26. Chapter 26
26
Chapter 26
Sean
The SEALs stepped through the door and spread out over the catwalks that sat above the main floor of the building, Sean leading the way. There were twelve men down there, counting one who clearly didn’t belong to Jonah’s crowd, dressed in all black with a creepy, confident attitude and stance that would have most men on their knees begging for mercy.
Jonah argued, but Sean thought that had more to do with his guys pulling their guns. Jonah may be a lot of things, but he wasn’t a complete fool. Any moment now, this could turn into a shooting match.
Gray anticipated the same and he set up his M91A2 Rifle against the railing.
Jonah’s guys moved in and started cocking their guns.
“This isn’t looking good,” Wolfe said.
“It’s going to be a blood bath.” Liam breathed out.
“It is,” Jonah screamed with a bit of hysteria in his voice. “It’s Ryker and Vittoria Rockefeller!”
The guys all paused and stared at Jonah.
Knox pointed down to the floor. “Did he just say Ryker Rockefeller? As in our Ryker Rockefeller?”
“Our Ryker Rockefeller is pretend,” Liam reminded him.
“I kinned we shouldnae have named him that,” Mack said. “Stupid name.”
A guy to Jonah’s left lifted his gun and was about to fire when a quick pop echoed through the building. The guy’s gun flew in the air, and he buckled over holding his hand.
Sean and the guys all looked at Gray. He stood and shrugged. “What?”
“I said no kill shots,” Mack said.
Gray pointed at the guy now kneeling over his hand that had to sting like the dickens after having his firearm shot out of it. “He’s still alive.”
“Were you picturing Titan?” Wolfe asked.
Gray sniffed. “I didn’t say that.” He lined up his rifle again. “Maybe.”
Knox chuckled. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Below them, the room exploded in a mass hysteria. The men were running around. Shooting at nothing. One guy shot another guy in his crew.
“The guy in black is gone,” Liam said. “We’ve got to get down there.”
“Liam, Mack,” Sean said. “You go right. Wolfe and I will go left. Knox, stay with Gray.”
Knox pointed down to the floor. Blue was untying her dad when Jonah came up behind her and grabbed her by her hair.
Of course Sean had heard the expression “seeing red” but until this moment, he’d never experienced it. It wasn’t just a vision thing; it was a whole-body thing. His muscles coiled. His teeth ground down. His heart beat at about a million miles an hour of red blood through his veins. Adrenaline pumped in his veins from the top of his head to the tips of his toes and back in a split second. And his mind raced with a billion thoughts of what he would do to Jonah once he had him in his grasp. That was seeing red.
Like a coil ready to spring, he took off like a shot down the catwalk, not caring if anyone heard his thundering footsteps. Another pop sounded as Gray took another shot. Sean barely heard it now.
Jonah and Blue disappeared behind a big bus—the front door to the building had to be on the other side of it, and there was no way Sean would beat them there taking the stairs. Keeping a steady pace, he examined the room. Cable support wires stretched across the building from the ceiling down to load supporting beams.
Sean caught sight of one near the catwalk that went down to an I-beam below. In a flash, he picked up speed, kicked off the rail on the left of the catwalk, and used it to propel himself over the side. He caught the wire with his hands, and slid down to the bus, landing on top of it with a thud.
“Let. Go. Of. Me!” Blue screamed.
“Stop fighting me, or this won’t end well for you,” Jonah snapped.
Sean slid off the side of the bus, over them, and landed in a crouch between them and the door.
Jonah pulled his weapon at the same time Sean pulled his.
“Shoot him, Sean, just shoot him!” Blue snarled, her face was red with fury, and she shook from barely contained rage. More blasts sounded from Gray’s gun, making Jonah more and more jittery. He turned his gun on Blue.
Screams, orders, and shots came from all around them.
“Shut. Up!” Jonah yanked her against his side until her back was flush with his front.
Everything in Sean told him to listen to Blue, but his training kicked in bringing with it reason. Sean was a good shot. Amazing even. All of the guys on their team were. But he was also fuming, and mistakes were made when emotions were high. Blue was too close to Jonah for him to feel perfectly safe that she’d be okay. So, he went to his next weapon of choice.
“You don’t want to do this, Jonah,” Sean said. “One slip up, one mistake, and I’ll drop you. You can still come out of this alive, but only if you put your gun down.”
Jonah shook his head. “Do I look like I was born yesterday? I’ve seen this in movies. If I put my gun down, you’ll shoot.”
“You idiot,” Blue seethed. “It’s the guy who doesn’t put his gun down that gets shot.”
“I don’t want to shoot you. I don’t want to kill you in front of Blue,” Sean said. “Please don’t make me do it.”
Jonah slammed the barrel of his gun against Blue’s temple, making her wince away. The idiot’s finger was on the trigger. “No, you put your gun down or I’ll shoot.”
Sean lifted the barrel of his gun, and every nerve in his body lit on fire as he watched Jonah’s finger trembling over the trigger. “Take your finger off the trigger.”
Blue stiffened up at that.
“Drop your gun,” Jonah ordered.
Slowly, Sean started to lower his gun to the floor.
Jonah laughed. “You were never good enough for her. Even now, I’m better, and yet I’ve spent the last two years living in your shadow.”
In his peripheral vision, Sean caught movement on top of the bus. Wolfe.
He kept talking to Jonah. “You’re right. I’m not good enough for her. I should have fought for her.”
Jonah slid his finger off the trigger as he continued to drag Blue along.
Sean looked Blue in the eye. Tears streamed down her cheeks now. “I should have fought for you.”
Jonah pulled the barrel an inch away from her scalp, and Sean took his chance.
“Now!” Sean yelled.
Wolfe tossed something off the top of the bus against the far wall, it clanged, and Jonah twisted to see what was there. Blue jabbed him in the ribs and ducked away from him, and then Sean lunged.
Jonah turned right into Sean’s fist. He crumpled, but Sean grabbed his collar and pummeled him over and over again. He planned to hit him for every tear that fell from Blue’s eyes.
“It’s done.” Wolfe grabbed Sean and pulled him away from Jonah. Jonah slumped to the ground. Wolfe nodded over his shoulder to Blue. She sat in a heap on the floor where she’d ducked and then fallen. “Go get her.”
Sean stepped around Wolfe, and in two steps, had Blue up and in his arms. She grasped at him, digging her hands into his shoulders with all her might, and he squeezed her tight against him. “Are you all right?”
Her breathing came hard and she trembled against him. “That was so scary.”
He kissed her on the temple, and breathed her in—breathed in her scent that smelled an awful lot like his bodywash, and sent a wash of possessiveness through him. “I know, baby. It’s all over now.”
And it was. The room had gone completely silent.
Sean caught Wolfe’s eye over Blue’s head, and Wolfe pointed over his shoulder toward the room. Sean nodded, and Blue turned just as Wolfe dragged Jonah with him behind the bus to help wrap up whatever else needed wrapping up.
Blue gripped him tighter to her, her little fingers digging into his shoulders. “Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t. I’m never leaving you again,” Sean said, letting the truth of the words hang over them. Gramps was right. The witness protection and court martial were mere nuisances in comparison to the thought of ever letting her out of his arms again. “And I’m not letting you go either.”
Relaxing her grip just enough that she could lean back and look up at him, Blue asked, “What are you saying?”
“We’re in this together. Forever. Where you go. I go.”
Another tear slid down her cheek, and then she laughed. Before he could speak, ask what she found so funny, she’d pushed up onto her toes and kissed him. Smooth, plump lips that tasted of salty tears and joy, that moved with his like they were made to, like they’d always be meant to mold to his, just as her body molded to his now.
And it was everything. Warm sunshine, good surf, the cool embrace of the ocean, Nonna’s hugs, Grandpa’s wishes for him, and oh, so much more. It was everything he’d ever wanted for his future. A house, a family, a big dog, children, and a wife he loved beyond reason. As her petal soft lips moved over his, he saw it all.
Then, she yanked back, and the room blurred as he tried to focus on what was happening.
“Dad!” Blue grabbed his hand and pulled him after her around the bus.
Jonah’s men were sprawled out on the floor, tallest to shortest—a quirk of Mack’s—hands on their heads. From the big holes in the floor and sides of boats, cars, and more, Sean guessed Gray had used his rifle to herd the men where he wanted them until they were too terrified to do anything else. He’d seen Gray use that move before. Soren St. James or . . . Ryker Rockefeller—weirdest coincidence ever—stood beside Mack and Gray, rubbing his wrists. Blue released his hand and ran into her dad’s arms. “You’re okay.”
Her dad hugged her back. “What did I tell you to do if I ever got caught?” he said gruffly.
Blue leaned away, then looked for Sean, and grabbed his hand once more before responding to her dad. “I’m not leaving you, Dad. Not ever.”
“Blue . . .” Soren shook his head. He wasn’t happy with that answer. Sean couldn’t say he was entirely thrilled either. Not that he wanted Soren hurt. Before this was all over, Blue would have to tell him everything. If they had a target hanging over their heads, he needed to know which direction the shots were coming from.
An echoing thud of a metal door hitting drywall reverberated around the warehouse, along with the sounds of the storm, and feet rushing into the room. “U.S. Marshalls, everyone hands on your heads!”
A middle-aged balding man with a grim demeanor led the troops.
The SEAL team lowered their guns but did not put their hands on their heads.
“Stroup, stop,” Blue said, rushing in front of Sean and his team. “These guys are on our side. They saved us.”
Sean grabbed her around the waist and slowly dragged her back to him. He really wished she’d stop throwing herself into danger.
Stroup paused.
Mack stepped forward with his military ID.
Stroup took it, looked it over, and then turned his full attention to Mack. “Lieutenant, do you want to tell me what in the blazes is going on here?”
“I can explain everything.” Gramps pushed through the back of the crowd looking angrier than a wet cat and, well, wetter than a wet cat.
Sean stood taller, his arm tightening around Blue. Gramps looked his way and nodded once in approval. Sean grinned. This was going to be good.