Page 75 of Theirs to Hunt (Girls Like Us #1)

Chapter seventy-five

" B rooks?" I chew my lip, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

With Grayson, I'm usually sharp. Pushing. Circling. A match waiting for the strike. But Brooks and I? Our dynamic is different. He'd let me steamroll him if I tried, and I never want to. That soft, steady strength of his is sacred.

He doesn't answer right away. Just slides a glance toward me as we cruise through a green light. Calm, capable, tuned in. Like always.

"I had a question about the security," I say, voice lower than I meant it to be. "That's your purview, right?"

"Yeah, babe," he says, smooth as bourbon. "What about it?"

His hand rests on the wheel, relaxed. But the other twitches slightly where it dangles from the armrest. He already senses something's off. His eyes darken a bit. Not suspicion. Concern.

"I just..." I h esitate, then push forward. "Are Cade and Maddox permanent? Or is there some wiggle room?"

He frowns. And I love this. In the past, I would’ve been worried I was annoying someone with my questions.

But when you feel valued, that fear floats away.

Brooks listens. He either explains or fixes the problem.

When he frowns, it's because he thinks he missed something, not because I’m irritating him.

"They're the guys I handpicked for close protection. Why?"

"I draw a slow breath. I want to make a request. Not second-guessing you. Just… something that matters to me."

He nods once. "Say it."

"I’d really like to have a woman on the team."

That gets his full attention.

"Go on," he says. He already knows this is something he wants to understand.

"Look, men like Cade and Maddox, they know threat assessments.

They know tactics. But women? We see threats before they escalate.

We've been raised on warnings and backup plans. We know what it feels like to clock every exit in a room. To watch the friend’s boyfriend a little too closely.

To read body language that says ‘no’ before anyone else notices. It's not paranoia. It's instinct."

I glance at him. He's quiet. Listening hard.

"Men look for statistical danger. Women feel it in our skin," I continue.

"Chuck from accounting? Guys think he's hilarious when he's drunk. We know he's handsy when no one's watching. Uncle Fred? You see a good uncle. We clock grooming patterns before your niece learns to read. It’s not that men aren’t capable. It’s that they’re not victimized the same way." I stop. Unsure if I’ve said too much. If I’ve overwhelmed him.

But Brooks doesn’t look overwhelmed. He looks like he's falling in love with me a little more.

"Fuck, Bambi," he says softly, shifting gears without breaking eye contact. "You're not wrong. And I should’ve thought of that. But maybe that was your point," he admits wryly.

He taps the steering wheel twice.

"I’ll rotate one of the team out and pull in someone I trust. There’s a woman named Inez Santiago. Former special forces. She’s been on assignments with me and Devon. Smart. Fast. Can break a man’s neck with her thighs. You’ll love her."

"I mean, I already do. Just based on that description."

He laughs. It’s warm and sincere.

"You’re good at this," he says. "You’ve got the kind of instincts I’d kill to have more of on my team."

I glance out the window, hiding the way my smile turns just a little shy.

Brooks might be younger than Grayson, but when it comes to safety? His word carries law.

And today, he didn’t just hand me protection. He gave me respect.