Page 35 of California Wild

But it wasn’t enough.

Not yet.

He nodded once, stiff. “What do I need to do?”

Colson studied him, then glanced at Heath, who had been silent but watchful.

Heath spoke first. “You keep your head down. You train harder than anyone. You prove you can function in a high-stress op without a goddamn crack. You do everything by the book. No risks. No shortcuts. No fuckups.”

Colson’s gaze cut back to Jesse. “You become the guy I can trust again.”

Jesse felt his breath leave him in a slow, steady exhale.

Because there it was.

The line in the sand.

Jesse slammed the driver’s side door of his truck shut, gripping the edge a little harder than necessary. His jaw was tight, his pulse still hammering in his ears.

Not you yet.

Colson’s words still clawed at him.

Not you yet.

Like Jesse was still some kind of damn liability.

Like he hadn’t spent the last year rebuilding himself from the ground up.

He exhaled, forcing himself to unclench his fists, but the frustration sat heavy in his chest, simmering just beneath the surface.

Then—the sound of boots on pavement.

Heath.

Jesse glanced up as Heath strolled past, hands in his pockets, that easy-going, older-brother energy all over him.

“Dude, you got this,” Heath said, like it was a fact, not a pep talk.

Jesse let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “Yeah? Tell that to the Chief.”

Heath smirked, leaning against the hood of Jesse’s truck. “Colson’s a hard-ass, but he’s not wrong. You gotta earn it.”

Jesse scoffed. “That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“Then keep doing it.” Heath shrugged. “Look, man, you’re gonna be fine. Just don’t let this eat at you.”

Jesse ran a hand down his face.

Yeah. Easier said than done.

“You heading home?” Heath asked.

Jesse nodded. “That was the plan.”

“Bro.”

Jesse turned, already bracing.

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