That’s my girl. She’s my life.
My entire gut twists with fear, but I tamp that shit down, locking it up where I’ll deal with it later. Now is not the time for emotions. I focus in on the objective.
This is a hostage rescue operation now.
There’s no need to speak to the team. We’ve worked together long enough that we each fall into our respective roles.
Axel, our lead sniper, sets up behind the cover of the truck. Griff stands with him, weapon held at the ready.
Liam and Wolfe spread out, running for opposite corners behind us. They’ll make their way to the top of neighboring rooftops to provide overwatch.
Knox stands in the open, gun aimed between Benefield’s eyes.
Griff flashes a laser pointer on the other man’s chest until he gets the man’s attention. Then the tiny red dot dances right over the man’s heart. One step and he’s dead. The fucker knows it too. Wolfe targets the same man.
Axel remains laser-focused on Benefield. He’ll take the shot if he can. Right now, with Eve a hostage, Axel waits for my signal.
This kind of teamwork doesn’t just happen. We move as a single entity, having rehearsed this scene hundreds of times, with thousands of variations.
We work as one. Breathe as one. We’re a band of brothers and we fight as one.
Eve holds perfectly still. Her chest rises and falls with ragged breaths. Unlike my teammates, she’s never experienced anything like this before. She doesn’t know what I need her to do.
“Let her go, and we let you live,” Knox calls out.
I let him take the lead because I need Eve to know my entire team is here. She’s smart, fiercely intelligent, and I pray she trusts me enough to place her life not only in my hands, but the hands of my team.
“How about not.” Benefield keeps his gun pressed to Eve’s forehead.
He glances around, trying to identify my men. He’ll see Knox, Griff, and Axel. Liam, Wolfe, and I stay hidden.
“Where’s your boss?” Benefield casts about, knowing I’m here but unable to find me.
“Release the girl,” Knox continues. His objective is simple.
Stall.
He keeps Benefield engaged, giving time for Liam and Wolfe to achieve their objectives. I’m hooked back into our internal communications, courtesy of a new earpiece Knox handed me as we sped over here.
“Not going to happen. I let her go, and you put a bullet in my head.” Benefield’s smart. He knows there’s no way we’re letting him go.
“Alpha-five in position.” Liam’s voice speaks in my ear, letting me know he’s in position.
A few seconds later, Wolfe reports in.
“Alpha-six ready.”
“Copy that.” It’s go time. I make my move, revealing myself to Benefield. “Drop your weapon and release the girl.”
Eve’s entire body relaxes the moment she sees me. It’s like a punch to the gut seeing the amount of trust she has in me.
“Never.” Benefield sneers at me. “She’s mine. You hear me. Her father gave her to me.” Benefield’s voice rises in pitch with a whole lot of crazy layered on top.
He gives us a small piece of a puzzle. The link between Benefield and Deverough is something to sort out later, but now we know there’s most definitely something going on.
“I don’t think he sees it that way.” I want to chime in and tell Benefield that Deverough hired us, but there’s nothing to be gained by that.
Benefield jerks Eve to her feet. The gun moves from her forehead to her temple. All I see are the whites of her eyes. Her fear is palpable, and I don’t know how to tell her what I need her to do, but then something comes to me.
I tap the side of my leg, knowing she watches my every move. I tap two times fast, then three times slow. It’s the signal I told her I’d use when I got back to the room. I pray she understands what I mean. We’ve only got one shot at this.
Eve blinks. Her lashes flutter, twice. Then she blinks three times slow. She knows I’m trying to tell her something.
I keep my voice low, just enough for my team to hear through the comms. “We go on three.”
“Copy that.” As our sniper, Axel responds. The other guys understand as well. They’ll be ready.
Benefield drags Eve back toward a waiting black SUV. The man who’s with him holds his hands up and out, but he moves with Benefield.
If Eve gets in that car, it’s game over.
“Hold.” I tell my team to hold their shots.
Eve clutches Benefield’s arm where he holds her tight against his chest. She releases one hand, lets it fall. Her eyes flutter again. Two times fast. Three times slow. Then her brows pinch together, seeing if I understand.
I give a very slight nod.
“Ready.” I speak to my team.
I tap my leg, drawing everything out. Two times fast. Then as I tap out the last three signals, I count down for my team.
Tap. “One.”
Tap. “Two.”
Tap. “Three.”
The moment I tap the third time, Eve twists in Benefield’s grip. She ducks her head and reaches behind her back. She brings up her gun as a shot rings out overhead. It’s followed by another, and a third coming so fast the two sounds merge together.
Benefield’s head whips back. His entire body topples backward. Eve’s gun is out, and she fired a shot at point-blank range. Benefield’s entire midsection is blown apart.
Eve takes two steps back and drops the gun. I don’t worry about Benefield—he’s dead as a doornail. I race to my girl, catching her in my arms before she falls to the ground.
“I’m here. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” I repeat it over and over again, holding her tight to my chest as her body shakes and shudders.
Eve loops her arms around my neck and buries her face against my neck. Deep, soulful sobs rip from her throat as she cries.
My men take care of clean up. Benefield’s man is secured. My team finds more bodies upstairs.
I take Eve to one of the trucks and sit with her in the back seat, holding her and telling her everything will be all right.
“You’re safe. I’m going to take you home.”
I have no intention of taking her home. Until Mitzy and the rest of the tech team figure out Deverough’s role in all of this, Eve stays with me.
And I’ll kill any man who says otherwise.
Forty-One
Eve
Benefield’s dead.
After months of enduring the unspeakable, I’m finally free. It feels surreal as Max and his team drive us away from that town. I barely process climbing out of the truck and onto a waiting helicopter.
Max never leaves my side, and it helps. My mind’s not engaged in what’s going on around me, but I feel Max.
His presence guides me, reassures me, and makes me feel safe.
The helicopter takes us to an airport. From there, we board a luxury airline. Not commercial. The entire inside is built with nothing but first-class accommodations on board.
“Welcome, Miss Deverough.” A tall, mountain of a man with shock white hair greets me inside the plane.
“Forest, leave her alone.” A diminutive brunette pushes the man to the side. “Can’t you see she’s in shock?”