Page 73 of Vows of Ruin

My hands rest on their thighs, fingers tracing idle circles that aren’t innocent. Max’s breathing shifts, the muscles in his jaw tightening. Liam doesn’t move at all, but I can feel the tension in his leg under my palm.

Torque catches my gaze in the rearview mirror, his grin widening like he’s been waiting for me to notice. “Careful, Hayes-Blackwood,” he says with Elias-level mischief. “Some of us are tryin’ to drive.”

I raise a brow, giggling, “Watch what you want, T, I have no shame.”

He just winks at me before looking back to the road.

By the time we pull up to the other safehouse, the weight of the night settles in, but it doesn’t dull the edge running through me. Doc meets us outside with towels and clean clothes, her eyes narrowing like she’s calculating what kind of trouble we’ve been up to. “Torque texted, said you might need to clean up before you scare someone inside.”

Wreckers' grin doesn’t fade. “How’s Daisy?”

“Considering all things, she seems okay,” Doc answers. “She finally fell asleep.”

I glance at Max and Liam one last time before heading inside. There’s something hungry in my eyes that I don’t bother hiding, at least not from them. But I push it down for now. “Come on, Wreck. Let’s go check on her.”

Torque calls after us, “Vans will be ready to roll out at first light. Missouri’s waiting.”

I nod and keep walking.

Inside, the house smells faintly of antiseptic and coffee. I ease the master bedroom door open, careful not to wake her, and freeze when I see Hugo climbing off the bed. “What the hell?” I whisper, looking at Wrecker. He shrugs.

Riot appears around the corner, smirking like this all makes perfect sense. “Went to get the hellhound, figured no one was going back to the mansion for a couple of days. He scared the shit out of a few of the girls, but he walked in here and laid down next to her. She showed no fear and fell asleep petting him.”

My chest tightens. I crouch in front of Hugo, taking his massive head in my hands and scratching behind his ears. His weight leans into me immediately. “Braver Junge,” I murmur in German. “Immer wachsam, immer treu.” Good boy. Always vigilant. Always loyal.

His tail thumps once against the floor.

We don’t wake Daisy, but I step inside the room just enough to see the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest. She’s curled toward the wall, a blanket tucked under her chin. Hugo jumps back on the bed like he’s decided she’s his responsibility now. I can’t even be mad about it.

A warm hand finds my hip, gentle but solid. Liam’s voice is low. “Little warrior, we should sleep. We’ve got a bit of a drive tomorrow.”

I nod, still watching Daisy for another breath before stepping back.

“I’m staying here,” Wrecker says, already slipping into the room. He drops onto the couch along the far wall, long legs hanging over the armrest, leaving the door open so we can still hear anything.

Liam leads me across the hall to a vacant bedroom. Max is already stretched out on the bed, one arm behind his head, eyes on the door like he’s been waiting for us. I crawl in beside him, sliding into his warmth, curling against his chest.

“You feeling okay?” he asks, voice low, like it’s just for me.

I smirk. “Better than okay.”

Liam climbs in behind me, his arm settling heavy over my waist, his chest pressing against my back. The three of us shift and adjust, finding that perfect tangle we’ve built over time, limbs over limbs, our breathing synced together. Even so, I can’t seem to get comfortable. I keep wiggling, adjusting, pushing my toes under Max’s leg, arching against Liam.

“Sparrow,” Max says, voice edged with amusement. “What is it?”

I huff. “We’re wearing too many clothes… we never sleep this caged. This is too much—” I gesture at the fabric between us, “—should be naked.”

Liam barks out a laugh behind me. “Well, if only there was a lock on the door.”

Max grins, the curve brushing my temple. “Yeah, and if only someone hadn’t just wrung us both out in the driveway.”

I bite back my own laugh and finally settle, pressed between them, their heat seeping into me until my eyes get heavy. We drift off like that, wrapped in each other for a few stolen hours.

The morning comes too fast.

We’re moving in that groggy, just woke-up haze, pulling on clothes, shoving bags into the back of the van. The air is crisp, damp from the night, and the engines idle low as everyone falls into place. It’s a caravan, three vans, two SUVs, all loaded with everyone from House of Silk, and Serpents.

Our van is Wrecker at the wheel, Max riding shotgun. I’m in the middle row between Liam and Daisy, Hugo’s sprawled across our feet like he’s claiming us both. A few other girls fill the back row, quiet but alert, eyes on the windows.