Slade had never been interested in handing out positions because someone deserved sympathy.

Rank was earned.

Respect was earned.

Trust was earned.

His team had plenty of capable soldiers.

But the only woman on his team who’d spent years being harassed and abused had something the others didn’t.

She kept getting back up.

Every time.

She never let what happened to her decide what she was capable of becoming.

She trained harder.

Fought harder.

And climbed through the ranks faster than anyone expected.

Eventually, Slade started noticing something.

Her numbers were getting close to his.

Her accuracy.

Her reaction time.

Her combat ability.

Her judgment.

When Slade had been her age, he’d been operating at almost exactly the same level.

That wasn’t something he ignored.

It was something he respected.

The rest of the team eventually noticed the change, too.

She started receiving more responsibility.

More difficult assignments.

More authority.

Until one day, Slade called everyone into the briefing room.

He stood at the front.

She stood beside him.

One of the veterans looked between them.

“Boss?”

Slade’s gaze remained forward.

“She’ll be taking second.”

The room went quiet.

Another recruit looked at her.

Then at Slade.

“Second in command?”

Slade nodded.

“She’s earned it.”

Nobody argued.

Because everyone had watched her climb.

They’d watched her survive things that would’ve broken most people.

And now she stood close enough to Slade’s own level that even he couldn’t deny it.

She wasn’t being promoted because she needed protecting.

She wasn’t being promoted because Slade felt sorry for her.

She was being promoted because she was good.

Good enough to stand beside him.

Good enough to lead.

Good enough that, at her age, she was becoming the kind of soldier Slade himself had once been.

And that was exactly why he’d chosen her.

Not because of what had been done to her.

Because of everything she’d become despite it.