I paced once, twice, my hands clenching hard enough that my knuckles ached. I should’ve seen this coming. Should’ve known she wouldn’t sit quietly while the town paid the price for her existence.
“She thinks she’s moving the threat away from us,” Havoc said grimly.
“She is,” I replied. “Straight onto herself.”
Rage surged—hot, blinding—but beneath it was something worse.
Fear.
Not of Thomas.
Of losing her because she believed she had to be brave alone.
I slammed my fist into the counter, wood cracking under the force. “She trusted me to protect her.”
“And now she’s protectingyou,” Havoc said quietly.
That stopped me cold.
“She loves you,” he continued. “This was her line in the sand.”
I forced myself to breathe. To think. Tobethe man she believed I was—not the one panicking because the woman he loved had stepped into the lion’s mouth.
“Lock the town down quietly,” I ordered. “No sirens. No alerts. We don’t tip him off that we know.”
“Already moving,” Saint said.
I picked up the note again, pressing it flat against my palm like I could feel her through it.
Trust me.
“I do,” I said out loud.
Then my voice hardened.
“But Thomas just made the biggest mistake of his life.”
I clipped my weapon into place and headed for the door.
Because Rylie hadn’t surrendered.
She’dchallengedhim.
And I was coming to finish it.
47
Thomas
Thomas was pouring coffee when the message came through.
Not from her.
From the silence.
He paused mid-pour, the dark liquid cresting the rim before he set the carafe down with deliberate care. Silence was information. More reliable than panic. More honest than rage.
She had contacted him.
