I’m not sure what I’m waiting for—a light to flick on, a sign he’s still digging, or maybe just a glimpse of him to settle the churn in my gut.
Letting him go was a calculated risk, but it’s left me uneasy.
Miles is not just a threat to the Guard, he’s a puzzle I can’t stop trying to solve. His defiance, his fire, that Little spark—it’s a dangerous combination, and I’m caught in its pull.
My phone buzzes, a text from Cole…
COLE: Status? Talk to me. This is a friendly word of advice. You need to resolve this, and quickly. Mr. G won’t take kindly to any sign of weakness. We know this.
I type back:
TRAVIS: On him. No movement yet. And, yeah, I know you’re right. I’m going to wrap this up very quickly.
But as I hit send, a shadow moves in his window, and my heart kicks up a notch. He’s awake. And if I know Miles anywhere near as my gut instinct is telling me I do, he’s not done fighting.
I lean back, my jaw tight.
I gave him a chance, but if he keeps pushing, I won’t hesitate.
The Guard comes first. Always.
But as I watch his window, I can’t shake the feeling that this Little’s going to make me break all my rules—and that could end up costing me way more than my position as a Guard…
Chapter 5
Miles
“Oh Bean, what have I got myself into?” I ask, more out of desperation than anything else. “I can’t back down though. And I won’t.”
I cuddle Bean and bring his warm body closer to me.
The glow of my TV casts flickering shadows across my apartment,The Little Mermaidplaying softly in the background. Ariel’s singing about wanting to be part of that world, and I’m curled up on the couch, Bean tucked under my arm, a bowl of popcorn balanced on my lap. The buttery scent fills the air, but the kernels taste like cardboard tonight.
My usual comforts—Disney, Bean, snacks—aren’t working.
My mind’s a storm, and Travis’s at the center of it.
It’s late, and the city outside my fifth-floor window is quiet, save for the occasional hum of a car. I pull the fuzzy blanket tighter around me, trying to focus on Ariel’s adventure, but my thoughts keep circling back to that meeting room…
Travis’s piercing eyes, his smug smirk, the way he called meboyandLittlelike he saw right through me. My cheeks burn at the memory.
HeknowsI’m a Little—how?
Was it the way I held myself, or did he dig into my life beyond the clues he spotted as he spied on me in the diner that night?
The thought makes my skin crawl, but there’s something else too, something I hate admitting: a flicker of intrigue.
Why did he let me go?
If the Night Ops Guard’s as ruthless as I think—killing at the drop of a hat, operating above the law—he could’ve ended me right there in that beige office block. A quick snap, a silenced shot, and no more Miles Nadal poking into their secrets.
But he didn’t.
Travis opened the door, let me walk out, his warning ringing in my ears:The consequences will be permanent.It was hardly a friendly note of caution but it was so much better than what he could have done. But why?
I shiver, hugging Bean closer, his microwaved warmth seeping into my chest.
“What’s his deal, Bean?” I murmur, booping his nose. “Is he playing me? Is this all some wicked game to him?”
