The burn of the whiskey did nothing to numb the ache in Vernon’s jaw.
The punch Lucien had landed still pulsed beneath his skin—a slow, relentless reminder that he had walked into a lion’s den and somehow managed to walk back out alive.
For now.
He sat alone in the darkest corner of the dive bar, his back pressed firmly against the wall. The brim of his cap cast a shadow over his face, concealing the bruises spreading across his cheekbone and along his hairline.
The place was loud.
Laughter.
Shouting.
The clink of glasses.
Yet Vernon heard none of it.
His attention remained fixed on the reflections in the mirror behind the liquor shelves.
The same man had ordered three drinks and never touched a single one.
A woman near the entrance checked her phone every thirty seconds.
Two s
