~LAYLA~
I set down my whiskey glass, suddenly feeling exhausted. The adrenaline from dinner was wearing off, leaving me completely drained. "I need to shower. Get this bracelet off. I feel like it's burning my skin."
"Go," Axel said gently. "I'll handle the rest of tonight's logistics with Tye. We'll figure this out, Layla. We're close now."
"I know." I stood, then paused. "Thank you both. For keeping me safe tonight. For making this plan work."
"That's what we do," Tye said with a slight smile. "Keep each other alive and one step ahead of the people trying to kill us."
"When you put it that way, it sounds almost normal."
"For us? It is."
I left them planning in the living room and headed upstairs. In our bathroom, I carefully removed the diamond bracelet, dropping it into its box like it might contaminate everything else. I had planned to drop it after dinner, but left angry and forgot about it.
