Page 54 of Nico

He laughed, giving himself away before finally admitting, "Vic stopped by."

"You had help."

"Maybe."

I lightly punched him on the arm. "Cheater."

Isaac laughed again, the sound low and deep as it carried across the nearly empty parking lot. A smile tugged at my mouth.

There was something about hearing that laugh that made my heart flip in my chest. Maybe it was because I'd spent so much of the evening worrying, or because I was relieved to know he was safe. Or maybe I was simply getting far too attached to the sound of it.

I leaned back against the hood of the truck beside him, and for a while, neither of us said anything.

The set looked completely different at this hour. Most of the crew had gone home, leaving the parking lot quiet and the sprawling set beyond it strangely peaceful.

During the day, everything had been a blur of people, noise, and movement. Now, with the lights dimmed and the crowds gone, I could finally appreciate it.

It was peaceful. Nice, even.

And it was even nicer when Isaac slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

The night air had grown cooler, the warmth of summer beginning to give way to the first hints of fall. Soon, the leaves would start changing, and the mornings would carry a sharper chill.

I settled against him, letting myself relax.

"Should we get back soon?"

Isaac's gaze wandered toward the set before coming back to me.

"Logan has a late day tomorrow. He'll probably sleep in."

I smiled. "So we're not in a hurry."

“No. Not tonight."

I leaned my head against his shoulder, and for a while, we watched the early-morning crew go about their work.

12

ISAAC

The last shot of the day wrapped just before sunset.

The director called it, the crew broke into scattered applause, and the familiar rhythm of teardown began. Lights came down, and cables disappeared into cases.

Makeup artists hurried after actors for touch-ups before publicity photos. Crew members shouted over one another while loading trucks. Normally, the chaos helped me unwind.

Today, I couldn't shake the restless itch crawling beneath my skin. My wolf hadn't settled once all day, especially after finding the note left on the windshield of my truck.

I hefted two of Logan's equipment bags over one shoulder while balancing a folding chair beneath my arm. Another backpack hung from my opposite shoulder, knocking against my hip every other step.

"Seriously?" Logan laughed behind me. "I can carry my own stuff."

"You've been acting for ten hours,” I reminded him “And your body is insured for an amount that could probably buy half this town."

He snorted. Behind us, Nico locked the trailer door before jogging to catch up.

"You two done?" he asked.