Strategic.
Careful.
Buying time.
“She was never supposed to survive this long.”
The words punched straight through me.
I stopped breathing.
Outside, Shepherd continued in the same cold voice:
“Her father complicated things.”
My throat tightened painfully.
“He refused to hand over the evidence.”
“He tried protecting his daughter instead.”
Thunder exploded overhead.
“She should’ve disappeared with him.”
“No,” Hersh growled.
The word came out pure violence.
Shepherd ignored him.
“The senator grew impatient after the ranch fire failed.” A pause. “Then your relationship became… inconvenient.”
I felt Hersh go rigid beside me.
Oh crap.
They really had been watching us.
Watching him.
Watching everything.
“She was sixteen,” Hersh saiddangerously.
“And already distracting you.”
Wolf muttered, “I’m officially voting we kill this guy slowly.”
Trigger nodded immediately from above. “Seconded.”
For one brief second?—
despite everything?—
I almost laughed.
Then Shepherd spoke again.
