Page 79 of Carter
I looked at her hand resting on the table, small but steady. My fingers itched to cover it, to anchor her there. Not to protect—but to remind myself this was real. She was real. And she wasn’t running.
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” I said, my voice low, rough.
“Yes, I do.” Her answer was quiet but unflinching.
The team watched in silence, but I barely registered them. It was just her. Her fire. Her fear. Her courage.
I exhaled slow, forcing down the part of me that wanted to sayno.The part of me that thought loving her meant caging her.
Instead, I nodded. One sharp movement, heavy as a vow. “Then we finish this together.”
Her shoulders eased, but her eyes never left mine, and I saw it there—faith. She believed I could carry us both through this storm. And for the first time, I believed it too.
Because this wasn’t about shielding her anymore. It was about fighting for something bigger than myself.
And Redwood didn’t stand a chance against that.
126
Carter
The plan started to take shape like steel on an anvil—hard, sharp, no room for hesitation.
Gideon marked routes on the map, his laptop pulling up schematics of Redwood’s hub. “They rely on satellites and encrypted comms. If I overload their channels here”—he tapped a blinking red point—“we get a ten-minute blind spot. That’s our window.”
River leaned over, eyes calm, voice steady. “We go in through the north ridge. Less patrols, but rough terrain. If we’re quiet, we can reach the compound without tripping sensors.”
Cyclone smirked, loading fresh shells into his rifle with one hand, the bandage on his other arm pulling tight. “Quiet’s not really my thing, but I’ll manage.”
The men’s voices blended, precise, tactical. This was where I lived, where I thrived—turning chaos into action. But tonight, it was different. Every line drawn on that map, every contingency spoken out loud, I measured against Harper.
How fast I could get her out if it went bad. How hard I’dhave to fight to buy her time. How far I’d go to keep her alive.
I glanced at her where she stood near the counter, listening intently, her hands clasped together but her chin lifted. Strong. Present. She wasn’t backing down. And that meant I couldn’t either.
“This is what it comes down to,” I said, my voice cutting through the noise. All eyes turned to me. “We don’t chip away at Redwood. We don’t just hurt them. We end them. Tonight.”
Silence followed, heavy but sure. River gave one firm nod. Gideon’s fingers stilled over his keys, the glow of determination in his eyes. Cyclone grinned, savage and eager.
And Harper—her gaze locked with mine, steady, unshaken.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
I slammed the magazine into my rifle, the sound sharp in the quiet. “Gear up. We move at nightfall.”
Because this wasn’t just a mission anymore.
This was the fight for everything I loved.
And Redwood was about to burn.
127
Harper
The moment Carter saidgear up,the cabin shifted. The men moved with sharp purpose, checking weapons, loading mags, strapping on armor like it was second nature. The air grew heavy, electric, alive with the weight of what we were about to do.
I wasn’t a soldier. I had no rifle, no body armor worn smooth from years of use. But that didn’t mean I was powerless.
