The morning light, filtered through the thick, imported silk drapes, found us tangled in the deep center of the bed, the linens rumpled proof of the previous night’s desperate, confirming reunion. The room was warm, filled with the scent of spent passion and the profound, intoxicating reality of her safety.

I woke first, as always, my internal clock refusing to recognize peace, even when it was finally achieved. I didn't move, unwilling to break the quiet perfection of the moment. Isabella ...