Chapter 85

• “I can’t do this without you.”
• The words were out before I could stop them, escaping from a place deep within me that I didn’t even realize was trembling until now. I stood there, facing the brothers, my heart a tangled mess of emotions—fear, hope, desire, and most of all, a sense of responsibility so overwhelming it threatened to swallow me whole.
• Grayson stepped forward first, his steady gaze never leaving mine. “Ava, we’ve been over this. You’re not alone in this fight. We’re all in this together.”