Page 239 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
85
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 saysthis 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.
