Jacqueline's POV The drive from the burning safehouse was long and quiet. No one said a word—not out of peace, but because the weight of what just happened was too fresh, too raw. Smoke clung to our skin, our clothes, our lungs. Every breath still tasted of ash. Every heartbeat still echoed the panic of nearly dying.When we finally stopped, it was a secluded barn in the middle of nowhere. The woods swallowed it in darkness, the sky above stretching vast and empty. The structure was old, creaky, and far from comfortable—but it was dry, it was safe, and it was silent.Lorenzo went outside to scout the perimeter.Haze stayed behind with me.I sat on a makeshift bench, my body aching, my clothes still singed at the edges. The beam had bruised my ribs and scraped my back. My ankle throbbed from the twist, and the smoke had left my throat raw. But I was alive. Barely.Haze walked over, wordless, and knelt in front of me.“I’m fine,” I muttered, even though we both knew I wasn’t.He
Last Updated : 2025-07-14 Read more