She nods. “Me too.”
And then she reaches for my hand under the blanket and threads her fingers through mine.
That’s how we fall asleep.
Not tangled. Not breathless. Not kissing.
Just connected.
But it might be even more dangerous than all the rest.
SIX
RILEY
The drive back down the mountain feels different.
Quieter. Heavier.
I keep telling myself it’s just because daylight makes everything look less romantic—less safe—than the warm cocoon of the safe house. But that’s a lie. The truth is, the fear followed us. It didn’t stay behind with the one bed and the almost-kiss and the illusion that this was just a weird detour in my life.
Crewe doesn’t say much as we head toward base. One hand on the wheel, the other relaxed but ready, like the road itself might try something stupid. I watch the trees blur past and try not to think about how fast everything spiraled fromnormaltoclassified nightmare.
“You’re quiet,” I finally say.
He glances at me, eyes sharp. “You’re thinking.”
“I’m always thinking.”
“I know.”
Something about the way he says it—like he’s learned me already—sends a strange flutter through my chest. Not helpful. Focus, Riley.
We round a bend, and that’s when I feel it.
Not see it. Feel it.
“Crewe,” I say slowly, keeping my voice light even as my pulse kicks up. “Do you usually get that black SUV as part of the scenic route?”
His jaw tightens. He checks the rearview mirror without moving his head. “Yeah,” he says calmly. “That’s not coincidence.”
The SUV drops back when we slow. Closes the distance when we speed up.
My mouth goes dry. “They’re following us.”
“Yep.”
“And you’re… very calm about that.”
“I’m deciding how much rope to give them.”
That’s when he guns it.
The engine roars. The SUV reacts a second too late, and suddenly we’re flying down the road like we’re in some spy movie. My hand slams against the door as the tires bite into the asphalt.
“Crewe!”
“Hold on.” He takes a turn I would’ve sworn wasn’t a turn, cuts hard onto a side road, then another. The SUV stays with us—whoever’s driving knows what they’re doing.
