“Don’t apologize,” he replies, his thumb stroking back and forth softly on my arm.
We both seem to notice the impropriety of our embrace at the same moment. He clears his throat and releases his grip as I scramble out of his lap, standing and wrapping my arms around myself.
He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
I shrug. “It only confirmed what I already knew.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier to see.”
“Yeah,” I agree, looking down at my feet and trying desperately to keep the image of my father’s body out of my head.
“We can try to get a message to your mother.”
My head snaps up. “Really?”
He holds my gaze. “Of course.”
“How?”
“We have a network of individuals within New Athens.”
Even with my limited knowledge of how the Brotherhood operates, I’m smart enough to understand that being a spy for the Resistance must be extremely risky. “I don’t want to put anyone in danger.”
Something akin to surprise flits across Maverick’s face. “All of our informants know the risks.”
I bite my lip in consideration.What would I even say?
“I’ll think about it.”
Before Maverick can respond, Benji calls out from inside the tent. “Hey, Mav?”
The worry in his tone is obvious, and we rush back into the confined space.
“What is it?”
“We’re getting a video call. From New Athens.” Benji looks visibly shaken.
He and Maverick share a look. “Fuck.”
“Have they ever called you before?” In the short time I’ve been around Maverick, I’ve never seen him even remotely tense. Broody, yes. Legitimately on edge, no.
His eyes find mine. “No.”
Benji gets off his chair and starts gathering supplies. “I’ll tell the others.”
“Tell them what?” I ask as Maverick takes a seat in the chair Benji just vacated.
“We can’t stay here. If we answer, they could pinpoint our location.”
My stomach hollows. “Oh.” Even without modern amenities, this place is clearly a home to so many. And now they’ll have to start over somewhere new. “So don’t answer.”
Maverick shakes his head. “If they were able to contact us, it’s likely they already have an idea of where we are.” He looks at Benji and gives him a solemn nod.
Benji leaves without another word, a black backpack slung over one shoulder. Maverick faces the screen and clicks the green circle to answer the call.
Gabriel’s face fills the screen, and I gasp, my hands automatically coming up to cover my mouth. He looksterrible,like he hasn’t slept in days. He has dark circles under his eyes and his hair is the messiest I’ve ever seen it.
Maverick appears unaffected by my husband’s disheveled appearance. “Gabriel,” he greets.
