MARIA POV
Hunter sat stiffly in the creaky chair, his large frame making it seem even smaller. The silence in the room was heavy, punctuated only by the soft hum of the motel heater. On the bed, Henry and Dax flanked me like two immovable sentinels. Henry held my hand tightly, his thumb rubbing slow, calming circles over my knuckles, while Dax’s arm was draped protectively across my shoulders. Their steady presence was the only thing keeping me grounded.
In the next room, the poor girl they had rescued—Hunter said her name was Cassidy—was curled up on the bed with Blake watching over her. I couldn’t stop thinking about her haunted eyes and how she flinched at even the smallest sound. She’d barely spoken a word, but somehow, she trusted Hunter and Blake. With everyone else, she trembled
