When Ashton finished speaking, I found myself curling into an even tighter ball. He shifted closer, his hand brushing against mine. “Are you scared of what I’ve told you so far?” he asked quietly.

The truth? Not really. What he’d told me so far was just a series of shady deals, grueling tests, and impossible situations he’d endured—stuff that sounded like it belonged in a spy thriller. Life-or-death scenarios, brutal sacrifices, impossible choices. ...