Nightfall. Under the vast spread of desert stars, we gather near Ramirez's convoy—two pickup trucks and a battered SUV. Zach and Marta discuss last-minute logistics with the smugglers, engines idling.
Elena and I stand off to the side, the desert air cool but charged with an undercurrent of danger. She glances at me, chewing her lip. "I meant what I said before," she murmurs. "I can't do this alone, Lucas."
Something about her vulnerability amid all this chaos makes my chest tighten. I cradle her cheek. "You won't have to," I whisper, voice low. Desire flickers again, but it's laced with something deeper—a need to protect and a craving I can't fully tame.
Her hand slides under my jacket, fingers splaying against my chest. The tension is electric. We could be discovered any second. She rises on tiptoe, pressing a searing kiss to my neck, teeth grazing lightly. I stifle a groan. "God, Elena…"
She smirks against my skin. "I'm done pretending I'm not burning for you." Her whisper is hoarse with longing. If it weren't for the headlights catching on us, we might sink into a full-blown, reckless embrace. The knowledge that we're being watched keeps our clothes on—for now. But the promise lingers.