Page 97 of Rescuing Mia
“And this is Sam.” Ethan’s introduction moves swiftly to a rugged figure leaning against the counter.
He indicates a man whose presence seems carved from the very bedrock of the sea: muscular, slightly grizzled, and unquestionably sturdy.
“Greetings.” Sam’s smile is tight, more like a clenching of teeth than a greeting. His eyes are sharp as they flicker over Mia and me, missing nothing.
Ethan gestures toward a man whose quiet demeanor seems almost incongruous with the dynamic energy of the room.
“CJ is my immediate superior. He runs the Guardian teams: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. He reports to Sam.”
CJ raises a hand in greeting and nods slightly, his expression unreadable. He is cloaked in professional neutrality yet tinged with an undercurrent of welcome.
Finally, Ethan gestures toward a woman whose hair is a vivid tapestry of psychedelic colors, each strand pulsing with life. “Mitzy is our technical team leader.”
Mitzy’s wink throws a brief, unexpected bridge over the formalities, her previous jest not forgotten.
“And you’ve already met Skye.”
Skye offers a warm smile, her presence soothing like a calm breeze.
I nod at each in turn, my mind racing to catalog their faces, names, and the subtle cues of their stances—a room filled with stories of bravery and scars hidden under the surface.
“Mia, you haven’t met my team.” Ethan continues with introductions. “Walt, Blake, Gabe, and Hank.” He taps his hand to his chest. “And I’m Ethan.” He gestures toward the table and the two empty seats. “Please, have a seat and take a load off.”
Turning back toward CJ and Sam, Ethan’s not finished. “We need to talk about Rigel. He played a crucial role in our mission.”
Before I can say anything, Hank chimes in with a grin. “Yeah, if by ‘crucial’ you mean single-handedly taking on all four of us, kicking our asses, and then diving overboard like a madman to save the girl, then sure, he played a crucial role.”
The others chuckle, and a flush creeps up my neck.
I’m not used to being the center of attention, especially not for something like this, but as I glance at Mia, seeing the warmth and gratitude shining in her eyes, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
For her, I’d face down an army.
For her, I’d take on the world.
For her, I’d take a bullet and keep on fighting.
“I’m telling you, man, this guy’s got some serious skills.” Gabe smacks me on the back. “I thought I was gonna have to fish Hank out of the water after Rigel was done with him.”
Laughter erupts from the group, and even Ethan can’t suppress a grin.
“I feel like I missed out,” Blake says. “Next time you’re planning on auditioning for the next superhero blockbuster, give me a heads up, will ya? I want to get my popcorn ready.”
The group dissolves into laughter once more, and I can’t help but join in. These guys are clearly tight-knit; their banter is easy and natural.
“But seriously,” Hank regales our audience with a retelling of the chaos on deck, his face animated with vivid descriptions, bringing the scene onSerenity’s deck to life. “You should’ve seen the way this fucker fights. He doesn’t pull any punches and took all four of us on without hesitation.”
There’s genuine respect in Hank’s eyes. “The way you fought and the way you didn’t hesitate to jump in after Mia… That was damn impressive.”
“I second what Hank says. Diving after Mia was the smoothest move.” Gabe, unable to resist another jab, has fun with it.
He gestures dramatically, mimicking my sudden, unexpectedleap overboard. His hands arc through the air, illustrating my dive with a flourish that draws a round of chuckles.
Ethan, the leader of this team, paints the picture with a broad smile. “You should’ve seen our faces. We’re supposed to be the rescuers, right? And there goes Rigel kicking our asses and sailing over the rail after his girl.” He shakes his head in mock disbelief, his hand flat against his forehead in a ‘can-you-believe-it’ gesture. “He totally turned the tables on us.”
“Absolutely,” Gabe exclaims, his voice laden with incredulity. “We stood there, jaws practically hitting the deck. Seriously, who dives overboard like that? No mask. No fins. No wetsuit. No boat. Not even a life jacket. Fucker’s got some serious balls.” He mimics their astonishment, jaw dropped and eyes wide in disbelief, pointing animatedly at Rigel. “This man right here. He’s in a league of his own. We were so gobsmacked that it took us a moment to snap out of it and think, ‘Oh, right, we need to dive in quick to make sure Blake can find us all. Otherwise, we’d be adrift.”
“Hey, I did what I had to do.” I shrug and laugh it off. “I thought you were pirates sent by Red Phoenix to kidnap Mia, and there was no way in hell I was gonna let that happen.”