For a moment, my heart felt like it had stopped beating entirely.
Was Harlan really dead?
Even though we had clashed before and exchanged a few sharp words, I trusted Carter's judgment. Carter never surrounded himself with weak or cruel men. The friends he chose were people he believed in, men he respected enough to stand beside him. That alone was enough for me to believe Harlan wasn't a bad person.
He might be arrogant. Loud. Even a little reckless.
But not someone who deserved to die like this.
No matter what kind of complicated relationship he had with Riley, I didn't want him to die here.
Not like this.
The crash behind us had been deafening. For a few seconds afterward, a loud ringing filled my ears, drowning out everything else. It was as if the world had suddenly been wrapped in thick cotton, muting every sound around me.
Even the roar of the engine felt distant.
I didn't know what waited ahead of us.
But I knew one thing clearly.
