Page 56 of Pursuit of Her

"You found the safety deposit box," Reagan stated rather than asked.

"The key under the lighthouse floorboards. Exactly where your letter said it would be."

Reagan's eyebrow raised slightly. "You read my contingency letter."

"Found it when we raided your safe house after the gala. Very touching." A ghost of a smile touched Eve's lips. "Especially the part about saying yes to the ring I never got to offer."

Heat that had nothing to do with fever crept up Reagan's neck. "Tactical mistake. Never should have written that down."

"One of your better mistakes," Eve countered, her thumb tracing gentle circles on Reagan's palm.

The door opened, interrupting the moment as Dr. Hammond returned with Sophia.

"Your vitals are stabilizing," Eliza noted, checking the monitors with clinical efficiency. "But you need rest to heal properly."

"We don't have time for proper healing," Reagan replied. "The evidence exposure at the gala was just the beginning."

"You're no good to anyone dead, Reagan," Eliza countered. "And you're headed that direction if you don't allow your body to recover."

Sophia placed a tablet on the bed tray. "Senator Barrow has already begun damage control, claiming no knowledge of Brooks's activities. Judge Stroud has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning."

"Distancing themselves from the sinking ship, no doubt," Eve observed. "Standard protocol when corruption is exposed. Sacrifice the visible participants, protect those still hidden."

Sophia nodded. "The network has compiled everything from Reagan's investigation. Combined with what you gathered from the department archives, we have enough to expose the higher-level connections."

"But not from a hospital bed," Eliza interjected. "And not tonight."

Even as Reagan prepared to argue, Eve's hand squeezed hers gently. "She's right. We need you at full strength for what comes next."

The reversal wasn't lost on Reagan—Eve advocating rest while Reagan pushed to continue the mission. A decade ago, even three days ago, their positions would have been exactly opposite.

"Twenty-four hours," Reagan conceded finally. "Then we move on the remaining targets."

After reviewing the evidence files and establishing preliminary plans, Eliza and Sophia withdrew to allow Reagan necessary rest. Eve remained, pulling a chair closer to the bed.

"You should sleep too," Reagan pointed out. "You look worse than I do."

"Charming as ever, Shaw." Eve smiled, the expression softening her features. "Someone needs to make sure you actually rest instead of planning your next one-woman assault on corruption."

"Two-woman assault now," Reagan corrected. "Unless you're having second thoughts."

Eve's expression grew serious. "No. No second thoughts."

"You gave up everything," Reagan said softly. "Your career. Your reputation. Twenty years of service."

"I can’t be part of a system that protects predators," Eve replied. "Not after seeing the evidence. Not after understanding what they did to you ten years ago."

"It's different out here," Reagan warned. "No rules. No backup. No path back to your old life."

"I know exactly what I chose," Eve said, her voice steady with conviction. "AndwhoI chose."

The monitors betrayed Reagan's physiological response to those words, her heart rate increasing slightly. Eve noticed, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"You should get some rest," Eve repeated, but she made no move to leave.

"Stay," Reagan said, the single word carrying more vulnerability than any she'd allowed herself in a decade.

Eve nodded, shifting from the chair to sit carefully on the edge of the bed. With gentle movements, she stretched out alongside Reagan, mindful of the IV lines and monitoring equipment. The narrow medical bed wasn't designed for two, forcing them to lie close, Eve's warmth a stark contrast to the clinical chill of the surgical room.

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