36. Raven

Chapter 36

Raven

I glanced at the table I'd set. The flicker of candles and the aroma of roasted garlic and thyme wafted from the kitchen. I insisted on cooking tonight—a simple yet elegant meal to commemorate our victory.

"Something smells divine," Jerome said, entering the dining room with that controlled stride I'd come to know so well.

"Roast chicken," I replied, my hands smoothing down my apron. "I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

Jerome pulled out a chair for me, his gaze lingering with an intensity that made my skin tingle.

"Here's to defeating phantoms." Jerome raised his glass.

"And to new beginnings," I added, clinking my glass against his.

We ate in comfortable silence for a moment, savoring the meal. Then I leaned forward, my elbows resting on the table. "Can you believe it's over? All those nights, the uncertainty..."

Jerome nodded, pausing with his fork in mid-air. "We've been through a siege, haven't we? But we came out stronger."

"Thank goodness for your military precision." I watched him take another bite. He always seemed so in control, even when wielding a knife and fork.

"Ah, but without your quick thinking, we might not have seen the end of this. You're formidable."

"Formidable enough to handle roast chicken?"

"Formidable enough to handle anything life throws your way."

"Even a stubborn bodyguard who thinks he knows best?"

"Especially him," Jerome replied, a genuine smile breaking through. "He's met his match in you."

We faced darkness together, and now we sat, bathed in the soft glow of victory and something much deeper—mutual respect and burgeoning affection.

"Promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Promise me that no matter what comes next, we'll face it just like we did with The Phantom—with courage, with strategy, and maybe a little of your famous discipline."

"Only if you promise to bring your resilience and that incredible intuition of yours," he bargained, reaching across the table to place his hand over mine.

"Deal."

I swirled the deep red wine in my glass, watching the firelight dance through its rich hue. I set it down silently, gaze lifting to meet Jerome's across the table.

"Before all this... before The Phantom made us targets, I thought I was invincible."

Jerome's eyes softened, the sharpness that usually defined them giving way to an uncharacteristic vulnerability. "I know the feeling," he admitted. "Out there, in the field, it's easy to believe we're untouchable. But then life has this way of reminding us we're only human."

"Exactly. It scares me, Jerome. Not just the danger, but the idea that one day my luck might run out. And what terrifies me more is the thought of losing someone I—"

"Care about?" Jerome finished for me, a small yet significant acknowledgment of the bond we shared.

"Deeply."

"I've spent my life protecting others, but never allowing myself to truly care for anyone. With you, it's different. I can't shut off the emotion, and honestly, I don't want to."

"Neither do I, but it's not just about fear. It's also about trust. I trust you, Jerome, more than I've ever trusted anyone. You've seen me at my weakest and still, you never wavered."

"The darkness we've encountered—it doesn't stand a chance against what we have."

"Love?" I ventured, the word tasting sweet and terrifying on my tongue.

"Love." Jerome agreed. "The kind that doesn't falter when the night grows cold or the shadows loom. The kind that fights, endures, and triumphs."

"Then let's promise to never let go of that love, no matter how fierce the storm gets."

"Never. Together, we are unstoppable."