The heavy brass doors of the private elevator slide open with a long, metallic exhale, cutting through the suffocating silence of the penthouse.
My heart leaps into my throat, hammering wildly against my ribs as I take a sudden step forward, my hands instinctively clenching into fists at my sides. Beside me, Jade stands frozen, her breath caught in her chest, her eyes wide and fixed on the opening frame.
Three figures step out onto the polished hardwood floor.
They’re soaked in rain, mud caked up to their knees, the dark, unbadged tactical shirts clinging to their broad frames. The sharp, acrid scent of damp pine and smoke rolls off them in heavy waves, filling the warm air of the living room with the unmistakable smell of the wild woods.
Dad comes out first, his face drawn and pale un
