Page 98 of Silent Shadows

“Oh thank God,” Jax says through the static. “We were two minutes away from assuming those assholes legit killed you.”

Daisy inhales sharply and jolts up, falling out of the cot on her ass for the second time.

I laugh on instinct and try to hide it. Thankfully, she starts laughing too, then groans as the sun hits her face.

“For real,” Maya pleads. “You guys okay?”

“We’re good. Everybody there okay?” I radio back.

“Yeah,” Maya says. “We spent the night at the ranger station. We got a tow situation figured out and we’re back at the Machine now.”

Relief crashes through me so hard my shoulders actually loosen.

Thank God.

From the floor, Daisy tilts her head up to look at me sitting on the cot.

Sleepy. Hair everywhere. Still wearing my jacket.

And there are literal pine needles tangled in the waves near her temple.

The sight hits me like I’m forming a core memory.

“You good?” she whispers.

The concern in her voice nearly kills me.

“Yeah,” I murmur back.

Without thinking, I reach down and brush the pine needles gently out of her hair.

The movement stills both of us.

Because I didn’t think about doing it.

I just… did.

Daisy’s eyes soften.

And suddenly I become hyperaware that my hand is still tangled near her hair and we’re both staring at each other like complete idiots.

Taylor’s voice explodes through the walkie again.

“You didn’t kill Daisy, did you?”

Daisy bursts out laughing and I let my hand drop, immediately missing the physical connection to her.

I drag the walkie closer. “Taylor, I’m muting you.”

“You can’t mute analog radio, you dork.”

“Watch me try.”

Maya, apparently the only functioning adult among us, cuts in smoothly. “What are your coordinates?”

I grab the GPS from beside the cot as Daisy rests her forehead against my knee, making my breath catch.

I read off our location while Maya cross-references routes.