I wrap my arms around myself. “I never told him. Not outright. And he never asked.”
“Of course he didn’t ask,” Zane snaps, eyes flashing. “Damon doesn’t ask unless he’ssure. And now you’ve got him circling, looking at those kids like?—”
He cuts himself off, shaking his head.
I close my eyes for a moment. “I didn’t plan for any of this, Zane.”
“No shit,” he mutters.
I turn my head toward him, feeling the weight of his gaze on me. “Are you mad?”
Zane stares at me, something unreadable flickering in his expression. “I don’t have the right to be mad,” he finally says. “But Iamwondering how the hell we get through this without everything blowing up in our faces.”
My throat feels tight. “Me too.”
CHAPTER 17
MIA
The whiskeyburns warm in my chest, loosening the knots of tension I’ve been carrying for days. Zane’s solid presence beside me feels right, comfortable. The kitchen is dimly lit, the only sound the occasional clink of ice in my glass as I swirl the amber liquid.
But something is missing.
Damon is still in his own head, pacing the edges of the safe house like a caged predator.
And Asher, he’s slipping further and further away. At first, I thought it was just his usual easygoing nature, his ability to blend into the background when needed. But now I see it for what it is. He’s retreating. Pulling away.
And I can’t let that happen.
I take another sip, letting the warmth settle before I speak. “This feels different now, doesn’t it?”
Zane doesn’t answer immediately. He leans back in his chair, rolling his glass between his palms, gaze fixed on the countertop. “Yeah,” he says finally. “It does.”
Footsteps sound in the hallway. The door creaks slightly as Asher appears in the doorway, his face unreadable. His usual smirk is missing, replaced by something quieter, more distant.
I set my glass down. “We need to talk.”
Asher doesn’t move from the doorway. “Yeah?” His voice is mild, but there’s an edge to it. “About what?”
“You,” I say, meeting his eyes. “Us.”
He snorts, crossing his arms. “There is no ‘us,’ Mia. There’s you and Zane, and Damon brooding in the corner.”
I glance at Zane, who doesn’t argue. He knows this is my conversation to have.
I stand, stepping closer to Asher, forcing him to actuallyseeme. “I know you’re pulling away.”
His jaw tightens. “Youthinkyou know.”
“I do know,” I say firmly. “And I don’t want you to.”
Something flickers in his gaze, but he doesn’t let it land. He shakes his head, letting out a rough chuckle. “Mia, you’re really making this complicated.”
“I think it alreadyiscomplicated,” I counter.
Zane exhales. “You’re not exactly wrong.”
Asher stares at me for a long moment, something unreadable in his expression. Then, finally, he sighs. “So what are we supposed to do?”
