Ben was silent so long, Dylan knew he was back in the mountains during that night so he took over. “We arrived a short time later. I was new, but I’ll never forget seeing Ben standing as a shield in front of his team, protecting them as the enemy charged.”
“I killed eight men that night. Some I shot, some I knifed in hand-to-hand combat when they charged,” Ben said, his voice flat.
“And he saved the rest of this team, including Jayden. I loaded Jayden onto the helicopter myself with the hostages. I never knew Ben’s name. We didn’t talk other than him telling me to save his brother. When I looked back, I saw his team surrounding him and Ben blessing them.”
Walker looked as shaken as Dylan had been. They might be brave, they might be deadly, but that didn’t mean they didn’t feel sympathy for a comrade in arms. “And because you were a military priest, instead of giving you a commendation . . .” Walker started to say.
“I was discharged immediately from the Army. I was only honorably discharged because my team fought for me. But neither the Army nor the church wanted me. An article on the priests’ private website condemned my behavior even though I reported the calling. I heard the command to protect my brothers, and I’d do it again. But I had become a pariah. No church wanted me. In fact, they even called my ordination into question. It was as if my life before the mission was gone.
“Until Father James called me. He didn’t condemn me for the killings. Instead, he said he knew a place I would be welcomed—a place that would respect a priest willing to fight for them. And a place that would fight for me in return, just like my brothers in arms did. He visited me privately and told me about Keeneston. When I knew this was the place for me, Father James led me in renewing my vows to God before my bishop. That put the questions about my faith to rest and the Church signed off on my transfer. A week later I arrived in Keeneston.”
Ben blew out a long, audible breath as he sat back in his chair. Walker’s jaw was clenched as he stood and saluted Ben. Dylan saw the emotion in Ben’s eyes as he swallowed hard and stood up to return the salute.
“Thank goodness you didn’t tell your cousins that story,” Walker said to Dylan as he sat back down. “Then Ben might not still be a priest, and I might not be married,” he joked as the laughter chased the nightmares from the room.
“So, I take it this has to do with the hostage situation since you weren’t here for confession,” Ben said a moment later. “What can I do to help?”
“I need to ambush the enemy before they reach town. It’s taking everything I have to keep Abby from putting herself in danger. And I need your military knowledge to help us. You are Special Forces, after all.”
“I need a map,” Ben said, taking a breath. “Father James told me my calling was to protect this town, and I intend to do just that.”
Abby sat impatiently in her living room as her parents read their books. The news was on the television, but the volume was off as she tried not to count the seconds Dylan had been away.
Chet was out there, and he was coming for her. Well, let him come. He’d need an army to get her. And when he did come, she’d make damn sure he wouldn’t leave alive.
Abby got up and walked to the window. She was feeling restless. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Take Nemi with you, will you?” her mother asked as her father was ready to object to her going outside.
“And Jackson,” her father ordered, but Jackson was already slipping on his jacket and pulling the strap of his rifle over his shoulder.
“Ready?” he asked her.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” her father asked as if she were ten years old.
Abby rolled her eyes and clipped the gun onto her hip and a blade into her calf strap.
“Have a nice walk,” her mother said before looking back at her book.
Jackson went out the door first as Nemi bolted into the yard. Abby gave him a second to scan the area before stepping outside. She really wasn’t liking this side of the job. “What do you think is taking Dylan so long?”
“I don’t know, but he’s been checking in on you every thirty minutes on the dot,” Jackson said as he gave a big blow of air so he could see his breath in the cold night air.
They walked in silence as Nemi ran wild up the lane and into some of the empty open fields. They were approaching the security building when the door was shoved open and two Rahmi soldiers ran out.
“What’s going on?” Abby called out before two more soldiers pushed out the door.
“Motion detectors going off at the front gate and the back entrance,” the soldier yelled before they all got on four-wheelers and sped off.
“Chet,” Abby said at the same time Jackson did. Only Abby ran toward the front gate while Jackson headed back toward her house.
“Abby!” Jackson yelled as he realized she wasn’t following him. Instead, she’d commandeered a four-wheeler.
“Are you coming with me or not?”
“You’re going with or without me, aren’t you?” Jackson asked, sounding defeated. Abby just smiled as she waited for him to get on behind her.
“Hold on.”
Abby knew the soldiers were following the main drive, so she opted to cut through the pastures. It would be slower since Jackson had to open and close gates and she had to make sure she didn’t scare the horses, but it was a good thing she did.
“You see them?” she asked over her shoulder. The front gate was under attack and as more soldiers were responding, two figures were climbing the fence away from the action.
“Shoot to kill?”
“Wound,” Abby said, and she felt Jackson adjust so he held his weapon in his hand. “I’d like to talk to them.”
“Stop here. Let’s surprise them.”
“Good idea,” she told Jackson as she cut the engine, the noise of the other four-wheelers at the gate was covering the sound of hers.
Abby and Jackson crept forward with their guns in hand. She held up her hand and they froze. “Tell my dad to cover the back. The group at the main gate are a distraction and others are sneaking in.“
Jackson stepped up behind Abby and lifted her jacket. He used the back of her coat to shield any light from the screen as he sent the text. “Let’s go.”
Abby crept forward. Her heart was calm. Her breathing was steady. She was in her zone. She dropped to the ground when the figures moved closer and Jackson followed suit. The figures were concentrating on running as fast as they could away from the road and into the farm instead of looking at what was beside them. They were more occupied at looking back toward the front gate. Abby shifted the gun to her left hand and waited. She felt the footsteps, counted the pace, and then grabbed. She wrapped her hand around the ankle of the person, sending him careening forward at the same time Jackson leapt up and tackled another person to the ground.
This person was a man, and one she couldn’t recognize since he was covered in black from head to toe. He swung at her and she grinned. He might think he had the upper hand since he was a man, but he was about to learn real quick how wrong he was.
“It’s her!” he yelled to the other man facing off with Jackson.
“Where’s Chet? Will you take me to him?” Abby asked as Jackson shot her a look as if she were crazy for not taking him out right now.
“He’s coming for you,” the man said, his white teeth flashing in the night.
“Is he here?” Abby asked again as she sidestepped the man reaching for her. Jackson’s man pulled a gun on him, and she knew the time for questioning had come to an end.
“No yet, but soon. Come with me and you won’t die.”
Bless his heart. Did he really think that would work? Abby moved quickly, taking him down with a kick before he had a chance to pull a weapon as more lights from Rahmi soldiers appeared.
Abby used her knee to keep the man pinned to the ground as she pulled her gun and waited to see if Jackson needed any help. “Hey!” Abby yelled, distracting the man f
or the split second Jackson needed to grab the gun from the man’s hand and turn it on him. Abby wanted to roll her eyes when he made a run for it, but a little red dog shot by them followed by four-wheelers. Nemi latched onto the man’s pant leg. It didn’t take him down like one of her mother’s full grown dogs, but Nemi tripped him up as a Rahmi soldier leapt from his four-wheeler and tackled the man to the ground.
“You hurt, Miss Mueez?”
“No, I’m not. Take him in for questioning. We need to find out how many there are and where Chet is hiding,” Abby told the soldier who was zip-tying her attacker’s hands together. “Good girl, Nemi!” Abby called as the little dog came prancing over. “Daddy is going to spoil you rotten.”
“Let’s get back to the house and see how your dad, Talon, and Lucas are doing,” Jackson said, keeping his gun at the ready and his hand cupping her elbow as he dragged her away from the front of the farm.
“But I want to question them,” Abby said, trying to yank her arm away.
“Not until the full team is back together.”
“Yes, of course.” Abby didn’t want to be a pain, but it was damn hard going from the leader of her own team to having little say in being guarded. She told herself she wasn’t going to be difficult. They were her friends and family and they were putting their lives in danger . . . which got her thinking. Maybe heading home was a good idea. She needed some time to think.
20
“Do you think Abby will go for it?” Walker asked after they said good night to Ben and walked out into the church parking lot.
“No,” Dylan said, letting out a breath and watching it float away on the cold night air. “Which is why we’re not telling her.”
Dylan felt good about this plan. He would, hopefully, stop Chet from entering Keeneston and draw him out under his terms. Dylan’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out as he started the SUV.
“Shit,” he cursed as Walker got in.
“What?” he asked. Dylan tossed him the phone, started the car, and tore out of the parking lot.
“Let’s go then,” Walker said calmly as he leaned into the backseat to grab Dylan’s go bag. “I’m assuming the usual is in here?”
“Yes,” Dylan said as he pushed the pedal to the floor and shot off toward Desert Sun Farm. Abby was under attack. They’d come much sooner than he thought and now his plan was worthless, and worst of all, he hadn’t been with Abby when she’d been attacked.
His heart pounded as he drove toward the farm. The only sound coming from the SUV was Walker checking the guns and pulling on a bulletproof vest. “I have everything you need.”
Dylan glanced and saw his equipment in Walker’s lap. Dylan reached over and grabbed his pistol. He placed it in his lap in case he needed it quickly. “There. Ten o’clock,” Dylan said as they rounded a corner and the front pastures of Desert Sun Farm came into view. He could see four-wheelers filling the pastures as vehicles lined the gate preventing anyone from getting inside.
“I’m sure she’s okay,” Walker said.
It was then Dylan realized his hands were gripping the wheel so tightly they’d turned white. “I can’t lose her,” Dylan managed to say as he turned into the driveway and was met with four guns pointed at him. “Is she safe?” he asked the guard who recognized him.
“Yes, sir. Miss Mueez is at home. She took down one man, and well, we’ll give the other man to Nemi to make Mr. Ahmed happy. There are ten prisoners in holding. Mr. Ahmed said he’d be there shortly to question them.”
“Thank you,” Dylan said, finally feeling as he if could breathe again. He rolled his window up and sat impatiently as the guards opened the gate and separated the SUVs so that he could drive through.
“You just need to tell her you love her. You won’t have any peace until you do. Trust me on this. I know overprotective fathers,” Walker said, still keeping his weapon at the ready.
That was true. He did understand with Miles as his father-in-law. “I will. I just need to get Ahmed’s blessing. I’m getting there, though. He respected me before and still does. So that helps.”
“It does help. Miles accepted me when he realized I wouldn’t scare or back down. Ahmed will, too.”
Dylan thought about it as he drove toward the house. Right now there was only one thing he could give Abby since he didn’t know if he would still have his job after this. Riding a desk for twenty years wasn’t the way he wanted things to go. But none of that would matter if he had Abby. She was all that mattered. He’d find a way to make it work. He was done keeping secrets and staying in the shadows. He pulled up to a stop in front of the house and his feet carried him inside as he looked frantically for Abby.
“Where were you?” Ahmed asked, cutting him off from getting to Abby in the kitchen.
“I was with Walker. I’ll talk to you in a minute. First I need to check on Abigail.”
If he’d taken his eyes off of Abby’s, he would have seen Ahmed’s mouth drop slightly open before he slammed it shut. But he didn’t. He strode toward her as a man on a mission.
“Dylan?” Abby asked a second before Dylan wrapped her in a hug. He pulled back a minute later and brushed the hair from her face as he looked down at her. His heart beat wildly and nerves he never knew he had were causing his breath to become a little shallow.
“I was worried sick when I heard there was an attack. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. I was just arguing with my dad about who gets to interrogate them. What were you and Walker doing?”
“We got the café handled and the body delivered. They’re probably not too far away. You can call your boss and have them come pick up these prisoners, too.”
Abby shook her head. “Mo said they attacked sovereign land so Rahmi is taking them. There will be no report of what happened. Chet will be left wondering what happened to them. Mo said he’d hand them over to the United States once this is all over.”
Dylan couldn’t help it. He moved his hands to her cheeks and tilted her head upward so his lips could meet hers. When he pulled away, he saw Bridget smiling behind Abby and heard Walker trying to calm Ahmed.
“I have a gift for you,” Dylan said, and instantly he heard Ahmed go still behind him at the mention of one of his conditions.
“A gift?” Abby said slightly confused.
“Yes. A gift. Right now everything is so uncertain except one thing. Abby, I give you my heart. I love you with all of it, and I will be by your side through riots, government coups, hostage rescues, and anything else life can throw can us. You were always my best friend, but now I give you my heart as well because there is no one I trust more with it than you. I love you, Abby.”
* * *
Abby felt the tears roll down her cheeks before she could blink them back. Her father muttered something, but it was lost over the sniffling of her mother. She had been ready for a fight when Dylan stormed into the house. She thought she’d have to defend her actions. Instead, he’d given her the most precious gift she could ever receive.
“I love you too, Dylan,” she said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She laughed when she saw the relieved smile spread across Dylan’s face.
“Come here,” he whispered as she gave herself up to him, allowing him to pull her against his body and kiss her. There was a sense of wild freedom in the kiss that had never been there before.
“Okay, okay. Break it up. Lover boy and I need to have a talk before I interrogate these prisoners,” Ahmed ordered.
“Dad,” Abby said with a roll of her eyes, but even now she couldn’t be mad. Dylan loved her—crazy, wonderful father and all. “Wait, what? I thought I was doing the interrogation.”
“Sorry, honey, but Rahmi soil and all. Mo put me in charge of it and I say I’m doing it. You stay here. Come on, lover boy, let’s see if you can talk with those lips,” her father grumbled as he grabbed Dylan’s arm.
Dylan sent her a wink before turning to follow her father. Abby took a step to follow, but her m
om gently touched her arm, stopping her.
“Stop while you’re ahead, dear.”
Abby let out a frustrated breath but didn’t follow. “You’re right. He didn’t shoot Dylan on the spot so that has to be promising, right?”
“Want to borrow the drone?” her mother asked with a mischievous smile.
“Y’all have a drone?” Jackson asked as Talon and Lucas ventured to peek in now that her dad had left.
“I thought I shot the drone down,” Abby said as her mother moved to open the garage door.
“You think your father only had one?” Her mom pressed some buttons on a wall safe that reached from the ground to the ceiling and then pushed the heavy doors open. Inside was a whole fleet of state-of-the-art surveillance drones equipped with night vision, heat sensors, and audio and video recording ability. Abby couldn’t wait to get her hands on one.
* * *
“You gifted her your heart?” Ahmed hissed as they walked down the driveway toward the security building.
“There were no requirements on what I gifted. And it was a true gift. I meant every word I said. She knows it and you know it,” Dylan said. He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. Abby loved him. She loved him.
“Oh, wipe that stupid grin off your face. You look like a lovesick puppy. You still have two requirements remaining to get my blessing.”
“Seriously? Did you not see what just happened in there? We’re in love. Shouldn’t that be enough?” Dylan asked, feeling slightly silly arguing over love with his potential father-in-law.
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