Clove should’ve been there.
That thought hit me every time I stepped into the common room, like my brain kept checking for her out of habit and then slamming into the same wall when she wasn’t there.
Wrecker’s voice carried down the hallway.“Church.Now.”
The guys moved immediately.
No complaints.No dragging feet.Chairs scraped as they stood, boots thudding against the floor.The weight of it settled over all of us as we filed into the church room and took our seats around the table.
The door shut behind us.
The women stayed outside.
Wrecker stood at the head of the table, his hands braced on the wood.He didn’t waste time clearing his throat or setting a tone.“We’ve got movement,” he said.
Every head lifted.My spine straightened, and my pulse kicked harder.
Wrecker’s gaze moved around the room, landing briefly on me before shifting again.“I spoke to Yogi.”
That name rolled through the room like a low rumble.
“He confirmed he has four nomads working pipeline jobs in our general region,” Wrecker said.“Says he hasn’t heard from them in about two weeks.”
Two weeks.
That didn’t sit right.
“They’re his guys,” someone muttered.
“Nomads,” Wrecker corrected, “but one of them is his sister’s son.”
That detail landed heavier than the rest.
Family complicated everything.
“He swears they wouldn’t hurt Star the way she was hurt,” Wrecker continued.“And he swears they didn’t take Clove.”
My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.
Bullshit.
“He says we’re wrong,” Wrecker added evenly.“Says if it was his guys, he’d know.”
I leaned forward before I could stop myself.“That’s a lie, and we’re fucking stupid if we believe it.”
The room went still.Every head turned toward me.
Dad’s glare hit me from across the table, sharp and warning.
Wrecker didn’t raise his voice.“Careful.”
“He has to know,” I said, heat creeping into my chest.“Four nomads go dark for two weeks when this whole Star thing happened?That’s not coincidence.”
Dad shifted in his chair.“Ender.”
I ignored him.
Wrecker studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.“Yogi asked for twenty-four hours.”