Jackson’s POV
As we entered the safe home, the low light flickering caused the tension to still hang about like a dense fog. Every shadow sensed a threat, every noise a warning.
Time was running out, and I felt the weight of it pushing down on me. Joan's comments stayed with me, her threats like a ticking clock running down to catastrophe.
Paul was already there, his gloomy face fixed on a chart laid out on the table. His eyes locked with mine and I sensed the unsaid inquiry: What now? Joan was still a wildcard when the broker cornered us. Though he was concealing it effectively, Paul seemed to be exactly as shaken as the rest of us. Too much.
"How did they come upon us so quickly? Becky asked, her voice tight with anxiety. She removed her jacket and set it aside, exposing the prono
