Carter's POV
Ruby was asleep.
Or, if not fully asleep, then faking it well enough to make me second-guess whether I should say anything else. So I didn’t. I just sat across the room, blanket draped around my shoulders, one hand loosely wrapped around a half-empty mug of coffee that had gone cold two hours ago.
She was curled on the couch, one arm cradled around her stomach. That tiny gesture hit harder than anything she’d said all night.
I couldn’t stop watching her.
Not in a creepy way, not in a possessive way,just in that way you do when your body’s buzzing with the need to move, to do something, but your only job is to sit still.
Stay alert.
Keep watch.
And pray the night stays quiet.
The fire had burned low, casting long shadows over the wooden floor. Outside, the storm was f
