Page 65 of Entangled with a Mountain Man

The sincerity in her eyes strikes me. I lean in and press a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you," I murmur against her skin. "For being here. For being you."

She looks up at me, her eyes shining with something I'm not ready to name. But I feel it, too. This connection between us is growing stronger by the day.

As we head out to the truck, the girls fill the silence with their chattering excitedly about their milkshakes, and I place a timestamp on the moment.

This is us.

This is what I want—my girls are happy, and Kenzie is by my side.

But as I start the engine, reality crashes back in. Tomorrow, I leave for a dangerous mission. There's no guarantee I'll come back.

I glance at Kenzie, laughing at something Hazel said. Tension builds inside me. My fists grip the steering wheel as I watch her, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between us.

I want this. I want her.

But the weight of what I do lingers, and it is heavy, making me hesitate. The risks are too real, too close.

The drive home is quieter, and the girls are sleepy from their full bellies and the excitement of the evening. Kenzie hums softly along with the radio, her voice a soothing backdrop to my swirling thoughts.

My thoughts drift to the days ahead. This is a 72-hour mission. The stakes are higher, and the risks greater. And now, I have so much more to lose.

As we pull up to the house, I kill the engine but don't move to get out. Kenzie gives me a questioning look.

"Everything okay?" she asks softly, mindful of the dozing girls in the backseat.

I nod, my throat tight. How do I tell Kenzie the depth of what I'm feeling?

My life with Raven V is a calling. But right now, all I want is to be here with her and the girls, safe and happy.

"What is it, Everett? You're scaring me." Kenzie's voice is soft, mindful of the sleeping girls in the back.

I turn to her, taking in her concerned expression. The warmth in her eyes hits me like a punch to the gut.

"Operation Veilstone," I say, the words heavy on my tongue. "It's our first big mission."

Kenzie's brow furrows. "I thought you were just doing tech work."

I shake my head, guilt gnawing at me. "It's more than that. We're extracting a high-value target. Someone with information that could change... everything."

Her eyes widen. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is." I run a hand through my hair, searching for the right words to explain without worrying her. "The extraction site's a fortress. Hostiles are everywhere. And we've got intel suggesting potential double-crosses."

Kenzie reaches out, her hand resting on my arm. The touch sends a jolt through me. "Everett, I..."

"I shouldn't be telling you this. It's classified. But I can't..." I trail off, struggling to find the words.

She squeezes my arm gently. "You can't what?"

I meet her gaze, struck by the understanding I see there. "I can't leave without you knowing the truth. About who I am, what I do."

Kenzie's silent for a moment, processing. Then she nods slowly. "Thank you for trusting me."

The simple words hit me hard. Trust. It's been so long since I've truly trusted anyone outside my team.

"My team," I continue, the words coming easier now. "Axton, Owen, Callum, Jace. We're more than just tech guys. We're... we're soldiers. Operatives."

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