The door clicked softly behind her, muffling the sounds of the hallway, of him.
Maya leaned against the wood, her heart still thudding with the aftershocks of the last hour—the last six hours. She let her head fall back, eyes fluttering shut as the room settled around her like a quiet stranger. Dim, plain, with mismatched curtains and faded tiles, it was nothing like the fancy hotel in Tokyo she’d packed for.
She had never been so grateful for a flat surface and four walls.
Her body ached in places she didn’t realize had tensed—shoulders tight, fingers sore from how hard she’d clung to the armrest, to him.
And then there was her heart.
Still fluttering wildly like it hadn’t gotten the message that they were safe.
She opened her eyes and pushed off the door slowly, taking in the small
