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Chapter 73
"It's probably nothing," Fae eventually answered, setting the phone down on the table a little too quickly. "People send threatening messages to wealthy families all the time. It's practically a hobby for some of them. Half of it's just cranks trying to scare money out of us.""Fae." Tyler's voice was quiet, but firm enough to cut through the deflection. "It mentions me specifically. By name. And it came in less than forty-eight hours after I got stabbed defending you from four men in an alley."She shrugged, "Coincidences happen.""Not like this."Fae busied herself with the edge of the blanket draped over the back of the couch, smoothing it unnecessarily, avoiding his eyes. "I'm just saying, it doesn't have to be connected.""You went pale reading it," Tyler said. "You recognized the phrasing. That's not nothing."She was quiet for a long moment, her hands still fussing with the blanket. "I don't know who sent it," she said finally. "I want to be clear about that. I don't have a nam
Chapter 72
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
Chapter 71
Eric stumbled through the narrow doorway, one hand pressed against his ribs, the other dragging along the wall for balance. The warehouse around him sat dim and mostly empty, a single bulb swinging weakly overhead, throwing long, shifting shadows across the concrete floor."Move it," Kate ordered from behind him, shoving him lightly forward by the shoulder. She was tall, sharp-eyed, her dark hair pulled back tight, and she looked at Eric now with the kind of flat, disappointed expression a teacher might give a student who'd failed an exam they'd been warned about repeatedly."I tried," Eric muttered, wincing as he shifted his weight. "There were four of us. He took down three before I even—""Save it," Kate cut in. "Tell him. Not me."She led him deeper into the warehouse, toward a small, dimly lit office space partitioned off near the back, a single crate serving as the only furniture besides a battered folding chair. A man sat on the crate, back turned toward the door, shoulders bro
Chapter 70
Fae was allowed back twenty minutes later, led down a quiet hallway to a small private room where Tyler sat propped up against a stack of pillows, a fresh bandage visible beneath the edge of his hospital gown, an IV line taped neatly to the back of his hand. He looked tired, a little pale still, but otherwise remarkably unbothered for a man who'd been stabbed less than two hours ago."Oh my god," Fae rushed forward the second she saw him, her hands hovering uncertainly over the blanket like she wasn't sure where it was safe to touch. "Tyler. How are you feeling? Does it hurt? Do you need anything? Water, ice chips, I don't actually know what people need after surgery—""Fae.""—I can ask the nurse, they probably have a whole list of things, or maybe I should just go find a doctor and ask them directly what the recovery timeline actually—""Fae."She stopped mid-sentence, blinking down at him. "What?""I'm fine," Tyler said, staring at her with the same flat, slightly bemused expressio
Chapter 69
"Can you walk?" Fae asked, her voice shaking as she looped Tyler's arm over her shoulders, bracing herself against his weight. "Tyler, I need you to try to walk, okay? The motel's close, I can't carry you.""I can walk," Tyler said, though the words came out strained, his free hand pressed hard against the wound at his side, blood seeping steadily between his fingers despite the pressure.It was slow going, Tyler's steps unsteady, leaning heavily on Fae as they made their way the final stretch toward the motel's glowing sign. By the time they staggered through the lobby doors, the night clerk shot up from behind the desk, eyes widening in alarm."Oh my god, what happened—""Call an ambulance," Fae snapped, already guiding Tyler toward the nearest chair. "Now. Hurry."The clerk fumbled for the phone, hands trembling, while two other staff members who'd been passing through the lobby rushed over, one grabbing towels from behind the desk, pressing them carefully against Tyler's side unde
Chapter 68
"We don't have a minute," Tyler said, keeping his voice level, his body still angled slightly in front of Fae. "We're heading home.""Didn't ask if you had time," the tall one shrugged, taking another easy step closer, the others fanning out slightly behind him. "We asked nicely. Figured you'd appreciate that.""Appreciate it more if you moved," Tyler narrowed his eyes.The man smiled, unbothered, glancing past Tyler toward Fae with an appraising look that made Tyler slightly tense. "Tell you what. Why don't you step off, let us have a quick word with the lady here, and nobody's night gets complicated.""That's not happening," Tyler said flatly."Wasn't really a suggestion."Fae's grip on his sleeve tightened further, and Tyler could feel her trying to keep her breathing steady beside him, the earlier ease of their walk completely gone now, replaced by sharp, coiled tension."What do you want?" Tyler asked, cutting straight through the posturing. "Say it plain."The tall man's smile t
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