But he could feel it—the eyes on him. The attention. The weight of a secret that was no longer secret.
One night, after Milo had gone to bed, Garrett sat in the small living room of their apartment and stared at the wall.
He thought about Maria. About the promise he had made her.
*I’ll keep him safe. I’ll keep him away from all of it.*
He had failed.
Not because he had fought Bryce. But because he had been forced to. Because the violence he had tried to leave behind had followed him home.
His phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
*They know where you live. Check your window.*
Garrett’s blood ran cold.
He stood up and walked to the window. He peered through the blinds.
A black SUV was parked across the street. Two men sat in the front seat, their faces obscured by the shadows.
Garrett’s training kicked in. He assessed the situation in seconds. Two men. No visible weapons, but that meant nothing. The SUV was facing his building—a tactical position, ready to block an escape.
He turned away from the window and walked to Milo’s room. His son was asleep, his face soft and peaceful.
Garrett stood in the doorway and made a decision.
---
He called the number on the torn business card.
He had fished it out of the trash. He had smoothed out the creases. He had stared at it for an hour before dialing.
It rang twice.
“Danner,” Hargrove said. It wasn’t a question.
“They found me,” Garrett said.
“I know. I’ve had eyes on your apartment for three days.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wanted to see what you would do.”
Garrett closed his eyes. “What do you want?”
“I want you to come back to work. Not as an operative. As an instructor. We need people who can teach the next generation how to survive. People who understand control. People who have something to fight for.”
Garrett was silent.
“I know about your son,” Hargrove said. “I know about your wife. I know why you walked away. But the world doesn’t care about your retirement, Sergeant. The world is coming for you. The only question is whether you face it alone or with backup.”
Garrett looked at Milo’s door.
“What about my son?”