Page 8

Lark

I was editing footage when I saw it.

I had the storm paused on-screen, the static of my voice cutting in over the crackling audio. Eggs—my trusty, if sometimes erratic—drone had captured an absolutely insane lightning shot. It split the sky behind the Airstream, white-hot and violent, pure electricity frozen in time.

But that wasn’t what made my skin crawl.

It was the figure.

Off to the left. Near the trees. Half-hidden. Hooded.

Still.

Too still.

I leaned in. Rewound. Paused again.

Not a tree. Not a shadow. Definitely not a trick of the light.

Someone had been out there. Watching me.

And it wasn’t one of Axel’s guys. I would’ve remembered a face like that. Or any face. But this? This was unknown. And I didn’t like unknowns that snuck up on me in the dark.

My stomach twisted as I checked the timestamp.

That was the night before Axel had hauled me off the roof like a storm-chasing lunatic. I’d been so focused on the lightning, I hadn’t even noticed anyone nearby.

That wasn’t just unsettling. It was terrifying.

I grabbed my phone and texted him.

Lark: Hey. Weird Q. You or your guys out near the south ridge the night before we met?

A few seconds later:

Axel: No. Why?

My pulse kicked up a notch.

Lark: I just saw someone on my drone footage. Watching me. Want to take a look?

No response.

Instead, ninety seconds later, Axel knocked on my trailer door.

He studied the paused frame like he was back in a war zone. I watched the shift in his expression—from focused to something carved from stone.

“You’re sure this is unedited?” he asked.

“Yeah. I just pulled it from the memory card. Haven’t even posted it.”

He rewound it. Stepped through frame by frame. “They’re not close, but they’re watching. Maybe scoping the trailer.”

“Why?” I asked, dread pooling in my stomach.

“You tell me. Any angry ex-boyfriends? Obsessed fans? Creeps from the road?”

I hesitated. Then nodded. “There was one guy. He used to message me constantly. Started showing up to storm chaser meetups. Somehow tagged my location before I even posted anything.”

“You report it?”

“Once. Nothing happened. I blocked him. Figured if I ignored it, he’d go away.”

Axel’s jaw clenched hard. “You have a name?”

“I don’t remember. I deleted everything. I didn’t want to give him more power.”

He stood. “You’re not staying here tonight.”

I blinked. “Axel—”

“No argument. Grab what you need. You’re coming with me.”

I crossed my arms. “To your house?”

“It’s off-grid. Harder to track. Secure. Only two people have ever been inside.”

“Let me guess. Your dog and the President?”

“You think I’m joking.”

I grabbed my bag. “You’re really not, are you?”

“Nope.”

His place was nothing like the SEAL compound. It was all dark wood, cool stone, tucked so deep into the trees it felt like the world disappeared. And the dog…well all I can say is I loved him at first sight. He was the largest German Shepherd I had ever seen. I swear he smiled when he saw me.

“Did your dog just smile?”

“Bravo, smiles at people he likes I guess he likes you.”

I stepped all the way inside… and felt safe.

Which was weird. Because I don’t do safe.

Axel locked the door behind me, then turned to face me, eyes steady and unshakable.

“You’re not going back to that trailer until I find out who’s watching you.”

“You always this bossy?”

He stepped closer. Just enough to set my nerves dancing. “Only when I care what happens.”

That heat between us? It snapped right back into place. Alive and pulsing.

Danger outside.

Fire inside.

And for once, I didn’t try to put the flames out.