The day Caleb was supposed to arrive felt longer than any Saturday rush.
I woke up early and found the apartment already empty. Leo’s boots were gone. The Harley wasn’t in the alley. A half-finished cup of coffee sat on the counter, still faintly warm. He had left without a word again. The note he usually left when he took early rides was missing. That small absence sat heavier than it should have.
I spent the morning moving through prep like my hands belonged to someone else. Every time the back door opened I looked up too fast, half expecting the strange men in the heavy leather cuts, half expecting Leo. Neither appeared. The kitchen stayed quiet except for the usual sounds of knives and the walk-in door.
Maya texted around noon.
Caleb’s really coming back tonight?
I stared at the m
