POV: Daniel

Daniel hadn’t left.

He’d told himself he would. After the sun came up. That he’d give her space to breathe, to pretend she still had control. But the tether anchored him, hot and tight, keeping him planted near her building, hidden in the shadow of his truck.

The night had been endless. He’d paced until the gravel was ground under his boots, back and forth like a caged animal. Every time he stopped, the tether yanked at him, dragging his attention back ...