He smiles thinly.
“We can still resolve this.”
“No,” I say. “We can’t.”
His eyes flick to Ace.
“You’re escalating a situation that could have been handled quietly.”
Ace doesn’t move.
“Too late.”
The man’s gaze hardens.
“Then we proceed differently.”
He lifts a hand—
And in that second, everything snaps tight.
Trigger’s voice: “Now.”
Ace moves.
Fast.
Controlled.
Blaze guns the engine.
Beast shifts, blocking me as Ace pulls me back toward the truck.
Cole hesitates—
Then runs with us.
Doors slam.
Tires spin.
We tear out of the turnout as one of the men shouts behind us.
A crack echoes—
Gunfire.
My breath catches.
But we’re already moving.
Fast.
Gone.
I grip the seat, heart pounding—
But not with fear.