After arriving at the Mud Town, Ace Kane and Lora Hale spent a few hours touring the immediate surroundings with Sienna Westbrook. The physical toll of the journey began to weigh heavily on Ace. Lora had managed to snatch a few hours of fitful sleep in the passenger seat during the long haul from the city, but Ace had been the one wrestling with the steering wheel through the lightless, winding mountain passes. He had kept his eyes wide and alert for an entire night, fueled only by adrenaline and the responsibility of the precious lives in his Audi. Now, with the sun reaching its zenith, the fatigue was no longer a dull ache; it was a crushing weight behind his eyes.
Initially, he had felt a lingering sense of unease regarding Kevin Vance. The pampered heir of the Skyrise Group was a loos
