***TRICIA***

I woke abruptly—heart slamming against my ribs, breath coming out in short bursts—because a sudden sound tore through the dark.

Blake’s scream.

Loud. Not long. But raw. Violent. The kind of sound that didn’t belong to someone who feared nothing.

I shot upright.

He did too.

Sweat rolled down his face, dripping from his jaw. His chest rose and fell too fast, like every breath fought its way out of him. His hands trembled where they clutched the sheets, his face eyes ...