Page 106 of Meet Your Maker: Part One

Sunday

This is a terrible idea.

Silas

I know it sounds like it, but Sunday, I literally can’t hurt you.

I sigh, my shoulders sagging as I type my final message.

Sunday

Fine. Prescott Garage on Dominion Road. It’s close by, and public.

Silas

Thank you. I’ll be there in ten minutes.And congratulations.

I read the message twice, frowning. Congratulations? On what? The house? No.

Something about the phrasing feels off, but I don’t reply. I set the phone down, trying to ignore the uneasy twist in my gut.

***

The gravel crunches under my boots as I head toward the Prescott Garage. The warm evening air wraps around me like a blanket, the streets quiet—just the occasional car passing by. Most folks are sitting down to dinner.

I’m grateful for the stillness. It gives me space to think. Or, let’s be real, overthink.

This is fine, I tell myself for the hundredth time, adjusting the strap of my bag. This is good, actually. If Silas really has information about Roxana, meeting him could be a step toward fixing things. For all of us.

My stomach twists with anxiety, and I keep tripping over my own feet like I’m being pulled off balance. Just nerves. He wouldn’t have reached out if he wasn’t serious. Colton trusts him—and Colton’s usually right about people.Usually.

I fidget with the strap again, the familiar sign for the family business coming into view. I was smart to pick this place. Daddy’s doing inventory tonight, so I’m not actually alone. See? Very tricky.

It feels like a lifetime ago that I helped Dad patch up cars in one of these bays. Now I’m about to walk into what might as well be a supernatural diplomatic meeting.With your mate, my mind adds unhelpfully.

What if this goes really well? The thought slips in, unbidden, stubborn. I chew my lip, considering it. Silas and Tomas aren’tso different—both strong, brooding types who act like they carry the weight of the world. Maybe Tomas could even help him. They could… bond over it or something.

I snort softly. Ridiculous. But that doesn’t stop my mind from running with it.

If this works out, maybe Silas could live here. He’s already Colton’s friend, and what did Daddy say? That he felt like Silas was supposed to be here with us. Xavier wouldn’t like it, but Ben might. He’s always the first to offer second chances. Tomas, too, if Silas doesn’t push too hard. Grayson… well, Silas better sleep with one eye open.

By the time I reach the edge of the lot, I’ve almost convinced myself this is a good thing. A great thing, even.

All I have to do is hear him out and then we’ll be able to get this Roxana thing off the books and maybe I’ll finally have a dragon friend.

Chapter Fourty

The Famous Shadowcat Arrives

— Xavier —

From the moment she slipped out of the townhouse without saying goodbye, I knew something was off. Sunday’s a lot of things—reckless, impulsive, stubborn, my dream-girl—but sneaky? Not so much.

I stick to the shadows, following her down the quiet streets. She doesn’t look back, doesn’t hesitate. Wherever she’s going, she’s convinced it’s the right choice. She always thinks she knows best and it often ends in disaster.

When she turns into the lot at her father’s garage, I slow, my instincts flaring. If she were just dropping in on her dad, she would’ve said something. She wouldn’t have slipped out the back door, pulling it shut softly, like a teen sneaking out after curfew.

She steps into the garage, her smile light as she spots Wade coming out of the storeroom.

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