Like he’s always been there.
Except he hasn’t.
And in our world… that matters.
A lot.
Mila’s hand brushes mine again—subtle, quick.
She feels it too.
Of course she does.
“Stay here,” I murmur under my breath.
She doesn’t like that.
I feel it in the slight tension in her fingers.
But she nods anyway.
Because she trusts me.
Yeah… that matters too.
I step away from her, keeping my pace even, controlled, like I’ve got nowhere urgent to be.
Like I’m not tracking every movement in the room.
Ethan stands near the table, eyes on the device, Jonah beside him going over something low and technical.
Ronan is just off to the side.
Quiet.
Watching everything.
Always watching.
Perfect.
Exactly who I need.
I close the distance and stop just short of them.
“Got a second?” I say.
Ethan glances up.
Takes one look at my face—
And something in his expression shifts.
He knows.
“Talk,” he says.
I don’t look toward the guy.
