Chapter 173

Mason POV

After nine hours on the road, King is knocked out cold. Niko lies beside him, flipping through the TV channels with that blank look he gets when he’s thinking too much.

I’m at the window, AR-15 within reach, peeking through the blinds at the empty parking lot below.

Alyssa’s been in the shower for over thirty minutes now.

Probably crying again.

She’s not handling the separation from Zuri well.

None of us are.

But her? She hasn’t stopped crying since we left.

And it’s tearing me up inside.

“She’s going to stop taking care of herself,” I murmur, not really meaning to say it out loud.

Niko glances at the bathroom door, his jaw tightening. “We won’t let her.”

I nod, pushing up from my chair. “Watch the window. I’ll check on her.”

He slides into my place without another word.

I cross the room quietly and slip into the bathroom, closing the door behind me as I peel off my clothes. The air is thi