Page 254 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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Hard.

Then—

“You don’t follow orders well, do you?” he asks.

I almost smile.

“No.”

Another beat.

Then—

“Fine,” he says.

Again.

Too easy.

Too smooth.

“We work together.”

I don’t relax.

Not even a little.

“On my terms,” he adds.

I shake my head once.

“No,” I say. “On equal terms.”

His eyes narrow.

This time, it’s real.

This time, I pushed back just enough to matter.

Good.

Because I’m not backing down.

Not for him.

Not for anyone.

Not when it comes to them.

I glance back at Aspen.

At Dylan.

At grandpa.

Then back to the man in front of me.

“This isn’t just an operation,” I say quietly.

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