Page 52 of Ranger's Oath
Later, when the fires are out and the cuffs are locked, I find Sadie in the quiet beyond the port. She’s shifted back, wrapped in leggings pulled from the spare clothes stashed in the Rangers’ SUVs—gear packed not just for the men but for their mates too. Her hair is tangled, face smudged with ash. She’s never looked stronger. Or more beautiful.
“You disobeyed me,” I say, voice low, not quite anger, not quite awe.
She arches an eyebrow, lips curving in that sassy tilt that undoes me. “And saved your ass. You’re welcome.”
A laugh rumbles out of me, unexpected and raw. “You drive me insane.”
“Not a long road,” she fires back. “But ditto. You make me crazy... good for you I like crazy.”
I step closer, hand finding the mark I left at the curve of her neck. The bite pulses warm beneath my thumb, a reminder of what I claimed and what she chose. “You do understand that this means you belong to me, in every way that matters, and I will never let you go.”
Her eyes spark, not with fear, but with that fierce intelligence that captured me from the very beginning. “And you’re mine. But I’m not a soldier you command. I’m your partner. That means when you go charging into danger, you don’t get to leave me behind where I'll be safe. We face it together, or not at all.”
The words sink into me deeper than any bullet ever could. I nod, the only promise that matters. “Together. Nothing tears us apart. Ever.”
Her grin softens, and when she leans into me, I claim her mouth with mine. The kiss slams between us, tasting of smoke, salt, and the wild thrum of battle still clinging to our skin. It’s rough, hungry, a clash of teeth and tongue that leaves us gasping. It isn’t gentle. It’s visceral, alive, and seared into me as real as any scar I carry.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging me closer, and for a long moment, the war fades. The bond hums between us, hot and sure, pulling me under. I break the kiss only when we’re both breathless, my forehead pressed to hers. “You terrify me,” I admit, the words ripped straight from my chest. “Not because you’re reckless. Because I’ve never wanted anyone more.”
She smiles against my mouth. “Good. Then don’t let go.”
Her hands slide down my chest, lingering over scars she knows weren’t earned in easy fights. “You’re not invincible, Gage. Promise me you’ll remember that.”
I capture her hand, pressing it flat over my heartbeat. “You’re the only thing that makes me invincible.”
Cassidy finds us first, throwing her arms around Sadie in a rough squeeze. “You scared the hell out of me,” she mutters, voice muffled against Sadie’s shoulder. “Don’t do it again. Or at least take me with you.”
Sadie laughs, hugging her back. “Deal.”
Rush lingers nearby, expression dry as ever. “You two are trouble. But useful trouble.” It’s as close to praise as he’ll give, and Cassidy beams at it like it’s gold.
Minutes later, my comm buzzes. Kari’s message flashes across the screen:Told you so.I shake my head, passing the device to Sadie. She laughs so hard she nearly doubles over,shoulders shaking, and the sound slices through the smoke like sunlight.
We regroup by the trucks, exhaustion settling over the team like a heavy cloak. The evidence is secured, the prisoners loaded. But none of us believes the fight is finished.
Gideon leans against the hood, drone feed flickering across his tablet. His expression darkens as he pinches to zoom, pulling up a packet trace. “We’ve got a problem. This isn’t Pier One. Encrypted short-burst relays—military-grade. Hardware way above their pay grade.”
Rush straightens. “What kind?”
Gideon angles the tablet so we all see it—an encrypted pattern riding the drone network, a signature too clean, too deliberate, nothing like Pier One’s crude systems. “Whoever financed this just showed their hand. And they’re bigger than the ones we burned tonight.”
The team goes quiet, the weight of it sinking in. The silence is heavy, every man and woman here sensing that what we’ve faced is only the beginning. Another storm builds on the horizon, a pressure that presses at the back of my skull like thunder waiting to break.
I slide my arm around Sadie, pulling her into my side, holding her as if to anchor us both. She leans into me without hesitation, her warmth steady against the chill of the night, her strength wrapping around mine. For tonight, we’ve won a battle. Tomorrow will bring its own war, one we’ll meet together.
But with her by my side and the way she looks at me, fierce and unflinching, I know I’m ready for whatever comes.I lower my mouth to hers again, sealing the vow with a kiss that promises more than words ever could. This is our happily ever after, scarred and imperfect, but real.
Six Months Later
The ranch house hums with life in a way it never did before. Dinner is loud, plates passed, voices tumbling over each other, and laughter cutting through the occasional mock growl. The long farmhouse table is crowded—Rangers and their women shoulder to shoulder, like the family none of us dared to admit we needed until now.
Cassidy swats Rush’s hand away from the bread basket. “You had three rolls already. Leave some for the rest of us.”
Rush lifts a brow, deadpan. “I burned three thousand calories by noon.”
“Bragging doesn’t earn you carbs,” Cassidy fires back, but the corner of her mouth twitches with affection.
Gideon smothers a grin behind his glass, while Dalton mutters, “Someone needs to muzzle the governor’s golden boy before his head gets any bigger.”
