Chapter 41 Shadows And Sparks

• The tension from the night still hung in the air as Russo and I walked back to the car. Marco was in custody, but the adrenaline hadn’t faded, and I could feel the intensity between us simmering just below the surface. Russo was quieter than usual, his thoughts likely spinning with everything that had just gone down.
• I glanced at him as we reached the car. His jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed straight ahead, but his hand hovered near my back, guiding me to the passenger seat with a possessive protectiveness that wasn’t lost on me. There was an unspoken understanding between us now, something deeper than just the plan or the danger we’d faced.
• As we drove back to the safehouse, the silence was comfortable but charged with something unsaid. Every so often, I’d catch Russo glancing at me, his hand gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, like he was holding back from saying what was on his mind.