You too, Tank.
I won’t.
Her smile faded just a little because somehow, she believed him, and that worried her more than anything.
TANK
Tank didn’t sleep, not that he expected to, because sleep wasn’t something that came easy anymore—not after everything he had seen. Not after nights spent watching doors, memorizing exits, and waking up at the slightest sound like his life depended on it—because it did.
He sat in his truck with the engine off and the darkness pressing in around him like it always did. The city had quieted some, but Yonkers never really slept. Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed, a car passed, and voices drifted and disappeared on the night air. Everything felt normal—except for him, and for a second, he wondered if he’d ever feel that way again. Maybe too much had happened to him, and he’d never get back to what he thought his life should look like. Maybe normal wasn’t in the cards for him.
Tank dragged a hand down his face and stared out through the windshield, seeing nothing but the reflection of his own thoughts staring back at him. You’re still thinking about that? Yeah, he was. He shouldn’t be—but he was. Lillith consumed his thoughts, and that was dangerous, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the way she looked at him like she wasn’t afraid of him.Or the way she pushed back when he tried to shut her out. And the way she kissed him back like she didn’t care about the consequences.
“Jesus,” he muttered to himself. That kiss was where everything went sideways. He shouldn’t have touched her. Hell, he shouldn’t have let himself feel even a second of what he felt for her, because now it was in his head, and under his skin. And that was dangerous.
His phone buzzed again, and Tank stilled. Every instinct sharpened instantly as he reached for it slowly, his eyes scanning the darkness before dropping to the screen. It was an unknown number again. His jaw tightened as he carefully opened it.
You don’t get to disappear that easily.
Tank froze as he read the text aloud. It wasn’t her. His grip on the phone tightened, and his body went completely still. “Fuck,” he breathed. They found him too quickly this time. His eyes flicked up from the phone screen, scanning the street again, noting that every shadow suddenly looked like a threat. Every parked car suddenly seemed suspicious.
He should’ve kept moving. He knew better than to stay in one place for too long, but meeting Lillith threw a wrench in his plans. It shouldn’t have. He should have stuck with his original plan to light a candle for his grandpa and head out of town. But something about the raven-haired beauty had him wanting to stick around. Hell, she made him want things that he hadn’t wanted for a damn long time.
His phone buzzed again.We’re closer than you think.Tank’s pulse kicked up hard, adrenaline flooding his system like a switch had flipped. There was no hesitation now, and no second-guessing his next move. He had learned to survive, and he needed to remember that.
He started the truck, the engine roaring to life beneath him as his eyes swept the area one more time. He saw nothingobvious, but that didn’t mean shit. The people who wanted him dead were smart, careful, and most of all—patient.
Tank threw the truck into drive and then stopped. His gaze dropped to the phone sitting in his hand. Lillith’s last message still sat there in the thread.
You too, Tank.
His jaw clenched. This was exactly why he stayed away, and exactly why he didn’t let people in. Because the second he did, they got pulled into the shit that he was already neck deep in. He worried that it might be too late to save her. What if he had already pulled her into danger she didn’t even know existed? If they were close, they might have seen him with Lillith at the diner.
Tank exhaled slowly, forcing his breathing to steady. Think—he needed to think. If they were here—if they were close—then staying anywhere near Yonkers wasn’t an option, not for him, and definitely not for her. His fingers moved befor.e he could stop them.
Stay inside tonight.
He hit send, but worried that it wasn’t going to be enough—not even close, but it was all he had. So, for now, it would have to do.
His phone buzzed almost immediately.
That sounds ominous.
Of course, she’d say that. He worried that she wouldn’t listen. Tank’s jaw tightened as he typed back.
Just trust me.
Three dots appeared on the screen and then disappeared just as quickly. He could tell that she was starting to worry, and that might end badly for them both.
Tank—what’s going on?
He closed his eyes for a second because if he answered her question and told her the truth, there would be no taking it back. He wouldn’t be able to pretend that this was anything but simple anymore.
His eyes opened again, sharp and focused—his decision was made.
I need you to stay with your sister. Don’t go anywhere alone.
He hit send.
