“Lay down,” he said through gritted teeth and I shook my head.

“No! Look at the pain you’re in.”

“Ally, I was shot and could’ve died. Please, just lay the fuck down… I need you.”

I stood there debating what to do, but when I glimpsed vulnerability in his gaze, I gave in and carefully lay down beside him.

As I rested my head on his pillow, I reached down and threaded my hand through his. Axel squeezed my hand real tight, and when I looked up, I could see worry lines creasing his forehead.

“Hey,” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

Axel stayed quiet and I was sure I wasn’t gonna get an answer from him. But on a ragged breath, he looked up and pulled my hand to lie under his cheek. “Last night, for the first time ever, I was fucking scared.”

My heart sank as I saw how much that cost him to divulge. “Baby…” I whispered and, with my other hand, I stroked down his cheek. “It’s understandable. You were shot.”

Axel leaned into my touch and kissed my palm. “I wasn’t scared of getting shot, Ally, I was fucking terrified I would never get to see you again.”

My breath seized. I leaned in to kiss at his pale bruised lips. “Axel,” I cried, “I was so scared too. Austin and Levi told me they had thrown you out and you’d ran away. I felt like my soul had been ripped out. I couldn’t believe you would leave me like that… without even saying goodbye.”

“I was gonna leave,” he said sadly. His hand tightened around mine. “And I was gonna take you with me.”

“Axel—”

“But then Remo followed me.” Axel breathed through his nose as though he was reliving the entire thing in his head. “He’d been following me for days… I knew I wouldn’t be walking away from him alive. He was there for revenge, and all I could think of was that Austin and Levi would never see me again after leaving on a misunderstanding… and that you… that I’d never see this fucking beautiful face ever again… that I would never get to live the life I couldn’t believe I’d finally been gifted.”

Tears ran down his stubbled cheek into his beard. “Shh…” I soothed, “You’re alive. You survived and Remo’s dead… all the threats to you and your brothers are gone... once and for all.”

Axel inhaled deeply as though he couldn’t comprehend that fact. Shuffling even closer to him on the bed, being careful of his injuries, I added, “And you have me… all of me… forever, if that’s what you want.”

Axel’s eyes widened and releasing a long sigh, he nodded his head. “Fuck, Ally, that’s all I want. You’re everything to me. You’re my forever.”

“And you’re my forever too,” I replied. The image of my sculpture suddenly came to my mind, and I said, “Axel… your new sculpture…” I trailed off unable to find the words to express how I felt.

“Did you... like it?” he asked hesitantly, his rugged face for a moment racked with a nervous innocence.

“Did I like it?” I asked with a single laugh, “I can’t… I can’t believe that’s how you see me… your hope… your wish come true…”

“You are my hope, Ally. You’re every hope I’ve ever dared to have… la mia luce.”

“Axel,” I murmured. Carefully leaning down to his bruised mouth, I gently melded my lips to his. The kiss was everything I wanted to convey, but was unable to say with words.

As we broke away, I smiled. “Your show was a hit, baby. Vin’s already had offers for it to go on tour. Just think, your exhibition in the biggest art museums in the world… the entire world will stand witness to your genius.”

Axel glanced away, then looked back to me, a nervous expression on his face. “Axel? What is it?” I questioned, “Aren’t you happy? This is life changing. It’s a dream come true.”

“I don’t know,” he replied and I frowned. “My happiness all depends…”

Rearing back, I asked, “On what?”

Rolling his lips, wincing at the painful cuts, he said, “On whether you’re gonna be the official tour curator.”

I blinked, then blinked again, before a wide elated smile pulled on my lips. “Axel, are you asking me to go around the world with you?”

Axel smirked at me in that devastating way that only he had mastered and said, “I ain’t fucking going nowhere without you, carina. I know what I want… and it’s you. You’re the only one who’s ever got me. Fuck, baby, you really have got me in every possible way.”

Feeling like I could die from happiness, I tilted my head and said, “Lo giuri?”

He huffed a laugh back and nodded his head. “I fucking swear it on everything I am.”

“And where would we live?” I asked, the surreal turn of this conversation was becoming difficult to track.

“Wherever you want, but—”

“But what?”

“But I’d kinda like to be near my brothers here in Seattle. Weirdly, I'm getting used to the gray clouds and rain.”

I relaxed in relief. “Good, ‘cause I wanna be here too. I wanna be here when Molls has my nephew or niece in a few months’ time.”

“Then you’re gonna be living with me,” Axel firmly instructed.

Warmth flooded my body and I nodded my head. “Of course. Te amo,” I said in a state of perfect contentment, and curled into Axel’s arms.