Page 190 of Axis of Fire

My friends were wonderful.

And I had no idea what I'd done in a past life to deserve them in this one.

But I knew one thing for certain—

I would do absolutely anything to protect them.

To make sure they could live peaceful, safe lives.

Even if it meant leaving them behind...

For a while.

******

Once we finally finished cleaning up, I stepped back onto the rooftop to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything.

That's when I spotted Dwayne, Gwendolyn, and Mike sitting near the railing.

I walked over and joined them.

“I’m glad you finally found your home,” Dwayne said quietly, staring out into the distance, “but damn... I really don't want to let you go.”

“My home will always be here,” I replied softly, resting my head against his shoulder.

“With you.”

A brief silence settled around us.

Just not inside my head.

“What if I don't belong there at all?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “What if I can't come back?”

“I highly doubt Illariana Arden is capable of accepting failure,” Mike said with a smirk. “Whenever you want something badly enough, you always find a way.”

“And honestly,” Gwendolyn added, “how could you not fit in there? I'm pretty sure people will love you the second you stop hiding behind your armor.”

“I don't think I should ever take it off—”

“Remember our Count to Five game?” Dwayne interrupted, making me snort softly.

“I think it's time to bring it back.”

Count to Five had been our invention.

A way of forcing ourselves to take risks.

Back then, Dwayne and I had both been quieter.

More reserved.

More distant.

But our ambitions?

They'd always been enormous.

It didn't take a genius to realize that without courage—or initiative—we'd never even make it to the edge of that iceberg.