Jared POV
The night was way too quiet, and it was freaking me out. Not the normal quiet where you could hear a cricket or two chirping in the background—this was a silence that screamed danger. Like the kind of quiet in horror movies, right before the jump scare.
I stood by the busted window, gripping my knife so tight my knuckles turned white. It wasn't much of a weapon, but hey, it was better than nothing. If Xaden found us, I wasn't going down without a fight.
Behind me, Zina sat cross-legged on the dirty floor, hugging Asher like he was the only thing keeping her sane. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red from crying. She looked like she was barely holding it together, but she was doing her best. For Asher.
I hated this. I hated seeing her like this—scared, tired, barely holding on. She didn't deserve any of this. Neither did Asher.
A loud snap came from outside. My stomach dropped, and I froze. That wasn't just some twig breaking in the wind. Someone was out there.
