Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
She reaches over and squeezes my thigh again. "What now?"
I cover her hand with mine for a second, letting myself feel the warmth of her skin. "Now we go back to the cabin. Regroup. Figure out our next move."
TWELVE
ANNISTON
We pull up to the cabin just as the last streaks of sunset fade behind the trees. The drive back from Halo City felt longer than the trip there, mostly because Banks was quieter than usual. His jaw stayed tight the whole way, hands gripping the wheel like it owed him money. I kept sneaking glances at him, but I didn't say much. I figured he needed the silence after what happened at Wyatt Rivers' apartment.
He parks and kills the engine. For a second we just sit there in the growing dark, listening to the ticks of the cooling truck.
"Everything go okay in there?" I ask softly, finally breaking the quiet.
He nods once. "Let’s talk inside."
I swallow the uneasy feeling in my chest and follow him into the cabin. The familiar smell of pine and woodsmoke wraps around me, but it doesn't settle the nerves the way it did before. Banks moves around the space like he always does, checking windows, resetting the perimeter alarms, locking the door with that heavy deadbolt. I watch him from the couch, knees pulled up to my chest.
Something’s off. He’s hiding something. Or rather not letting me in. I can feel it in the way he avoids looking at me for too long. Last night feels like it happened in another lifetime now. That incredible, heated, world-tilting night where he touched me like I was something precious. This morning he was distant again, all grumpy protector. I get it. Last night was probably just stress relief for him. A way to blow off tension in the middle of this mess. A man like Banks Hawthorne would never want someone like me for real. I'm chaotic and loud and currently wanted by dangerous people. He’s steady and intense and has a whole missing family to worry about. I need to stop hoping for more. I need to stop flirting. It only makes me feel stupid now.
I hug my knees tighter and try to push the ache in my chest away.
"Banks?" I say when he finally sits down at the table across from me. "Is everything okay? You’ve been really quiet since we left the city. Did something happen in that apartment?"
He rubs a hand over his face, looking tired in a way that has nothing to do with lack of sleep. For a long moment he doesn’t answer. Then he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. He slides it across the table to me without a word.
I pick it up with shaky fingers and unfold it. It’s a handwritten note on Meridian Financial letterhead. My eyes scan the words quickly, then freeze when I see the name at the bottom.
Billy Hawthorne.
I look up at Banks, heart pounding. "Your dad?"
He nods, jaw tight. "I took it before those two guys showed up.""
"What do you think it means?" I whisper.
Banks leans back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "Maybe my dad was digging into the same consultancy network you found. This proves the players in Halo City know something about why he disappeared. They didn’t just stumble across him. They were working with him. Or against him."
I set the paper down carefully like it might burn me. My mind is spinning. "Do you think Wyatt was helping him? Or was he paid to keep quiet after your dad vanished?"
"Both are possible," Banks says. His voice is low and rough. "The big deposit in Wyatt's account could be a payoff. Could be part of whatever deal they had going. Either way, someone wanted Wyatt quiet. And now he's running."
We sit in silence for a while. The cabin feels smaller, the walls pressing in with all the new questions. I want to reach across the table and take his hand, but I stop myself. Last night was one thing. A heat-of-the-moment release. He doesn’t need me clinging to him now like some lovesick girl who thinks one night means forever. I’m sure he regrets it already. Even though he says he doesn’t. I’m sure he’s sitting there wishing he had kept things professional.
"I'm sorry," I say quietly. "About your dad. About all of this. I know last night was... just stress. I won't make it weird. You don’t have to worry about me expecting anything more. I get it."
Banks looks at me sharply, gray-blue eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about?"
I shrug, trying to keep my voice light even though my throat feels tight. "You and me. Last night. It was amazing, but I know it was a one-time thing. You’re focused on finding your brothers and your dad. You don’t need someone like me complicating your life when this is over. I won't keep flirting or making things awkward. I promise."