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Pops will trust me. I'll reassure her that she's safe and help her heal. Hell, maybe we can heal together. In my reflection, I catch the corners of my lips turning up. She's here. She's safe. And for half a second, I allow myself to revel in that small glorious fact. Until....

"Wait. You're leaving shit out. Why is she here and not with the feds or that dumbass agency who gave her permission to go over there in the first place? Why here?"

Not waiting for a response, I shoulder past him to hunt down clean clothes. It’s a miracle I find a clean pair of black BDUs in the bottom drawer. I haven't worn pants recently or these would be dirty too. I turn to face Raider, who still hasn't responded. "Tell me now."

"You okay hearing all this, Snowflake?"

"The fuck?" I growl and take a step toward him.

Palms raised in surrender, Raider shakes his head. "You've been fucked in the head since you found out we got you but not her. And now she's here. Alive. Four months, Snowflake. A lot can happen in four damn months. What if the person you remember isn't who she is anymore?"

My stomach tenses at the assumption. The bed creaks and my mattress adjusts beneath my weight. Processing his words, trying to form the best response, I slide my fingers through my still-damp hair. "It's more than that, man. When she was missing, all those hours that turned into weeks that turned into months, I was stuck. I can't think about anything other than what she was going through. Wondering if she was scared, or hurt or...." My bone-dry throat makes it hard to swallow. "Being hurt. She's here. No matter if she's the woman I grew to lo... know or someone completely different. It doesn't matter. She's here and so are we. We can help her heal."

"And keep her safe."

Ah, there it is. What he’s held back this entire conversation. "From?"

"Snowflake." Raider plops on the bed to my right and stares at the bare walls. "We weren't the only ones scanning the system for when her prints registered."

Fucking hell.