Vanessa didn’t leave the compound for good after her morning visit.
She came back that same afternoon, this time with a bottle of expensive whiskey and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Jaxon wasn’t around when she walked in—he’d gone with Ryder to check something on the east fence..so she made herself comfortable in the main room like she still had a claim on the place.
Aria saw her the second she stepped out of the kitchen with a stack of clean plates.
The air shifted the same way it had that morning. Conversations dipped. A few of the older members nodded politely. Most just watched.
Vanessa caught Aria’s eye and lifted her glass in a small, mocking toast.
“Still here,” she said. “Impressive.”
Aria kept walking.
“Didn’t realize I needed your permission.”
“You don’t but you
