Chapter 420
Chapter 420:
He stepped outside and found Colton standing alone at the entrance, the moonlight casting a long, thin shadow at his feet. He stood tall, as always — but Devin could feel the exhaustion and desperation beneath it, the way a person could feel the cold through a wall before they even touched it.
He walked up beside him. “Why are you doing this, Colton? Even if Kristine was trying to manipulate you — you still can’t let her go. Why p>
Colton turned his head slowly. In the darkness, he looked completely hollowed out.
He couldn’t stop hearing her voice. You never loved me anyway. And behind those words, the image of her in the water — the night at the pier, how close it had come.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them, his expression had settled into something that looked like calm but sounded like grief. He raised his phone to his ear, and Devin realized he was already connected to Bobby.
“Find out who was at the pier that night,” Colton said into the phone. “Every person p>
Devin stared at him, but said nothing. The look on Colton’s face made it clear that this was not a moment for questions.
𝖭𝖾w w𝗲𝘦kl𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝗮𝗽𝘵𝘦𝘳𝗌 𝘰𝗇
In the car moving steadily away from all of it, Kristine sat with her eyes fixed on the passing dark outside the window, her mind refusing to slow down.
Thirty minutes ago, Vinson had received a text from Asher — he was safe, but they needed to stay apart for now so Colton couldn’t trace her through him. The relief that had moved through her at those words was more intense than she expected.
“Ms. Green,” Vinson said from the front seat, “we’re almost at the border. Colton has seen my face now, so I’ll have to stay out of sight while I watch over you. Is there anything you need to know before we cross p>
Kristine glanced at Davin behind the wheel, then back to Vinson. “When will Asher come for me p>
The question surprised her the moment it left her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say it quite so plainly.
Vinson’s expression softened slightly. “Honestly — he didn’t give me a date p>
The disappointment that moved through her was sharper than she was prepared for. She tucked it away. “What was that explosion, exactly?” she asked, redirecting.
Vinson broke into a grin. “That was Davin. Impressive, isn’t he p>
Kristine stared at the back of Davin’s head. He never spoke. She knew he could fight. It had never occurred to her that he was also an expert in explosives.
“Isn’t it risky?” she asked. “What if something had gone wrong p>
Vinson’s grin didn’t waver. “Mr. Edwards trusts him completely. Davin calculates the exact charge needed — enough to disable the vehicles, not enough to hurt anyone. You walked out without a scratch, didn’t you p>
Kristine looked at Vinson’s steady, confident expression, and found she had nothing left to say.
The last of her worry quietly dissolved. She had known, deep down, that Asher would never put her in real danger. And Tripp’s words came back to her — he can’t focus on anything until he knows you’re safe.