Her eyes flash immediately.
“I am NOT staying behind while children are in there.”
Wrong thing to say to me right now.
Because my protective instincts are already hanging by a thread.
“Hannah—”
“No.”
Her voice shakes.
But not from fear anymore.
From fury.
“They did this to us.”
“They’re still doing it.”
“I’m not hiding.”
For one dangerous second—all I can see is her kneeling beside Avery in that tunnel.
Covered in blood.
Still fighting.
God help me, I love this woman. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
The realization hits so hard it nearly knocks the air from my lungs.
Not attraction.
Not attachment.
Love. A love so powerful it takes my breath away.
And the timing couldn’t possibly be worse.
Russ counts silently with his fingers.
Three.
Two.
One—
Mason kicks the steel door inward so hard the hinges scream.
Weapons come up instantly.
“MOVE!”
We flood the room—
—and every single person freezes.
