POV: Violet
The world always looked calmer in Ryan’s arms.
Even with shadows creeping closer, even with Victoria’s men breathing down our necks, something about the way he held me made the storm shrink to a whisper.
“Vi,” he murmured into my hair, his voice a low promise, “I won’t let them touch you. Not Victoria. Not anyone.”
The words settled against my chest like a brand. Dangerous. Permanent.
I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him so badly that I felt guilty for even doubting. But safety was a lie I had stopped believing in years ago. And yet, pressed against Ryan, his heartbeat steady beneath my cheek, it didn’t feel so impossible anymore.
“You’re too stubborn for your own good,” I whispered, my lips brushing his shirt.
He huffed a laugh, warm and rough. “And you
