Tyler had been home from the hospital for exactly two days, and in that time, Fae had checked his bandage no fewer than eleven times. He'd counted. It gave him something to do between the fifth and sixth interrogation about his pain levels."Does it hurt more than yesterday?" she asked, hovering over him on the motel room's small couch with the focused intensity of someone defusing a bomb, carefully peeling back the edge of the gauze to inspect the stitches underneath."It's the same as it was an hour ago," Tyler said, "which was the same as two hours before that.""That's not actually an answer.""It's a stab wound healing on a completely normal timeline, Fae. I'd tell you if something changed.""Would you, though?" She pressed the gauze back into place with exaggerated gentleness, like he might shatter if she applied too much pressure. "Because you're the same man who tried to convince a nurse he was 'fine' while actively bleeding through a towel.""That was different. I was in shoc

"Tell him no," Tyler rejected immediately. "You're recovering from someone sending armed men after you, I've got stitches, and your father wants a dinner party. Hold your ground, Fae. He can wait.""It's not that simple," Fae answered, setting her phone down with a small sigh."It kind of is. You just say no.""You clearly haven't met my father properly yet." She dropped into the chair across from him, rubbing her temples. "He asked to meet you. Properly, this time, outside of a formal dinner with twenty other relatives watching every word. He's never done that before. Not with anyone I've dated."Tyler frowned slightly. "That's unusual?""Extremely." Fae crossed her arms, something thoughtful crossing her face. "I've brought exactly two other men around my family in my whole life, both disasters, by the way, and my father barely acknowledged either of them beyond polite small talk. This is different. He wants an actual conversation.""You think it's about the alley?" "I think it mig

The drive back to the motel was rather calm, Fae's usual chatter noticeably absent, her eyes fixed on the road, one hand tapping an uneven rhythm against the steering wheel. Tyler watched the streetlights slide past the window, Preston's warning still sitting heavy in his chest."You've gone silent," Fae said eventually, glancing at him. "I mean, you don't talk much but this is worrying.”He gave a simple response, "Thinking…""About what?"Tyler hesitated, weighing how to approach it. "Preston said something to me before we left. I want to ask you about it, but I don't want it to come out like an accusation.""Okay," Fae nodded slowly, her grip on the wheel tightening slightly. "Ask.""Is he just being possessive," Tyler started, "or is there something more serious behind why your family wants you with him specifically? He made it sound like more than just personal preference."Fae exhaled slowly, pulling into the motel's lot before answering, cutting the engine and sitting there for

Tyler crossed the street at a steady, unhurried pace, keeping his eyes locked on the sedan, not wanting to spook whoever sat inside into doing anything rash. He'd barely made it halfway across when the engine suddenly roared to life, tires screeching against the pavement as the car peeled away from the curb and sped off down the street, disappearing around the corner before he could get anywhere close.He didn't chase it. Running after a car on foot wasn't going to accomplish anything except burning energy he didn't have to spare, and he'd learned by now that whoever was behind these little appearances wasn't interested in a direct confrontation.He stood there a moment longer, mentally cataloguing what he could. Dark sedan, tinted windows, no visible plate number from this distance, gone before he could note anything more useful. Not much, but something.Brett caught up to him a minute later, having watched the whole thing unfold from the station's entrance. "That the same car from b

The station was a storm of motion by the time Tyler pulled into the lot, trucks idling in the bay, crew members moving fast and efficient, gearing up for a major call. He parked quickly and jogged inside, reflexive adrenaline already sharpening his focus despite the dull ache still present along his side."Fuel's topped, water tank's full!" Someone shouted near Engine Seven, checking gauges with rapid precision. "Oil's good, we're clear.""Hoses loaded, extra air tanks confirmed," another voice called from the back of the truck.Captain Reeves, the senior officer overseeing the response, stood near the bay entrance barking orders with the clipped, controlled urgency that came with large-scale incidents. "Multiple structures involved, confirmed reports of civilians potentially trapped in the east wing. We're coordinating with three other units already on scene. Move fast, stay sharp!"Tyler grabbed his gear, pulling it on with familiar speed despite the slight hitch in his movements as