Chapter 85 Aspen
Aspen
The air in the Tavern feels different now.
Heavier.
Like the walls are listening.
Like every word matters.
No one relaxes.
Not the Rangers.
Not the men who just walked in like they owned the place.
And definitely not me.
I stand near grandpa, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other still trembling no matter how hard I try to steady it.
Because this?
This isn’t over.
Not even close.
The man from the CIA hasn’t left.
None of them have.
They’ve spread out just enough to look casual—
But it’s not casual.
It’s control.
And I hate it.
I watch Havoc from across the room.
The way he stands.
The way he doesn’t move unless he chooses to.
The way every inch of him says this is my ground, not yours.
And something inside me settles.
Because if he’s not backing down…
Neither am I.
“Ma’am.”
The voice pulls my attention.
I turn.
One of the agents stands a few feet away.
Not the leader.
But close enough to matter.
“I’m going to need you to come with us,” he says.
My stomach drops.
“No,” I say immediately.
His expression doesn’t change.
“This is for your safety.”
“I said no.”
My voice is stronger this time.
Firmer.
Because I already know—
If I leave with them, I don’t come back the same.
If I leave with them, I lose control.
And I’m done losing control.
Behind me, grandpa shifts.
Confused.
“Aspen?” he murmurs.
I squeeze his shoulder gently.
“I’m right here,” I whisper.
Always.
I look back at the agent.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
His gaze flicks past me.
To Havoc.
And just like that—
The temperature in the room drops.
“Sir,” the agent calls. “We need her secured.”
Wrong move.
Havoc doesn’t rush.
Doesn’t react fast.
He just… turns.
Slow.
Controlled.
And when his eyes land on that agent—
Even I feel it.
That shift.
That line being drawn.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Havoc says.
Calm.
Quiet.
Final.
The agent straightens slightly.
“This isn’t optional.”
Havoc takes one step forward.
That’s all it takes.
The entire room locks.
Rangers shift subtly.
Agents tense.
Weapons aren’t raised—
But they’re not far from it.
“Yeah,” Havoc says, voice low. “It is.”
My heart is pounding now.
Not from fear.
From something else.
Because no one has ever stood in front of me like that before.
No one has ever chosen me like that.
The lead agent steps in.
Of course he does.
He’s the one in charge.
The one who thinks he controls this situation.
“That’s not your call,” he says to Havoc.
Havoc doesn’t even look at him right away.
Just keeps his focus on the agent who spoke to me.
“Step back,” Havoc says.
The agent hesitates.
Then steps back.
Good.
But it’s not over.
Not even close.
The leader’s gaze shifts to me.
Sharp.
Calculating.
“You’re at the center of this,” he says. “Whether you understand that or not.”
“I understand enough,” I reply.
His brow lifts slightly.
“Oh?”
“You showed up after people were already dead,” I say. “After grandpa was taken. After—” my voice tightens “—years after Tank died.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
His expression doesn’t change.
But something in his eyes does.
A flicker.
Interest.
“Careful,” he says quietly.
I shake my head.
“No,” I say. “I’m done being careful.”
My hand tightens on grandpa’s shoulder.
“You don’t get to walk in here and act like you’re saving us,” I continue. “Not when you might be part of the reason this is happening. You let my husband die without any backup.”
That lands.
Hard.
Behind me, I feel Havoc shift slightly.
Not stopping me.
Backing me.
Always backing me.
The agent studies me.
Long.
Then—
“You think we’re the enemy,” he says.
“I think I don’t know who the enemy is,” I reply. “And that’s worse.”
A beat.
Then—
He nods once.
Like he respects that answer.
Or maybe just acknowledges it.
“Fair,” he says.
That surprises me.
But only for a second.
Because then—
“That’s exactly why you need to come with us.”
No.
“No,” I say again.
Stronger.
Final.
“I’m staying here.”
His gaze flicks to Havoc.
Then back to me.
“And if I don’t give you a choice?”
The room freezes.
Every single person waiting.
Watching.
Me.
I feel it.
The weight of it.
The moment where everything could shift.
Where I could lose control again.
Where I could be taken.
Where everything changes.
But then—
Havoc moves.
Not fast.
Not aggressive.
Just enough to step beside me.
Close.
Solid.
Unmovable.
And I feel it again.
That certainty.
That safety.
“You don’t touch her,” he says.
Quiet.
Deadly.
The agent’s jaw tightens.
“This isn’t a negotiation.”
Havoc’s voice doesn’t change.
“It is now.”
Silence.
Thick.
Dangerous.
And I realize something in that moment—
This isn’t just about me anymore.
This isn’t just about grandpa or Dylan.
This is bigger.
Darker.
More dangerous than anything I’ve faced before.
And somehow—
I’m standing right in the middle of it.
The agent exhales slowly.
Then—
“Fine,” he says.
Just like that.
Too easy.
My stomach twists.
Because that doesn’t feel like a win.
That feels like a move.
A calculated one.
“We’ll do this your way,” he continues.
Havoc doesn’t relax.
Neither do I.
“Good,” Havoc replies.
The agent nods once.
Then turns slightly.
“Set up,” he orders his team.
They move immediately.
Phones out.
Devices I don’t recognize.
Quiet conversations.
Controlled.
Efficient.
Like they’re building something.
Not leaving.
Not backing down.
Just… adjusting.
And that?
That scares me more than anything else.
Because it means they’re not done.
Because it means this is far from over.
I glance at Havoc.
His jaw is tight.
Eyes sharp.
Watching everything.
Calculating.
Not trusting a single second of this.
Good.
Because neither am I.
And as I stand there, caught between two forces I don’t fully understand—
I realize something that settles deep in my bones.
Whatever this is…
Whoever these people are…
They’re not going to let me walk away.
And the only reason I’m still standing here—
Still free—
Is because Havoc is standing beside me.
And he’s not letting them take me.
Not now.
Not ever.