Damien’s pov:
The drive back to the mansion felt like it lasted a lifetime.
The night was pressing hard against the armored windows, thick and pitch-black, broken only by the low, rhythmic hum of the engine. My men were everywhere, they spread out in a convoy with their eyes peeled and fingers on triggers. I knew they were there, but I couldn't really see them. All I could see, all I could feel, was the woman sitting next to me.
Sera was as still as a statue in the passenger seat. Her hands were gripped so tight in her lap that her knuckles were white. She hadn’t said a single word since we left. She just stared straight ahead at the dashboard lights, her eyes wide and unblinking. There was a smear of dried blood on her sleeve. It wasn't hers. It was mine.
I could still feel the kick o
