Share

53

Author: Mira Knox
last update publish date: 2026-05-13 21:52:03

EMILY GRAYSON'S

The knock came close to midnight. Not loud. Not aggressive. Just three slow taps against the apartment door. The entire living room went quiet. The television still played softly in the background, but nobody was paying attention anymore. Lexi looked toward the door first, then Raphael. And immediately, something in their expressions changed. Haze noticed it too.

“Oh,” she muttered softly. “That’s him.” My stomach tightened instantly. My pulse betrayed me before my mind could
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • Safe In His Darkness    97

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The narrow streets were glowing beneath strings of golden lights, music drifting through the warm night air as locals and tourists filled the town square. A small summer carnival had taken over part of the waterfront. Food stalls lined the streets, and musicians played traditional music near the harbor. Children ran between colorful lights while couples wandered hand in hand through the crowd. The entire place buzzed with energy, and I loved it. "Alex, look." I pointed toward a game booth where someone was attempting—and failing—to win an oversized stuffed octopus. Alex glanced over, then back at me. "I am." I rolled my eyes. "You're impossible." "So I've heard." His hand settled against my lower back as we continued walking through the carnival together. The scent of grilled food drifted through the air. Laughter echoed around us. Somewhere nearby, a live band began playing. For once, nobody recognized Alex. Nobody cared who he was. Nobody interrupted us. We we

  • Safe In His Darkness    96

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The rest of the afternoon passed far too quickly. The sun hung low over the water, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. The beach had grown quieter now, leaving behind only the gentle sound of waves and the occasional cry of distant seagulls. I stood near the shoreline, letting the cool water wash over my feet. The ocean stretched endlessly before me. Beautiful.m Peaceful. Infinite. For a moment, I simply stood there. Thinking. Not about the past. Not about Declan. Not about everything we'd survived. Just about now. About how strange it felt to finally be happy without constantly waiting for something to ruin it.A familiar pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Alex. Of course. I smiled immediately. "You know," I said, leaning back against him, "you really need to stop sneaking up on me." His lips brushed my temple. "No." "Why?" "I like it." I laughed softly. "That's not a real answer." "It's the only answer I have." T

  • Safe In His Darkness    95

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The next morning, I woke to the sound of laughter. Not loud laughter. Not the kind Lexi usually produced when she was about to cause problems. Just soft voices drifting up from downstairs. I stretched beneath the sheets and blinked toward the bright Santorini sunlight pouring through the windows. For a moment, I simply lay there, listening to the waves, feeling the warmth of the sun, enjoying the peace. Then I noticed something: the space beside me was empty. Again.I narrowed my eyes. "Suspicious."Alex had disappeared. Again. At this point, I was beginning to think the man naturally woke up three hours before the rest of humanity. After getting dressed, I headed downstairs. The moment I entered the kitchen, Teresa smiled."Good morning dear.""Morning." Paola was already eating breakfast. Sergio sat across from her, trying very hard not to look at her. Again. Poor man. At this point, everyone would know Sergio liked Paola because I knew he wanted to keep it a sec

  • Safe In His Darkness    94

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The afternoon drifted by far too quickly. One moment we were wandering through the narrow streets of Santorini. The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon. The island seemed to transform as evening approached. The white buildings glowed golden beneath the fading sunlight. The sea shimmered like molten glass. Every restaurant and café was filled with people gathering to watch the famous sunset. Apparently, half the island had the exact same idea, including me. I stopped near a viewpoint overlooking the caldera. The view stretched endlessly before us: the cliffs, the sea, the whitewashed buildings cascading down the hillside. It looked unreal, like someone had painted it. My fingers tightened around my phone as I took another picture, and another, and another. Alex watched me with quiet amusement. "You have approximately seven hundred photos already." I gasped. "That's an exaggeration." "You took forty-three pictures of the same church." "It was a beautif

  • Safe In His Darkness    93

    EMILY GRAYSON'SThe next morning, I woke slowly. Warm, golden sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting soft patterns across the white sheets and marble floors. For several seconds, I simply lay there, listening to the distant crash of waves against the cliffs below, the soft rustle of curtains dancing in the sea breeze, and the quiet stillness of the villa. It was peaceful. Not the fragile kind that vanished the moment you opened your eyes. Not the kind that came with conditions. Real peace. A smile touched my lips. Then I felt an arm tighten around my waist. I looked down.Alex. Still asleep. Or pretending to be. Honestly, with him, it was impossible to tell. His face looked relaxed against the pillow, dark hair slightly messy from sleep. One arm was wrapped securely around me, possessively, protectively. As though even unconscious, some part of him refused to let me wander too far away. The sight alone warmed my chest. Carefully, I reached up and brushed my f

  • Safe In His Darkness    92

    EMILY GRAYSON'S The kiss lasted longer than either of us intended. Or maybe exactly as long as Alex intended. With him, it was hard to tell. By the time we finally pulled apart, I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt. Alex looked entirely too pleased with himself, which only made me roll my eyes."Don't.""Don't what?" he asked innocently."Whatever smug thing you're doing."His smirk widened. "I have no idea what you're talking about."Liar.Before I could argue, a familiar voice drifted from outside the bedroom."Dinner is ready!"Teresa.I immediately brightened. Alex sighed dramatically. I laughed."You sound jealous.""I am."That startled a laugh out of me. "You are jealous of Teresa.""She keeps stealing your attention.""She's feeding me.""So do I.""Alex," I warned."I do love feeding you."I covered my face. "Oh my God.""What?" he asked."You make normal sentences sound possessive.""That's because they are."I laughed so hard I nearly stumbled. Alex caught my waist before

  • Safe In His Darkness    41

    ***EMAIL GRAYSON'S***"Damn, Asher. Save some for the video,” someone muttered as the cabin door swung open. Video? My pulse didn’t spike—it sharpened. They were going to film this. For leverage. For an audience. For someone to watch. “Cut her loose and clean her up.” The voice came fro

  • Safe In His Darkness    38

    EMILY GRAYSON'S I felt it the moment we left the beach house. The air between us had changed. It wasn’t obvious—not in a way anyone else would notice—but I did. The silence in the car was heavier than usual, stretched too tight, like something waiting to snap. Lexi and her girlfriend were in the o

  • Safe In His Darkness    36

    ALEXANDER'S… I didn’t notice the exact moment she drifted off, only the quiet way her body softened against mine. One minute she was watching the screen, her fingers absently tracing the fabric of my shirt, her head tucked just beneath my chin, and next, she was out. Asleep. Finally losing the fi

  • Safe In His Darkness    35

    ***ALEXANDER***The weekend didn’t rush. It unfolded. Sunday morning came softer than the day before, no alarms, no chaos. Just the quiet hum of the ocean drifting through the open balcony doors and the faint clatter of movement somewhere downstairs. I woke slowly, aware of warmth before anythi

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status