Page 11 of Charged By the Razorbacks

Just ... stayed exactly where she was—back against Aleksy, Jarek in front of her, like she’d decided the space was hers and they were just going to have to deal with it.

Her gaze flicked between them, slow, assessing.

Then her lips curved. “There’s a reason I can shut it off.”

Jarek’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Yeah?”

Aleksy’s hold didn’t loosen.

“If you want the answer,” she continued, tone light—too light—“you’re going to have to earn it.”

A beat.

Then Jarek’s grin came back.

“Told you,” he said, glancing at Aleksy. “She needs us.”

Tamsin snorted.

Actually snorted.

“No,” she said, flat and immediate, rolling her eyes like he’d personally offended her. “Don’t start.”

Jarek’s brow lifted.

Aleksy’s grip tightened—just slightly.

“Then what?” Jarek asked.

“Take me to Elara,” she said.

Jarek stilled.

Aleksy went quiet behind her.

And Tamsin held their gaze, unflinching. “It’s her help I need.”

****

The truck didn’t stop at the front of the E.S.E building.

Tamsin felt the shift before she saw it—the subtle change in direction, the controlled descent as the vehicle angled down into a secured underground entry point that didn’t advertise itself to anyone who wasn’t looking for it.

“Subtle,” she muttered, gaze tracking the reinforced doors as they opened without hesitation.

Jarek huffed a quiet breath. “Not really the point.”

No. It wasn’t. The point was all about safety, security, and protection. That much was clear. The doors sealed behind them with a heavy, final sound that echoed through the concrete space, the kind of sound that said you’re not getting in here without permission.

Or out.

Her lips curved faintly. “Comforting.”

Aleksy cut the engine, already stepping out. “Efficient,” he corrected.

Tamsin followed, rolling her shoulder once as she stepped onto solid ground, ignoring the pull of the injury, the fatigue sitting just beneath the surface now that the fight was behind her.

Her gaze lifted, taking in the structure around her.