Page 103 of Meet Your Maker: Part One

“Colt.” I close the laptop with a soft snap and set it aside. “Spit it out.”

He hesitates, fingers twitching, and that’s when I know. Whatever this is, it’s not small.

“I need to talk to you,” he says finally, his voice quieter. “Privately.”

The weight in his tone makes my stomach dip. I push up from the couch, nodding toward the dining room. “Alright. Let’s go.”

He follows me in. The pocket doors slide shut with a soft thunk, muffling the clatter from the kitchen. Now, it’s just the two of us, the dim light pooling over the table. I drop into a chair, arms crossed, and nod toward the seat across from me.

Colton doesn’t sit right away. His gaze veers to the centerpiece—our unfortunate taxidermied possum clutching plastic daisies today. He touches its hairless tail and shivers.

“Really, Sunny? A possum?” He tilts his head like he’s waiting for it to blink.

“Mishka gave it to me. It’s precious.” My tone is dry as I tap my fingers on the table. “Sit down.”

“If you say so.” He mutters, setting it down carefully—but not before adjusting the daisies.

“Colton,” I prompt, arms still crossed. “You’re stalling.”

“Alright, fine.” He drops into the chair and exhales sharply, finally meeting my eyes. “It’s about Silas.”

My arms tighten as I lean back. Not what I was expecting. “What about him? Wait… did you meet him when you were in Dae?”

“I did. We all kind of, um… hung out.”

I blink, certain I didn’t hear him right. “Wait, wait, wait. So when he wasn’t working for the woman who’s literally trying to murder me, you did what—hit up a tavern or two?”

Colton shifts in his chair, but his grin stays mostly intact. “Yeah, we did. I don’t think he knew who we were. We used code names.”

“Code names?” I echo, incredulous. I hope one of them was Dumbass.

“Look, that doesn’t matter.” He’s starting to bristle, so I ease back.

“He wants to talk to you.” The words rush out like he’s ripping off a Band-Aid. “He’s, uh, got something he needs to say.”

I stare at him, waiting for the punchline. It doesn’t come. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” His grin fades completely now. “Sunny, he’s not the monster you think he is.”

“Oh, really?” My voice turns sharp, but I don’t care. “Was it the attempt on my life or the partnership with Roxana that convinced you? Because from where I’m sitting, he’s ticking a lot of villain boxes.”

“Look, I know what it sounds like—” Colton starts, hands up like he’s trying to calm a wild animal.

“No,” I cut him off, leaning forward. “You don’t. Because if you did, you wouldn’t be asking me to entertain this.”

His expression softens, just enough to make my chest tighten. “Sunny,” he says quietly, “I think he wants to fix things. I felt it. He isn’t lying.”

I shake my head, leaning back. “You think, or you know?”

“It means he’s hurting,” Colton insists, his voice growing more earnest. “Maybe he doesn’t know how to make it right, but he’s trying. His dragon—” He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck, uncertainty flickering across his face. “His dragon is a wreck.”

I narrow my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means dragons don’t take this lightly.” Colton leans in, arms braced on the table. “He didn’t know who you were back then. Didn’t know you were… what you are to him. And now his dragon’s all kinds of messed up. He can’t let it go. And I don’t think Silas can, either.”

I cross my arms, trying to smother the flicker of unease his words stir. “So what? He wants to apologize because his dragon’s having a midlife crisis?”

Colton shakes his head, his gaze serious. “It’s not like that. It’s… deeper. I saw it in Dae. The way he carries it—like this weight he can’t put down. I know you’ve got every reason to hate him, but he’s not doing this lightly. He means it, and I’m tellin’ ya, he’s got a good heart. It may be covered is some rusty barbed wire…but he’s good.”

---