Control.
Resolve.
And something else.
Something that wasn’t there before.
Trust.
Not complete.
Not safe.
But there.
“…you better keep up,” I mutter.
His mouth almost curves.
“Try to stop me.”
We move.
Together.
Not separate.
Not fighting each other.
For the first time—
Fightingwitheach other.
And somehow—
That’s more dangerous than anything else out here.
12
Jase
Location: Ravine Shelter — Temporary Cover
Time: Minutes After Escape
We don’t stop running until the gunfire fades.
Not because we’re safe.
Because we’re out of options.
The ravine drops fast and hard, cutting through the forest like a scar. I grab Mila’s arm just before she missteps on loose gravel, pulling her down with me behind a jagged rock formation.
“Here,” I say, voice low. “For now.”
She nods once, already scanning, already calculating.
Always thinking.
