Chapter 30
The sun was beginning its slow descent behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, casting a warm amber glow over Jonas’s farmhouse and the sprawling yard where laughter echoed.
Around the grill, Bear, Jax, Link, Shadow, and Moose lounged with beers in hand, relaxed smiles softening their normally hard-edged demeanors.
The savory scent of sizzling burgers and hot dogs mingled with the fresh mountain air, punctuated by friendly banter and occasional bursts of laughter.
Link watched as the women emerged from the kitchen, moving together in a graceful, practiced rhythm.
Eloise carried a bowl of freshly chopped herbs while Flora balanced a vibrant salad on her hip.
Elena carefully held a steaming pot of mashed potatoes, and Noor followed with plates of homemade side dishes.
Their laughter and soft chatter filled the air, blending seamlessly with the scent of sizzling burgers.
There was a warmth in the way they worked, familiar and grounding, a reminder of what made this place a true home.
Outside, the kids commanded the yard’s attention.
Sammy and Rhys, deep in concentration, piloted drones high above the treetops, laughing as they dodged branches and chased each other’s crafts through looping flights.
Meanwhile, on the shaded porch, Kenzi, Amelia, Yasmin, and Amina were fully engrossed in a spirited tea party.
The girls were bedecked in dress-up hats and ribbons, pouring imaginary tea and whispering secrets only children understood.
The peaceful scene felt untouched by past scars—until the sound of tires crunching on gravel broke the afternoon’s calm.
From around the corner of the house strode Viper, her silhouette framed by the fading light.
Back from a two-month assignment serving as a personal security agent for a high-profile reality TV star she despised, her sharp gaze softened as she approached the group.
“Glad to be back in the real world, where the stakes are real,” Viper said, offering a half-smile tinged with relief. “Though I’m pretty sure y’all are throwing me a party just to make up for the last two months of forced glitz and glitter I never asked for.”
She glanced around, taking in the scene.
The group had subtly shifted during her absence.
Noor stood near the kitchen counter, her eyes soft as Yasmin and Amina darted past, their laughter mingling with that of the others.
The girls were settling in easily, weaving seamlessly into the fabric of the home.
Moose, sun-kissed from his time back in Tennessee, stood comfortably among the men by the grill.
Elena was nearby, her hands busy with a platter, eyes bright with the familiar ease of reunion.
She had returned with Moose after months spent helping care for his mother, and their gradual return had breathed new life into the group.
“Guess we’ll have to celebrate properly,” Bear said with a grin, tossing Viper a beer. “You’re just in time for dinner. Speaking of which,” his expression turned serious, “we need to discuss arrangements for Dog, Blast, and Nova. They’ll be here shortly to begin their rehab.”
The atmosphere shifted slightly, their earlier mirth tinged with the reality of the previous missions and losses. Link’s expression darkened as he thought of Warden, who had struggled in silence since Tank’s death.
“Warden is…well, he’s in rough shape,” Link admitted, his voice lowering slightly. “He’s refusing to come to Mountain View Farms. Prefers to wallow in his own darkness instead of seeking help.”
Shadow scoffed. “Typical. He thinks he can handle it alone, but we can’t leave him like this. He needs us.”
Jax shook his head, frustration flickering in his gaze. “It’s hard watching him blame himself for Tank. He needs to realize that losing men in combat isn’t a failure; it’s a part of this life.”
Noor, overhearing, felt a surge of empathy for Warden. She had been captivated by his strength and leadership, but if he was struggling, it reminded her that healing came in many forms and took time.
“I think he needs to feel our support,” Noor spoke up softly, her voice steady. “Perhaps if he saw familiar faces, if we visited him, he might see that he’s not alone in this.”
Link slipped up next to Noor, his presence warm and reassuring. He reached out and gently held her as she spoke, a subtle show of affection that felt new and precious in the presence of their friends.
Link nodded, his arm around her shoulder, a protective gesture. “You’re right. He needs to know he has people who care, who want him back. We can help him find a way through this.”
As they shared the moment, a few playful catcalls and whistles rang out from the group, laughter bubbling around them.
“Look at those two!” Moose hollered, wrapped up in Elena’s arms, a wide grin on his face.
He feigned exaggerated awe, prompting another round of chuckles from the crowd.
“Should we start calling him ‘Lovebird’ instead of Link?”
Elena tightened her embrace around Moose, shaking her head with a laugh. “Don’t encourage him!” she playfully scolded, but her eyes sparkled with affection as she looked at the couple.
Link smiled at the camaraderie, subtly squeezing Noor’s shoulder as he appreciated the warmth of their little family, both the one they had created and the one they were part of.
Flora approached, having overheard. “Count me in. He needs to feel the strength of our community. Just like you, Noor, no one’s meant to do this alone.”
Bear clapped a hand on Link’s shoulder, bringing the men back to the present. “And we have to check in with Spider too. He’s still unsure about leaving the military.”
Viper held up her hands, nearly spilling her beer, her eyes darting between Link, Noor, the new kids on the porch, and the somber faces of the men.
“Whoa, whoa. Time out. Rewind.” She pointed a manicured but lethal finger at Link.
“I spend two months making sure a twenty-two-year-old influencer doesn’t accidentally walk into traffic while live-streaming, and I come back to this?
Tank is gone? Warden’s MIA? Link is playing house, and we have a small army of children in the yard? ”
Moose burst out laughing, leaning against the porch rail. “Oh, Vi. You missed the craziest op of the year. Link here went full action-movie hero.”
Viper stared at Link, her jaw actually dropping.
“Wait. Link? Our Link? The guy whose natural habitat is a dark room with three monitors and an endless supply of coffee?” She planted her hands on her hips, looking him up and down.
“You went tactical? Like, kicking-down-doors, dodging-bullets tactical?”
“It wasn’t just me,” Link muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, though the faint blush creeping up his jaw betrayed him. “And I don’t just sit behind monitors.”
“Oh, he’s being modest,” Jax chimed in, flipping a row of burgers with a theatrical flourish.
“Our resident techie dude actually led a subterranean breach into a fortified compound in Syria, stole a warlord’s family right out from under him, and outran a rocket launcher.
Oh, and Sammy? Sammy’s a certified badass now. ”
Viper blinked, processing the sheer volume of information. “Syria? Cisterns? Rockets?” She took a long, slow sip of her beer, shaking her head. “I leave you guys alone for two seconds and the IT department turns into Rambo.”
“We made it work,” Shadow said with a rare, genuine grin. “Though it cost us. But look around, Viper. It was worth it.”
Viper’s sharp gaze softened as she watched Yasmin and Amina successfully wrangle Kenzi into a lopsided hug on the lawn. “Yeah,” she murmured softly. “Looks like it was.”
Before Viper could demand the full, unredacted after-action report, the crunch of gravel sounded down the long driveway. A modified transport van pulled slowly up to the edge of the lawn. The chatter around the grill died down, replaced by a ripple of eager anticipation.
The side door slid open. Dog stepped out first, looking a little stiff, a fading purple bruise marking his jawline.
He turned and offered a steady hand to Nova.
She emerged slowly, her left arm secured in a heavy, high-tech brace, a pale scar visible near her temple.
But her posture was as ramrod straight as ever, her icy eyes scanning the yard before landing on the barbecue.
Finally, with a grunt of effort and a flurry of curses that made Eloise cover her ears, Blast maneuvered himself out of the van, leaning heavily on a pair of forearm crutches, his right leg heavily braced.
“Don’t everyone rush to help me at once!” Blast barked, though the wide, lopsided grin on his face completely ruined his gruff facade. “I only got shot and crushed by a helicopter, I’m fine!”
“You’re moving too slow, old man,” Nova quipped dryly, adjusting her sling. She looked past the grill and immediately locked eyes with Sammy, who had abandoned his drone the second the van pulled up. She offered him a crisp, two-finger salute. “Hey, kid. Keep your head down lately?”
Sammy beamed, making his way over on his crutches. “Only when I’m dodging Rhys’s drones. Good to see you, Nova.”
Dog took a deep breath of the mountain air, closing his eyes for a brief second. “Tell me there’s food. Hospital jelly has permanently scarred my soul.”
“Burgers are up, brother,” Bear called out, his voice thick with emotion as he walked over to pull Dog into a careful, but fierce, bear hug.
The yard erupted into a beautiful, chaotic symphony of reunions.
Moose and Elena ushered Blast toward a comfortable deck chair, while Jax began piling plates high with food.
Viper immediately cornered Nova, a fellow sniper, demanding the real story of the extraction, knowing Nova wouldn’t sugarcoat a single detail about Link’s sudden transition to field commander.
Link stood back from the fray, pulling Noor gently against his side.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, her uninjured hand resting flat against his chest, feeling the steady, reassuring beat of his heart.
She watched her daughters carry a plate of cookies over to Blast, who immediately began complaining to the toddlers that they didn’t bring him enough chocolate chips, making them erupt into giggles.
“It’s loud,” Noor whispered, echoing the words Sammy had once used to describe this place.
“Is it too much?” Link asked, looking down at her, his protective instincts instantly flaring.
Noor smiled, rising up on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his jaw. She looked at the wounded warriors healing in the sun, at the children playing in the grass, and at the man holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world.
“No,” she said, her voice filled with a profound, unshakable peace. “It’s perfect. It’s home.”
Read on for a sneak peek at Dog’s book, coming up next: