Rachel took a bite and hummed softly. "These are good."
"Low bar."
She smiled, bumping her shoulder against his. "Still good."
They finished eating in quiet punctuated only by the clink of forks and the distant sound of waves. Ghost set his fork down and turned to face her fully. "You need to stay here. Until this is over."
Rachel set her fork down. "Logan, I don't want to impose. This is... it's a lot."
"It's not imposing." His hand on her waist tightened slightly. "Those people know where you live. They know your routines. They're not going to stop coming for you." His expression was serious. "You're safer here. With me."
She looked up at him, seeing the determination in his eyes. The protectiveness. "I just don't want to be a burden."
"You're not." He said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. His hand came up to cup her face. "Rachel, I need to know you're safe. I can't focus on taking these bastards down if I'm worried about you."
She held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay. I'll stay."
"Good." His thumb brushed across her cheek. "That's settled then."
He kissed her forehead, then pulled her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, letting herself lean into his strength.
***
By midday, they'd migrated to the dining table with their laptops. Rachel had her files spread across one end, cross-referencing timestamps and officer records. Ghost sat across from her, working through encrypted reports from Echo's overnight data sweep.
The house was quiet except for the tap of keys and the occasional rustle of paper. Sunlight shifted across the table as the hours passed, the angle changing, shadows moving. Rachel reached for her coffee, found it cold, and grimaced.
Ghost noticed. He stood without a word, took her mug, and headed to the kitchen. A minute later, he returned with a fresh cup, steam rising from the surface.
She looked up as he set it down in front of her. "You didn't have to—"
"I know." He returned to his seat, already focused on his screen again.
She took a sip. Perfect. He'd remembered how she took it.
Rachel watched him over the rim of her mug. His expression shifted as he read, brow furrowing at something on screen. His fingers moved across the keys with practiced efficiency. Even sitting still, there was something coiled about him. Alert.
He glanced up and caught her staring. His mouth curved slightly. "Find something interesting?"
She felt her face flush. "Just thinking."
"About?"
"How normal this feels." She gestured between them. "Working like this. Together."
His expression softened. "Yeah. It does."
Rachel's phone buzzed on the table between them. She glanced at the screen.
Unknown Number
Her pulse jumped. She picked it up slowly, thumb hovering over the notification.
Ghost's attention sharpened immediately. "What is it?"
She opened the message:
Unknown Number:WE KNOW YOU’RE STILL IN SAN DIEGO
