Chapter 10: The Bunk Room Shift

That night, the barracks were different. When I walked in, the usual jeers from Thorne's remaining squad members didn't happen.

Viper was sitting in the corner, cleaning his sidearm. He looked at me and nodded. Jax brought me a tray of food from the chow hall without being asked.

I sat on my cot, exhausted. Stitch looked over from his bunk. "Hey, Ghost. I heard what you did. Pretty metal."

I looked around the room. I was still the only woman. I was still "spotted." I was still bruised. But for the first time, I wasn't an outsider. I was a teammate.

I laid back and closed my eyes, thinking of the way James’s thumb had felt against my skin. The ice was melting, and I knew that whatever happened next, the real war was just beginning—the one inside the Commander's heart.