His thumb brushed once across my knuckles.
And suddenly his voice softened.
Not Ranger now.
Hersh.
Just Hersh.
“They threatened you.”
My chest tightened painfully.
“They threatened somebody I love.”
The room disappeared.
Actually disappeared.
No storm.
No cartel.
No sheriff.
Nothing.
Just him.
Those darkeyes.
That voice.
Somebody I love.
Tears burned instantly behind my eyes.
Because he said it so naturally.
Like it had never changed.
Like maybe it never did.
Wolf suddenly cleared his throat roughly and looked away toward the windows.
Trigger muttered, “Well, damn.”
Tate looked deeply exhausted already.
Ava just blinked at Hersh once before quietly saying:
“That’s either incredibly romantic or incredibly stupid.”
“Both,” Trigger answered immediately.
Under any other circumstances, I might’ve laughed.
Instead I stared at Hersh like my heart had forgotten how to beat properly.
