Vivi smiled.
“Come on,” Garrett pressed. “Answer the question, Agent Dawson.”
Her hands went to her hips. “Are you purposely trying to rile me up?”
“Whether I am or not, you’re proving to me that you’re overly emotional.”
“I am not.”
They stared at each other. Stubborn alpha meeting immovable alpha.
Vivi cleared her throat. “I’ll check on the profile updates. Let you two... discuss strategy.”
She left, grinning.
Garrett turned back to Claire. “Your room. Now.”
“You’re not my commanding officer.”
“I’m the tactical commander of this operation, which means when it comes to your safety, yes, I am.”
“This is ridiculous?—”
“This is keeping you alive, Paperclip.”
“Don’t you dare call me that.”
Garrett stepped closer. Close enough to see the exhaustion in her eyes. The fear she was trying to hide. “Please, Claire. Just... let me do my job.”
Something in his voice must have gotten through. She deflated. “Fine. But I’m not staying in that room alone all night while you plan without me.”
“Bobcat will take watch.”
“What?” Her head snapped up. “Where will you be?”
“Here. Planning every single detail of the operation with my team.”
“Then I’m staying here with you.”
“No—”
“I’m the one he’s hunting. I’m the one who knows his patterns. I’m the one who?—”
“—is too close to this,” Garrett finished. “You can’t be objective about a predator who’s obsessed with killing you.”
“And you can? You lost your sister to a killer, too. You’re just as compromised on this as I am.”
The words hit like a gut punch. She didn’t know how right she was.
“That’s different,” he managed.
“How?”
“It just is.” Garrett headed for the door. “Let’s get you back to your room.”
“Wolf—”
He kept walking.
