Chapter Seventy Three
Venessa POV
The heavy, armored SUV glided to a smooth halt inside the secure underground garage of my new downtown high-rise penthouse. The massive steel gates rolled shut behind our three-car convoy with a definitive, echoing clang, sealing out the noise and the dangers of the city. Inside the reinforced cabin, the silence was absolute.
Khalid turned his dark eyes toward me, the hard, lethal lines of his face softening just a fraction as he reached out to cup my cheek in his large palm. His thumb traced a gentle circle over my skin, trying to wash away the lingering tension he could clearly feel radiating from my body.
"You are safe here, Venessa," he murmured, his deep voice rich with a fierce, protective warmth. "My men have swept the entire perimeter of this b
