Page 84 of Rescuing Mia
I recognize him as the one I had a chokehold on.
“Fucking monster nearly drowned me. If Gabe hadn’t gotten him off me, I’d be swimming with the fishes.”
Despite the tension of the moment, a swell of pride runs through me. It’s been a while since I’ve put my skills to the test like that, but it’s good to know I haven’t lost my edge.
“Now, that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.” Blake laughs, clapping me on the shoulder. “Back in the day, Rigel was the team’s resident MMA champ. If you wanted to brush up on your hand-to-hand, Rigel was your man. Kicked my ass more times than I can count.”
I shake my head, a grin tugging at my lips despite the situation. “Former champ. I’m retired, remember?”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Ethan mutters, but his eyes show a glint of respect.
“So, is no one going to tell me what you’re doing out here, absconding with my girl?” I look at the men and demand the answer Blake’s evading.
“That’s need to know only, and you don’t need to know,” Ethan lays down the gauntlet, but I’m not playing his game.
“You’ve got five seconds to tell me what the fuck you’re doing with Mia, or all five of you are taking a nice long swim.” I doubt I can take all five of them on at once, but I will.
At most, I can get two, maybe three, of them in the water, but that would leave two of them to fight in the boat. With Mia passed out on the floorboard, there is no room to maneuver.
It’s a bluff.
We all know it.
But they need to know I’m serious.
Ethan looks to Blake, who shrugs. “Rigel’s solid, and if I know anything about him, he’s already pieced most of it together. I say read him in.”
“Damn straight.” My words come out low and growly, and my patience is nearly at an end.
“If you know Blake,” Ethan says, “then you know who we are.”
“Actually, I haven’t a fucking clue who you are.”
“We’re Guardians,” Blake pipes up, but his words mean nothing to me. When I return a flat stare, he continues. “Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists, at your service.”
“Guardians?” I stare at him, pieces clicking into place. “That’s the private firm you joined after the Navy?”
“The one and only. We specialize in hostage rescue, personal protection, and odd jobs when called upon when official channels just won’t do. We were hired to protect Mia.”
“Tell me everything,” I say to Blake, my voice low and intense. “I need to know what I’m up against.”
Blake meets my gaze, his eyes glinting with the same determined fire I feel burning in my own veins. “Buckle up, brother. You’re in for one hell of a ride.”
He glances at Ethan, waiting for a sign to continue.
Ethan gives a solid jerk of his chin, which is probably as close as we’re going to get to a yes.
“An agent was killed in Manila,” Blake begins. “We got a call from the U.S. Embassy. They needed our help locating Mia and extracting her from theSerenitybefore it docked in Sydney. Before anyone else can get to her.”
“Agent Torres? Go on.”
Ethan gives me a look. “Is it safe to assume Mia told you what’s happening?”
“She told me everything.”
“Mind sharing what you know?” Ethan demands.
“I mind very much, especially since those are Mia’s secrets to share. Not mine. Considering you boarded theSerenitywith the specific intent to kidnap Mia, I figure this is a you-go-first kind of scenario. You tell me what you know, and I’ll either confirm or deny what I can.”