NIKOLAI
Stalled, with no way forward until Joe could feel Terri again, we checked into a hotel.
Joe was chained up in his room, guarded by Eddie and Tanner. Tyce booked the rest of us a couple rooms—I’d be sharing with Ivan, while Tyce bunked with his beta. None of us were in the mood for sleep, but exhaustion clung to us anyway.
The hotel room was suffocatingly quiet, save for the distant hum of the heating system. The cheap carpet smelled faintly of industrial cleaner, and the low light from the bedside lamp cast shadows across the walls, making everything feel smaller, tighter. I sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand down my face. My body ached. The weight of everything settled over me, dragging me deeper into my own thoughts. Terri was out there somewhere. Cold. Afraid. Maybe h
