"Stop the car."
Liam's voice cut through the quiet tension like a blade. Lilith blinked, caught off guard, her hands tightening instinctively around the wheel.
"We're not there yet," she said with a furrowed brow, eyes flicking toward him. "The meeting point is still five minutes ahead."
"I know," Liam replied, already reaching for the door handle. "I want to do a sweep. Just to be sure we're not walking into something unexpected."
Lilith's lips parted, a hint of protest forming, but the words caught in her throat as the door popped open and cold night air flooded into the car. Liam didn't even look back. His form slipped into the darkness, his lean silhouette swallowed by the quiet, sleeping neighborhood.
Lilith quickly pressed the brakes and let the engine idle, watching the spot where he vanished. A sigh left her lips—not of irritation, but worry. She didn't like this. Not because she didn't trust him—she did—but because a part of her wanted him close. Especially tonight.
