The door shut with a muted thud.For a moment, the sound felt too small compared to what had just happened.Aaron sat in the back seat, hands trembling in his lap. The interior of the car smelled like leather and something faintly metallic—gunpowder still clinging to the air from Zayden’s jacket.The world outside the tinted windows moved on as usual.Cars passing. Streetlights glowing. Life continuing.It felt wrong.Zayden slid in beside him, closing the door quietly. Slate took the driver’s seat without a word, engine starting smoothly as if this were just another night.Just another rescue.Just another body left behind.Aaron stared at his hands.They wouldn’t stop shaking.He pressed them between his knees to hide them.“You’re safe,” Zayden said.His voice was lower now. Not commanding. Not cold.Aaron let out a shaky breath that turned into something halfway between a laugh and a sob.“I was about to die.”The words sounded unreal when spoken aloud.Zayden’s jaw tightened slig
Last Updated : 2026-02-20 Read more