Silence crackled like a live wire, so stifling that it was almost hard to take a full breath without the pressure from the men around me pressing down on my chest.
The RV had come to a full stop, but the tension inside it only grew hotter. The four men around the seated woman had shifted subtly, their deadly focus narrowed to me like I was a rabid dog someone forgot to leash.
But the woman… the woman didn't move.
She just watched me.
Not like I was a threat, but more like I was some kind of puzzle she was determined to solve. In my head, I wished her the best of luck. I had no idea what made me tick, so if she could figure that out, I'd almost be grateful.
"I asked," she repeated, tone smooth but lined with iron, "why you don't have a flame."
