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Something warm and frightening moved through my chest at the possibility.

“I do want to know.”

Nik nodded and leaned back in his chair, his expression growing more serious.

“You unlocked Lachlan from those restraints when doing so could have gotten you killed. You helped keep him alive, then put yourself at risk getting him out of that compound.”

Lucian leaned forward, and unlike Nik, he made no effort to hide how much this meant to him.

“You keep saying you helped each other as if that makes what you did any less important. If you hadn’t gone into that dungeon, my brother might still be chained to that fucking chair. Or dead. You had chances to save yourself, Isabella, and you went back for him.”

His voice roughened.

“I don’t think you understand what that means to me.”

“I couldn’t leave him there.”

“I know.” Lucian’s expression softened. “That’s exactly my point.”

Nik let the silence settle for a moment before adding, “And it was more than most people would have done.”

No one spoke for a moment, and I became acutely aware of Lachlan beside me and Lucian still watching me with the kind of gratitude I wasn’t used to receiving.

Nik finally broke the silence.

“So I want to make something very clear before we reach New York. You do not owe The Syndicate anything for getting you out of El Salvador, for the documents I create, or for anything we do to help you establish a life there.”

Nik tapped his thumb on the edge of the seat. “If anything, the debt runs the other way. The Syndicate owes you.”

I had no idea what to say to that.

For my entire life, everything given to me had come with rules attached. A room, food, clothes, books, even the limited freedom to walk through the gardens had all belonged to Ciro Delgado first. Nothing had ever simply been mine because someone wanted me to have it.

“When we get to New York, you’ll have somewhere safe to live for as long as you need it. We’ll get you clothes, money, proper identification, a phone, and whatever else you need to function without depending on Lachlan for every little thing.”

Lachlan grunted, but Nik ignored him.

“Whatever you decide comes next, we’ll make sure you have the time, resources, and freedom to figure it out for yourself. None of that buys your loyalty, and none of it puts you in our debt. It gives you choices.”

Something in my chest tightened at that last word.

Choices.

It was strange to realize that the terrifying Russian crime boss I’d spent the last two days imagining was using his power to give me choices instead of taking them away.

Lachlan rested a hand between my shoulder blades, his brows drawing together when another tremor ran through me.

“You’re still shaking.”

Only then did I realize how bad it had gotten.

The trembling had spread beyond my hands, and an odd chill kept washing over my skin despite the warmth of the cabin.

The adrenaline that had carried me through the FBO and into the sky was finally draining away, leaving my stomach rolling and my teeth threatening to chatter unless I clamped my jaw shut. Now that we were finally safe, my body had apparently decided it could fall apart.

“Take her to the bedroom, Lach. Let her lie down somewhere quiet for a while,” Lucian said.

“While we’re flying?”