Russell's POV

The moon hung high in the sky as I led Luca through the winding path behind my property. The forest was eerily silent, save for the crunch of leaves under our feet. My heart pounded in my chest, but my face betrayed none of my inner turmoil. This was all part of the plan, and I wasn’t about to let Luca suspect a thing.

After a few minutes, I stopped abruptly. “It’s here,” I said, pointing to a spot on the ground.

Luca stood back, arms crossed, his piercing gaze fixed on me. I ignored him and picked up the shovel I’d brought along, plunging it into the...