Page 258 of Ranger's Wildflower

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“This changes everything.”

Blaze steps forward slightly. “Yeah. It does.”

He reaches out.

“Let me take a look—”

“No.”

Sharp.

Immediate.

She tightens her grip on it.

And I don’t blame her.

Not for a second.

“I want to know what’s on it,” she says.

“You will,” I tell her. “But we do it smart.”

Blaze nods. “If it’s been tracked, plugging it in blind could trigger something.”

She exhales slowly.

“Okay.”

But she still doesn’t let go.

I step closer.

Lower my voice.

“We’re not taking it from you,” I say.

Her eyes meet mine.

Softening just a little.

“We’re protecting it.”

A beat.

Then she nods.

And finally hands it to Blaze.

The second it leaves her hand—

I see it.

That shift.

Like she just let go of something bigger than she expected.

I take her hand.

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