ZOE DEAN'S POV
The moment that voice cut through the bushes, sharp and demanding, my entire body locked up. Fear swallowed me whole.
But Nero… didn't even flinch.
He stood tall beside me—his hand still wrapped firmly around mine, the other holding his gun like he'd been born with it. Calm. Unshaken. Not even breathing too fast.
The voice came again, louder. Impatient.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
My heart stuttered painfully. I didn't even realize I'd moved closer until my fingers dug hard into Nero's arm. He didn't glance at me or pull away—he just stood there, steady, like he was carved from something unbreakable.
When he finally spoke, his words were ice-cold. "Show your face. Only a coward talks from the shadows."
I stared up at him, wondering how he could be so fearless in a place that wasn't even his. How could someone carry that much authority—unapologetic and effortless—even here?
Silence hung for a moment.
Then the bushes moved.
Leaves rustled.
