Chapter 97
Chapter 97:
As we sped back toward the city skyline, leaving the smell of onions and old regrets behind, I knew one thing with absolute certainty. Dallas Marshall might have saved my life — but tonight, I was going to save his soul.
The elevator ride to the penthouse felt like an eternity, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. When the doors finally slid open, the apartment was shrouded in darkness, save for the moonlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors leading to the balcony.
One of the doors was ajar. The cold night air drifted in, carrying a scent that made my steps falter.
It was the familiar, intoxicating blend of rain and cedar that belonged to Dallas — but tonight it was laced with something sharp and bitter. Tobacco.
I walked silently across the living room and stepped out onto the terrace. The city sprawled beneath us, a grid of glittering lights that felt a million miles away. Dallas stood by the railing, his back to me. He had discarded his suit jacket, and his white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to reveal the corded muscles of his forearms.
A cigarette glowed between his fingers — a vice I had never seen him indulge in. It made him look dangerous. Untamed.
𝖨ո𝗌𝘁аո𝘵 а𝗰𝗰е𝘴ѕ 𝗼𝘯
“You’re back,” he said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the floorboards. He didn’t turn around.
“I am,” I replied, stepping closer until the heat radiating from his body brushed against my skin. “The situation with the Hyde Pack — is it handled p>
Dallas took a long drag, the embers flaring red in the dark, before exhaling a plume of smoke that was instantly snatched away by the wind. “Handled implies a neat resolution, Adella. It wasn’t neat p>
“Did you kill him?” I asked, my voice steady.
He finally turned around, his eyes locking onto mine. Storms churned within their depths, swirling with violent turbulence and weary exhaustion. “In every way that matters p>
The words hung heavy in the air. A confession. A warning.
“Braydon told me,” I said softly. “He told me about the missing years. He called you a butcher. A monster p>
Dallas’s jaw tightened, a muscle feathering in his cheek. He flicked the cigarette over the railing and watched it fall into the abyss below. “He wasn’t lying. I have done things that would give you nightmares, Adella. I have waded through blood to keep this city standing. To keep her safe p>
“I know,” I whispered, closing the distance between us. “Azalea told me. She told me about Zane p>
Dallas froze. The name of his fallen best friend hit him like a physical blow. His stoic mask cracked, revealing a raw, agonizing grief he had buried for nearly two decades.
“She shouldn’t have p>
“She had to,” I interrupted, reaching out to place my hand on his chest, right over his thundering heart. “Because I needed to know that the man I’m bound to isn’t a monster. A monster kills for pleasure, Dallas. You fought a war. You did what had to be done. You broke yourself to keep a promise to a dying friend p>