Page 84 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
Alina nods, sliding into the passenger seat without argument.
I start the engine, my blood-stained hands leaving smears on the leather steering wheel. I ought to return to CPG headquarters, to plan our next steps, to honor Roman's memory with swift action and justice. I need to be the leader he believed I could be.
I can't face that place right now. Not with Roman's ghost haunting every corner.
Instead, as I merge into traffic, I realize I'm driving in another direction entirely.
twenty-five
Alina
Iwait in the passenger seat, the car's engine humming softly in the underground parking garage. Kade's knuckles are white on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight. The silence between us feels heavy, charged with unspoken grief.
My heart aches for him. I want to reach out, to offer some comfort, but I'm not sure how. This stoic, dangerous man suddenly seems so vulnerable.
"Kade," I whisper. "We should go inside."
He nods, a barely perceptible movement, then takes a deep breath. "Yeah. Let's go."
We step out of the car, our footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. Kade leads the way to the elevator, his broad shoulders tense beneath his jacket.
He uses his fingerprint on the scanner and presses the top button. As the elevator ascends, I study his reflectionin the polished metal doors. His blue eyes are stormy, filled with a pain he's trying desperately to hide. I want to say something, anything, to ease his burden, but words feel inadequate.
The doors open silently to reveal a stunning penthouse. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a breathtaking view of the city, but Kade doesn't notice. He moves like a man in a trance, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it carelessly over a chair.
"Do you want some water?" I ask, desperate to do something useful.
He shakes his head, running a hand through his dark hair. "No, I... I just need a minute."
He paces the length of the living room, his movements becoming more agitated with each turn. Suddenly, he stops, his fist connecting with the wall with a sickening thud.
"Kade!" I rush to his side, gently taking his hand in mine. His knuckles are already swelling, blood seeping from split skin.
"I've spent my entire life protecting people," he says, his voice raw with emotion. "And I'm tired of losing the ones I care about most."
The admission seems to break something inside him. His shoulders slump, and for a moment, I think he might collapse.
I guide him toward the sofa, my fingers curled around his wrist. He drops onto the cushions, hunching forward with his elbows propped on his knees. His massive frame seems to fold in on itself, making this powerful man suddenly appear devastatingly vulnerable.
I kneel before him, my chest tight with an ache I can't quite name. When I place my hands over his, they're trembling. Without hesitation, I move next to him and wrap my arms around him, pulling him against me.
His body shudders as he breaks. No sound escapes him, but I feel each silent sob like it's my own. The dampness of tears soaks through my shirt, and my own eyes burn in response. This is Ghost—the man who terrifies even hardened criminals, but now he's falling apart in my arms.
"I'm here," I whisper against his hair, my voice catching. "You're not alone in this."
The city lights twinkle beyond the windows as I hold him, feeling the raw emotion pouring from him. My throat tightens as I witness his walls crumbling completely.
"I don't usually... lose control like this," he murmurs eventually, his voice rough.
"What you're feeling is normal. Roman was important to you."
Kade nods, his gaze distant. "He was more than just my mentor. He was family."
My stomach twists painfully. I wonder how many years he's kept all this pain locked inside. The burden of being in charge, always facing danger, and losing people he cares about—it's all coming out now, like a dam finally breaking.
I run my hand gently over his back, feeling each tense muscle beneath my fingertips. Every touch seems to draw more grief from him, as if my presence is both comfort and permission to feel.
This is Kade stripped bare, I think.The real person beneath "Ghost"—a man who gives a damn, who carries the burden of each death that happened on his watch.
