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“We started dating when all of this began. Even after he kidnapped me, we knew it wasn’t over.” A sob works its way up my throat as the first tear falls. “We haven’t even gotten to have a real relationship yet. We’ve been so focused on trying to keep me safe, that we forgot how to live.” I throw my arm out. “I can’t even go to the park without everyone worrying about me. I feel like a caged animal!”

His gaze follows my tears sliding down my cheeks before meeting my eyes again. The pain on his face makes my chest tighten. His green eyes glisten as he steps forward.

“Did you forget that I loved you before all of this? I loved you in silence for years, Liv.” He pounds on his chest and raises his voice. “YEARS. Don’t you dare think for one minute that my love for you isn’t real. I would give up my soul to save yours.”

I frantically wipe at my cheeks. “I never asked—”

“Do you love me?!” his voice cracks.

“Yes!” I choke out through a sob.

“If I could, I would go back in time to meet you first, so you wouldn’t know an ounce of this pain.”

I shake my head. “I was a different person then.”

He grabs my face. “I would have loved every version of you.”

Fisting his shirt, I bury my face in his chest. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. We stay like that until my tears stop falling. When I tilt my head back up to look at him, he brushes the hair out of my face and tucks it behind my ear.

“I knew what I wanted. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”

As quickly as my smile forms, it fades into a hard line. “I'm tired of living in survival mode. I don't want to have to look over my shoulder anymore or flinch at noises. I don't want to be followed around all day. I just want this to be over."

“When it is, I promise I will free you from your cage so you can fly again, baby bird.”

Sage grabs my hand and we walk back to his car in silence.

I should have never questioned his love for me. He sent an entire police force to find me. He overcame his fear of fire to save me. I don’t know why that thought had been wedging itself into my brain lately. I’m scared of losing him. He would sacrifice his soul for mine—and that terrifies me. At what cost? He says he can’t live without me but if I lose one more person I love, I don’t think I’ll survive it.

Sadie paces back and forth on the back seat of the Charger, unable to decide which window she wants to stick her head out of. I turn in my seat to pet her, my fingers twisting in her thick black fur.

“Sorry girl,” Sage apologizes and rolls up the windows.

Rain pelts the car as we cruise through the city, making our way home. Sage’s phone dings with an incoming text, and I grab it out of the holder.

“Dorian said Enzo and Ava are on the way. He already started frying the hamburger.” I drop the phone in the center console. “He better not burn down the kitchen.”

Sage laughs. “I think we all know who the most likely culprit of that is.” He side-eyes me.

I glare at him. “Ha. Ha,” I mock.

“I already saved you once.” He grins.

I place my hand on top of his resting on the shifter. “Twice.” His smile falters, and he grips the steering wheel tighter. “I’m proud of you.”

He swallows. “If you hadn’t of been there, I would’ve froze. At that hostage fire, Lorenzo had to punch me to get me to snap out of it. I blacked out. I started to again in the kitchen, but then all I could think about was you.” He turns his head to look at me. “The flames didn’t matter anymore.”

I give him a small smile and rub the back of his hand with my thumb. He puts his attention back on the road. The wipers tick like a metronome as the rain picks up speed.

“I know I couldn’t have saved my father. It was inevitable. But I will do everything I can to save you.”

His phone rings, the Commander’s contact popping up on his dash display. He pulls his hand from mine and connects the call through the car speakers.

“Sir,” he greets.

“Sergeant. Is Calloway with you?”

“Yeah.” Sage shifts his gaze to me.