Page 156 of Broken Oath

The storm made it difficult to tell.

They carried the same exhaustion he had seen on the recording.

But there was something else inside them now.

Relief.

She had found him alive.

A strange awareness moved through Rook.

Not trust.

Not yet.

Something quieter.

A recognition that had nothing to do with knowing her name.

He had felt her hands pulling him from the mountain.

He had heard her voice inside the fog of unconsciousness.

She had watched over him while he lay helpless.

This was the first time he had truly looked at her.

For one suspended moment, the harbor disappeared.

Then Sniper cleared his throat.

“Well.”

Nobody looked at him.

His voice dropped lower.

“That’s new.”

The woman started forward.

One measured step.

Then another.

She stopped near the end of the dock.

Close enough to speak.

Far enough to react if the team opened fire.

Professional.

Calculating.

Prepared.

Her gaze remained locked with Rook’s.