Claus froze. The words hung between them.

“Are you messing with me?” he asked when he finally found his voice.

“For the last time,” she whispered again, her eyes glistening.

He looked at her for a long moment, his pulse drumming in his ears. “Mia… don’t say that.”

She smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You know it’s true. After this mission, everything changes. Rick, the Brotherhood, the Beast… who knows where any of this will end?”

“Mia…”

“I ...