The city never truly slept, and neither did Dani’s guilt. When she finally stumbled back into the apartment, the faint buzz of the streetlamp outside was the only greeting. Jax followed her quietly—still protective, still watchful—but this time, he didn’t hover at the door. He stepped in beside her and simply closed it behind them.
Dani dropped her jacket on the couch and sank to the floor, head in her hands. The memory of that impulsive kiss burned behind her eyelids: angry, desperate, and wrong. She’d crossed a line—betrayed his trust in the very moment she needed him most.
Jax knelt beside her wordlessly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She let him hold her like that, though each breath felt laced with regret.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have—”
He pressed a fing
