Damien POV
I stood from her bed, the movement abrupt. I needed to put physical distance between myself and the vulnerability clinging to the air like a ghost.
I had become acutely conscious of our proximity—how the scene might look to an outsider, even if it had been a simple moment of comfort.
My shirt was still damp from her tears, a tangible mark of a trust I didn't deserve and wasn't sure I wanted.
Her request still lingered in the silence. Her compassion for my men was unnecessary, a naive sentiment in a world where loyalty was bought with blood and fear, not gratitude.
Yet, the memory of her sobbing into my chest, the fierce way she must have shielded Leo… it demanded that I at least consider her plea.
"Rest," I commanded, my voice low but lacking its usual sharp edge. "The do
