Something fell out of his pocket, onto the mat.

What?

She glanced at Ranger just as he looked up. Blinked at her. His mouth fell open, and he looked at the phone that had bounced on the floor.

He pulled an AirPod out. “Noemi—”

His tone should have warned her, but she was busy ignoring it, trying not to take a flying leap into conclusions. “What is that?” She stood and picked up the phone, a tiny Nokia.

He’d gotten up. “It’s a phone.”

“Really? Wow, I thought it was a bunny. Of course it’s a phone.” She opened it. No code, so she went to the outgoing calls. Nothing. “No, amend that. It’s a burner phone.”

He reached for it, but she yanked it out of his reach and stepped away.

“Noemi—”

She opened the contacts.

One number.

One. Number.

She rounded on him, and he’d already taken a breath, ran a towel around his neck. And wore an expression like she’d just caught him spilling state secrets.

“Whose number is this?”

“I can explain.”

“Perfect. Start now.”

“Please, give me the phone.” He held out his hand.

“Are you kidding me?” She took another step away from him. “You got this from my dad, didn’t you?”

Ranger’s intake of breath was another spear, and it hit all the open wounds at once.

“You . . . jerk.”

“What?”

“You and my dad are up to something, aren’t you? That’s why you’re doing all this training.” She shook her head. “What, are you going to join him and his super-off-the-books special presidential black ops team?”

He blinked at her, and then his mouth tightened to a tiny bud. “No.”

“Really.” Her eyes smarted. “Please, do not lie to me, Ranger. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

His jaw tightened. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, Noemi, but how exactly am I going to do nothing but sit here and watch—or not watch, as the case may be—as the world implodes around me?”

Oh, Ranger.

His eyes lit, burned through her, his voice roughening. “Do you have any idea what it felt like to watch those guys tie you up and strap a bomb to your body?”

“That had everything to do with you being outnumbered, not your blindness.” She kept her voice calm, because she could see the frustration roiling in his eyes. “And yes, I think I understand a little about watching someone I love being hurt. Tied up. Bleeding. And thinking that maybe he’s going to get himself killed. And that’s not the only memory I have of you risking your life to save me or others, so save it, Jack. You don’t have the corner on worry.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not going to let it happen again. Not if I can stop it.”