Page 222

“This is Havoc,” she says. “He’s… he’s helping us.”

Grandpa studies me.

Then nods slowly.

“Good,” he says. “You needed help.”

Yeah.

She did.

And I’m not going anywhere.

I meet Aspen’s eyes.

And I see it.

Relief.

Gratitude.

Something deeper.

Something that wasn’t there before.

Or maybe it was.

And now we just can’t ignore it anymore.

I stand.

Offer a hand.

“We need to move,” I say.

Because we’re not done.

Not even close.

But as I watch her help her grandfather to his feet—

As I watch the way she holds him, protects him—

I make one thing very clear in my head.

They tried to use him.

Tried to break her.

Tried to send a message.

They succeeded in one thing.

They made this personal.

And now?

Now I’m not just protecting them.

I’m hunting whoever thought this was a good idea.

And I won’t stop—

Until they’re all gone.