The Heart that grounds Him

Artemis' POV

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains of the luxurious Parisian penthouse, but I barely noticed.

I had barely slept.

My heart had been restless since Aiden left to handle Vincent and Kane. Even after he assured me he was fine during our last call, my mind couldn't stop replaying the image of him bleeding from a gunshot wound.

I sighed, reaching for my phone on the bedside table. Elara was still asleep in her crib, and Damian had stationed himself outside the suite as always.

I scrolled through my recent calls and clicked on Aiden's number.

My hands trembled slightly as I hit the video call button.

The screen rang twice before Aiden's face appeared.

"Hey, Red," he said, his voice deep and calming. He was shirtless, and I could see the faint bandage peeking from the side of his ribs.

I let out a shaky breath. "I needed to see your face."

Aiden's expression softened. "I'm right here."