The silence after Riley's departure felt heavy, like the air before a storm. I could hear the distant hum of traffic from afar and the soft rustle of leaves in the garden, but all I could focus on was the tension radiating from Ryder's rigid shoulders.

"Are you worried she'll talk?" he asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

I considered the question, thinking about the venom in Riley's voice, the desperation in her eyes when she'd mentioned jail time. "Elara didn't talk," I said ...