I didn’t sleep that night. Not even for a second.

The firestorm outside our safehouse had died down, but the storm inside me only grew heavier with each breath. The Russians’ retaliation had left scars on the city—smoldering buildings, scorched streets, the sound of sirens echoing in the distance—but none of it could compare to the chaos burning in my chest. My body was exhausted, but my mind was too loud—full of his voice, his touch, his betrayal, and the pull I couldn’t deny.

When dawn finally cracked through the thin curtains, the first ray of light fell across Nikolai’s face where he lay slumped in a chair, his gun...