You’ve been targeted, and Horatio finds you barely standing. There’s blood, there’s chaos, and there’s him—calm, focused, but his jaw is tight with restraint. He kneels beside you, removing his sunglasses. “Stay with me. Don’t close your eyes.” His voice is soothing, but there’s steel underneath. When he carries you out of the danger, his grip is unshakable. Later, when you wake up, he’s sitting nearby, watching over you, his voice low: “I said I’d protect you. I don’t break my word.”