Then, because I feel like being a little shit, I shake my head slowly without even testing my legs. “I think my legs are too weak. Guess you’ll have to carry me.”
It’s a joke.
A tease.
Meant to annoy him. Maybe distract him. Not to be taken seriously.
But Cassian doesn’t roll his eyes. He doesn’t even blink.
He just nods.
Wait.
Wait, what?
Before I can process the shift, he’s already out of the truck, coming around to my side. He opens my door and reaches in like it’s the most obvious thing in the world that he’s going to carry me.
And then I’m airborne.
Just… gone from my seat.
My breath hitches as his arms sweep under me, lifting me like I weigh absolutely nothing. I let out a small, startled sound as my body leaves the safety of the cocoon, the world tilting as I instinctively throw my arms around his neck for balance.
“Oh,” I say, blinking up at him. “I didn’t even try on my own, to be fair.”
Cassian’s expression doesn’t change. Not even a flicker of amusement.
“I noticed,” he says.
Nathaniel glances over his shoulder, brows raising in mild surprise, but miraculously says nothing. Talon, on the other hand, whistles low under his breath.
“What a gentleman,” he drawls. His voice is smooth, but there’s something else under it. A flicker of tension, sharp and fast, before his face smooths back into its usual lazy charm.
Cassian ignores him.
Silently, he carries me inside.
And all that lust I’ve been trying to suppress during the ride?
Yeah. Turns out that was a spectacularly wasted effort.
Ihead out at dawn in a plain hoodie, a ball cap pulled low, and the same worn running shoes I used before my deployment. Nothing special. Just another guy out for a morning jog. At least, that’s the impression I’m going for.
The streets are quiet at this hour, still shaking off the night. It’s the perfect time to move unnoticed. Just in case, I keep my head down, hands in my pockets, shoulders hunched like I’m fending off the morning chill. I look like someone with nothing to hide, just minding his business.
It’s been a week since Sabine showed me those messages. Her stalker’s words are burned into my mind, like they were aimed at me. The creepy texts. The little gifts. That sick obsession woven through every detail. Some asshole’s been watching her, tracking her every move for God knows how long. And now I can’t stop thinking about it. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing. My mind keeps circling back to her face when she handed me that phone.
I don’t know how long I’m staying, but however long it is, I’m using it to find this bastard. I’m not letting him get any closer.
I take the familiar route down to the main road. Every step is muscle memory, but my eyes are alert, scanning everything. Parked cars that weren’t there before. Windows with curtains drawn tight. Empty corners that would make perfect hiding spots. I’ve walked this path a hundred times, but ever since Sabine’s revelation, I see it differently. I look at it like he would. Like a predator, not the kid who used to live here.
Up ahead, the bakery’s already lit up. Small place, been around forever. They start early, prepping the bread before sunrise, opening before most people are even awake. I step inside and the warm air hits me—yeast, butter, sugar. Quiet. Almost peaceful. A few trays of pastries cool in the back. The girl behind the counter gives me a sleepy nod. I give her a tight smile and order a coffee, then take it to the corner seat by the window.
From here, I can see the whole street. Sidewalks, parked cars, every angle. If someone’s been watching Sabine, they weren’t standing out in the open. They’d pick a spot with cover. Somewhere they could blend in. Somewhere like this.
If it were me?
I’d be sitting somewhere no one thinks to look.
