Luke:
"I'm here."
Click.
That’s all it took.
The sound of her voice on the other end of the line snapped something inside me. I didn’t even hang the phone up properly—just shoved it into my pocket and ran. Not walked. Not the casual stride I use to pretend like nothing rattles me. I ran.
Out of the house. Across the yard. Through dark alleys and backroads.
My lungs tearing like I hadn’t breathed in days, which maybe was true.
I couldn’t risk being seen. Not pulling out of my driveway in the dead of night, not with the eyes I knew were on me. IA breathing down my neck. My so-called brothers in blue just waiting for me to trip. So I didn’t take the car. Didn’t take the risk.
Boots hitting pavement, muscles screaming, heart slamming against my ribs—none of it slowed me. I had no choic
