บททั้งหมดของ Torin-Shattered: Way Down We Go (Part 1): บทที่ 81 - บทที่ 90

The ride to Jess’s bar felt longer than it was. My hands gripped the edges of the passenger seat, knuckles white. Every shadow along the road, every flicker of movement in the trees, made me flinch. Torin’s eyes never left the road, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. He was calm, collected, but I knew him well enough to know that he was running scenarios in his head, planning, calculating.“We’re not going to wait until he makes the next move,” Torin said, his voice low. “We need to know what he’s thinking.”I nodded, biting my lip. “I don’t want to know what he’s thinking. I just want him gone.”Torin’s eyes softened, just for a second. “I know. I want that too. But he’s clever. Patient. Dangerous. We can’t underestimate him. Not for a second.”When we pulled into the parking lot, Jess was waiting, arms crossed, his expression a mix of concern and irritation. Tannin was leaning against the doorframe, watching us like a hawk.“Show me,” Jess said without preamble.Torin ha

The morning air was sharp, carrying the faint tang of rain from overnight. I sat at the small kitchen table in the safe house, my fingers wrapped around a mug of coffee, trying to steady my thoughts. Every sound, every distant footstep or car door, made me flinch. Torin sat across from me, elbows resting on the table, hands clasped, his gaze fixed on me. He didn’t say anything at first, letting the silence stretch, letting me collect myself, but I could feel the tension radiating off him.Finally, he spoke, voice low but steady. “Bastards not giving up. He’s watching every move.”I shivered, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. “I can’t stop thinking about what he might do next. What if he comes for me when we’re not ready?”Torin leaned forward, resting his forehead against his knuckles. “We’ll be ready. That’s the difference this time. We have eyes everywhere, people we trust, protocols in place. We’re not going to be caught off guard.”I wanted to believe him. I had to. I can’t

The phone rang just as the first light of dawn seeped through the blinds. I groaned, burying my face in Torin’s chest. “Do you have to answer that?” I murmured, half asleep, half terrified of who it could be.Torin’s brow furrowed. “If it’s important, we need to know. It could be Lucien.”I sat up, grabbing the receiver. “Hello?” My voice was shaky, but I forced it to sound steady.“Marlowe?” The deep, familiar tone made my chest lurch. Rook.“Rook?” I whispered, heart hammering. I hadn’t heard his voice in months—not since that night when everything in my life had shattered. “Where…how did you—”“I’ll explain everything later,” he said, urgency in his voice. “Right now, I need to see you. We don’t have much time.”Torin’s hand found mine under the blanket, squeezing. “Marlowe?” he asked quietly.“I… I have to see him,” I said, biting back a sob. “I need to know he’s safe.”Torin studied me, dark eyes unreadable for a moment. Then he nodded. “Okay. But you’re not going anywhere alone.

The day started gray and quiet, the kind of morning that made every shadow feel longer, every sound sharper. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Lucien was already somewhere watching, waiting, plotting.Torin sat at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee cradled in his hands. He was quiet, his jaw tight, eyes dark and restless. I perched on the edge of the counter, legs swinging, trying to absorb some normalcy, though it was impossible.“Did Rook tell you everything?” I asked, my voice low.Torin’s eyes met mine. “Everything he knows. Lucien’s not messing around. He’s been using people I thought were safe. Testing boundaries, finding weaknesses.”I swallowed hard. Testing me, testing us. Trying to see how much he can take before I break. “He won’t… he can’t,” I whispered, though the tremor in my voice betrayed my fear.Torin’s hand found mine, fingers curling around mine. “He can, but he won’t. Not if we’re smart. Not if we stay together.”I leaned into him, needing the warmth, the steady re

“Fear costs less than bullets,” Torin murmured to Rook’s words as he eased me back just enough to see my face. His hand stayed warm at my neck, thumb tracing slow circles. “Lucien uses fear because he knows we have something to lose.”I nodded, my voice emerging small. “What happens when scaring us isn’t enough?” I asked. “If tonight was just a warning, what does it look like when he decides he’s finished playing?”Torin’s jaw tightened. “We don’t wait to find out,” he growled. “We tighten this place up. We put eyes on the street, and we keep someone on you at all times. No one goes anywhere alone.”Rook nodded, his expression hardening. “I’ll talk to Jess about the upstairs office,” he said. “If this address ever feels exposed, we move her there fast and quiet.”The thought of more hiding made my ribs feel tight. “I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me,” I said as I wrapped my arms around my middle.“You are not the cause,” Torin said as he tipped my chin up. His gaze locked on m