Page 27 of Fallen Empire
But this?
This was something else.
“And Sinclair funneled money to them?” I asked, voice low and dark.
Nic shook her head. “No. Bruce did. And now Aleksei’s coming—not because Bruce is dead, the systems in play can keep going without him. But because the empire bankrolling more than half his operation just collapsed. And he thinksshe’sthe reason.”
I turned, my knuckles tightening, fire rising under my skin.
“Then let him come,” I growled. “But he better bring hell with him. Because I’m done playing defense.”
She studied me for a beat, something sharp and haunted behind her eyes.
“This isn’t like before, Jax,” she said. “Aleksei doesn’t send warnings. He sends bodies.
You won’t see him coming.”
I smirked. But it didn’t reach my eyes.
“Then I guess it’s time someone showed him what it looks like... when ghosts fight back.”
Chapter 7
Millie
By the time I stepped out of the shower, my skin was flushed, raw from scrubbing away everything I couldn’t name. The silence in the apartment felt heavier than before. Less suffocating. More still. Like something had shifted. Or maybe I had.
I wrapped the towel tighter around myself and padded into the kitchen, expecting to find the apartment empty.
But there he was.
Plating food on real dishes instead of takeout containers. His sleeves were rolled up, tattoos visible, and the ever-present tension in his body—the kind that made him look ready to snap someone’s neck at any moment—was gone.
Ben almost looked almost domestic.
And it threw me off more than I cared to admit.
“Who knew you could cook?” I said, trying to inject some lightness into the air. My voice cracked anyway.
He didn’t look up. Just slid a plate across the counter and answered with a shrug. “Didn’t cook. Ordered. But figured we’d pretend like adults for once.”
That made me pause. Not the food. Not the setup. But the way he said we.Likewewere something. Like this wasn’t just survival or proximity. Like maybe he was still here for reasons I hadn’t let myself believe.
And maybe I wasn’t ready to admit I wanted him to be.
I took a few slow steps toward the counter, and then the smell hit me.
Garlic.
Rich, buttery, roasted garlic. Like it had been steeped in olive oil and heaven. My stomach roared so loud I let out a moan.The scent wrapped around me, warm and comforting, and for a moment, I just stood there and let it take me.
God, it smelled good.
I closed my eyes, letting it settle. Letting something simple feel good for once. The kind of good that didn’t have strings attached. No trauma. No headlines. Just food and warmth and the promise of something normal.
When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me.
Not in the casual, guarded way Ben usually did when he was scanning the room or keeping his distance.
