I never wanted to leave her. But I had to. –Elias
Elias
I walked into the precinct that morning in a damn good mood.
The kind that came from waking up with her still in my arms.
From kissing her shoulder while she pretended not to be awake.
From thinking about all the ways I was going to ruin her again after work.
Then Riley called me in. And it all went to hell.
“We need you for this. You’re the only one with the background and training.”
Captain Riley slid the folder across the desk.
The file was thin, but it hit harder than most.
Drugs. Gangs. Dirty cops. Embedded units.
I flipped through the briefing in silence until she added, like she was tossing in a casual comment: “You can’t tell her.”
My jaw clenched.
“She’s not your wife, Wolfe. Not your legal next of kin. If this goes sideways, she doesn’t get a phone call. You know the protocol.”
I didn’t say anything. Because I did know the protocol.
And it fucking sucked.
Liana
He came home quiet.
Not just tired-quiet. Different. Heavy. Like something was sitting on his chest and he was trying not to let me see it.
We ate dinner. Barely talked.
He kissed me before bed like he was memorizing it.
And at 2 a.m., I woke up to the sound of a zipper.
Elias
She stood in the doorway, hair a mess, eyes barely open. “You’re going somewhere?”
I kept folding my vest. My throat was too tight.
“It’s work,” I said quietly. “I’ll be back soon.”
She stepped closer. “When?”
I turned.
Looked at her.
And broke the rule the only way I could.
“I don’t know.”
She stared at me.
Didn’t cry. Didn’t yell.
Just nodded.
Like she already knew.
I stopped by Alex’s place before I left.
She opened the door half-asleep. “The hell, it’s six in the morning—”
“I’m going dark,” I said. “Could be days. or weeks.”
She blinked, instantly awake. “What the hell kind of op—”
“I can’t say. Just… watch her.”
Alex’s mouth tightened. “Elias—”
“If anything happens, you’re her first call. Not the cops. Not anyone else. You.”
Alex nodded slowly. “Go do your job. I’ve got her.”
Liana
He didn’t say goodbye.
Not with words.
He just kissed me once, hard and long.
Then pulled away before I could ask him to stay.
I watched him walk down the steps. Bag slung over his shoulder. Shoulders tense.
He never looked back.
But I couldn’t stop staring. All I could think was…
Come back.
Come back to me.
