Page 212 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
Good.
Because I need her to hear me.
“This is not on you,” I say, stepping closer. “You didn’t do this. They did.”
“But if something happens to him—”
“It won’t.”
“You don’t know that!” she snaps, emotion breaking through.
Her chest rises and falls too fast now.
“If they hurt him—if they scare him—he won’t understand, Havoc. He’ll think—he’ll think we abandoned him—”
Her voice cracks completely.
And that?
That hits harder than anything else.
Because this isn’t just fear of losing him.
It’s fear of what he’ll feel before it happens.
Confusion.
Terror.
Alone.
Yeah.
No.
Not happening.
I step in.
Close the distance.
Grip her shoulders.
Not rough.
But solid.
Grounding.
“Listen to me,” I say, low and steady.
She shakes her head, tears threatening now.
“No—if something happens to Tank’s grandfather, I’ll never—”
I cut her off.
“He’s not gone,” I say.
