Page 92 of Theirs to Hunt

She does it again, just to test me.

And I swear I nearly miss the brake pedal.

Chapter seventy-five

Reagan, Monday 03:45 p.m.

"Brooks?" 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 hesitate, 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.