Jake’s eyes never left Thompson as he spoke, his voice calm but heavy with meaning.
“So… you’re alive.”
Thompson let out a slow, sardonic laugh, shaking his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Alive? Hell yeah. You think someone like me just dies that easy?”
He stepped forward a little, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
“Remember that night you left me for dead? The man who almost finished me off—he came close. Burned me to a f*****g crisp.” His voice dropped, bitter but proud. “But I didn’t die. Crawled through fire, pain, and blood to get out alive. Took every damn ounce of strength I had.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed, his voice low and deliberate.
“So you survived hell. That’s… impressive.”
Thompson smirked, crossing his arms.
“Yeah. Took more than that burned man to p
