Page 132 of Silent Shadows

My soul exits my body, assesses the situation, and declines reentry.

Owen looks delighted.

“Oh,” he says, clapping his hands together.

“No,” I say immediately.

Daisy lifts her mug. “I’m going outside.”

“Great,” I say too quickly, averting my eyes as she leaves the kitchen.

“This is awesome,” Jax says.

“Everyone, shut up,” Taylor snaps.

And somehow, blessedly, they do.

Only Taylor can make silence happen through threat alone.

I clear my throat and turn back to the map, distracting myself. Because if I keep thinking about Daisy, I will go looking for her. And if I do that, I’m going to do something catastrophic like apologize, explain, or follow her like a man in a country song.

“We’re changing strategy,” I say.

That gets everyone’s attention and halts any romantic speculation.

Good.

Excellent.

Mission.

I can do a mission.

I tap the map. “Grant knows we found something. I don’t know how much. I don’t know if he’s watching our camp or tracking our movement, but we need to operate like he is.”

Jax’s expression sobers. “You think he’d do that?”

“Yes.”

Maya crosses her arms. “Based on what?”

“Based on him being a bag of dicks in a too-tight camo vest,” Daisy says from the doorway.

She did not go outside.

Of course she didn’t.

Daisy Bennett lives to interrupt me at the exact moment my heart rate begins recovering.

I keep my eyes on the map. “Based on his behavior last night. Based on Owen’s warning. Based on the fact that if he really believes we’re close, he has motive to get there first.”

Taylor nods once. “So what changes?”

“No one goes anywhere alone.”

Jax sighs. “I knew safety would eventually ruin my brand.”

“I’m serious.”