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The thrum of helicopter blades sliced through the cockpit, a steady heartbeat above the Kalahari Desert. Wedged between Finn and Liev in the climate-controlled cabin, their solid presence was a shield for Rose against whatever waited below. Through the front windscreen, dawn painted the sky in soft pink hues.

A new day.

A fresh start.

At the controls, Ethan and Nik guided the helicopter home. Across from her, Cade had succumbed to exhaustion, his features softened in sleep, head gently lolling with each air pocket they hit. Duke was beside him, glasses she’d never seen before perched on his nose, a cheap cowboy paperback balanced on his knee.

Beside him, Luca sat rigid, one leg bouncing in a ceaseless rhythm. His hands rested on his knees, knuckles raw, nails ripped and stained red from digging Finn out. Sensing her gaze, he looked over, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth.

She returned his smile.

A few days ago, their quiet efficiency had unsettled her. Now it felt like armor.

They weren’t just a team. They were family.

Family.

Thea.

Only now could she acknowledge how close they had come to losing everything—how close Thea, her sister, had come to ending it all.

Her fingers grew tight around her thumbs, nails biting into skin.

At least the Io was secure. A containment team was on-site. She’d proposed flooding the tanks with liquid nitrogen to put an end to the nanobots, but she doubted the OSC would abandon such a groundbreaking discovery—no matter how dangerous.

She exhaled and let herself lean against Finn’s shoulder. His slow, even breaths grounded her, a quiet reassurance that he was still here. Alive. His injuries—crushed leg, burns—had taken their toll, but he was healing. Her Finn was strong.

This man had fought his way back from his past to be with her.

His fingers found hers, tangling together in her lap, his thumb tracing deliberate strokes over her skin. A silent promise of his protection. Care. Love .

He was her safe harbor in a world that had tilted on its axis and, against all odds, righted itself again. She squeezed his hand, returning the emotion.

Nik banked the helicopter in a gentle circle, giving them a bird's-eye view.

“Well, shit.” Luca’s low voice carried over the comms. He leaned forward in his seat, his leg stilling. “Look who rolled out the welcome wagon.”

Rose followed his line of sight, her stomach cramping.

Below, five black SUVs gleamed in the morning sun, clustered near the Wolves’ command tent like patient predators.

Margaret.

“The widow.” Liev gave a grunt of disgust. “Think she brought champagne to celebrate our survival, or pink slips?”

“Both,” Luca muttered. “You know the Widow. Likes to give with one hand, take with the other.”

Finn turned to Rose, his lips skimming her ear. “She can’t touch you now.”

God, she hoped so. MARV. The lab. Her team. Gina.

“Hey.” Luca’s usual expression was replaced by something fiercer. “Finn’s right. This whole nanobot nightmare? It’s radioactive. No one wants it hitting the press that the world almost ended because the OSC’s secret research robo-bunnies escaped their cage. This gets buried deeper than Dragon’s Breath.”

“Preparing to land.” Ethan’s steady voice carried from the cockpit. “Trays up, ladies and gentlemen.”

The engine note deepened as they descended. Desert dirt billowed beneath them, ochre clouds tinting the morning light. The helicopter settled with a gentle bump as Nik and Ethan worked their shutdown sequence.

Finn helped her remove the bulky headset. He drew her close until all she could smell was leather and smoke. “The Widow only looks out for herself. But we’ve got your back.”

She gripped his collar, breathing him in. “I know.”

He took her hand and helped her from the helicopter, following the rest of the team. Wind whipped coarse sand against her bare arms. She saw now there were four SUVs, but the fifth was a transport van.

He took her hand and helped her from the helicopter, his weight shifting noticeably as he favored his injured leg on the descent. A brief grimace flashed across his face but he masked it quickly, following the rest of the team with a hitch in his stride.

As if on cue, doors opened. Twelve men emerged from three of the SUVs—heavy-set, faces carved from stone.

Rose’s pulse quickened, but around her the Wolves remained loose and casual. Luca scuffed patterns in the dirt with his boot. “She sure likes to make an entrance.”

“Keeps us on our toes,” Duke rolled his shoulders, punching one hand into his open fist.

Liev snorted. “What are we, fucking ballet dancers?”

A driver opened the rear door of the fourth SUV. Finn shifted infinitesimally closer to Rose. The Wolves had positioned themselves around her without seeming to move at all.

Margaret emerged from the vehicle.

She wore white stiletto boots that somehow didn’t sink into the ground, silk pants flowing with each step, an ivory blouse with dramatic sleeves. Just as their first meeting, she was viciously elegant. The wind caught her clothes, and for an instant, she was a bird of prey, white wings spread.

Rose fought the urge to smooth her hair. Her borrowed t-shirt hung loose on her frame, crumpled and misshapen. She scratched a scabbed-over scrape, aware of red mud still clinging to her laces.

But when she glanced at the men flanking her, there was no judgment on their faces. The Wolves stood easy but alert, weapons riding their lean hips with laid-back deadliness.

Their clothes bore the same battle grime as hers.

A badge of honor.

Rose lifted her chin.

Margaret stopped six-feet from them. Maintaining a calculated distance as if to come closer might risk contamination. “Gentlemen.“Her gaze drifted down their line. “Another mission completed.”

Nik answered with a grunt.

“Might have been helpful to have certain information before we descended to the Io.” Ethan stepped forward, hands planted on his hips, shoulders rigid.

Her pack of bodyguards shifted, their boots disturbing the dirt.

The Widow’s perfect teeth gleamed. “I didn’t want to prejudice the situation. I’m sure you understand.”

“You put my team at risk with your decisions.” Ethan’s voice was deadly quiet. “That is unacceptable.”

“Duly noted.” Margaret made a dismissive gesture toward the helicopter. Four of her men peeled away, heading toward the aircraft. Seconds later, the rear ramp began to lower.

The van’s presence suddenly clicked into place for Rose. This visit they were being graced with it wasn’t about the Wolves at all.

This was about MARV.

About Remy.

Rose broke away from Finn, stalking toward the helicopter where the men were already unloading MARV’s crate. “You can put that down right now. That is my equipment.”

The men barely spared her a contemptuous glance as they continued working the hydraulic hoist .

“You heard the lady.” Despite his injured leg, Finn materialized at her side, his hand at the small of her back.

The men paused, reassessing the situation as Luca appeared on Rose’s other side, his hand nonchalantly patting the handgun holstered on his thigh. “Yeah, you might want to put that down. The Doc gets touchy as shit when people touch her crap.”

Nik joined them, testing the edge of his lethal-looking dive knife against his thumb. “And then we all get messy.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Dr. Wyndham.” The Widow’s voice rose exactly one octave. “That equipment?—”

“Belongs to Dr. Wyndham.” Ethan moved in front of MARV, blocking the Widow’s view. “And it’s staying right here.” He folded his arms, biceps bulging.

“You heard the boss.” Liev flicked the safety on his holster, eyes narrowing.

Rose’s heart hammered against her ribs.

The Widow’s gaze flicked from one wolf to the next. Her men outnumbered them—twelve to seven—but the flicker in Margaret’s eye told Rose that the Widow didn’t consider this an equal battle. She knew what the Wolves were capable of.

Margaret’s smile flattened. She looked straight at Rose. “You will regret this, Dr. Wyndham.”

I doubt it.

The Widow gave a sharp jerk of her head, and her men retreated from the helicopter.

Rose allowed herself a slow exhale, her lips clamped, not wanting the Widow to see any emotion.

Turning on one stiletto heel, Margaret called over her shoulder, “I’ll be in touch, gentlemen. ”

Her heels punctured tiny holes in the ground as she strode back to the SUV.

Rose’s hands trembled with anger, but she kept them pressed firmly against her thighs. The urge to wrap them around Margaret’s throat was almost overwhelming.

“And here I was thinking today would be boring,” Liev observed, watching the entourage of SUVs pull away.

Luca’s low chuckle held no humor. “This is gonna bite us in the ass.” His grin turned feral. “Can’t fucking wait.”

“She’ll find a way to profit from this.” Nik rotated his blade, his eyes dark. “Always does.”

The three men exchanged glances.

Luca hooked his thumbs in his belt. “She’s going to be even happier once Duke sends her the bill for the neurological rehab he’s organized for the Io crew.”

Ethan’s eyes hadn’t left the SUV’s retreating form. “Let’s get MARV unloaded.”

Rose turned back to MARV as warm fingers brushed her skin.Finn’s knuckles skimmed her cheek.

“Ignore her. She’s pissed not everything went her way, and she’s not getting anywhere near MARV or Remy.” His gentle touch pulled her back from the edge of anger.

She squared her shoulders. “We should help the others with MARV. I need to get it back to the lab. Figure out a solution for Remy.”

“You’re going back to the lab?” Something in his voice made her heart stutter.

“At some point, I have to. Even if it’s just to tie up loose ends.”

“Of course.” He stepped back, but she followed him.

Her fingers found purchase on his tactical vest. “I have leave owing. ”

His eyes flicked to hers. The intensity in his gaze sent an electric pulse through her veins. “You have plans?”

“It’ll be a while before I can think about a beach holiday.So. London. My apartment is there.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw, but his voice was casual. “London?” He glanced at MARV, then to her. “How long were you thinking?”

“How much leave do you have?”

“Enough.” The blue of his eyes deepened. “And if not? Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve played hooky for the right reason.”

Her grip hardened on his vest as she stepped closer. “And this is the right reason?”

He cradled her face in his hands, his voice dropping low, so only she could hear. “Rose, right now, all I want is to be with you. No missions, no Widow, no complications. Just us.” His thumb brushed across her lower lip with slow deliberation. “Let me take care of you.”

Warmth bloomed in her chest at the undisguised honesty in his voice. She stretched up on her toes and pressed her lips to his, not caring when a sharp wolf whistle cut through the air.

Let them see. Let them see how much I care for this man.

“That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me while wearing tactical gear.”

“I aim to please,” he murmured, his voice husky, his smile meant only for her. “So. London?”

“Yes.” She exhaled, the weight of the past few days finally easing from her shoulders. “Let’s take some time. Just us. Work out what this is.”

She couldn’t imagine wanting anything more.

He ran his fingers along her jaw. “I know what this is.” His hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers threading into her hair. Tingles ran down her spine at the possessive edge of his grip. “This is me and you.” His lips ghosted over her ear. “London’s just the start.”

She kissed him again, deeper this time, her universe narrowing to him, her fingers lost in the softness of his hair, the scruff of his cheek against her skin.

For the first time in years, she wasn’t just running away from her life—she was running toward something.

Toward Finn.