Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
And somehow, that brief exchange—her sarcastic deflections, the sharp one-liners, followed by that tiny crack in the armor when she talked about her son—was enough to ground me right then. In the middle of all this chaos, with the weight of everything Roque was carrying, the corruption we were about to torch, and the danger still hanging over Sayla and the kids, it was something solid to hold onto. A reminder that there was still life waiting outside of this bullshit.
And when it was over—when we’d cleaned house and brought them home—there were fences I needed to mend, some I needed to build, and words I probably should have said a long time ago. And maybe, just maybe, there was something there worth reaching for. Something worth trying for.
I stared at the last message from Cyn for a beat longer than I probably should’ve, her words still hanging in the air like a challenge and a warning all rolled into one. I thumbed out a reply anyway.
We need to talk.
The response came back quickly. \
I don’t think so. What about?
I barked out a quiet laugh, careful not to let it roll too loud in the stillness of the SUV. That was Cyn in a nutshell: say no first and ask questions later. She shut the door just a little before she cracked it open again. Still, the fact that she’d asked told me everything I needed to know—she wasn’t indifferent, she was scared.
I didn’t push her, but I sent a simple answer. You know.
She didn’t text back after that, and that silence told me more than any clever retort ever could.
I slipped the phone into my jacket pocket and leaned forward, glancing over at Roque. He hadn’t moved much, staring out the windshield like he could see through the trees and right into the building where the people he loved were being held. But his grip had loosened slightly on the wheel, and his breathing was steady.
“How’d you do it?” I asked him quietly. “How’d you get Sayla to trust you and take a chance?”
He blinked slowly, then gave a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I used a snowstorm,” he began. “A bath through the ceiling, and two kids who needed someone to love them.”
I pictured Cyn’s house—neat, single-story, definitely not in danger of dropping plumbing fixtures into the living room anytime soon, and huffed out a laugh. “Right, so not exactly replicable.”
Roque let the corner of his mouth tick up. “Nope.”
“So, what about the trust part?” I pressed. “How’d you earn that?”
He was quiet for a beat, thinking it through. “I screwed up at first,” he admitted. “But what I did right was I slowed down, I listened and watched her body language. I gave her space when she needed it, and I stayed close when she didn’t. The rest was luck and a little disaster.”
I shook my head and chuckled, settling deeper into the seat. “So, what you’re saying is, I need a natural disaster and a household semi-demolition?”
Roque’s laugh was quiet but real this time. “You already have a natural disaster if you’re talking about Cyn Dahl.”
I grinned despite myself. “That obvious, huh?”
He nodded once, his eyes softening just a little. “But those are the best ones. Sayla came in like a storm, too. She turned my whole damn life inside out, and now I’m just grateful for the mess she made.“
The weight in his voice hit me square in the chest.
I looked at him, steady and certain. “We’ll get her and the kids back, I promise you.”
Roque didn’t speak, he just nodded once. But that was enough because it wasn’t just a nod—it was a promise, too. One we’d both die keeping.
Chapter 30
Kapono
I’d finally carved through the last stubborn strip of paint, sealing the window shut, and my wrist ached from the strain by the time the blade slipped free with a satisfying little flick. I leaned back, wiped the sweat from my brow, and gave Sayla a nod.
"Try it now," I mouthed.
She reached for the latch with careful fingers and pushed. For a second, it resisted, groaning softly like it hadn’t been touched in years. Then—snick—it gave way.
We eased the window up together, inch by inch until the cool night air spilled in. I didn’t need to say anything—Sayla knew what to do. She vanished into the shadows of the room and reappeared with Kaida bundled in her arms. Her eyes found mine briefly, and I steadied myself just outside and held out my arms.
"Got her," I whispered.
She handed Kaida over carefully, like a glass sculpture, and I cradled the little one tight against my chest. A few seconds later, she came back, this time with Kairo. He was half-asleep, his arms dangling as Sayla hoisted him up and passed him out to me. I took him with the same care, then crouched to set them both down just beneath the window on the grass.