But the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach remained.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

MAISIE

LENNON DROVE THEM back to where Beto was waiting with the shipment, squinting in the early-morning light.

She hopped out of the van behind Queso, who caught the keys Lennon tossed him.

“My new life goal is to never get into a vehicle that you are driving, ever again,” he said.

“I actually take it as a compliment that you hate my driving so much.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Queso said. But he cast an amused look over his shoulder, and Maisie was struck by how Lennon so effortlessly put people at ease. Everyone he’d met—minus Declan—seemed instantly endeared to him.

Queso and Anna walked ahead, but Lennon stopped, turning to face her. He scooped her into a giant hug, her feet practically coming off the ground. She circled her arms around his neck and held him tightly, her body relaxing against his.

“I’m the only one here who is supposed to get kidnapped,” he said, the words muffled against her hair.

“Sorry,” she said with a laugh.

He held her for several more seconds, and she let her good hand linger on his neck as they pulled away. She might have kissed him, if they were alone. And the way he was staring down at her with those intense green eyes suggested he felt the same.

She dropped her hand, forcing her gaze away from Lennon’s.

Beto smiled as she headed over to him.

“You actually look relieved to see me,” she said.

“I am.” He shrugged. “Declan would never hurt you, though, so I wasn’t really worried about that. He’d happily murder the rest of us, but not you.”

“Your ex sounds great,” Anna said with fake cheerfulness.

“Please don’t call him that,” Maisie said with a moan. “But speaking of murder, we need to…” She trailed off, glancing at Queso. He had no idea what Declan was up to. She’d wondered if it was safe to tell him, but he kept proving himself.

Lennon walked over to her, lightly touching her left arm.

“Seriously?” he said incredulously. “Did you injure that hand again?”

“Oh.” She laughed, holding up her left hand. There was a new shallow gash across her palm, up to her wrist. “I used the knife in my boot to cut my zip ties. I had to do it in a hurry, so I wasn’t exactly careful.”

“At this point you might just want to get a new hand.”

“Tempting.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for coming to get me.” She looked past him at Queso and Anna. “All of you.”

“Anytime,” Anna said. “Now, can you finish that sentence that started with ‘Speaking of murder’? Because I’m getting kind of nervous.”

“Right. Sorry. So.” She turned her attention to Queso. “Declan stole a bunch of explosives from the Vals. And he’s making a play for Northgate. That’s why he’s here. But he’s focused on Jonathan Spencer and his men, specifically. Killing them.”