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She inhaled deeply. She wasn’t alone.Noah.

Before she could speak, his voice broke through the quiet. “Hey, Rae.” Her heart steadied as he shifted beside her, grounding her the way he did every time she was lucid enough to ask. “It’s Monday, three a.m.”

The bed dipped as he pulled her close. She melted into his embrace, her cheek resting against his chest. His heart was beating faster than usual. His entire body was tense, like a coiled spring waiting to snap.

“What’s wrong?”

Noah let out a quiet chuckle, though there was no real humor in it. “You see more than most sighted people do.”

Ruth waited, knowing he would tell her. He always did.

He exhaled, pressing his lips to her temple before speaking. “I have two things to tell you. But before I do, what woke you up?”

“I have to pee.” Her face flushed.

“C’mon.” Noah helped her stand. Placing her left hand on his forearm, he walked her to the ensuite bathroom. When she was done, he walked her back to bed. Once she was tucked in, he sat beside her.

“What do you need to tell me?” She took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

He sighed and pulled her close. “While we were away, Dylan Grant was shot and killed in his office. He was found, um, with his secretary.”

Ruth leaned into him. “Do they know who did it?” She remained stoic.

“No, it’s being investigated.”

“And the second thing?”

“Tomorrow, we’re making our move. I’m going to arrest Fairchild.”

She stiffened in his arms.

He continued, “Ethan, Brad, Alex, and I need to secure the warrants first. And I’m going to try to get to Luke Andrews before things go down, but I may be gone for a little while.”

Ruth’s stomach twisted. She knew this was coming. They had been building to this moment since Robert Hilton gave Noah that thumb drive, but hearing it spoken aloud made it real.

Noah must have felt the change in her, as his arms tightened around her. “Hey,” he murmured, his fingers finding her face, cupping her cheeks gently. He kissed her softly, lingering. “It’s going to be okay.”

Her breathing was shallow, but she nodded against his lips, clinging to his warmth.

“Tristan and James will do their doctor stuff, and your mom and sisters will be here. You’re safe.”

Safe.

She swallowed, wanting to believe him. Wanting to hold on to his certainty, let it wash away the anxiety curling inside her like a cold fist.

But all she could do was tighten her grip on his shirt and whisper, “Come back to me, Noah.”

His lips brushed her forehead. “Always.”

* * *

Noah hated leaving her.The way Ruth clung to him, her fingers curling around his sleeve as if she could somehow hold him there, made his chest ache. He had never seen her look so afraid—not when she first woke up blind, not when she fought through the exhaustion just to sit up, not even when she first realized she couldn’t remember what sent her into the dark.

This was different.

This was the fear of being left behind, of losing something she could still feel. Noah swallowed hard and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back,” he whispered. “I love you, Rae.”

She didn’t answer, just nodded stiffly.