Chapter Fifty Five
Blade’s pov
The late afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the perimeter wall, casting long, jagged shadows across the compound, but I felt none of the warmth. I was hunched over my motorcycle, my hands covered in dark grease and grime, scrubbing at parts of the engine that were already spotless. I needed the repetitive motion to keep my brain from collapsing. My mind was a prison, constantly replaying the scene at the motel—the digging, the fire, the smell of burnt hair and gasoline. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the flames. I was so lost in the nightmare that I didn’t hear her footsteps on the gravel until she was right behind me.
Skyler appeared in my peripheral vision, a splash of color in this gray, violent world. I felt her presence before she even spo
