Chapter 22
Safe House Four
The house is crawling with people, silently taking care of business, only one of them watching me as I pace.
His name is Scout. They brought the former SEAL here on purpose because of what his girl went through.
Some kind of hell like Jade’s.
A black German Shepherd lies at his feet, ears twitching, but otherwise holding still.
Another operator walks into the room, looks between us, his expression serious. “Thane radioed in. They’re on the way back with one of the hunters.”
“Thank fuck,” I exhale hard. But it only relieves a fraction of the intense pressure behind my sternum.
The man pivots and returns to the meeting room where a mix of Team Falcon and OG Agile members are pouring over information.
“How long has it been?” I ask Scout, a catch in my voice.
He glances at the tactical watch on his wrist. “Thirty four minutes. Going to be more than an hour.”
“Fuck,” I scrub my hands over my face. “I know that. I just can’t…”
“I get it.” He motions toward the chair across the table from him.
When I sit down, he doesn’t speak. He just looks at me, scans my face.
“I’m ready to talk,” I admit, wrapping my hand around a cooling cup of coffee he made for me when Jade first went into the back bedroom with the counselor.
“I’m here for it,” he quietly replies.
“What if…”
A choking sound cuts off the rest of my words.
“Then you support her. Whatever it takes.”
Gritting my teeth, I stare at the table. “I want to kill him.”
“I’m sure you will.” He snaps his fingers and the dog moves to my side, she’s got big soulful eyes and a cold nose that she presses against my arm.
Before I think about it, my hand is in her scruff, feeling that thick soft fur.
She leans against my hip, letting me pet her, and an ounce of tension releases from my constricted throat.
“What did you do for your girl?”
He clears his throat, rests both of his elbows on the table. “I let her cry, and held her through every single time. I stood by her side when she confronted every fucking demon.”
Fuck. I feel ill. I drop my head, trying to get my emotions under control.
“I’m sick with this. Fucking sick. I let that accident happen, let them grab her.”
He doesn’t move, but when I look at him, his eyes are the kind of hard that is what a man like me needs.
“Did you do your best?”
I nod, my hand buried in that comforting black fur, with no words forming.
“Then you did your job.”
I blow out another breath, fire burning at the back of my eyes. “She’s so fucking fragile and so fucking strong.”
“Just like Aria. They will meet soon.”
There’s heavy silence for a while that neither of us has to fill.
“Where are you taking her when this is all done?” he asks, lifting his own coffee for a drink.
“I won’t take her anywhere until this is wrapped and those fuckers are behind bars or buried.”
The dog licks at my hand and I scratch behind its ear, absently letting my fingers do their own thing.
“After that, what will you do?” he prompts, and I know he’s not going to drop this.
“Take her home, if she’ll let me. I have some land, a house. Close to Agile’s headquarters.”
He nods, watches the dog as she leans into my touch. “Sounds like a good place for a dog.”
“It would be.”
The dog seems to know we’re talking about her. Tilting her head, she looks at me.
“I’m just worried, that I won’t be all that she needs. I mean she’ll have access to counseling and anything I can think of. But it’s the every day. The day-to-day when the demons in your mind come to hunt you.”
“She’s trained for that.” He nods toward the dog. “Emotional support. If you want her, she’s yours.”
My head snaps up.
“What are you talking about?”
“June’s an emotional support dog. I have a friend that trains them. I brought her here for the two of you.”
As if she knows we’re talking about her, her ears perk up, tail thumping against the floor.
“Jade will love her,” I reply, sounding far too emotional.
“You’re right. And what you can’t give Jade, the dog will. They can listen to the hardest things and not even flinch. You on the other hand will be planning revenge every single time she tells you someone hurt her, even if it was the clerk at the grocery store that bruised her avocados.”
“You’re right.”
Christ. I force a swallow that feels like glue and rocks.
“This will be good. I know a couple of guys from the teams that have their dogs. I can’t believe you thought of this. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I know where you are. Aria’s companion dog is with her right now.”
He pauses for a beat, watching the dog as she closes her eyes and leans into my touch.
After a pause, he says, “You might not know our story, but I was drugged and Aria was taken.”
I slowly look up at him. His share hangs between us, big as a ten-thousand pound boulder.
Two former SEALs who should never have this happen to them, but it did. No wonder Agile sent him.
“How did you cope with it?”
“Lots of sessions with a punching bag. Running my fucking legs off. Therapy. Hard conversations. Talking to other men just like you.”
“I feel so fucking guilty.”
He tips his head, “You always will. But you’ll build something afterward. Then you’ll stand in that place and know you’re giving her all you have to give.”
“I’m not letting her go.”
“Of course you’re not.”
That feels good. A line drawn. An admission. Even if Jade wants…
Fuck. “I can’t even think about life without her now. I’ll convince her. We are going to have a future. I don’t quit when shit gets hard. Never have.”
He flashes a half-grin, but the mood stays serious.
“So did you get revenge for what happened to your girl?” I ask, my mind returning to the hard truth of what was done to Jade.
“I did.” He shifts, a cool flicker in his gaze. “Speaking of, do you want to keep working for Agile and Team Falcon?”
With a shake of my head, I look down at the mug in my hand. “I failed. I also didn’t fulfill my obligations to the team, so I think it’s—”
He interrupts. “We’ve got an offer for you.”
I watch his expression, but the unreadable operator’s mask is firmly in place.
“What kind of offer?”
“This thing you two got caught in is going to take a dedicated team. The government’s asking for our help. We want you to lead the team.”
My heart is already beating out a dangerous, slow pounding rhythm. “Agile’s going to dedicate a team to this?”
“Looks like this crime ring is international.”
We know that means the government’s hands can be tied. Private contracts often fill the gaps.
The idea of making these people pay, puts new life in my battery.
He stands up, moves to the sink and rinses his cup. When he returns I’m still in the same spot.
“It’s bigger than you know, Ryker. It’s going to take time to unravel it.”
“I’m in.”
He clasps my shoulder. “Good, now let’s go for a walk so you can get your head clear before she comes out of that room.”
We’re walking toward the front door, June glued to my thigh as if she already knows that I’m now one of her people.
A woman steps in through the doorway as we approach. Andre, one of the Agile team is with her.
“This is my wife, Dr. Willow Barnhill.”
She shakes our hands, says hello to June, who wags her whole body, and offers me a gentle look. “They called me in to do the forensic exam.”
I freeze, heart rocketing upward. “Did Jade decide to proceed?”
She nods, but stays quiet.
“Does she need me?”
“Not yet,” Willow replies, touching my forearm. “But she may want you after. It’s up to her. Women process this in different ways. Some like to be alone for a bit to work through their emotions.”
Choked up, I rasp, “Of course. Whatever she wants.”
Scout clears his throat and motions to the door. “We were just going out for some fresh air.”
“Perfect,” she says with a kind smile. “I’ll send Andre for you in a bit. Probably an hour or so. I like to spend some time together, no rushing something like this.”
When I stand there mute, she follows her husband, one of Agile’s snipers, into the house.
Scout grabs my arm and forces me through the door. “We won’t go far. You’ll be here when she’s ready. Plus you need to meet with your new team before they interrogate the fuckhead they’re bringing in.”