Not sharp.
Not angry.
Something else.
Something that feels kinda promising.
Fragile.
Real.
Behind us, Alex shifts, probably pretending not to listen, but I don’t care.
Because right now?
It’s just me and her.
And the road.
And everything we haven’t figured out yet.
I adjust my grip on the wheel, eyes scanning the horizon.
South Dakota.
Ace.
The delivery.
The threat circling her.
All of it’s coming.
All of it’s waiting.
But for the first time since she showed up?
I don’t feel like I’m chasing something I can’t catch.
I feel like I’ve got a handle on it.
A direction.
A plan.
I glance at her again.
She’s looking out the window now, sunlight catching in her hair, wind brushing through the cracked glass.
Beautiful.
Strong.
Mine.
I cut that thought off hard.
Not yet.
