A Desperate Bargain

Valerie’s POV

“Maverick…” I whispered, my voice barely holding together. My body was still weak, my arms heavy from cradling the baby, but my mind sharp enough to hear the way his words cracked under the silence.

“It’s not about us,” he said suddenly.

I turned to him. His voice had tried to sound steady, almost indifferent, but his eyes betrayed him. They always did. There was something in the way