AXEL POV
The morning sun was climbing higher, burning off the last of the night's chill. The road stretched ahead of us, empty and infinite.
Em's arms wrapped tight around my waist, her body pressed against my back, and for the first time in days, I felt something close to peace.
For the next few hours, it would just be us.
No Kane.
No Bratva.
No past or future.
Just this moment and this woman and the truth that had always existed between us.
The cabin appeared through a gap in the rocks, small, weathered, perfectly isolated.
Home.
I pulled up to the front door and killed the engine.
Silence descended, broken only by the wind through the rocks and the distant cry of a hawk.
Em climbed off the bike, removing her helmet and looking around with wide eyes.
"Axel," she breathed. "T
