Chapter 35 Carter
Carter
River and Gideon spread intel across my kitchen table like it was a war map, phones buzzing with updates from Faron.
Names, locations, burner numbers—they painted a picture I didn’t like.
This wasn’t just a one-off job. It was a network.
Organized. Patient. And Harper’s name was right there in the middle of it.
She sat at the far end of the couch, legs drawn up under her, blanket wrapped tight. She looked small, fragile. But her gaze never wavered from the table. She was listening to every word.
And it was killing me.
“Safe houses are compromised,” River said, voice clipped. “Whoever’s funding this has reach. We need to relocate her somewhere off-grid.”
My gut twisted. Off-grid meant separating her from me, even if just for a mission window. Not happening.
“She stays with me,” I snapped.
River’s eyes lifted, sharp. “Carter—”
“I said she stays with me.” My tone left no room for argument.
Gideon leaned back, studying me. “This isn’t just about protection anymore, is it?”
I clenched my jaw. He didn’t deserve an answer, but the truth was etched across my face anyway.
No, this wasn’t just about protection. It was about love.
When Harper’s eyes met mine across the room, something in my chest tightened. She wasn’t asking for distance. She wasn’t even asking for safety. She was asking for honesty—for me to let her stand beside me in this storm.
And damn me, but I didn’t know if I could.
Every instinct screamed to shield her, to lock her in my arms and never let go. But if I boxed her in, if I made choices for her, I’d lose her trust—and without that, I’d already lost the only thing that mattered.
I dragged a hand over my face, forcing myself to breathe. “We’ll move when you say, River,” I muttered. “But wherever we go, she doesn’t leave my sight. Not for a second.”
River studied me for a long beat, then gave a short nod. “Fair enough.”
The meeting rolled on, voices sharp with strategy, but all I could focus on was the woman on my couch. Harper. Mine. The war was coming, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t just fear the enemy.
I feared myself—because the deeper I fell for her, the more dangerous I became.