The compound didn’t go back to normal after the Vipers pulled out. It just got quieter in a different way.
Aria stayed behind the bar until Jaxon gave the all-clear. Even then, nobody rushed outside. Men moved in pairs, guns still ready, sweeping the yard and the damaged east fence with flashlights. The sky was turning gray with early light, but the air still smelled like gunpowder and hot metal.
Carla handed Aria a bottle of water and nodded toward the kitchen.
“Sit. You’re shaking.”
Aria hadn’t noticed until then. Her hands trembled around the plastic bottle. She forced herself to drink. The water was warm and didn’t help much.
Jaxon moved through the room giving short orders. Med room for the wounded. Two men on the captured Viper. Full perimeter check. No one leaves the compound
