Page 196 of Menace in Vegas

“No, you didn’t.”

He stares at me like I’m something sacred. Something he can’t afford to lose.

Something he would kill for.

“You saved me, Connor.”

He exhales, sharp and ragged. “I didn’t get there fast enough.”

“You got there exactly when I needed you.” I press my palm to his chest, feeling the war drum beneath my hand.

He cups my face, memorizing it like a man who’s already lived the nightmare of losing it.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” he breathes.

I lean into his touch. “But you didn’t hesitate. You caught me before I could fall.”

He swears under his breath and pulls me into his arms, holding me like he’s anchoring us both.

“I love you,” he whispers into my hair, voice wrecked. “So goddamn much it terrifies me.”

“Good,” I whisper back. “Because I feel the same. And I’m not going anywhere.”

He kisses me, slowly, achingly reverent. Like he’s sealing a vow into my skin.

The waves crash beyond the deck, haunting and beautiful.

We came to paradise for a honeymoon.

Instead, we got trauma and survival.

But something stronger bloomed in the wreckage.

A bond forged not just in love, but in fire.

* * *

I step onto the patio,arms folded, inhaling the salt-laced breeze. The stars are bright, sharp pinpricks in the dark sky.

It feels peaceful. Safe.

Until I remember the knife at my throat. The copper scent of my blood tickling down my skin.

I shake my head.No. Don’t let him win.

The door opens behind me. Heavy footsteps thud across the patio before strong arms wrap around my waist.

“I know I failed you,” Connor says, his voice gravelly with guilt. “But I promise, it’ll never happen again.”

“Connor—”

“Let me say it.” His lips press to the top of my head. “The guilt won’t vanish overnight. You’re here, but I still feel raw. Like I didn’t protect you.”

I turn, cupping his jaw. “You can’t protect me from everything. But you saved me when it mattered most.”

He exhales, glancing toward the sea.

“Where is everyone?” I ask.

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