Elena's POV

The car interior hummed with the quiet vibration of the rain against metal. My fingers pinched the fabric of the suit I had just put on, and water beaded between them. For a moment, I thought I must have imagined it—until the cold dampness slid down to my palm.

I turned my head slightly. The entire left side of Damien’s shirt was soaked through, clinging to his body as if it were a second skin. The faint smell of rainwater and something warmer—like clean smoke and salt—hung ...