Viv:
Around midnight, I finally peeled myself off the couch.
Knox was dozing lightly, jaw tight even in sleep. That man never truly rested—not when the world was always watching, waiting, breathing down his neck. Not when tomorrow could change everything. He looked peaceful in the quiet. Softer. But I knew better. That softness was a shell. Beneath it was steel and scars and fury.
I didn’t want to wake him. But I didn’t want to leave without a proper goodbye either.
So I leaned down, kissed his forehead, then his lips. His eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep, but they found me instantly.
“You leaving?” he mumbled, voice raspy, sleep-warm.
“Gonna head out now. Get a hotel closer to the location.”
He blinked, sat up halfway. “You sure?”
“I need to be in place before you and Riot ro
