Chapter 493: Against all odds

"Aria." I looked at her. Really looked at her. "Close your eyes. Trust me."

She did, tears still streaming down her face.

00:07

I positioned the laser over the junction point. One cut. Clean. Precise.

The slightest tremor would kill us both.

00:05

I made the cut.

00:03

The LED flickered.

00:02

Went dark.

Silence.

Just the wind across the rooftop and our ragged breathing and the distant wail of sirens.

No explosion.

No fireball.

Nothing.

"Kael?" Aria’s voice was barely a whisper.

"It’s done." My hands were shaking now, the adrenaline finally catching up. "It’s over."

I carefully, so carefully, lifted the vest from her body. It was heavier than I’d expected, the weight of the explosives and the life-or-death moment we’d just survived.

I carried it to the far edge of the roof and set it down gently, then returned to Aria.

And pulled her into my arms.

She collapsed against me, her whole body shaking with sobs, not fear this time, but relief so profound it was almost painful.

"We’re alive," she gasped between sobs. "Oh God, we’re alive—"

"You’re alive." I held her so tightly I was probably hurting her, but I couldn’t let go. Couldn’t loosen my grip. "You’re safe. You’re safe."

"The baby—"

"Is fine. Going to be fine. You’re both fine."

The rooftop door burst open again. Ash appeared, followed by Sylas and what looked like half the tactical team.

"Threat neutralized," Hayes said into her radio, his voice shaking slightly. "Andrew Roman confirmed eliminated. Need EMTs on the roof immediately."

He looked at us, at me still holding Aria like she might disappear if I let go, and his expression softened.

"Give them a minute," he said quietly to the others. "Just... give them a minute."

But I could already hear more footsteps. The bomb squad arriving to secure the vest. EMTs with their equipment. More agents wanting statements.

The aftermath flooding in.

I didn’t let Aria take a single step.

The moment the bomb vest was cleared and the danger officially neutralized, I slid my arms beneath her knees and back, lifting her against my chest in one smooth motion. She was trembling, deep, bone-rattling shudders that traveled through her body into mine.

"Kael—" she started, but I cut her off, pulling her tighter against me.

"I’ve got you," I murmured into her hair, my voice rougher than I intended. "You’re not walking anywhere."

Her arms immediately locked around my neck, her face buried against my collarbone. She didn’t argue. Her fingers twisted into the fabric of my shirt, knuckles white, as if she thought I might vanish if she loosened her grip for even a second.

EMTs approached with a stretcher, but I didn’t slow my pace toward the ambulance.

"Sir, we need to assess her injuries, " one began.

"You can assess her in the ambulance," I said, not breaking stride. "She stays with me."

I could feel Aria’s heart hammering against my chest, a frantic rhythm that matched my own. Her quiet sobs were hot against my skin, each one a fresh crack in the armor I’d worn all night. I’d faced down guns, explosions, and Andrew’s madness without flinching, but her tears, the sheer relief and terror in them, nearly brought me to my knees.

We moved through the battlefield of the rooftop, past the discarded bomb vest, the bodies, the debris, and descended the stairs. She didn’t lift her head to look. Just clung tighter with each step I took, her breath hitching every time I shifted her weight.

Outside, chaos reigned. Flashing lights painted the night in streaks of red and blue. Police lines held back a growing crowd of press. But all of it blurred into background noise. My entire world had narrowed to the woman in my arms and the path to the ambulance.

The back doors stood open. I stepped inside, still holding her, and sat on the edge of the bench with her cradled in my lap. There was no question of putting her on the stretcher.

"Sir, we really need, "

"Check her here," I said, my tone leaving no room for negotiation. "But she doesn’t move."

The EMTs exchanged a look but complied. One wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm while another pressed a stethoscope to her chest. Through it all, Aria kept her face hidden against me, one hand fisted in my shirt, the other gripping my arm so tightly I’d have bruises tomorrow. I welcomed them.

"Blood pressure is elevated but understandable given the circumstances," an EMT said quietly. "Heartbeat is strong."

The other EMT gently lifted Aria’s shirt enough to place a portable ultrasound wand against her lower abdomen. A moment later, a steady, swift whoosh-whoosh-whoosh filled the small space.

"Baby’s heartbeat is strong too," the EMT said, a soft smile in her voice. "Everything sounds perfect."

A ragged sob broke from Aria’s throat, a sound of pure, unguarded relief. I pressed my lips to her temple, my own eyes burning.

"You hear that?" I whispered, my voice thick. "We’re all okay. We’re all together."

She finally lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed and swimming, but clear. "Let’s go home, Kael. Please. Just take me home."

"I am," I promised, brushing her tear-streaked cheek with my thumb. "We’re going home. And I’m not letting go. Not now. Not ever."

The ambulance doors closed, sealing us in a quiet, moving cocoon. The engine rumbled to life, and we pulled away from the warehouse, from the blood, the death, the nightmare.

As the city lights began to streak past the small windows, Aria’s grip eased only slightly, her body slowly relaxing against mine. But she didn’t let go. And I didn’t release her.

Her head rested on my shoulder, her breathing gradually deepening into something closer to sleep than shock. I held her, my anchor, my peace, my living, breathing proof that we had survived the impossible.

Against every odd, against fate itself, we had survived. Together.