Trigger frowned. “You think it’s bad?”
Rook gave him a look.
“Mercer murdered a family to recover it.”
Trigger exhaled slowly. “Right. Dumb question.”
Hersh’s eyes lifted suddenly.
Straight to me.
Even across the room, the intensity in them wrapped around me instantly.
Checking.
Making sure I was okay.
Still breathing.
Still there.
My chest tightened painfully.
Sixteen years apart?—
and somehow this man still watched me like I mattered more than oxygen.
Rook noticed it too.
Of course he did.
The Shadow Division commander looked between us once before turning back toward the table.
“We access the drive now,” he said. “If Mercer’s mobilizing cleanup teams, we’re out of time.”
Wolf nodded. “What do you need?”
“One secure laptop.”
Trigger already moved.
“On it.”
The farmhouse became controlled chaos after that.
Operators securing exits.
Weapons checked.
Phones destroyed.
Routes discussed.
Storm rain hammered the windows whilethunder rattled the walls hard enough to shake picture frames.
And through all of it?—
Hersh never stopped watching me.
