I’ll go shirtless. I grab my gun, tuck it in the back of my jeans, and head for the back door.
The second I’m outside, I break into a run.
My feet slam against the ground, boots pounding into the earth like it owes me something. Trees blur. Branches whip at my chest and arms, slicing at bare skin, but I don’t slow. I need this.
The burn. The ache. The breathless edge of pain.
My muscles lock into rhythm, breath steadying, rage bleeding off in drops of sweat.
For a minute, I can breathe.
I circle the woods, never too far from the farm, just enough to lose the noise in my head.
Eventually, I stop, bent slightly, sweat dripping down my jaw. My whole body hums.
I hear a noise behind me.
“Following me?” I don’t turn.
Ryker steps out from behind a tree, grinning like a jackass.
“The guys were worried.”
I glance at him as he matches my stride.
“So they sent you.” My tone’s flat, clipped. I shake my head. My fuse is so fucking short I can taste the snap on my tongue.
“Well, I offered. Who better to track the Reaper down, right?”
He elbows me. The fucker is… smiling. He looks…happy. I’ve never seen him like this.
“Do you want to get the base back?” I ask, turning to him, waiting.
Ryker’s jaw tenses. That easy grin fades.
“Recon?” I ask again.
He finally looks at me.
“I want us to be happy,” he says quietly. He rakes a hand through his hair. “And I don’t think we can be without our home.”
I swallow hard. “We might not,” I stop. Can’t say it. Don’t want to breathe that possibility into the world.
“I know.” His hand lands on my shoulder, grounding me. “But Roman knows we’re alive. He’ll send men. He won’t stop. We’ll never be safe if we don’t end this.”
I nod once. That’s all I can give right now.
“There you are,” Max calls out as he appears from the trees.
“You got sent to fetch me too?” I ask, lips twitching into something that almost resembles humor. The sky’s streaked in gold now. An hour, maybe less, before night swallows us.
“No, man. We need food. Still got some daylight. Let’s hunt, Ryk.” He winks, and I glance between the two of them.
“Right…hunt.” I let out a dry laugh and start walking again.
“I swear we’re going to hunt, Reaper!” Max shouts, overly defensive, and Ryker bursts out laughing behind me.
“Of course you are,” I mutter with a smirk, not bothering to turn around.
