Chapter 438: Thursday. Dauria-Mongolia Border.

SILAS HAD OFTEN WISHED for silence and peace during this job. Too bad he had to get his wish this morning. Nearly seven hours of nothing since getting out of bed in the early morning hours and driving toward the border.

There were no flights in or out of Dauria that weren't military. The exception was the presidential plane that hadn't taken flight for five years that anyone knew of. Which meant the only way in or out of Dauria was to drive. So drive they did.

Of all the stupid shit that had come out of his mouth over the years, why did he have to tell Ekko he didn't like her? How juvenile was that?

The immediate problem had been that he'd enjoyed kissing her far too much. And in that moment he'd liked her quite a lot. But those words had popped out as a way to stop himself from giving into the chemistry bubbling between them.

He'd had a job to do. She was possibly still in danger from a threat she wouldn't tell him about. And that didn't include getting involved with Ekko. But he