A beat. And in that moment, she ached for him, for the struggle that raged through him. He was so not helpless, not for a second.

But a huge part of him was fighting hard to believe it. To get back up.

And she didn’t know if giving him a hand might mean losing him, for good. Her voice lowered. “What I want to know is why my dad gave you this phone. Is he recruiting you?”

He looked at her, then sighed. “It’s in case something happens to you. Or in case he gets blown and needs to alert me.”

She had nothing, his words streaking a chill through her. Her hand shook a little as she held up the phone. “So this is the emergency bat phone, alerting you should he somehow put me in danger?”

“Something like that.”

She shook her head.

“This is why he didn’t want you to know he was alive. Because he didn’t want you to worry.”

“I’m more than worried. I’m angry. Since when do you and my dad get to keep me in the dark about my own safety? I’m a big girl—”

“Who has been kidnapped, twice, and generally gets herself into trouble.” He took a step toward her and put his hand around the phone.

She didn’t release it. “Gets herself into trouble?”

His mouth tightened, but he didn’t take the words back.

“Wow, so now I’m a liability.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I can take care of myself.”

He had the infuriating audacity to raise an eyebrow. And for a second, the words were right there, words that could sting, take him apart—probably better than a man who is going blind.

But no, she would never say that. Because the thought stung her too.

She hadn’t quite realized just how much she depended on him to be . . . well, super. A super SEAL.

Ranger was smarter, stronger, faster, and had more skills blind and with his hands tied behind his back—literally—than she ever had. Or would.

And he was fighting to stay that way. In his eyes.

Maybe even hers.

Her throat thickened. “Fine. But I’m not a child to be protected.”

“No,” he said softly. “You’re the woman I love.”

What was she supposed to do with that? Her eyes burned even as she released the phone. She looked away, but he put his hand to her cheek, turned her face back to his.

“If anything happened to you, I . . .” His jaw tightened. He swallowed. His blue eyes turned rich with emotion. “Maybe this phone is for me. So I have a way to make sure I can protect the most important person in my life, to the best of my abilities.”

“Range—”