Page 77

30

Havoc

She’s scared.

Not weak.

Not fragile.

Scared in the way that comes from losing something you can’t replace.

I get that.

Better than most.

The room clears slowly.

Ace, Blaze, Wolf—all giving us space.

Smart.

I step closer.

Not too close.

Not yet.

“You’re right to be worried,” I say.

She looks up at me.

Surprised.

“But this doesn’t stop unless we stop it.”

Her jaw tightens.

“That’s what Joseph thought.”

The name lands between us.

Heavy.

Complicated.

I nod slowly.

“Yeah.”

“And he died.”

There it is.

The truth.

The fear.

The reason she’s holding on so tight.