Page 232 of Operation: Defiance

I love you.

I don’t say any of them. I steady my hands and run them over his chest, down his arms, until I can link our fingers.

“Eat,” he says again.

“I will.”

He studies my face, and this time, I don’t look away. I let him see everything. Fear. Uncertainty. Determination.

“I’m choosing you.” The declaration is simple. Everything and nothing at the same time. “I will always choose you.”

His breath catches almost imperceptibly.

I press closer and breathe him in one last time. Soap. A hint of cologne. Woodsy and fresh and familiar. I want to hold onto this moment forever. But after a few seconds, I let go. I have to.

At the door, he turns, his gaze finding mine. “I’m choosing you, too,” he whispers.

And then he’s gone.

The lock clicks shut, and the sound is so small it shouldn’t matter. But it does.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Asher

Once I get off the freeway, I don’t drive straight to the safe house. Three unnecessary turns, two circuits of the block, and five full minutes idling in a loading zone across from the rental car return are enough to mask the direction I came from.

The city is indifferent to my existence, but I catch the black SUV in my rearview before I pull back into traffic. A delivery van with no visible signage is parked across the street from the supermarket on the corner. The driver isn’t wearing a uniform, but a long-sleeved black shirt and sunglasses.

They’re still searching. Good. This will go faster.

Not that I want to be taken. Not truly. I’d give anything to turn the car around and drive straight back to Raine. But this is the only move that keeps Ellen alive long enough for Northbridge to make contact.

The garage is mostly empty. No strange vehicles. I keep my phone in hand, unlocked, so I can wipe it in two taps if I need to. I won’t let them use it to get to Raine.

Hallways, clear. The air inside the apartment has gone stale, but everything else is the same. I flip the deadbolt and lean my back against the door.

Raine weighed almost nothing when I first brought her here. The memory is so clear, it steals my breath. Her cheek resting against my shoulder as I carried her through this room. The way her hands twitched, even when she was unconscious—like her body didn’t trust warmth or freedom or safety. The first time she opened her eyes, she didn’t ask where she was. She asked how long she’d been out. She needed time.

I swallow hard, forcing the memory down where it won’t derail my mission.

At the table, I unlock the tablet and follow the instructions Raine gave me. Open a browser. Skip the VPN. Navigate to an old, text-based interface to a GSD system someone should have secured more than a decade ago.

I don’t linger. In half a dozen taps, I’m looking at Tessa’s file. There’s a single update from this morning.

Reintake window set. Initiate contact at 1700.

So that’s the next escalation. If we don’t turn ourselves over, Ellen dies, and Tessa takes her place.

The network monitor spikes with incoming traffic. That’s my cue. I sever the connection, launch the VPN, and open the directory once more. I’m done here.

My hands are shaking. I ball them into fists, force my breathing to slow, and push back from the table.

I leave the tablet connected. It’s a shame, really. This apartment was one of my favorites. It’ll be ruined by the time they’re done searching it. But all they’ll find is an empty safe, clothing that was meant to be replaced, and a handful of carrots shriveling away in the vegetable drawer.

I move quickly now. In the elevator, I send Raine a quick text.

Tessa flagged for intake tonight. They’ll probably pivot once they have me, but call Inara. She’ll get Tessa somewhere safe.