The red Aston Martin rolls to a stop after nearly three hours of steady driving.
"Did we arrive?" Neva murmurs, peering out the window.
Before them stands a rustic lodge tucked into the wooded hills.
The building is painted a warm coffee brown, with sloped roofs and ivy-covered walls.
Fragile vines of ruby-petaled roses climb along the columns, glinting faintly under the lodge's porch lights.
Something about it feels… oddly safe. Home-like.
"Yeah," Sky replies. "It's a secluded lodge in Eudora. We'll be safe here—at least for tonight." Her voice dips near the end, barely audible.
Neva steps out into the crisp night air.
The mingled heat of their bodies and the car's heater has nearly dried their damp clothes and hair.
The scent of pine and old wood fills her lungs. A flicker of movement catches her eye—Ace, standing near the trunk, hands stuffed in his pockets. When their eyes meet, he turns slightly, offering her a quiet smile.
And when she smiles back, something in him stutters. His breath catches for a beat.
Neva slips off the jacket draped around her shoulders and holds it out with both hands. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I got it all wet and mucky."
Ace waves it off, grinning.
"It's alright. Keep it."
She parts her lips to protest, but before the words come, Rhett plucks the jacket from her grip and tosses it straight at Ace.
"Keep the damned rug to yourself," Rhett mutters, voice clipped and cold.
Ace catches it effortlessly—but his grin falters. The jab lands.
"We should get inside," Sky calls, already heading toward the entrance.
Hunter follows, silent as a shadow.
Rhett grabs Neva's hand—without looking—and leads her in.
Ace lingers behind, letting out a quiet smile.
---
Midnight.
A sudden ring slices through the quiet, shrill against the lodge's thick wooden walls. Rhett groans, still tangled with Neva beneath the sheets, her warmth curled tightly against him.
She stirs. Curled on her side, her arm draped over his chest, she blinks open her bleary eyes. "Someone's at the door," she whispers.
Rhett doesn't answer at first, just lets out a low, annoyed hum. The bell rings again—sharp and persistent. He exhales through his nose.
Neva shifts, lifting her head to glance over his broad frame. She starts to move, but he catches her hand before she can leave the bed.
His eyes are open now. Focused and sharp. "Stay here."
Without another word, he peels himself away from her warmth, the sheets rustling as he slides out of bed.
Neva sits up slowly, heart tight in her chest, watching his every move.
Rhett crosses to the cabinet and pulls out a black pistol fitted with a cylindrical suppressor. He approaches the door with silent precision, barefoot on creaking wood. Gun raised to head level. Shoulders tense.
Neva swallows hard. Her pulse pounds like thunder in her ears.
He leans in, peers through the peephole—then relaxes. His spine straightens.
It's Ace.
Rhett lowers the gun and opens the door.
"What is it?" he asks, voice low and calm.
Ace's face is stern, eyes shadowed. "Boss, you need to leave. Now."
From the bed, Neva exhales, her shoulders sagging.
The tension in the room loosens slightly at the sound of Ace's voice.
"They've probably hit the airports already. Raka's men. We bought you time, but flying's off the table. So…" He exhales, pulling two passports from his coat. "We got you cruise tickets. To New Zealand. Less traceable."
Rhett sighs, dragging a hand down his face, frustration flickering behind his eyes.
"What time?"
Ace checks his watch. "One fifty."
Then he sets down a pistachio-green trolley bag. "Almost forgot this."
Rhett nods. "Give us ten."
"We'll be in the car."
Rhett shuts the door, then turns to Neva, who's now standing near the bed, arms crossed, barefoot on the wooden floor.
He sets the passports on the sheets and places the trolley at the foot.
"Are you okay with boats?"
She gives a faint nod. "Not like I have a choice."
Her voice is soft, steady—but her eyes betray a quiet ache.
He walks to her, brushes a thumb gently along her cheek.
"We'll get through this."
Then he kisses her forehead. Lingering, protective.
"Let's get ready."
---
Ten minutes later, Neva zips her bag shut.
She's dressed in a beige flared-sleeve sweater and soft blue jeans, her hair loosely pinned up.
A jacket lies draped over her arm as she paces the room, double-checking every corner.
Rhett eyes her from across the room, already dressed. Most of what he's packed consists of weapons.
"You're wearing just that?" he asks, arching a brow.
Neva turns and lifts the jacket meaningfully.
He smiles softly.
Another ten minutes pass before they're finally ready.
"Let's go," she says, slipping the jacket on.
Rhett chuckles under his breath. Ten minutes, he'd told Ace. Right. He forgot he had a woman now.
"What?" she asks, catching his amused look.
"Nothing." He shakes his head, kisses her quickly on the lips, and grabs her luggage. His other hand finds hers, and he holds it tightly as they leave the room behind.
---
The others are already waiting in the car. Engine humming, headlights cutting across the snow-dusted drive.
No one mentions they're twelve minutes late.
Outside, the world is hushed. Snowflakes drift like whispers in the darkness.
The moonlight catches in patches of ice, silvering the earth. The world glows faintly in the pale light of moon and lamp-post.
Thirty minutes later, they pull into the harbor.
"The cruise leaves in twenty," Sky announces, glancing at her watch.
"I'm counting on you to get the Ruhd back."
Rhett says, eyes scanning the team.
All four agents look up.
The last mission had saved lives—but the Ruhd had slipped through the chaos.
He rarely voices trust aloud—but tonight, it's there, quiet and certain.
"We've got it, Boss," Ace replies.
Neva turns to them, her eyes soft and sincere. "Thank you. For everything."
Sky smiles. "It's our pleasure."
Without warning, she pulls Neva into a hug. Neva stiffens for a moment, then slowly embraces her back.
"See you, Neva Mae," Sky murmurs.
"See you, Sky," she replies, smiling.
Sky pulls back, her eyes gentle. "My real name's Elfie."
Neva's smile deepens. "Then see you soon, Elfie."
"I'm Zac," Ace grins, gesturing to himself, "and that moody stature is Lay."
Hunter rolls his eyes.
Neva laughs lightly. "It was good knowing you all."
Rhett says nothing. But he opens the door, steps out, and helps Neva out after him.
He circles around to the trunk, pulls out the bags, and intertwines their hands.
Together, they walk toward the grand silhouette of the cruise ship rising in the night.
Neva glances over her shoulder—as the red Aston Martin pulls away, the headlights fading into the dark.
Then she looks forward, lips parting slightly as she draws in the salty air.
A new chapter awaits.