FAZER LOGINHe gestures toward the board. “We’ve mapped out everything from the hospital to the transfer point we got from the men Reaper brought in. That part lines up.” He traces the route with his finger. “From there, it goes cold.”“No sightings,” another adds. “No confirmed movement after that. We’ve check
NOAH.I knew the moment she stepped into the room that it was going to hit her. It’s in the way she stops. Not just physically, but completely, like something inside her just locks in place.I don’t say anything or move; I just watch her.Her eyes move slowly across the space, taking everything in,
I turn to him, a small grin forming despite everything. “You did a good job with this one.”A faint smile touches his lips. “Glad you approve… but I can’t take all the credit.”Before I can ask what he means, footsteps echo down the hallway.“Aunt Sierra!”Nova’s voice fills the space as she runs to
I don’t know what to say to that, because it just feels so impossible.“How? How can you erase her like that?” I ask before I can stop myself. “You loved her unconditionally.”I wasn’t trying to be a dick; I was just trying to understand.“I didn't love her,” he says immediately.I shake my head. “T
I stare at him, trying to process what he just said, but it doesn’t land the way it should.“You moved?” I finally ask, my voice quieter than I expect.He nods once, his eyes briefly flicking toward me before returning to the road.I keep looking at him, waiting for it to sink in but it doesn’t beca
“I was not dying.”He shrugs unapologetically. “You were in danger of bleeding out. I wasn’t going to risk it.”I roll my eyes just as the nurse steps in, gently examining my shoulder and thighs.“Good thing is that your wounds aren’t deep and didn’t hit anything to worry about,” she says after a mo
“I swear if you hurt her, Noah, I’ll—”I don’t let her finish her threat; the urgency to fix this mess rides me hard. It almost feels like if I don't fix this, then I won't find rest. Chloe will turn in her grave and haunt me. ***The whole ride is a blur, and now here I am standing outside her doo
Noah.I'm drowning. Drowning under the weight of what Sierra just revealed.I see her, see the way she takes slow, unsteady steps backward. I see the fear in her eyes, wide and shimmering. I can almost feel it. Taste it. It thickens the air between us, pressing in on my chest and clawing at my lungs
Those minutes I sit there waiting for her feel like the longest of my life. I don’t move, but I can’t stop fidgeting, picking at my nails, shifting in my seat, heart thudding in my ears.When I finally hear the roar of her engine, I spring to my feet, startling Blackie, and rush to the door. I fling
“I don’t need him, and the baby doesn’t either,” I say, the words building strength. “I could ask for a transfer. Start fresh. You can come visit… but Noah doesn’t need to be in our lives.”Lilly stares at me like I’ve lost my mind, and maybe to some extent I have, but this seems like the best cours







