by Kelly Moore
“She chose this place for the same reason you did. It’s the closest motel to my house.”
“I have to get out of here! If she sees me, she’ll kill you on sight.” She scrambles to gather her things.
“I’m taking you to Lawson’s. He’ll keep you safe. Hand me your phone,” I order.
She grabs her backpack and pulls several out.
“Burner phones. Smart girl.” She hands me one.
“I’ll text when the coast is clear. Then throw this phone out. You’ll have my number.”
“I know how the game is played, and I already have your number.”
I step up close to her. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to live in hiding according to Nina’s rules. How do you have my number? I changed it after the accident.”
“Your dog Bullet. He caught me spying on you. Your number is on his dog tag.”
She turns and finishes dressing. I see her pull a long chain over her neck, and silver tags bounce below her breast. I lift them with one finger. “I was wondering where these went.”
“Theo gave them to me.”
I raise a brow.
“He and Fiona were on the island for their honeymoon. I accidentally ran into him.”
“You’ll have to tell me the story later. I need to get you the hell out of here.”
Chapter 17
Lawson
“Who the hell is knocking on the door this time of night?” I grumble, pulling a t-shirt over my head.
“I’ll get my gun.” Honor is right behind me.
I flip on the porch light and hear Rebel’s voice. “Turn it off.”
I hit the switch to the off button, and Honor lowers her gun.
“Are you going to let me in or not?” His voice isn’t loud but stern.
Unlocking the door, he pushes on it before I can open it. “I need your help.”
“What do you need?”
Fallon steps from behind him.
“Thank god, you’re back.” I pull her into my arms.
“We’ve missed you so much.” Honor tugs her away from me.
“Wait.” I shut the door behind Rebel. “You remember her?”
Rebel hangs his head, and Fallon walks in front of him. “He never had amnesia. It was a ploy to draw Nina out.”
“You mean…all this time?” I rotate in a circle twice. Rebel moves Fallon out of the way.
“I’m sorry—”
I ball up my fist and punch him square in the jaw. He falls and stumbles back into the door.
“Lawson!” Honor yells. “What is wrong with you?” She rushes over to his side, along with Fallon.
“I gave up my life to help you, and you couldn’t trust me with the truth!” I’m seething mad. My fists remain tight at my side.
Rebel wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I knew Nina would look for any sign of a lie. She had to believe one hundred percent that I’d lost my memory. I’ve hated every minute of it.”
“You’ve wasted your time. She’s off living her life somewhere else.”
“She’s here,” Fallon says.
“What? Have you seen her?”
“My date the other day was Nina,” Rebel adds. “She believes me.”
“I’m not really understanding any of this.” I throw my hands in the air. “You’ve been dating Nina?”
“Can we sit down and talk about this?” Honor motions toward the couch.
“I knew sooner or later she’d show up. She’s been watching me for months. I could feel it,” Rebel says as he sits.
“Every day from the moment Sean and I had disappeared, she’d kept tabs on us to make sure we weren’t in contact with Rebel or any of the SEAL team members. About four months ago, it all stopped,” Fallon says.
“That was about the time you got out of rehab.” I point to Rebel.
“Yes.”
“She saw you wreck. She must’ve kept eyes on you after the accident,” Honor adds.
“Nina accessed your medical records.” I stand, pacing the room.
“Lauryn made them all look legit,” Rebel says.
“Doctor Ruth was in on it?” I stop in my tracks.
“It was her idea.” Rebel leans his elbows on his knees.
“Thorn?” I raise a brow.
“Knew nothing about it,” he responds.
“Boy, will he be pissed.” I laugh.
“I think once Nina is finally caught, and our lives go back to normal, all will be forgiven.” Rebel rises. “At least I hope so. We had all worked so hard to catch her, but she slipped through our fingers numerous times. This was the only way to draw her back.” He steps closer to me. “I’m sorry. If there had been any other way, I would’ve taken it.”
I want to disagree with him, but the plan worked. She’s here, and we can take her out. I face Fallon. “The important thing is that you and Sean are back.”
“Sean’s not here, but he’s safe,” she says.
“Well, if she’s in town, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get her.”
“It’s not that simple. We have to take down all her men, or she’ll have them kill us if something happens to her.” Fallon is on her feet. “The Gunners are working on it. They’ve already sent out task teams to go after them.”
“In the meantime, Nina stills needs to think I have amnesia, and she can’t know Fallon is here.” Rebel frowns.
“You need us to keep her out of sight,” Honor states.
“Yes.”
“She can stay here with us.” I turn toward Fallon.
“Nina has been giving orders to someone on her phone. I need to get it from her to track it.”
“How are you going to do that?” I ask.
“I was headed to the motel to steal it from her when she was sleeping. That’s where I found Fallon.”
“Are you going back there tonight?” Fallon asks him.
“No. I’ll let the Gunners handle it. Once all her associates are arrested, I can go after Nina.”
I walk over to Fallon. “I still can’t believe you’re back. I thought we’d never see you again, or Sean. How is he?”
“He’s good.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“You’re going to be a grandfather.” She smiles.
“How do you know that?” My brows draw together.
“Theo and Fiona are the reason I came back. I was living on the island where they honeymooned. I ran into Theo.”
“Isn’t it funny how all our lives seem to be fated together? What were the chances of that happening? We’ve tried to track you since the day you left. You didn’t even leave a bread trail, yet Theo happens to be in the same place as you at the same time.”
“I’m so glad he was, or I’d still be playing Nina’s game. We finally have the upper hand, and we need to take full advantage of it.” She reaches over and laces her hand into Rebel’s
“Yeah, you’re not the one having to lock lips with the she-devil,” Rebel groans.
“Serves you right for leaving us all out in the cold.” I point sternly at him.
“You aren’t going to hit me again, are you?” He rubs his jaw.
“No, but I’m not sorry for punching you.”
He walks over to me and holds out his hand. “I’ll never lie to you again. I promise.”
I take his hand and draw him into my chest, slapping him on the back. “All’s forgiven, man.”
Chapter 18
Sean
The next day…
* * *
“Is everything packed and ready to leave this place tomorrow?” The three of us stroll along the walkway through the middle of the small tourist town.
“I think so. Did you close down the tiki bar?” Ember speaks to me.
“I didn’t have the heart to do it tonight. I’ll handle it first thing in the morning. Believe it or not, I’m going to miss this place.”
“Me too.” She glances down at Lily
. “I think someone is getting sleepy. She’s dragging her stuffed rabbit by one ear on the ground.”
I reach down and gather her in my arms. Her head falls immediately on my shoulder, and I kiss the side of it. “She misses her momma.”
“I know she does. She’s normally such a sweet girl. She was a tyrant today.”
I laugh. “This little princess?”
“That, she was not.” Ember giggles. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going tomorrow?”
“No. You’ll find out when we get there.”
I see her glance over her shoulder.
“What is it?”
“I think there’s someone following us.”
“I don’t want to turn around and stare. Describe him to me.”
She nonchalantly looks again. “Big guy, six foot two or so. He’s wearing all black, talking on the phone.”
“How do you know he’s following us?”
“My gut is screaming at me. I had the same feeling when my ex was stalking me.”
“I believe you. I want you to take Lily and head to the cottage.” I hand her to Ember. “Follow my lead.”
We stop in the middle of the sidewalk. “I left my wallet at the grill. You two go ahead, and I’ll catch up with you.”
“Okay, I’ll tuck her in bed,” Ember says, then kisses my cheek.
I watch her walk ahead, and I turn around, walking by the guy. “Good evening,” I casually say. I keep moving a few more feet then duck behind a tree. The man has quickened his pace toward Ember. I move through the grass, so he doesn’t hear my footsteps. Ember makes it to the cottage, and he falls back. He hangs up the phone and puts it into his front pocket. He pulls a pair of black gloves out of his pocket.
I come up behind him, tackling him to the ground. He hits hard, and I lose my grip, rolling off him. He’s bigger and faster. A fist connects with my jaw, splattering blood on the concrete. He takes another swing, but I move out of the way. His knuckles crunch on the sidewalk, and his face scrunches up as if he let out a yell.
I scramble off the grass, kicking him in the kidney. It doesn’t seem to faze him. He gets up and starts swinging. My head hits the trunk of a palm tree, making me spin around. His fist connects with the side of my head, sending searing pain in my ear. I fall to the ground on my hands and knees. He picks me up like a rag doll, and I fully expect him to crush me, but instead, he releases me with a thud. Rolling over to protect myself, I see Ember high-kick him in the back of the head. He stumbles but regains his stance. She points a gun with a silencer at him, but he grabs her wrist, twisting it, causing the gun to fall to the ground. He reaches down to pick it up, but she wraps her long leg around his neck, taking them both to the ground.
Quickly moving to the gun, I pick it up, aiming it at his forehead as her leg is squeezing and cutting off his air.
“Did Nina send you?” I ask.
Ember lightens her grip.
“Go to hell,” he mouths. His hand comes flying from behind his back, grasping a weapon.
In that split second, I pull the trigger on Ember’s gun. It plays out in slow motion. The bullet leaves the barrel, floats through the night air, and burrows into his forehead. His eyes roll back, and he goes completely limp.
Ember untangles from him, getting off the ground. My mouth hangs open in shock. I’ve never killed a man. The gun feels as if it’s burning the palm of my hand. I release it and let it dangle from my finger. I can see Ember’s lips moving, but I have no idea what she’s saying. When I don’t move, she’s rushing toward me. Her hands are on either side of my face.
“Sean! Are you okay?”
I can’t speak.
“Sean!” She lightly smacks me on the cheek, getting my attention.
“I…I…killed him.”
“It was self-defense. He was going to kill you.”
“We have to call the police,” I stammer.
“No. Help me get him inside so we can search him.”
“What? No. Lily is in there,” I say.
“She’s sound asleep. We have to know for sure if Nina sent him, and then we have to get rid of the body.”
“Rid of the body?” I can’t hear my voice, but I know it went up a few octaves.
She places a finger on my lips and looks around. “Help me get him inside the cottage. You get his shoulders. I’ll grab his feet.” She moves toward him, picking up his weapon first, tucking it into her shorts.
I almost lose my dinner when I pick him up, and his head flops backward. His fixed eyes are looking at me. I stop and blow out a few short breaths to regain my composure. Walking backward, I carry him into the cottage.
“In the closet,” Ember says.
I lay his shoulders on the ground, open the door and lift him back up, laying him in the walk-in closet.
“Now what?” I ask.
Ember starts searching him. She pulls out his wallet, handing it to me, then she finds his phone. I take out his driver’s license. “I think this is a fake ID.”
She places his finger on the screen of the phone, and it lights up. “Boss lady. That was the last call he made. It had to be Nina.” She hits the green phone button before I can stop her. She stands and hushes me with a finger. When her eyes grow wide, I know someone has answered. I wish I could hear what was being said.
She ends the call.
“Was it Nina?”
“I don’t know what Nina sounds like, but I think it was her. She answered it by asking if there was a problem. When I didn’t answer her, she said whoever this is on the other end, you’ve started the clock ticking.”
“Shit! We have to get out of here. I have to find a way to contact Fallon.” I snatch the phone from her hand.
“Who are you calling?”
“My brother.” I dial the number and hand it to Ember. “Tell me when he answers.”
“It’s a recording saying that the number is no longer in service.”
I snatch the phone from her. “Now who are you calling?”
“Theo,” I say and hand it back to her.
I know he answers when I see her ask, “Is this Theo?”
“Tell him you’re handing the phone to Sean.”
She does, and I hold out my hand, taking the phone from her, pressing the speaker icon. “Theo, it’s Sean. I don’t know if you know this, but Fallon headed your way a few days ago. You have to find her. She’s in danger.”
Ember tells me what he says. “She’s here.”
“Is she with you?”
She shakes her head.
“Get her and tell her to get out of there. I killed one of her men and put something in motion that’s placed her in danger. If Nina finds her, she’ll kill her and the rest of you.”
She listens, then repeats. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe.”
“You can’t. None of you can.”
I watch her tell him. “Keep safe, brother,” she repeats him.
“Ask him what to do with the body of the man I killed.”
She listens, then disconnects the call.
“What? What did he say?”
“We have to bury him.”
Chapter 19
Rebel
I’m in the middle of the war room where I haven’t been in a year. An energy and a longing to be back surges through me, and it feels like home. Thorn, Lauryn, Theo, Fiona, Lawson, Honor, Tate, Remington, and Fallon all sit waiting around the conference table for me to say something. They want an explanation, and I don’t blame them.
“We’ve all had a mission that we’ve hated a time or two. This has been mine. Not telling you the truth has eaten at me every day, knowing I was intentionally deceiving my men. I’ve broken my SEAL’s creed, at least part of it.” I refuse to hang my head in shame. Instead, I straighten my spine.
“ ‘I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up every time. I will dr
aw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight,’ ” I quote.
I gaze around the room for any reactions. “This is the part I’ve lived by. I couldn’t quit. Nina Pax is a detriment to this nation. She’s taken so much from all of us. Men, women, and children alike. She’s bought and sold the innocent.” I move directly behind Fiona. “I had to be stronger than my enemy. She knocked me and all of us down multiple times. I had to draw on my own strength to protect my teammates to accomplish my mission.”
I walk around the table. “In doing so, I had to deceive you, and for that, I’m truly sorry. I was never out of the fight.”
I quote again, part of the creed. “ ‘We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to defend.’ ”
The Gunner team rises. “Make no mistake. When we have all of Nina’s associates, my execution will be swift and violent because it is what’s required.”
I move to the head of the table, leaning on my cane. “Nina Pax has proven to be an evil adversary. Locking her up will bring no justice.” Fallon looks down at her hands clasped together on top of the table. “I’m sorry for keeping you all in the dark, but more importantly”—I square my body toward Fallon—“I’m sorry that she’s your sister.”
She sits up tall, jutting out her chin. “I’m very well aware of the vile things she’s done.” She reaches over and squeezes Fiona’s hand. “She needs to pay for her crimes once and for all.”
Each team member moves around the table, shaking my hand. “Whatever you need from us,” Thorn says.
“Have you located all her associates?”
“All but the head guy. We’re still working on it.”
“I’m betting that’s who she’s been talking to on the phone.”
“We rescued twenty-five teenagers from a warehouse where she was starting up business again,” Thorn adds.
