Page 131 of Silent Shadows

Owen’s mouth twitches. “Only when federally unemployed.”

Taylor’s eyes narrow.

She almost smiles. Almost.

Jax stumbles in behind her, wrapped in a blanket like a ghost. “If anyone talks before caffeine, I’m defecting to the rival crew.”

“No, you’re not,” Maya says, following him in. “They’d make you carry things.”

“Cruel but accurate.”

“Where’s Daisy?” Maya asks.

“Here!” Daisy calls from the front of the Machine, walking back to the kitchen. “I was recording. I think I have the next episode nearly ready.”

She walks in wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a rust-colored flannel falling off one shoulder. Her hair is down, a few soft pieces loose around her face. She looks sleepy and warm and completely unaware that my brain has just tripped over itself like an old dog on tile.

In an instant, every strategy I have built in the last two hours becomes harder to think about.

Her eyes meet mine. Just for a second. Not long enough for anyone else to notice, but long enough that I remember her in my bunk again. Long enough that I remember the way her voice sounded in the dark when she said I was going to make this complicated.

She was right. Obviously.

Daisy’s gaze flicks to Owen. “So last night was a blur and I don’t think we got properly introduced. You’re the alien brother, right?”

Owen looks at me. “Is that supposed to be offensive?”

“I don’t think so,” Jax answers.

Daisy steps around him for coffee. “It’s descriptive. Were you really at Area 51?”

“I was,” he says, with an emphasis on the past tense. “I was just telling Miles about the work I was doing… and the cover up work I found.”

“I’m sorry, you had security clearances at Area 51 and I’m just supposed to move on? That’s annoyingly credentialed.”

“You could say that. If shit is weird enough for the damn government to have top secret sites dedicated to it, it’s probably real. I’m Owen, by the way,” he says.

“Daisy.”

“I know.”

Her hand pauses on the coffee pot.

I freeze, afraid of what I think he’s about to say.

Owen lifts a shoulder. “Miles sent me your episode last night.”

Yep. He did it. He said that out loud.

Daisy slowly turns toward me and I forget every word I have ever learned.

“You sent him the first episode?” She’s surprised.

I shrug. “I was just proud of you.”

The room goes silent. A full, horrible silence. Jax’s head snaps up. Maya stops stirring sugar into her coffee, an eyebrow lifted. Taylor looks between us once, expression sharpening, but a smile playing across her lips.

Daisy’s cheeks flush.