Naomi’s Pov

The night felt too still.

Not peaceful just… waiting. The kind of stillness that presses into your skin and makes every breath feel louder than it should. The kind that warned me something could happen at any second.

We stood outside the safehouse, the cold air brushing against my face. The van was ready, engine humming quietly while Rubio triple-checked the tires like as might betray us.

Mara loaded the last of the equipment in the back. She moved with her usual calm, but I saw it the way her eyes flicked between Cassian and me. Observant. Knowing. Quietly amused.

Cassian stood a few steps away from everyone,...