“No, there’s a car coming and it’s too soon to be my team.”
How did Tim know there was a car approaching? She couldn’t make out any headlights coming down the track toward them. She strained her ears and still couldn’t hear anything. “How do you know there’s a car coming this way.”
“I saw it before it doused its headlights. It will be on us soon.”
Sure enough, no sooner had he finished his sentence she heard the crunch of sticks and rocks breaking under car tires. The car engine was silent though. How the driver could see and drive safely was beyond her.
A dark form appeared, and Brielle held her breath, not letting it out until the vehicle passed their hiding spot. The reason she wasn’t able to hear it became clear when she worked out that the car was a very expensive electric car. Not very smart to drive something that luxurious on a dirt road, but it also indicated that it was probably Aarav Sodhi coming for her. No doubt he’d be pissed when he found the van empty, four of his men dead, and no sign of her and Tim.
Tim gripped her hand, pulling her up when the distance between them and the car was sufficient that they wouldn’t be spotted. She opened her mouth to ask him a question, but a finger landed on her lips and he shook his head.
Together they made their way through the woods, every now and then she saw the screen of the phone Tim held light up. The quick look she’d been able to see of the phone had told her it wasn’t a smart phone. It looked like it was a throwaway phone you’d buy if you were visiting a foreign country. One you could just call or send messages on.
Eventually they happened upon a clearing and Tim stopped. “The guys will be here soon. We’ve got a preliminary plan and we’ll be going back to take care of the guy who’s taken you.”
Fear assailed her that something bad was going to happen to Tim and his team. “Is it safe to do that? You don’t know how many more people are back where they were going to dump us.”
Tim gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. “Honey, we’re a SEAL team, we can handle anything that’s put in front of us. Don’t worry. By the time the others get here, they’ll know exactly what the lay of the land is. Robot and the guys will tell me what I need to know.”
The confidence in Tim’s voice should’ve reassured her, but part of her still feared that something bad was going to happen. If only she knew what that something was going to be. What she needed to do was trust the man she loved. He’d kept her safe since he’d woken up in the van. He’d killed four men. Hell, he was right, they were SEALs. This sort of operation was what they trained for.
“Okay, the guys will be here in thirty seconds.” Tim said, jolting her back from her inner thoughts.
Centering her thoughts and emotions, she concentrated on seeing if she could hear anything. Sure enough, there was the low hum of an engine. Not ten seconds later a large SUV rolled into the clearing. Like the other car they’d hidden from, the SUV didn’t have its headlights on.
Brielle’s breath whooshed out at the sight of the group of men filing out of the big car. They made their way to where she and Tim waited. As they got closer she noticed a woman amongst the group.
Who was this, and what was she doing with Tim’s team? Was she their handler? Because there was a guy standing next to her that Brielle also didn’t recognize.
“What the hell?” Tim said as the couple she’d been looking at walked toward them. “Ghost, what are you doing here?” He shook the other man’s hand when they got close.
Ghost put his arm around the woman standing next to him. “Rayne and I arrived in Virginia this afternoon. We were having drinks with the team at Joker and Suzie’s place when your message came through. We were all wondering why you weren’t answering your phone or messages. Now we know.”
“Hi, I’m Rayne.” The woman shrugged off Ghost’s arm and came over to Brielle, capturing her in a hug. Shocked at the action, her arms automatically went around the other woman without realizing she was doing it.
“Umm, I’m Brielle.” Brielle stood back and looked at lovely woman in front of her. Her presence among the group weird. She also noticed that while Rayne was hugging her the guys had huddled up into a group. “I don’t mean to be rude, but why are you here?”
Rayne laughed. “Well once it became known that you and T-Rex had gotten into a bit of trouble, the guys leapt into action. Erin was hell bent on coming and I’m pretty sure if the baby hadn’t chosen that moment to cry Suzie would’ve been coming too. The only way the two of them wouldn’t come was when I said I’d come. They didn’t want you to be alone when the guys went off and did their thing.”
The tears Brielle had been doing so well at keeping at bay welled up and threatened to overflow. Knowing that both Suzie and Erin wanted to be by her side was overwhelming. She’d never had such unconditional support from people she’d only known a short time. And now, a virtual stranger had come to lend her support. If this is what happened when you got involved with a military man, then she was all for it. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you for coming to meet a complete stranger.”
Rayne slung an arm around her shoulder. “This is what we do. We’re all family. Ghost has talked about this team. He and Truck were here when Suzie was taken by her ex-husband. We had a couple of days off and decided to come visit.”
It all made sense, but it was still unexpected and nice. “Thank you seems so inadequate.”
“It’s all that’s needed. Come on,” she canted her head toward the group. “Let’s go find out what these guys are up to and where we’re supposed to go.”
Brielle headed toward the group of men with a full heart. Not only had she found the man of her dreams, she’d found an extended family. It had been her and her dad for so long, the notion was foreign but one she could totally get on board with. Plus, after what Tim had done or was going to do tonight, there was no way her father wouldn’t welcome all of these men into their family.
They reached the group and conversation stopped, all the guys looked at her, sympathy in their eyes. Dread filled her belly. “What? What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Tim stepped forward, he was now sporting a black t-shirt and a padded vest. He looked every inch the SEAL she knew him to be. It was the look on his face that had her anxiety ratcheting to the same level it had been when she’d been in the van. He laid his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, honey. Aarav has taken your dad.”
It took a full ten seconds for Tim’s words to sink into her psyche. “My dad? He’s been taken, as well?”
Tim pulled her close into his embrace and her arms automatically wrapped around his waist. “Yeah, he’s being held at the cabin where we were supposed to be taken. I’m guessing there was another way in and we were all supposed to be in the one place.”
This was a nightmare. She knew Aarav was money and power hungry, but she never thought he’d resort to taking her father as well. What was he hoping to achieve? Wipe out her and her father so he could take over the business?
Yes, that’s exactly what he was going to do. Only he hadn’t counted on Tim and her escaping. It didn’t take much for her to come to the conclusion the asshole would be after her and Tim. She was more valuable to him than Tim was, but Tim was a Navy SEAL and her dad’s business associate would like nothing more than to add one of America’s elite to the trophies he was trying to collect.
God, if Tim hadn’t come home, her life would’ve been in even more peril than it was now.
“I’m still in danger, aren’t I?” she asked.
“Yeah, honey. But it’s okay. We’ve got a plan. We’ll get your dad out safely and we’ll neutralize the threat of Sodhi so you won’t ever have to worry about him touching you again.” Tim leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. “I promise.”
The menace in his voice should’ve scared her. It didn’t though. No way would Tim hurt her. “What are we going to do?” There was no way she was going to stand on the sidelines. If she had to stand beh
ind a tree and point a gun at the front door, then that’s what she’d do.
“We’re going to get your dad, you are going to stay here with Rayne.” Robot said, his voice hard and brooked no argument.
Brielle opened her mouth to argue the point, but Tim squeezed her shoulder. “I know you want to help. I can see it in your face. Problem is, if you get too close there’s the danger that they’ll take you. Not to mention that, I hate to say this, you’ll be a distraction to me.”
Logically she knew Tim was right. The team didn’t have to do any of this. It should’ve been a police matter, but she guessed because Aarav had taken Tim, his team had become involved. In her heart she wanted to be able to see her father, know that he was all right.
“What if they’ve sent out some people looking for us, Tim? If you guys are off doing your stuff, I’m a sitting duck here.”
“No you won’t be.” The man called Ghost spoke as he slipped an arm around his woman. “Rayne will be here and,” he touched the decorative comb in her hair. “This is more than just a hair accessory. If anything happens to you or Rayne, Tex will know.”
Like Robot, his tone suggested that arguing with him was futile.
“Plus, I know how to use a gun,” Rayne said and pulled a piece out of her purse.
A distant crack of sound silenced the group. All the men around Brielle had weapons raised before she could even blink.
“That was a gunshot,” commented Ghost.
“We’ve got to go, now.” Robot said. “Rayne, you know what to do.”
Rayne nodded, and Brielle hoped the other woman would let her in on the plan once the guys went.
Tim came up to her and pulled her into a tight, quick hug. “I’ll get your dad back,” he whispered into her ear. “Trust me.”
She nodded to let him know she understood what he was saying. Her throat closed over in fear and worry about her dad and what Tim and his team were about to go into made saying anything to him impossible.
In a flash the men melted into the darkness and it was just her and Rayne. She turned to look at her. “What do we do now?”
Rayne came up to her and slung an arm around her shoulder. “I know we’ve just met and you have no reason to believe a word that comes out of my mouth, but these guys will come back with your dad. I have no doubt. Come on, we’ll wait in the car.”
Sitting in the car didn’t seem like a great idea to her. Although she supposed it was better than standing in the open. “Make sense, I guess. If we have to, we can get out of here. Hope you know where we are,” she said as she followed Rayne to the big SUV.
“That’s what Tex and GPS are for. Ghost will let me know if we need to bug out of here.”
Brielle climbed into the car and wait for Rayne to get seated behind the driver’s side before she asked the question burning through her. “How will Ghost get in touch with you.”
Rayne turned her head and pulled her hair away to reveal her left ear. Inside it was a little device. “Ghost will communicate directly with me through this.”
“Are you hearing what they’re saying?” Brielle asked. The thought of hearing everything that was being said between the men scared and excited her at the same time. To hear Tim’s voice would be reassuring. “Do you have another one? Can I get it?”
Rayne shook her head. “Ghost only gave me this one. And no, I can’t hear what everyone else is saying. He will change the channel on his device and let me know. In the meantime, we sit and wait.”
Great, Brielle didn’t think she could possibly sit patiently and wait. The man she loved was out there putting his life on the line for her. To save her dad. A sob rose in her throat and almost erupted out of her.
No.
There was no way she was going to let her emotions get the better of her. She would be strong for her dad and more importantly, she would be strong for the man she loved.
A hand closed over her clenched fist. Brielle looked up and saw Rayne watching her, sympathy in her eyes. “I know what you’re feeling. I feel it every time Ghost goes away, and I don’t hear from him for weeks on end. But I know he will do everything to come home to me safely. The same as Tim will do for you. Can you be strong for him?”
The unspoken words were because if you can’t, then you need to let him go. Brielle thought back to the time Tim went away and she went over to Suzie’s place and they all spent the night talking and laughing. With crystal clarity, it hit her what they were doing that night. All of them were each other’s support system. Sure, she’d been afraid for Tim and the team, but deep in her gut she believed that they would be fine, and would all come back to their women.
Her answer was staring her in the face, the thought of not being with Tim or not having him in her life would paralyze her.
“Yes,” she said almost to herself. Brielle then lifted her eyes to look directly into Rayne’s eyes. “Yes, I can and will be strong. Tim means the world to me. I wouldn’t be here today without him and his team. I will give him everything he needs and wants. Because I couldn’t bear not having him in my life.”
Rayne smiled big and leaned across the console to hug her. “Welcome to the family.”
Before she could fully appreciate the other girl’s welcome, the glass of the car window shattered behind her. She opened her mouth to scream but a meaty hand covered it.
“Come on girls, it’s time you joined the party.”
Chapter Twelve
Tim followed Robot as they crept up to the left back corner of the cabin. The team had broken into groups and were approaching the cabin from different routes. Each potential escape route from the occupants inside the wooden structure was covered by them.
Robot held his fist up and Tim stopped behind his team lead. “What’s up,” Tim muttered through closed lips.
“Is your head in the game?” he asked.
The question from Robot surprised the fuck out of him. Never on a mission had his concentration been put into question. Then again it wasn’t his girlfriend’s father they were about to rescue. “Yes, I know what needs to be done.”
And he did. As they’d made their way through the night, Tim had consciously put Brielle and his feelings and worry for her into a separate compartment of his mind. His focus was now totally on the mission at hand.
Robot studied him, and he held his team lead’s gaze, daring the other man to question him further. Obviously, what he was displaying to Robot was all he needed to see. “Good. Tex’s intel says there’s six men inside. There were others manning the front perimeter, but the rest of the team has neutralized them.”
“How come we didn’t encounter any?” It seemed too easy for Tim’s peace of mind that they were able to get this close to the cabin and not come across guards patrolling the back of the building.
“Because they’re dumb fuckers and didn’t think the back of the cabin was a threat from anyone.”
“Right.” Not quite believing they were that stupid. The ease of it all didn’t sit right inside of him. Before he could question Robot further, his team lead crouched down lower and began a slow walk toward the cabin’s window. Tim followed close behind.
Again, Robot held up his fist and Tim plopped down on his ass, his back resting against the rough wood of the cabin’s wall.
He waited as Robot pulled out a small mirror, shoved his night vision goggles on top of his head, and extended the arm of the device until he could see inside the cabin. “Fuck,” Robot muttered.
Tim immediately went on alert, cocked his gun higher and scanned the surrounding area. He could see no sign of movement through his goggles. “What?”
“Brielle’s dad, looks pretty beat up.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah and, what the fuck?”
Before Tim could ask what else was wrong, conversation fired to life over the comms.
“Brielle and Rayne have been captured, they’re being dragged to the cabin. Intercept or not?” Italy hissed.
“They’ve got Ra
yne and Brielle. How the fuck did that happen?” He recognized Ghost’s voice and the Delta was less than happy to know his woman was not safe. “Do not intercept. Better to have them all in one place. Then we can eliminate all of the fuckers at once.
Tim’s heart leaped to his throat and wished he could confirm if Brielle and Rayne were harmed or not. But the Delta leader was right, having everyone in one place was a lot easier than having them scattered. Who knew who else was lurking around the area? “I knew it was too easy. We came through the back way without encountering anyone. Clearly they knew our girls were vulnerable.”
Things just got a little more intense, but they were special forces they could deal with this.
“Right, so now we’ve got three hostages to rescue instead of one,” Robot said. “I’ve got a visual in the cabin and once I confirm all parties are inside, we’ll proceed with the plan.”
Tim gripped and released his gun, waiting for Robot’s next instruction. His heart beat loudly in his ears. The urge to storm the building and spray the room with bullets was huge, but that was the worst thing he could do.
He jolted when a foot hit his. He looked across and found Robot studying him intently. “I’m fine, Robot.”
“You’d better be. We’re about to go in.”
Tim lifted his night vision goggles, allowing his eyes to adjust. If he went in with his goggles on he’d be useless.
“Everyone in position?” asked Robot. A round of affirmatives came through. “Proceed to plan. Keep all hostages in line of vision. Alpha team, go.”
Brielle bit back a cry of despair when she saw her father slumped over a chair. His face was covered in blood and she didn’t even know if he was alive or dead.
Rayne stood beside her and grabbed her arm when she went to rush to her father’s side. “Don’t,” she muttered under her breath. “Stand still. Don’t move.”
Brielle opened her mouth to object when chaos erupted around her. Glass shattered, smoke and shouts filled the room. Again, her instinct to run filled her but with Rayne’s hand still gripping her arm she couldn’t.
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