Rachael POV
My body locked in place, breath snagging so hard it hurt. I could hear my own pulse louder than anything else, pounding behind my ears.
I didn’t move at first. Fear rooted me where I stood, cold and heavy in my chest. Then instinct kicked in and I leaned just enough to peer past Eryx’s shoulder.
He was still in front of me.
Always in front of me.
Broad, unyielding, his stance already set like a wall as if the sound alone had confirmed what he’d been preparing for all along. His body shifted slightly, ready to strike if needed. He hadn’t even looked back to check on me, and somehow that steadiness steadied me too.
My gaze slid past him.
The man.
The one Eryx had tied up earlier, was standing several steps away now, gun still raised, smoke curling faintly from the barrel.
