Then something deeper.
Something steadier.
“That’s my girl,” I say quietly.
Her eyes flick to mine.
And for just a second—
in the middle of all this—
the world narrows.
Not to the mission.
Not to the threat.
Just to her.
And the unspoken promise between us—
No matter how this plays out…
She’s not facing it alone.
77
Lark
“He thinks I’ll shut it down,” I say.
No hesitation. No doubt.
I can feel the shape of his expectation like a hand closing around my throat.
I straighten anyway.
“I won’t.”
The room stills.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
Because now they understand—
this isn’t about stopping the storm.
It’s about owning it.
“I’ll let it run,” I continue, voice steady. “Every trigger. Every escalation.”
Aaron’s gaze locks onto mine.
Tracking.
Trusting.
