Chapter Twenty-One
T he wind whipped around him as Corey fast-roped from the helo, dropping through the darkness with barely a whoosh. His boots hit the top of the submarine and Jayson landed beside him, already pulling the large breach tool off his belt.
Pulling his pistol from its holster, Corey waited while Jayson easily breached the hatch. If a nuclear sub was the equivalent of a bank vault, then the narco sub was like a cash box. The door busted open easily and, a moment later, a dark head popped up through the opening.
Corey took the smuggler out with two perfectly-placed shots. Three tangoes left. And he doubted they’d be poking up through the opening like a gopher now that their buddy was dead.
The element of surprise had always served him well. While Jayson covered him, Corey dropped down through the hatch, landing and immediately rolling away. He popped up, lifting his weapon, and counted two more tangoes. He brought them down with ease.
Where was the fourth?
As if in answer, Jayson’s pistol fired and Corey saw a shadow go down. They swept between crates making sure no one else was hiding aboard the vessel.
“Clear,” Jayson reported.
Looking around, Corey scowled at the endless crates brimming with assault rifles, grenades and other weapons enroute to the Lazaro Cartel. Not any longer. Those assholes wouldn’t be getting any of this contraband to help their drug war.
“Tangoes neutralized, vessel secured,” Corey said through his comms.
“Good job,” Brand responded.
As the adrenaline began to wear off, the aches and pains set in. But Corey ignored them. He felt on top of the world. A few acetaminophens would fix the achy joints and then he’d be on his way back to Sera.
He could hardly wait.
◆◆◆
After their girl time, Sera was bursting with hope for the future.
She’d spent far too long succumbing to the guilt and nightmares.
Corey helped her process what had happened where others had failed.
He understood and related, providing her the safe space she’d so desperately needed.
He was the light at the end of her tunnel, and she was ready to live.
Sera slept on the couch again with Loki, while Mitch continued bunking on an air mattress in Julia’s room.
After turning on the light above the sink in the kitchen, Sera settled down on the sofa and sent up a prayer that Corey and the others would have a successful mission and return soon. Then she drifted off to sleep.
The smell of coffee woke her bright and early, and she saw Julia pouring two big mugs to the brim. No nightmares had plagued her during the night. The knowledge that she was safe and with people who understood and supported her meant everything.
Breathing in deeply, she sat up and stretched. The couch wasn’t helping her back, but she was grateful to be staying with Julia and Mitch instead of up at Corey’s cabin all by herself. But her thoughts turned to Storm, and she frowned.
“Good morning.” Julia handed her a mug.
“Thank you.” Sera blew on the hot coffee, glancing around. “Where’s your dad?”
“He went out for a jog.” She rolled her eyes. “I swear, the man thinks he’s as spry as ever. And completely invincible.”
“I love it,” Sera said, reaching down to pet a purring Loki.
“I just heard from Brand.” Julia sat on the edge of the coffee table. “The op went smoothly and they stopped the sub.”
“That’s great news.” She relaxed slightly. “Did they say when they’d be back?”
“At some point later today. They’re handing the sub off to the good guys and will need to debrief, then they’ll fly back.”
The idea of Corey being so far away made her sad. “Do they go on a lot of dangerous missions like this?”
“Enough that I worry.” Julia sighed. “I used to downright hate it. Tried for years to convince my dad to retire. But I’ve learned and accepted that saving the world is a part of their DNA.
It gives them purpose. Plus they’re really good at what they do.
They might be up there in years, but they’re still amazing to see in action. ”
Sera smiled. “I bet.”
As they sipped their coffee, Sera glanced out the window to see the day was clear and bright. No more snow falling.
“I think I might do some painting today,” Julia murmured thoughtfully.
Sera knew Julia was a talented artist and she didn’t want to get in her way while she was creating. “I was thinking about going back to Corey’s cabin. That way I can get out of your hair and also check in on Storm. I worry about him being all alone.”
“That wolf seems pretty adaptable.”
“I know, but then I can feed him some steak for being such a good boy. I was also thinking of having dinner ready. Corey always does the cooking, and I feel bad.”
“He likes to cook, though, right?”
“Yes, but I’d love to surprise him. Something simple, of course, because I’m not exactly the best chef. But I think he deserves it after hunting down the bad guys.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate it,” Julia said. “Maybe he’ll reward you with some more of those orgasms you raved about.”
Sera laughed. “That would be nice.”
They chatted for a while longer and Julia helped her decide on a yummy meal that wasn’t too complicated. Mitch returned, drinking some healthy-looking green concoction he’d grabbed from a cafe on Main Street, and Julia informed him they wanted to go to Corey’s cabin.
“We’ll be perfectly fine,” she insisted, and Sera nodded.
“And by the time we go to the grocery store and get up there, the guys will almost be home,” Sera added.
“I’ll go with you,” he stated gruffly.
“Dad—”
“Tell me when you’re ready to go.” His voice held that no-arguing-with-me-about-this tone.
Julia sighed then pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Stubborn man.”
“Just a dad concerned about his daughter and her friend.”
A wistful smile lifted Sera’s lips. At times like these, she especially missed her father. “Thank you, Mr. Evans.”
“Call me Mitch.”
Sera’s heart expanded. They’d all made her feel so welcome since she’d arrived in Cielo Springs. It would be such a nice place to live. The thought teased her, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. One step at a time.
After getting dressed, Sera loaded Loki into his carrier and, after a quick stop at the grocery store, they headed up the mountain in Julia’s cute Jeep Wrangler.
Joel was in hiding, the CIA hot on his trail, so she’d convinced herself he wasn’t a threat any longer. She also felt safer because the sun was shining brightly, and she’d have Julia, Mitch and Storm by her side.
All sorts of plans came together in Sera’s mind.
She wanted to get a roaring fire going and fill the cabin with the smells of cooking, so when Corey walked through the door, it would be a welcoming atmosphere.
Plus, she truly hated that Storm was up there all alone.
Yes, he could take care of himself, but she missed the wolf.
He was Corey’s best friend and she wanted to check in on him.
Maybe even try to bond a bit with him. He didn’t scare her anymore, she realized.
It wasn’t a completely unexpected feeling because she loved animals so much, and she saw how amazing he was with Corey.
The snow flurries hadn’t resulted in any additional measurable accumulation, and the drive wasn’t bad at all. Julia had obviously mastered the technique of driving in Montana winters, and maybe one day Sera would, too.
When they reached the cabin, they all got out and trudged up to the porch. Sera opened the front door with the spare set of keys Brand kept at the bar, in case of an emergency.
“Oh, shit!” Julia jumped, bumping into Sera, and she turned to see Storm standing at the edge of the porch, silently watching them with glowing amber eyes.
“I can see why Brandon didn’t want him at the bar,” Mitch said. “He’d scare all the customers away.” For the first time since meeting him, Mitch looked uneasy.
“Hi, Storm,” Sera greeted him, voice calm and friendly. “C’mon in, boy. What’re you doing out here? Hunting?”
Julia scurried inside, followed by Mitch, and Storm loped in beside Sera, staying at her side.
She couldn’t help but smile as she let her hand slide over his thick coat.
He was truly stunning, and she felt herself growing more and more comfortable with him.
He fascinated her, reminding her of Corey—fierce, loyal, caring, powerful and a little wild.
They went right to the fridge and she pulled out one of Storm’s premade meals. After setting his large bowl down, she turned back to Julia and her father. “Thank you so much for bringing me back. You’re more than welcome to hang out, but I’ll be okay.”
“We’ll hang out for a little bit,” Julia said. “You put Loki away and then we can make more coffee and get a fire going. It’s cold in here.”
“Okay, sounds good.” She grabbed Loki’s carrier. “Corey said he’s been having trouble with the heater and I guess the generator doesn’t always kick on.”
“I’ll go out and grab more wood,” Julia said.
“I’ll help you, honey,” Mitch said. “I can take a look at that generator, too.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” While Mitch and Julia headed outside, Sera went upstairs and released Loki from his bubble carrier.
She’d just stashed it in the corner when she heard the front door slam shut, followed by a commotion downstairs.
A deep, masculine voice yelled out and Sera froze.
That isn’t Mitch’s voice, she realized, her blood chilling.
Jolting into action, she slipped out of the room and jogged down the hallway.
Snarling and yelling filled the air and she rushed down the steps to see Storm attacking a man standing in the entryway.
His teeth held onto the man’s coat, shaking his arm hard.
That’s when Sera noticed the gun in his hand.
Her gaze skated over two more men—and her heart stopped when she saw Joel Largemont. Her old boss hollered, “Shoot it! Shoot the damn thing!”
“No!” Sera launched herself across the great room, determined to protect Storm. The gun fired, missing the wolf, but the loud sound made Storm release his hold. Her need to keep Storm safe overrode her panic and she clipped out, “Storm, to me.”
After echoing the command she’d heard Corey use multiple times, Storm ran straight to her. Sera threw her arms around him, blocking him from any more potential bullets fired. “Don’t you dare hurt him,” she hissed.
“Get away from that beast,” Joel ordered.
Sera looked around, heart thundering. Where are Julia and Mitch? she wondered. Maybe Joel hadn’t seen them. At least, Sera hoped so.
Joel’s eyes narrowed. “You have become quite a fucking problem, Ms. Darling. To be honest, I’m not sure how you’re still breathing.”
Fear trickled through her.
“In case you were wondering, your friends are locked up in the woodshed.”
“You better not have hurt them,” Sera seethed.
“Don’t worry about them. Their job is to deliver an important message to your boyfriend. But you’re coming with us. Grab her.”
Like hell I am. She pressed closer to Storm and the wolf growled low in the back of his throat at the men.
“Stay back,” she warned. “Or he’ll tear your throat out.” She had no idea if he would, but she needed them to believe it. To feel threatened.
They hesitated, and she eyed Joel’s henchmen. Unfortunately, both seemed capable of overpowering her. They were muscular, mean-eyed and armed. Not a winning combination.
The taller one with a snake tattooed on his neck briefly touched his torn coat before lifting the gun in his hand higher. “Move. I’m going to blow him away.”
“No.” Sera shook her head, refusing to back down.
Joel glared at her. “Lock it up now, or he’s putting that beast down.”
Swallowing hard, Sera quickly realized she was running out of options. Maybe the best thing to do would be to go with Joel. By leaving, she’d help keep Julia, Mitch and Storm safe. Because if anything happened to any of them, she’d never forgive herself.
This was all her fault and had nothing to do with them.
Making her decision—to protect the new friends she cared about—Sera slowly stood but made sure her body still blocked Storm.
“I can put him in the bedroom—”
“Put him in there,” Joel ordered, pointing to the pantry with his gun.
Sera hated to lock Storm up in the small closet, but he’d be okay. Julia had her phone and was probably calling for help right at that moment. Ellie or Lottie would let them out.
But what about her? The Motley Crew was still finishing their mission and wouldn’t return until later. By that time, Sera would be long gone. Maybe even dead.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, hesitating.
Joel snapped. “You have three seconds to lock that thing up or I’m shooting you both!”
“Okay!” She carefully guided Storm over to the pantry and opened the door. At any point, Storm could’ve taken off and bolted out the doggy door. But he’d refused to leave her side. “I’m sorry, baby. You’ll be out soon.”
Storm didn’t like going into the pantry, but he was a good boy and did as Sera directed. She left the light on, pulled the door closed and prayed she wasn’t messing up.
“Let’s go,” Joel bit out impatiently, stalking over and grabbing her arm. “You have no idea how much money and grief you’ve caused me, you little bitch.”
“You’re the one who killed Jeremy.”
“And you just happened to be sneaking around down in the warehouse to see.”
“This isn’t my fault,” she stated indignantly.
“It’s all your fault. You cost me everything, and now you’re going to pay.”
Her heart stuttered and she tugged against his grip, but his fingers dug harder into her flesh. “What’re you talking about?”
“We’re going on a little trip,” Joel informed her.
“Where?”
“Down to visit the new head of the Lazaro Cartel. Barrera is quite upset that you’ve managed to screw up our little operation.
So I need to go down and make amends. Smooth things out so we can start up our very lucrative enterprise again.
” His eyes coasted up and down her frame, coming to rest on her face.
“I hear Barrera has a thing for pretty blondes with blue eyes. A bit of a twisted obsession, I’ve been told. ”
Her stomach churned with dread.
“And you, Sera, are my peace offering.”
Oh, God. Terror tore through her as Joel dragged her out of the cabin and toward a big, black SUV.