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"Every time we came back, it was like reclaiming a piece of ourselves," Lana says, her gaze drifting back to the skyline. "This place became a symbol of our unity, our strength together. No matter what happened in our lives, we always had this."
I’m moved by her words, struck by the intimacy of what she's sharing. That she’s sharing it with me. I see now that she’s a far cry from the ice princess she portrays to the world. This is a woman shaped by love, loyalty, and an unbreakable bond with her twin.
A single tear glistens on Lana's cheek. Instinctively, I brush the tear away with my thumb. Lana startles slightly at my touch, as if suddenly remembering my presence.
Her eyes meet mine.
"Why did you share that with me?"
Lana takes a shaky breath, seeming to gather herself. She looks away for a moment, like she feels she’s revealed too much.
When she turns back to me, there's a new resolve in her expression. "I wanted you to understand, to see Lazaro the way I do. Not as some violent criminal, but as my protector, my other half. There’s more to him than what's in your case files.”
She speaks about him in present tense, so convinced he’s still alive. But if that’s the case and they’re so close, why is he staying away?
“Lana? Would he stay away to protect you?”
She blinks as my question sinks in. “What do you mean?”
I shift, turning my upper body to better face her. “It sounds like he felt… or feels the same about you as you do about him. Otherwise, why risk getting your ass kicked?”
Her lips twitch upward.
“If that’s the case and he’s out there, why isn’t he contacting you?”
Her eyes harden. “Are you going to tell me you think looking for him is a waste of time too? That he’s dead? Even if he is dead, I want to?—”
“No, sweetheart.” I press my fingers to her lips to stop her. “I mean, maybe he’s staying away on purpose. To protect you. Would he do that?”
My question takes her off guard. “I don’t know. Maybe.” Her fingers grip the lapel of my coat, her eyes looking into mine for a glimmer of hope. “Do you think that’s the case?”
I take her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist. I do it without even thinking or considering the ramifications. “I don’t know. But like I said, I look at all possibilities.”
She bites her lip as she gazes out the window again. I miss her closeness and want to pull her near again, but I don’t.
"He's loyal. Fiercely protective. Not just of me, but of our whole family. Everything he's done, it's been out of love and a desire to keep us safe. Maybe… maybe he’d stay away if it meant we’d be safer. There is more to him than anyone is willing to see… to consider.”
She turns to me again, her eyes full of pleading. “Can you give Lazaro the effort and consideration he deserves? To look deeper, to see the man behind the reputation?"
I nod. In that moment, I’d give her the fucking moon if I could. I feel her plea deep in my soul, and all I want to do is soothe her pain.
I reach out to her, cradling her cheek. Her skin is soft under my touch. "I promise I will do everything in my power to find Lazaro."
Her eyes meet mine, filled with a mix of hope and vulnerability that makes my heart ache. I've never seen her like this before, so open and unguarded.
"I can't make any guarantees about what we'll find," I continue, wanting to be honest with her. "But I swear to you, I'll look into every lead, turn over every stone. I'll do whatever it takes to uncover the truth about what happened to your brother."
She studies me as if she’s seeking the truth of my words. They are the truth. I hope she can see that.
"Thank you, Henry. You don't know what this means to me."
In this moment, with the city lights twinkling in front of us and Lana's warmth beneath my hand, I realize just how deeply I've fallen. I close the distance between us. My lips meet hers softly at first, tentative and questioning. She responds, melting into me, the kiss deepening. It's nothing like our first encounter, which was all heat and desperation. This is slower, more intimate, filled with a tenderness that catches me off guard.
My hand, still cradling her cheek, slides into her hair, pulling her closer. I taste the salt of her tears on her lips, a reminder of the raw emotion she's just shared with me. It makes me want to hold her tighter, to shield her from the pain she's been carrying for so long.
Something shifts inside me. The walls I've built, the professional distance I've tried to maintain, they all come crumbling down. In this moment, I'm not Detective Henry Lutz, and she's not Lana D'Amato, a member of a crime family I'minvestigating. We're just Henry and Lana, two people finding peace and solace in each other's arms.
I know I should pull away, that I'm again crossing a line. But with Lana's warmth against me and the taste of her on my lips, I don’t care. For once, I let myself forget about the case, about my duty, about everything except the woman in my arms.
