Page 88 of Finding His Redemption

“And you don’t deserve to die for him.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, her chest tightening as if Brandt had wrapped a fist around her lungs and squeezed.

Yes, she could die for this. For Jax, a man she’d known for mere weeks, whose past was written in violence and whose future was as uncertain as her own.

But she’d spent four years running from the possibility of death, letting it chase her across state lines and through sleepless nights, and she was so fucking tired of running.

Staying here now, taking a stand, was about more than helping Jax. It was even more than giving Oliver the stability he so craved. It was about reclaiming her life, her sanity, and not letting Alek dictate her every move anymore.

And Brandt would never understand that.

“I’m not leaving,” she said quietly. “If that means you have to release me from the program, I understand and take full responsibility for the consequences.”

“If I release you from WITSEC, he’ll find you, kill you, and take Oliver.” His voice turned gentle, which was somehow worse than his anger. “Is that what you want for your son?”

The images flashed through her mind unbidden— Oliver learning to use his fists instead of his words, growing up to be the kind of man who solved problems with violence.

“No,” she whispered. “But if I run now, I will always run. Oliver will always have to run. His life will never be normal. I can’t do it anymore. Can’t keep looking over my shoulder, jumping at shadows. If Alek is going to find me—and we both know no matter how many times you move me, hewilleventually find me—I want it to happen here, where I have built a community, rather than somewhere new where nobody knows us.” She met his gaze, and the fear she saw in his blue eyes broke her heart, but her mind was made up. “So either protect me here, or don’t protect me at all.”

Brandt’s face hardened, his posture shifting into something more official. The warmth she’d occasionally glimpsed beneath his professional exterior vanished completely.

“If you stay, it will be on my terms.” His tone left no room for negotiation. “Mandatory check-ins, twice daily. Full transparency about your movements.”

A concession.

It was far more than she’d expected, and she nodded, tamping down the flood of relief. “I can live with that.”

“I’m not finished.” Brandt’s gaze locked with hers, unflinching. “No contact with the men from Valor Ridge. None. Especially Jax Thorne.”

The relief evaporated like morning dew under a harsh sun. “That’s not fair. They’ve done nothing but help me.”

“Fair doesn’t keep you alive. These men are dangerous, Nessie. Not just because of their pasts, but because they draw attention you can’t afford.”

She wanted to argue, to defend Jax and the others, but the cold logic of Brandt’s words sank into her like teeth. Every time she’d been with Jax, people had stared, whispered. Every interaction had been noted, cataloged, and remembered. In a town this small, that kind of visibility was a liability she couldn’t ignore.

“For how long?” she asked, hating the tremor in her voice.

“Until I’m satisfied it’s safe.” His expression softened at her obvious distress. “Look, I get it. You like him. But whatever this is between you two, it isn’t worth Oliver’s safety.”

The mention of her son’s name was the final blow. She closed her eyes briefly, picturing Oliver’s gap-toothed smile, the too-serious eyes that had seen more in seven years than most adults saw in a lifetime.

“Fine,” she whispered, the word tasting like defeat. “No contact with Valor Ridge.”

“Or Thorne specifically,” Brandt clarified, making sure there was no wiggle room in their agreement.

“Or Jax.” She swallowed hard against the tightness in her throat. “But you have to let me tell him. I can’t just disappear on him. Not after everything.”

Brandt shook his head. “No contact means no contact.”

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the silence, marking the seconds of a future that suddenly felt emptier than it had moments before.

“I’ll install additional security,” Brandt said, his tone gentling.

“I already have. Ghost and—” His name caught in her throat. “Jax. They installed cameras for me.”

“Okay then. I’ll double-check their setup and add motion sensors, as well as a direct line to my phone. And I’m staying in town.”

She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She’d spent too many years crying over men who made decisions about her life without consulting her.