Page 103 of Rose
He was already gone.
Out the doors. Down the hall. Into the heat.
His father didn’t know the weight he carried every fucking day. The blood. The scars. The sacrifices. He led this family into a new era—builtthis empire. And the one time he wasn’t on the front line, it unraveled.
He needed to think.
No—he neededpeace.
And there was only one person who gave that to him.
Someone whose touch grounded him. Whose voice silenced the war inside his chest.
Allure.
He hit the gas before the smoke even cleared behind him.
Right now, he needed her. Because she was the only thing that could keep him from becoming the very monster they were hunting.
???
Ahzii was curled up on her couch eating a bowl of fruit,Blindspotplaying on Netflix. It was a show she and William had started together but never finished. When it popped up under her “Continue Watching,” she hesitated, but hit play. Even though William was gone, watching it now brought a strange comfort. It reminded her of the quiet, intimate moments they used to share, back when the world felt a little more still.
“I wish I could beat ass like that, Ace,” she muttered, tossing a piece of watermelon in the air. Her Rottweiler snatched it midair and plopped back down by her foot like he knew what was happening in the show.
The doorbell rang, slicing through her thoughts.
She frowned. Security never let anyone through without alerting her first. The only ones with unannounced access were her mother, Kyre, and A’Mazi. Kyre had just left… maybe she forgot something?
It rang again.
“Bitch, why are you ringing the bell? You literally have a—” Ahzii swung open the door, but her sentence died in her throat.
Savior stood there holding a bouquet of roses.
“Savior? What are you doing here? How did you even know where—”
He didn’t let her finish. He pressed his lips to hers and lifted her effortlessly with one arm, carrying her inside as he kicked the door shut behind him.
“Sav—” she tried to get his name out in between kisses.
When he finally let her breathe and set her down, she blinked up at him, catching her breath.
“Wassup, Allure,” he smirked.
She rolled her eyes, trying to act annoyed but already feeling her walls melting. “How do you know where I live? And how the hell did you get past security?”
“You met your man, Allure?” he asked, cocky and calm.
“I’m reporting Nick.”
“I’m his boss. File your complaint with me,” he said, settling on her couch like he owned it.
Ahzii’s eyes widened. “Wait. What?”
Ace ran up, tail wagging hard as Savior knelt to pet him.
“Wassup, son-son. Your mama trying to keep me from you, but it’s cool—I’ll see her in court.”
