Three days had passed.
They don’t like leaving me. I can see it in the way Alex’s fingers press into the back of my neck before he lets go, in the way Max’s hand lingers at my waist, in the way Cassian scans the tree line one last time before stepping into the car. “Imported shipment,” Alex says. “We won’t be long.” I nod, like I always do. I can't go with, being so exposed is dangerous.
When the headlights disappear down the dirt road, the silence settles heavier than usual. Kai, Gabriel and Lucas are inside on rotation, but the walls feel tight tonight, so I sit on the back steps instead. The forest is darker after sundown, the trees blending into one solid shadow. I pull my hoodie closer around me and stare out at nothing.
The sound of boots on gravel.
“You picked the one place the
