In love with his own killer

LII

Chapter 52
Treasure's POV:

The week slipped away faster than any of us wanted. One minute we were laughing under the sun, pretending we were nothing more than tourists, and the next, our bags were lined up by the door again.

No one said it, but we all felt it: the weight pressing back in. Portugal had been a pause button. Now someone's thumb was on rewind.

Liz stood by the window, staring out at the ocean like she could memorize every wave. "Feels like we're leaving more than just a place," she muttered.

Amari checked his watch, shoulders tense. "Car's outside."

Devontae let out a dramatic sigh, dragging his suitcase behind him. "Goodbye, paradise. Hello, depression."

We laughed, as we carried our bags out the door.

As we stepped out of the villa for the last time, the breeze caught at my hair, salty and soft. I wanted to bottle it, keep it somewhere safe, proof that this had been real. Proof that for a few weeks, we weren't just agents or liars or survivors—we were people.

But the world didn't care about that.

At the airport, the announcements were loud, the crowds endless. Stamps hit our passports, boarding passes crumpled in our hands. It was all too fast, like the universe didn't want us to second-guess the choice.

When the plane lifted off, I pressed my forehead to the window. Portugal shrank beneath us, sunlight spilling across the water.

And just like that, it was gone.

Ahead of us waited home.

The flight home felt longer than it was. Hours blurred into the quiet hum of the plane, but my mind never settled. By the time we touched down and I walked through the terminal with my duffel slung over my shoulder, my chest was tight, every step heavier with anticipation.

The goodbyes started before we even left the terminal.

We walked together at first, dragging our luggage in one long, ragged line. None of us wanted to be the first to split off.

"Tomorrow?" Liz asked, glancing around at all of us.

"Office," Amari confirmed with a nod. "We'll debrief, figure out what's next."

James smirked faintly. "One day back and already back to business. Typical."

"Don't act like you won't be there first thing," Devontae shot back.

We laughed, the sound loose but tired. The kind of laugh you use when you're clinging to normalcy.

At the exit doors, we slowed. It was time.

"See you tomorrow," Amari said, pulling Liz and I in for a quick hug.

"Don't be late," James added, flashing me a look like he was half serious.

Devontae clapped my shoulder, muttering, "It's finally over now." Repeating the same words I would use as fuel to get this over with.

And then they peeled off, each heading in different directions, vanishing into the crowd until I couldn't see them anymore.

I stood there for a second, duffel strap digging into my shoulder, letting it sink in. Tomorrow we'd be teammates again. But right now? We were just people, going home.

And that's when I saw them—my family.

My mom was the first—standing on her tiptoes, searching the crowd like she'd been holding her breath since the day I left. When her eyes finally locked on mine, her hands flew to her mouth, and she broke into a run.