaking, too.”

Her eyes shimmered, and before I could say anything else, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. There was no hesitation or words. Just raw, quiet gratitude.

“I’m forever thankful,” she murmured against my shoulder. “For saving her. For going after her. For letting me fall apart when I needed to. I know you were drowning, too… but you still gave me something solid to hold onto.”

I closed my eyes, hugging her back tightly.

She pulled back, brushing under her eye with the edge of her sleeve. “Well. Now that we’ve gotten our emotional therapy hour in, I better go before I start sobbing and ruin the whole cool-bitch thing I’ve got going on.”

I chuckled, opening the passenger side door for her as she slid in. Just as I turned to walk back to the house, Nico came jogging up the street with a stupid grin on his face and a bag of groceries in hand.

“Got the wine and the chocolate,” he called. “Guess who’s getting lucky tonight?”

Laura snorted. “Not if you lead withthatline, idiot.”

But the smile on her face told a different story. One I was glad to see unfolding. I watched them drive off together, hand in hand, across the center console, and couldn’t help but smile. After everything we’d gone through, it felt like the universe was finally giving something back. The street was still. The house was warm.

And tonight?

Tonight, I’d take my girl somewhere special. Somewhere quiet, with music and candlelight. Somewhere she could breathe and remember what it felt like to be worshipped by the man who never stopped looking for her.

***

I watched her descend the stairs and nearly forgot how to breathe. Adela wore a deep crimson dress–soft, flowing, and cut just right to accentuate the curve of her waist, the delicate lines of her collarbones, and a hint of cleavage. Her hair was swept up loosely, a few strands brushing her cheeks, and her lips were the same shade as the dress.

God, she was gorgeous.

“Hi,” she said softly, a little shy. Almost like she didn’t know the effect she had on me.

“Hi,” I murmured back, walking toward her. “You look… stunning.”

She smiled, but there was a vulnerability to it.