Page 224 of Rangers Last Promise

“Of course you do.”

“He threatened to kill me to control you.”

“And your solution is to control me first?”

Trigger winces.

Wolf quietly says, “Bad choice of words.”

Doc’s face changes.

“That isn’t what I’m doing.”

“It feels like it.”

“I’m trying to keep you alive.”

“And I’m trying to do the same thing for you.”

For a second, neither of us speaks.

The street feels too quiet.

The darkness feels too close.

Doc lowers his voice.

“I just found you.”

The anger drains out of me.

He looks almost furious about the admission.

Almost afraid.

I step closer.

“And I just found you.”

His eyes hold mine.

“So we don’t separate,” I say. “We don’t make decisions for each other. We work together.”

“I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it.”

“That seems unfair.”

“You’ll survive.”

Trigger looks at Wolf. “Are they always like this?”

Wolf nods. “Pretty much.”

Sheriff Tate points at the station.

“Both of you inside. Now.”