The clearing fell quiet, save for the distant hum of retreating engines and the ragged breaths of those left behind. Jensen and Troy, along with their hired muscle, were gone. Vanished back into whatever sordid world they belonged to, leaving behind only the scent of fear and cheap cologne. Cain, Rafe, and Milo stood watching them go, a silent, formidable tableau.
I leaned against the oak tree, my muscles still humming with the adrenaline of the fight, my mind a chaotic jumble of relief and lingering tension. My hands still trembled slightly, but it wasn’t fear anymore. It was the tremor of a body that had been pushed to its limits and found its own strength.
Cain finally broke the silence, his voice still rough with the echo of the confrontation. “They’re gone. For now. And they know be
