Page 91 of Only the Hunter

Outside, a siren wails in the distance—brief, distant, gone almost as soon as it arrives.

My phone sits dark on the nightstand.

I don’t check it.

I simply hold onto Gabe. I know with absolute clarity that loving this man won’t slow me down or soften my edges. But having him in my life—fully in my life—will make everything sharper.

Higher stakes.

Fewer mistakes allowed.

I turn slightly, fitting myself closer to him, memorizing the weight of his arm, the warmth of his body, the quiet certainty of him beside me.

Whatever comes next—whatever waits beyond this room—it won’t just touch me anymore.

It will touch him too.

And somewhere out there, someone already knows that. The worst of the worst.

And they’re watching.

Chapter 19

Gabe

She falls asleep against my side, dark hair spread over the sheets, breath evening out, body going soft and heavy in a way that tells me she feels safe enough to let go.

I don’t move. Don’t want to wake her.

But I don’t sleep either.

My mind won’t quiet. Not after what we just did. Not after what it means.

I’ve wanted Evie Thompson for years. Told myself it was impossible. Inappropriate. That the age gap, her brother, her career, hell, her father—all of it—made this something I couldn’t have.

And now I have her.

I’ll fight like hell to keep her.

To earn my place at her side.

Which means I have something to lose.

I shift slightly, careful not to disturb her, and watch the way moonlight cuts across her face. She looks younger when she sleeps. Less guarded. The prosecutor’s armor stripped away.

I trace the curve of her shoulder with my eyes, not my hands. She needs her sleep.

Even if I can’t sleep, because this changes everything.

Not just between us—though it does that too—but operationally. Every decision I make from here forward will be filtered through the knowledge that if she gets hurt, I won’t recover.

That’s not tactical.

That’s a liability. I know it.

But walking away isn’t an option. Neither is pulling back.

I just need to be smart. Aware.