I wasmoving the target.
Thomas wanted me isolated.
So I would isolate myself—on my terms.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and powered it on for the first time that night. One bar of service flickered, then steadied.
I typed a single message.
You’re hurting people who have nothing to do with this.
If you want revenge—talk to me.
I stared at it for a long second.
Then I sent it.
The phone buzzed almost immediately.
Not a reply.
A location request.
My pulse spiked—but I didn’t hesitate.
I accepted.
Somewhere far away, Thomas would smile.
And back at the cabin, Trigger would wake to an empty bed and a silence that didn’t belong to peace.
46
Trigger
Iwoke up wrong.
No dream. No sound. Just the immediate, visceral certainty that something had changed.
My arm closed around empty space.
Cold sheets.
My eyes snapped open.
“Rylie?” I said quietly.
Nothing.
The cabin was too still. Not the good kind. Not the safe kind. The kind that presses against your ears and makes your pulse spike before you know why.
I sat up fast, pain flaring across my ribs where I’d taken a hit days ago. Didn’t matter. I was already moving.
“Rylie.”
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, scanning the room. Her boots weren’t by the door. The sweatshirt she’d been wearing was gone.
The note hit me next.
