“Safehouse,” I said.
“Yeah,” Gray replied. “We think so. Come to the Ranch. We need a tactical plan.”
We’ve been at it for hours, and we have to do it right.
I keep seeing her face in my head.
The way she looked at me when she told me she trusted me with the truth.
The way she said my name like it meant something.
The way she fell asleep in my bed and my shirt swallowed her whole, and I sat there watching her breathe like it was the only thing that mattered.
The way she gave herself to me with no restraint.
Now she’s in some safehouse with dangerous men.
With Dave Michaelson.
A man she loved.
A man who lied to her.
A man who will scare her until she breaks, because that’s what people like him do when they need something.
And Sierra… Sierra will fight. She’s got that stubborn spark.
But she’s also young. Tired. Grieving.
And she’s probably so damn scared.
The thought scrapes my insides raw.
I’ve known her less than two full days.
Two days.
That’s nothing. Not enough time to build a life around someone. Not enough time to make the kind of promises I’m making in my head.
And yet.
I can’t imagine a world where her laugh doesn’t exist anymore because someone decided it was collateral.
My hands clench.
My jaw locks.
She is mine. Mine to love. Mine to protect.
So I make myself one promise.
Hold the rage.
Hold the wildfire.
Use it when it counts.
Because I’m going to bring her back.
