Chapter Six: Aftershock The sirens arrived too late to matter. They wailed somewhere below the penthouse, distant and impersonal, like an apology from a system that had already failed. Ronan ignored them. His focus was narrowed to the weight in his arms, the slow, uneven rise and fall of Elliot’s chest against his own. Elliot was burning but quieter now. No longer flaring, no longer spiraling. Just simmering, heat contained by proximity and exhaustion. Ronan hated how effective it was. He eased Elliot down onto the couch, careful, controlled, like he was handling something fragile instead of one of the most powerful men in the city. Elliot protested weakly, fingers tightening in Ronan’s shirt. “Don’t,” Elliot murmured. “Don’t move away.” The words weren’t a command. They weren’t even confident. They were honest. Ronan stilled. For a long moment, he stayed crouched in front of Elliot, forearms braced on his thighs, close enough that Elliot could still feel him could still anc
Last Updated : 2026-02-09 Read more