Page 55 of Mystic's Sunrise

“Yeah, well, I got a message for him too.” Chain ground his cigarette out under his boot. “If he thinks he’s got any claim toanythingin our town, he’s got another thing comin’.”

“He needs delt with and fast.”

Chain studied me, his head tilting slightly. “You ain’t been yourself, man.”

I tensed. “Not this shit again!”

“Yeah, this shit again,” he said flatly. “Your head’s been somewhere else. Or, more like, withsomeoneelse.”

I exhaled sharply, jaw tight. “I’m doin’ my job.”

“Uh-huh.” Chain crossed his arms, not buying it for a second. “Look, I get it. She’s different. She’s been through hell, and she ain’t like the women who come in and outta this place. But you gotta ask yourself—where’s this goin’?”

I didn’t answer. Because I didn’t fucking know.

Chain scoffed, shaking his head. “I’m only lookin’ out for you. I want you to have a good woman in your life, just makesure you do it right. Are you ready for what makin’ her yours means?”

I wanted to tell him to shut the hell up. But I couldn’t. Because deep down, I was asking myself the same damn thing.

Chain let the silence sit between us for a second before his smirk faded. His next words came quieter, more serious. “She means a hell of lot to you, everyone here sees it.”

The muscle in my jaw jumped. I turned away, pretending to look out toward the tree line, but Chain wasn’t done.

“You think I don’t know why you’re holdin’ back?” he muttered. “I know you, Mystic. I knowwhyyou can’t let yourself go there.”

A sharp pressure settled in my chest. I didn’t look at him. Couldn’t.

Chain sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I ain’t tryin’ to push you. Just sayin’... she deserves the truth. And when it comes out? You better be ready for what happens next.”

I said nothing.

Chain studied me for another beat before letting out a breath. “Whatever. Devil wants us on high alert. Don’t matter if Drago’s sendin’ men or just playin’ mind games. We shut that shit downnow.”

I nodded, my mind already setting into place. “Then let’s handle the fuckers.”

Chain clapped me on the shoulder. Chain smirked. “Good. I was this close to buyin’ you a kitten and a romance novel.”

I shot him a dirty look, but he just laughed, pushing off his bike. “Come on, Mystic. We got shit to do.”

I followed him, pushing down the nagging thought still bouncing in my skull.

Chain was right.

Giving a shit had consequences.

Bad ones.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

THE ROOM FELTstrange without him.

Not just quiet, empty, like something important had been taken out and the space hadn’t figured out how to fill it yet. I wasn’t alone. I knew that. But with him gone… I felt it anyway.

I blinked into the soft gray morning light, the shadows stretching long and lazy across the floor. It spilled through the edges of the curtain, catching on the dust in the air. He was gone. But the ghost of him hadn’t left.

I sat up slowly, the sheets cool where Mystic had been. My body protested the movement, still acting stubborn at times. Thespace beside me was nothing but air now, but I could still feel him there, the way his warmth had settled around me in the dark, how our breathing had matched in rhythm like we were one.

I reached over, smoothing the wrinkled blanket where he’d laid. It was still dipped from his weight, and for a moment I imagined pressing my palm there might bring him back. My fingers curled into the fabric, clutching it like it could fill the empty part of my chest.