Page 16 of Silent Shadows

I look at her.

Really look.

There is certainty in her expression. Like she’s already thought this through ten steps ahead.

The Machine feels smaller suddenly. Tighter.

Like the walls are inching in.

“A podcaster,” I say, quieter now. “Following us around. Recording everything.”

“Not everything,” Maya says. “Boundaries can be set.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I reply, an onboarding document already taking shape in my mind.

“Give her a chance. She’s built an empire doing what she does,” Maya continues. “And she’s good at it. But she’s looking for something new. Something real.”

“And you think that’s us?” I ask, laughing. Taylor and Jax join in.

“I know it is,” she says.

Silence stretches between us.

I glance around. At Taylor, who looks excited. At Jax, who looks curious. At Maya, who looks… steady. Waiting. Sure. Trusting me to decide. As much as I don’t want to be made a fool, it is in our best interest to be able to afford to keep a roof, albeit mobile, over our heads.

Owen’s voice echoes in the back of my head.

Don’t forget they’re following you.

I swallow.

“Okay, I’m in,” I say.

Maya blinks. “You’re in?”

“Conditional,” I add quickly. “She doesn’t interfere. She doesn’t direct. She observes.”

“She will,” Maya says.

“And if she turns this into something that undermines what we’re doing⁠—”

“She won’t,” Maya says again, with even more resolve this time.

“You don’t know that,” I reply.

“I trust my read on people,” she says.

I hold her gaze.

“Well, I trust you.” I nod at Maya, smiling.

Jax grins. “Oh, this is going to be good.”

Taylor claps her hands. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

I exhale, already feeling the shift happening.

The loss of control, and the introduction of something unknown into something I’ve kept carefully contained.