Emily's POV.

Warm hands. A steady touch. The scent of him all around me.

Cole.

I should’ve known he wouldn’t leave my side.

My eyes were open, but I wasn’t fully here. Everything felt distant, like I was floating between reality and something else. Something darker. My body ached, my throat raw, my mind trapped in an endless loop of what had happened.

Vanessa.

The gun.

She had pulled the trigger.

But there was no bullet.

I had been strong. Strong enough that Leon let me go.

I could still hear the echo of the shot, feel the coldness of the floor, the way my body had braced for pain...