Seth threw his arm over his face and fell back dramatically. “God. I guess that’s just as cheesy.”
Adria’s chest swelled with warmth and hope. What had started as a game had transformed into a promise—that they would learn each other piece by piece, truth by truth, building something that felt remarkably like home.
As the morning deepened, questions flowed more freely, each revelation rewarded with a kiss or discarded garment. By midday, secrets surrounded her like her fallen clothes on the floor, and the four of them breathed easily together.
When the sexual tension peaked, Adria stood and gave each of them a lingering kiss.
“I’m going to shower,” she said, voice rough.
“I’ll join you,” Kaydon said, jumping to his feet.
Adria glanced at Bryson. He was still healing. She wanted to be with all of them. But it needed to be right.
She pressed her palm against Kaydon’s chest, feeling his heartbeat race beneath her fingers. “Easy there, big guy. We have time for all that. Today was about a different kind of intimacy.”
The three looked disappointed but didn’t argue.
Adria closed the bathroom door behind her, savoring their hungry gazes until the last moment—knowing that what they’d built would outlast any physical pleasure. For the first time in years, Adria felt truly seen.
CHAPTER 32
POLANCO
Adria walked along the manicured trail that circled Vega’s estate, fingertips brushing against the perfectly trimmed hedges. Bryson had walked past her a few minutes ago, flashing a grin that caused her to smile right back.
They didn’t need to change his bandages anymore. His body didn’t require the extra assistance. She had given him one more blood transfusion and one of Vega’s doctors had inspected the incision. Everything was healing well. In four to five weeks he would be able to try jogging. For now, he was restricted to an easy walking speed.
Last night they’d stayed up late, all four of them, drinking wine on the terrace while Kaydon told ridiculous stories that had her laughing until her sides ached. Now Kaydon was hanging out with Elena and Seth, probably beating them both at cards again.
Adria checked her phone. There was no news from X.
He had agreed with their plan to take a ship and if all the parts fell into place, their group would board the S.S. Dominion in a few days.
Despite the warmth of the past week—Seth’s quiet mornings with her, Bryson’s protective hand at the small of her back, andKaydon’s unexpected tenderness—a cold dread pooled in her stomach at the thought of leaving.
This bubble they’d created couldn’t last. The real world waited beyond Vega’s walls.
Adria had seen too many good things shatter to believe this wouldn’t break too.
The path opened into a large garden, and Adria saw a man in a black t-shirt sitting on a bench.
“Hey, stranger,” she said to Eric.
Eric was leaning against the stonewall behind him, eyes closed.
“Hey there, yourself,” he said, eyes still closed.
Adria knew he wasn’t sleeping well. His time in the military, paired with their current circumstances, wasn’t helping.
She tapped his legs, indicating he should make room for her. He opened his eyes and shifted to allow her to sit.
“Talk to Vega today?” she asked.
He nodded. “He has the crew selected. The plan is still the same. They give us the all clear before we dock.”
“And X?” Adria said.
Eric turned to face her as he adjusted his shirt. “X says that he will leave his house the night of our arrival. He thinks if there is a tail, they will follow him. Either way, he gave me instructions to a secret entrance that, paired with the time of our arrival, we should be able to slip in undetected.”
