The morning air hits sharp and clean when we step outside. I scan the tree line automatically—old habits die hard, and mine are particularly stubborn.
Something feels... wrong. The birds aren't singing. The wind holds its breath.
Then I see it.
The red laser dot appears on Logan's chest like a premonition.
"Logan!" I don't think—I move.
My hands find his arm, yanking him sideways as the crack of a rifle splits the air. The bullet whizzes past close enough that I feel its heat.
"Run!"
We sprint toward The Forge, hearts pounding in synch, feet barely touching ground. I focus on the path ahead, but fear clings to my bones like rust. Not for me—for him. For what I've brought to his door.
The Forge looms ahead, solid and stark against the morning sky. We burst through the doors to find the team already assembled—Caleb, Asa, Elias, Knox, and Ryker.
Their expressions shift from concern to suspicion as they take us in, and I realize how we must look: breathless, rumpled, running from shadows.
"What happened?" Caleb steps forward, dimples gone, all business. "Are you okay, Sloane?"
"I'm fine." The tremor in my voice betrays me. "It was aimed at Logan."
"A sniper?" Elias moves closer, genuine worry shadowing his features. "How did you know?"
"She saw the red dot," Logan explains. His gaze finds mine, steady and sure, like he's trying to pass strength through eye contact alone. "We need to figure out what's going on."
Asa pushes his wire-rimmed glasses up, tension visible in the set of his shoulders. "We've been experiencing unusual technical difficulties. Our systems are being jammed. This isn't coincidence. Someone wants us blind."
Knox's dark eyes fix on me, cold as Montana winter. "Who is she really? What's her deal? Why is she in Iron Hollow?"
"Who I am doesn't matter." Frustration bubbles under my skin, hot and sharp. "I just need a place to stay. I'm not here to cause trouble!"
"Oh, really? That's convenient." Ryker's massive frame seems to fill the room as he steps forward. "If you're hiding something, that puts everyone at risk!"
"Enough!" Logan moves in front of me, protective but not possessive. "Sloane has been through enough. It's not her fault bullets are flying at us!"
"That's easy for you to say." Knox's voice could strip paint. "But the reality is, we don't know her game. She could be leading us straight into a trap."
"Let's keep this civil." Elias raises his hands. "We all care about each other here. Sloane, if you're truly innocent, now's the time to show us. What brings you to Iron Hollow?"
I feel their stares like physical weight—six pairs of eyes demanding answers I'm not ready to give. "I'm just trying to survive!" The words tear from my throat. "I didn't want to put any of you in danger!"
"Then let's get some clarity." Asa's voice carries the quiet authority of someone who deals in absolutes. "Tell us your true identity. Who are you?"
"I didn't mean to disrupt your lives!" The pressure builds in my chest, crushing. "I'm not the villain here!"
Logan's body tenses beside me, and I can feel his frustration warring with his instinct to shield me. "She's not a liability," he insists, anger threading through his words. "Sloane has endured enough."
Caleb steps forward, trying to reason. "If Sloane is mixed up in something dangerous, we need to get that out in the open. We can't afford to keep secrets."
"Or act like we're not in danger," Knox adds, skepticism heavy in the air.
"Fine! If my presence puts you all at risk, then I accept that blame." The words taste bitter. "But I came seeking sanctuary, not conflict!"
Silence falls like a shroud. Logan glances at me, his protection a tangible thing. "We'll figure this out together." He turns to face his team. "There's someone hunting her. I don't have all the details, but we need to trust each other if we want to stay alive."
"Someone's hunting her?" Disbelief colors Caleb's voice. "And you didn't think to tell us that? We're supposed to be brothers! You're hiding this—why?"
