The gunfire had faded, leaving only the low moan of the sea brushing against the pilings. Smoke drifted across the pier in thin ribbons, and the metallic scent of blood clung to the cold night air. Elena stayed crouched until Damian’s shadow stretched over her, silent and unshakeable.
He didn’t speak. He just extended his hand.
When she took it, his grip closed firmly around her fingers, steady and reassuring. He pulled her up with a gentleness that didn’t match the violence surrounding them. Behind him, two of his men lifted his sister into a waiting car. Her face was pale, her wrists scratched raw, but she was alive. That alone seemed to wordlessly ignite something in Damian’s chest, a promise, or a debt only blood could settle.
He didn’t even glance at the car as it drove off. His st
