Logan nodded once. His expression was hard to read in the golden light, but he stood steady. Then, gently, "I'm glad."
Rachel blinked. She hadn't expected that. "You are?"
His hand lifted, fingers brushing along her jaw, thumb ghosting across her cheek. The ocean wind tugged at her hair, but neither of them moved.
"I love how fearless you are," he said, “But I almost lost you. And I don't think I'd survive it if it happened again."
Something tightened behind her ribs. She reached for him, palm to his cheek, her fingers sliding into the hair at the base of his neck. The salt air clung to his skin.
"You won't lose me," she whispered, "I promise."
His breath slowed. When his eyes opened again, something inside him had eased.
"Good." Then he looked past her, toward the horizon, where the sky burned low over the water.
"My contract's up in six months." His voice was quiet, but the words settled between them with weight.
Rachel's heart skipped. Her thoughts moved too fast, deployments, ops, the constant edge of danger that never really left him. Never really left them.
He saw it cross her face before she could speak. His hands found her waist, steady, pulling her close. His warmth bled through the fabric between them.
"I'm finishing it out," he said. "Then I'm done."
She stared at him, breath catching. "Logan—"
He shook his head once. Firm. Not up for debate.
"I've been thinking about this for a while. I love my team. I love what we do. But I want more control. Over how I help people. Over who I protect."
Rachel studied him. She could feel the weight behind his words, not impulse, but intention.
"What are you saying?"
A rare smirk touched the corner of his mouth. Brief, but real.
"I'm starting my own company."
Her brow lifted.
"A private black ops firm. Off the books. No bureaucratic bullshit. No red tape. Just helping the people who actually need it."
Rachel's heart hammered. Logan, walking away from everything he'd known. Creating something new. Something his. The thought made her chest ache. "You're really doing this?"
Ghost nodded once. "I want something that lets me protect the people I care about. On my terms."
Rachel stopped walking. She turned to face the ocean, the waves rolling in steady and endless. Her arms wrapped around herself.
Logan, walking away from everything he'd known. Creating something new. Something his.
"Rachel." His voice came from behind her. "Baby, say something. Are you mad?"
She turned back to face him, a smile spreading across her face. "Mad?" She shook her head. "Logan, no. I'm not mad. This is your life. Your decision." She stepped closer to him. "I'm proud of you. This is incredible. You're building something from the ground up, on your terms. It's exactly what you should be doing."
His shoulders dropped slightly, tension releasing.
"I just..." She let out a breathless laugh. "I can't believe this is all happening. That you've been planning all of this."
"It's real," he said quietly.
