I’ve done terrible things. I’ve stolen, threatened, killed. Built my empire on blood, sweat, and fear. No one dares to challenge me. No one dares to get close. That’s how I survive. That’s how I stay on top.

But with her?

I’m nothing more than a man.

I come home late. My shirt smells of gunpowder. But the moment I step inside, the world fades away.

She’s there. Sitting on the couch, a cup of tea in her hands. The sight of her makes my chest ache in a way I can’t explain. She looks up when I walk in, her eyes immediately finding mine, and suddenly, I’m no longer a king—I’m just a guy who needs her warmth.

“Lando.” Her voice is soft.

“Why aren’t you sleeping, darling?” I cross the room, already reaching for her, needing to touch her.

She puts the cup down, stands, and before I know it, her fingers are on my face.

“I was worried,” she says quietly.

Fuck. This few words are enough to break me in a thousand ways.

I grab her wrist, gently, pressing her hand to my lips. “No need to worry.”

But she knows better. “You were fighting again?”

I don’t answer right away, because I know she doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t want me to be that person. But she never pushes me away. Never.

“It’s nothing,” I murmur, pulling her into me.

“Lando…” Her fingers slide gently over my neck, as if trying to calm me down.

“I don’t want to talk about it, darling,” I whisper into her hair.

She doesn’t argue. Instead, she melts into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine. I don’t know how she does it, but every time I’m near her, I feel like I’m whole. Like the monster I am can disappear for just a moment.

I pull her even closer, burying my face in her neck, breathing her in. “I missed you.”

She smiles, pressing her lips against my throat. “You always do.”

“Because it’s always true,” I reply, my voice low and rough. I can’t stop myself from kissing her forehead, her nose, the corners of her lips. I need her.

“You’re mine, you know that?” I say, almost in a whisper.