Her mouth trembles. And then she nods once.
My stomach drops. Because I hate this. I hate the idea of Kayley anywhere near danger. But I also see it—this fire in her. The way she needs agency or she’ll break. The way she needs to be part of her own story, not just carried through it.
I drag a hand over my face and exhale slowly.
Rafe watches me. Boyd watches me. Silas watches me.
They’re waiting.
I look at Kayley—really look at her.
At the woman who has never even kissed a man before me, who learned how to trust in a week, who loves a baby so fiercely it rewired her entire life.
I’m in love.
I’m in love in a way that doesn’t ask permission. In a way that makes the thought of losing her feel like suffocating.
And I know if I try to lock her away, she’ll resent me. She’ll feel powerless. She’ll feel like Sophie all over again—ignored, dismissed, not believed.
So I make the only decision that doesn’t destroy her.
“Fine,” I say, voice low.
Kayley’s eyes widen.
I hold up a finger. “You come with us, but you do exactly what I say. No hero moves. No improvising. You stay at my side, or you stay with Harper and the babies. Understood?”
Kayley nods fast, relief and determination mixing on her face. “Understood.”
Rhett mutters, “This is a bad idea.”
“It’s controlled,” I correct.
Rafe exhales, resigned. “Then we’re doing it right.”
Silas nods. “I’ll coordinate with the field office. We move when they greenlight.”
Chase cracks his neck. “Finally.”
Wyatt closes his laptop with a decisive snap. “I’ll print the intel packets.”
Boyd stands, quiet as a storm. “I’m ready.”
Eli meets my gaze. “I’ll prep med gear.”
Harper steps forward and takes Aidan from Kayley gently, cradling him like she was born to do it. Aidan stirs, then settles again, little cheek pressed to Harper’s shoulder.
Kayley watches him go with an expression that nearly cracks me open.
I step closer, lowering my voice. “Hey.”
Her eyes flick to mine, bright and wet. “I’m scared.”
“I know.” I cup her face with both hands, forcing her to focus. “But you’re not alone. Not for one second.”
She nods, breathing uneven.
“You trust me?” I ask.
