Chapter 19
Ren stared up at the helicopter and saw his buddy Sawyer in the open side door. The former Ghost Ops soldier had a rifle in his hand. He lifted, aimed, and fired at the attackers racing onto the beach.
Swiveling, Ren saw several of the masked men go down. Sawyer had always been a good shot. It was that patience of his.
In the distance, Ren heard the sound of sirens.
More help arriving.
Relief punched through him. They’d made it.
Halle was safe.
Halle laughed and dropped to her knees. “We’re going to be all right.”
“I promised you we would be.” He dropped down in front of her.
The Navy helicopter flew over the houses, and he heard more gunfire. Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s helicopter came into land on the sand nearby.
As the wind whipped at their hair, Halle cupped his cheeks. Her face lit up. Her smile was so beautiful and his chest tightened. Damn, he loved her.
With a happy sound, she kissed him.
He hauled her closer and kissed her back. He kept kissing her. He never wanted to stop.
“I swing in to save the day, and you still get the girl,” a deep voice said.
Ren looked up and saw Sawyer standing over them in his sheriff’s uniform.
Dark green pants covered long legs, and his khaki shirt stretched over a wide chest. His service weapon was holstered at his hip. Sawyer had light brown hair he kept cut short, although it was longer than the last time Ren had seen him, and the tips were turning gold. Clearly, Hawaii agreed with him.
He had a strong jaw, and Ren had always teased him about having a Superman jaw, complete with a dent in the center of his chin. He often got mistaken for the actor who played Jack Reacher in the TV show. Ren found it hilarious, and Sawyer found it annoying.
Right now, Sawyer was smiling, his green eyes alight with amusement.
Ren pulled Halle up. “Sawyer. About time you got here.” With one arm, he hugged his friend, and Sawyer slapped his back.
“Just glad you aren’t riddled with bullets.”
“Me too.” Ren tucked Halle under his arm. “Deputy Sheriff Sawyer Lane, meet Halle Bradshaw. Halle, this is my good friend, Sawyer.”
Halle reached out and hugged Sawyer. “We are very glad to see you.”
Sawyer gently patted her back. “Glad you’re okay, Halle.”
“How did you get here so fast?” Ren asked.
“I didn’t have time to tell you when you called that I was already on the island,” Sawyer answered. “After we learned that the Atalanta had been attacked, I decided to try and track you down.”
“How did you know about the Atalanta?” Ren asked.
“Your man, Damien, managed to get a message out.”
Ren shook his head. “That man is getting a raise.”
“After his call, I mobilized. A Coast Guard MSST team secured your ship and took the attackers into custody.”
Ren knew that the Coast Guard’s Maritime Safety and Security Team were experts at infiltrating ships.
Sawyer glanced at Halle. “Your team are all okay, by the way.” Then his face turned serious as he looked at Ren. “You lost a few of your crew.”
Ren thought of Jack. “I saw one was dead when we got away. He was a good man.”
“We learned that you and Halle had left with the drone and fuel cell. And Mark Davis was missing. We figured you’d aim for the closest island, so I scrambled what resources I could.” A smile tugged at Sawyer’s lips. “I wasn’t having much luck at first, but Vander pulled a few strings. Suddenly, the sheriff offered me a helo, and the Navy were all too happy to help as well. They were very motivated to get their fuel cell back. We came to Molokai to find you.”
“God, it’s over,” Halle said. “We’re safe. We’re alive.”
Ren cupped the back of her neck. “We are, baby.”
With a whoop, she leaped on him. His hands cupped her ass as she wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed him.
Damn. His cock twitched. He really wished they didn’t have an audience.
Then he sensed something and broke the kiss.
He looked up and saw a group heading down the beach toward them.
Instantly, from the way three of the men moved, he knew they were Navy SEALs. No doubt from Pearl Harbor.
Then his gaze fell on the dark-haired man striding at the front of the group. He wore a ballistic vest and was carrying an assault rifle.
Vander Norcross.
The man beside Vander jerked to a stop, staring at Ren and Halle.
Ren sucked in a breath.
Tom.
As the rest of the group continued down the path, Tom stood frozen, his face impassive.
Oh, hell.
Halle looked over and blinked. “Dad.”
Ren set her down. He’d known this moment would come. He took her hand.
She was his, and he wanted everyone to know, and that included Tom.
Ren best’s friend and mentor stared at them for another second, then swiveled, and stalked back up the hill toward the houses.
“Oh.” Halle looked distraught.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ren murmured. “I love you.”
That got him a smile.
“Ren,” a deep voice said.
Ren looked up and into the dark eyes of his former commander. A man he trusted to the bone. “Vander.”
Vander pulled him in for a quick hug. “Damn glad you’re all right, Ren.”
He realized Vander must have left for Hawaii not long after he’d spoken with him on the Atalanta. “You didn’t have to come.”
Vander’s lips quirked. “Yeah. I did. I had an inkling you’d need some help.”
“Thank fuck for your spooky instincts. Things were getting dire.”
“You left a trail of bodies up there.” Vander jerked a thumb at the house.
“I wasn’t letting any of them get to Halle.”
Vander smiled. “It’s a pleasure to see you, Halle.”
She held out a hand. “Thanks for your help. And thanks for having Ren’s back.”
Vander nodded and looked at Ren. “You finally got your head out of your ass.”
Ren laughed. “I did.” He pulled her against his chest and wrapped an arm around her neck. “I couldn’t fight her any longer.”
“And the fuel cell?” Vander asked.
“Oh.” Halle slipped the backpack off her shoulders and pulled it open.
Ren reached in and pulled the fuel cell out.
“Well done, both of you.” Vander took it, then handed it to one of the Navy SEALs. “You did good work.”
At the end of the beach, Ren saw the other two SEALs had several Chinese men in handcuffs, as well as Professor Davis. And several local law enforcement officers were heading down the beach path.
“You two look like you need a hot shower and a few days of sleep,” Sawyer said.
Halle groaned. “I have to say my first time on a Hawaiian island didn’t quite go how I expected. A hot shower sounds like heaven.
“I think that can be arranged,” Sawyer said with a smile. “I promise, we can show you the better side of Hawaii.”
Ren wassilent as they walked up the path from the beach.
And not in a good way.
Halle had a sick feeling building inside her.
“Ren…” She stopped. “I know we need to talk to my father.”
“Yes.”
God, clearly her father had been shocked and surprised to see her and Ren together. What if he demanded Ren leave her? What if her stubborn man agreed out of misguided guilt?
“Hey.” Ren gripped her chin. “I love you. You’re the best thing that ever walked into my life. I love your dad, too. I owe him so much.”
She bit her lip, feeling like she was waiting for an axe to drop.
“But I’m not giving you up.” He lowered his head and kissed her. “You’re mine, and I’ll face down endless foreign agents, unhappy fathers, or whatever comes my way. I’d go to war for you.”
She went up on her toes and nibbled his lips. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Hand in hand, they circled the house. It was looking very worse for wear. There were broken windows and bullet holes everywhere. She winced, thinking of the poor owners.
There were several police cars out front, and she saw several hard-eyed prisoners on the ground, along with quite a few sheet-covered bodies. The Navy helicopter sat nearby.
It was a Sikorsky Seahawk. Her father had made her memorize Navy ships and aircraft as a game when she’d been little.
Then her gaze fell on the tall form of her father. He stood nearby, with his back to them, facing the ocean, and his hands on his hips. The breeze teased his brown hair that was the same color as hers, except where the gray had started to creep in.
Halle took hold of Ren’s hand, set her shoulders back, then strode toward her father.
“Dad?”
His shoulders tensed, then he turned. His jaw was tight.
“Are you all right, Halle?” His gaze fell on their joined hands and his lips flattened.
“Just a few scrapes and bruises,” she said.
“She got nicked by a bullet,” Ren added.
“What?” Her dad grabbed her shoulders.
“I’m fine, Dad.”
He sucked in a harsh breath. “Thank God.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve been so worried. As soon as I heard there was a problem, I flew out here.”
Love filled her. This man had always been there for her. He’d missed a lot during her younger years, but he was still the one who’d taught her to ride a bike, taught her self-defense, made her hot dogs when her first boyfriend had broken up with her. After her mom had died, he’d never wavered in supporting her.
Then he looked up and his gaze locked on Ren.
“You asshole,” her dad bit out. “I trusted you. I asked you to look after her, and you…”
Ren said nothing.
Halle huffed out a breath. “Dad—”
“No.” Her father shook his head. “He’s my best friend. The man I trusted most in the entire world. He broke the unwritten code. I was worried sick about the both of you, but I knew Ren would have your back. And then I see you two kissing.”
“Dad,” she tried again.
“He’s older and more experienced than you. He took advantage of you. He—”
“Fell in love with me,” she said.
Her father startled at the vehemence in her voice
“And I’m in love with him,” she said softly. “I have been for a long while, but he’s been fighting it.”
Something shifted in his father’s eyes, and he glanced at Ren. “That’s why you haven’t come around so much.”
“Dad, I’m standing here alive and unharmed because of him. Because he risked everything to keep me safe.” She reached back and took Ren’s hand. Their fingers tangled. “I love him. And you love him. Who better for me to be with, Dad? Than the man you trust, love, and respect.”
Her father raked a hand through his hair. “No one’s good enough for my little girl.”
She smiled. “I’m not so little anymore.”
Ren took a step forward. “I’ll do everything to make her happy, Tom. And keep her safe. To give her everything she wants and deserves.”
“Fuck.” Her dad muttered. Emotions crossed his face. “Come here.”
He pulled both Halle and Ren in for a hug.
She threw her arms around both the men she loved.
“I love you, Halle,” her father said. “You’ve always been the light of my life.” He looked at Ren. “It has been an honor to watch you grow into the man you are today. Take care of my girl.”
Ren gave him a solemn nod. She could tell he was holding back his own emotions. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest.
Then her father lowered his voice. “If you ever make her unhappy, I’ll gut you. Quickly, quietly, and your body will never be found.”
“Dad.” She slapped his stomach. “That is a bad joke.”
“It’s not a joke,” Ren said.
She blinked.
Then both men smiled and hugged again, slapping each other’s backs.
Love welled in Halle, for both of them. Her warriors. Her father, and the man who’d captured her heart.
She saw Sawyer and Vander standing nearby. If she wasn’t already in love with Ren, she’d definitely spend some time checking them out.
“When can we get out of here?” she asked.
“As soon as you’re ready, baby.” Ren ran a hand over her hair.
“How about you come back to Maui with me?” Sawyer suggested. “We’ll get you guys checked out, then I’ll show you some real Hawaiian hospitality.”
“As long as it involves no hikes through jungles, no long ocean swims, and no bad guys, I’m in,” she said.
Her father smiled at her, and Ren laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.