Page 86 of Rescuing Mia
I explain my connection to Mia, feeling the need to share now that I know who these men are. I look down at Mia, my heart clenching at the sight of her pale, still face. She looks so fragile, so vulnerable.
“She was really evasive at first. I thought it was just a shipboard romance, but there’s something about her that…” I look up at Blake. “I can’t describe our connection. The other night, she finally broke down and told me everything. I know what she discovered. I know about Agent Torres. I’m not sure, but I think that moment in the street, I might have saved her from the assassin.” I take a breath, coming to a decision. “I’m coming with you.” My tone leaves no room for argument. “I’m not leaving her side, not until she’s safe.”
Blake and Ethan exchange a look.
“This isn’t your fight,” Ethan says, his voice gentle but firm. “You’re not part of the team, and this mission is classified. We can’t bring a civilian in on this.”
“Don’t care what you have to say about it.” A hot, pricking sensation starts at the base of my spine and spreads through my body like wildfire. “Mia is mine. I’m not going to sit back and let someone else protect her.”
Blake’s eyes widen, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Ethan leans forward, his expression thoughtful. “I understand your feelings, but this is a highly sensitive operation, and we can’t afford any liabilities or distractions.”
“Fortunately, I’m neither of those things.” I meet his gaze, my jaw clenched with determination. “I’m a U.S. Navy SEAL. You know what I’m capable of, and classified is right up my alley. I probably know more than you do about what Mia’s got herself mixed up in. As for staying focused, I’m laser-focused on keeping Mia safe. I’m not leaving her.”
“You know…” Blake taps his chin, “the team is a man down after Jeb’s departure.”
“We’re not the recruiting department.” Ethan grits his teeth, a flicker of respect in his eyes.
“Maybe not, but it’s your team. If you speak with CJ, I bet we can fix that.” Blake turns to me. “What do you say? Interested in a really cool job?”
“You don’t have the authority to offer him a job.” Ethan cuts Blake off and fixes a hard stare on my friend.
“This could be one of those ask for permission later kinds of things. You have to admit, he’s got the skills… He already knows what’s happening. And I can vouch as to his skills. Not that you don’t already know what he’s capable of, considering how he handled himself on deck.”
“Since it looks like you’re going to give us trouble if we ask you to leave, I’m not against it.” Ethan gives me a long look. “But I’m in command. You get in my way, disobey my orders, and you’re gone. Got it?”
“Got it.” I nod, my heart pounding with determination. “Just tell me what you need.”
As the boat speeds through the darkness, the distant lights of theSerenityfade into the night. I hold Mia close, my arms wrapped around her shivering form, and press my lips to her forehead, whispering words of comfort and reassurance.
“It’s going to be okay,” I murmur, my voice hoarse with emotion, but even as the words leave my lips, a sense of dread settles in the pit of my stomach, a fear that I may not be able to keep that promise.
The fight to keep Mia safe has only just begun.
As I sit there, surrounded by a team of elite operatives on a mission to protect the woman I hold in my arms, I can’t help but be in awe of the twists and turns that have brought me to this moment.
Just a few short days ago, I was a man adrift, searching for purpose and direction in a world that had lost its meaning. Now, with Mia, I have a new mission to fulfill.
I’m filled with a sense of clarity and focus that I haven’t felt in years. A sense of peace settles over me, a calm in the midst of the storm. As the RIB cuts through the waves, speeding toward an uncertain future, I hold Mia close and whisper a silent promise to the stars above.
Just as I allow myself to relax, a sound cuts through the air. A sound that sends a chill down my spine. It’s a low, rhythmic thumping, barely audible over the roar of the RIB’s engine but growing louder with each passing second.
I look up and scan the sky. That’s when I see a helicopter, its sleek black form barely visible against the inky black of the night sky. It’s flying low, skimming the water’s surface, and heading straight for us.
“Please tell me that’s yours,” I shout, my voice nearly lost in the howling wind.
Ethan and Blake exchange a glance, their expressions grim.
“Fuck,” Ethan says, his voice tight with tension. “Red Phoenix tracked us.”
“What do we do?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You put your girlfriend down and fight.” Blake’s jaw clenches, his eyes hardening with determination. He reaches for a weapon and hands it to me.
The others follow suit, their movements practiced and efficient as they ready their weapons and take up defensive positions on the RIB.
I look down at Mia, her face pale and still in the dim light. The helicopter closes in, and its searchlights blind us in the darkness. Gunfire erupts from its open doors, bright flashes of light that send deadly projectiles toward us. I throw myself over Mia, shielding her with my body as the team returns fire. Their bullets spark against the helicopter’s armored hull.