Page 132 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
"About damn time," Jax mutters, slapping Kade on the shoulder as he passes. "Welcome to the family, Hellcat."
Asher raises an eyebrow, his mouth quirking up at one corner. "Does this mean we get to skip the bachelor party?"
I can't help chuckling at their reactions. "It's just a watch, guys. Not an engagement ring."
"Sweetheart," Remy's smooth voice is warm with amusement, "in this world, that watch means more than most wedding bands do elsewhere."
Kade's grip tightens almost imperceptibly around my hand, his thumb stilling its movement. The possessive gesture doesn't go unnoticed by the team, who exchange knowing looks.
"Alright, enough," Kade growls, but there's no real heat behind it. Something that might almost be happiness flickers across his features before his commander mask slides back into place.
Before anyone can continue the teasing, Cole's tablet pings. The sound cuts through the room like a knife, and Cole's expression transforms instantly, humor evaporating into grim focus as he reads the screen.
"We've got a problem." His voice drops, face paling. "Our surveillance picked up chatter about a shipment tonight." He swallows hard, glancing between us. "Kids, Kade. They're moving kids."
The shift in the room is immediate and visceral. The air grows heavy, charged with a dangerous energy I've come to recognize. These men—killers, soldiers, mercenaries—all have lines they won't cross. Children being trafficked crosses every single one.
My stomach twists into knots. This is exactly the kind of situation we've been working to prevent—the kind of evil that took Jenny from me.
I look up at Kade, watching as his expression hardens into something carved from granite, his eyes transforming into chips of arctic ice.
"We have to stop them." My voice is steady despite the rage building inside me.
Kade's hand slips from mine as he crosses to the tactical table, his movements fluid and predatory.
"Agreed."
Cole shifts uncomfortably. "There's more. We have a potential inside source, someone willing to give us information. But they're demanding full immunity, no questions asked."
Hope surges through me. "That could be our way in, Kade." I join him at the table, our shoulders nearly touching. "We could save those kids without risking a direct confrontation."
The look Kade gives me sends a wave of cold across my back—not from fear of him, but from a recognition of the darkness I see there. His jaw tightens, a muscle ticking beneath the stubble.
"And let a criminal walk free?" His voice drops to a dangerous rumble. "Someone who's been part of this operation, watching children being bought and sold?"
His massive hand curls into a fist on the table. "No. We take them all down."
The possessive tenderness from moments ago has vanished, replaced by something hard and lethal. This is the Ghost—the man who haunts the nightmares of enemies I've yet to meet.
"Kade, think about it." I press my palm against his forearm, feeling the corded muscle tense beneath my touch. "If we can save those children and get solid evidence to take down the entire operation, isn't that worth it?"
His gaze locks with mine, something dark and wounded flickering in those blue depths. "And what about the next time? Do we just keep making deals with traffickers, letting them off the hook?"
I stand my ground, my fingers digging into his arm. "If it means saving lives and bringing down the bigger threat, yes. We have to think about the bigger picture."
The temperature in the command center drops several degrees as Kade's entire demeanor shifts. The team goes utterly still, like prey animals sensing an apex predator.
"The bigger picture is justice, Alina." His voice carries a dangerous edge that makes my skin prickle with awareness. "For every victim, past and present. We can't compromise on that."
"But at what cost?" I challenge, stepping closer until we're chest to chest. "Are you willing to risk those children's lives for your idea of justice?"
Something breaks in Kade's expression—a fracture in his carefully maintained control. The man I glimpse beneath is raw with pain and fury.
"That's exactly why we need to act now." His massive frame looms over me, radiating lethal intent. "Those children don't have time for us to debate ethics."
The intensity of his gaze pins me in place, my legs pressing against the edge of the command console. My heartbeat thunders in my chest, but not from fear—from the dark, intoxicating power radiating from him.
"I've had to pick children over my team before." His voice drops to a whisper meant only for me, rough with emotion. "You really think I will let anything happen to them?"
