by Liliana Hart
Declan broke out into a smile, his earlier anger and frustration forgotten for just a moment. He couldn’t have been more ecstatic for his brother. After everything Shane had been through, he deserved to live the rest of his life in happiness.
Declan reached over and wrapped Shane in a hug, slapping him on the back a couple of times. “Hey, congratulations, man. It’s going to change your life forever. In the best possible way.”
“Tess has been sick as a dog,” Shane said. “It’s hard to watch.”
“Wait until childbirth. It doesn’t get any easier to see the woman you love in pain. But she’ll mostly forgive you for the whole ordeal after the baby is born.”
At that moment, Audrey Sharpe-Ryan came in and raised a brow at the two of them. “Am I interrupting?” she asked. “I thought we were having a meeting. You two look like you’re about to break out into song. This is very awkward.”
Declan could look at Audrey objectively and state with a hundred percent honesty that she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. She was tall in stature and she carried herself with the kind of quiet dignity that some were born with. Her face was flawless, her cheekbones high, and her lips full. Her eyes were black as night and fringed with thick lashes and brows. Her thick black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she wore black BDUs and a gray tank top with the MacKenzie Security logo over the breast.
The tank top revealed the scar of an old gunshot wound at her shoulder. She had two more to match on her chest that weren’t visible, and scars all across her back and stomach. She’d had a hell of a career and lived to tell about it.
She was a former Mossad agent who’d been captured and tortured while on a mission. Declan had been the CIA agent to free her and bring her back to the United States for sanctuary. Her cover had been blown as Mossad, but her skills were invaluable and she’d been absorbed into covert ops for a different country. Declan had recruited her after he’d started MacKenzie Security because she was, quite simply, one of the best agents he’d ever seen. It was a bonus that she’d fallen in love with and married Archer Ryan, who’d been one of his agents since the beginning of the company.
“You’re a riot,” Shane said. “I thought you guys were OOC. When did you get back?”
“This morning,” she said, taking one of the seats on the opposite side of the table so she was facing the door. “Archer caught some kind of twenty-four-hour virus on the way back and he’s sleeping it off at the house. I was tempted to ignore the summons to come and stay home with him. Those long flights kick my ass every time. I haven’t been to bed yet.”
Elena came into the room with her laptop and a thick file, and Declan’s brows rose when he saw Brady come in behind her. He hadn’t been invited to the meeting since he technically wasn’t an employee of MacKenzie Security. But the SEAL team he commanded—Shane’s former team—often accompanied them on missions if they were on leave.
Shane and Brady were best friends, and they gave a quick knuckle bump before Brady took a seat at the far end of the conference table near Elena. Declan had been watching Brady dance around Elena for seven years. It had been almost painful at times. They all remembered what she’d looked like that day they found her in the alley. It wasn’t a picture that could ever be erased from their minds, no matter how hard they tried.
Brady remembered that night as well as he did, and there’d been something in him that had raged when he’d seen the broken slip of a girl left in the street to die. It had been Brady who’d exacted her revenge in the most brutal of ways. He’d hunted her attackers down like dogs and given them no mercy. They hadn’t been hard to find. They’d been drunk and bragging about it in a little cantina.
Declan had never been sure Elena had truly healed, and he often wondered if he’d made the right decision in all but forcing her to belong with them. They’d wanted to save her and protect her, especially after she’d showed such bravery in leading them to taking down Alexander Ramos and disbanding his cartel. But she’d always kept her distance. There had always been that little speck of fear in her eyes, even after her body had healed and she’d hardened herself to all emotions.
Brady had watched her and waited, slowly extending a hand, like one would do with a skittish animal, until she got used to him being there. But there was something inside Elena that was broken, and no amount of extending a hand had been accepted by her, though Brady had gotten closer than anyone.
“I sent you all the transmissions through email,” Elena said, “but I brought you a hard copy as well.”
Declan felt his anger return and had to work to tamp it down until he heard all the facts. He had no idea how what should’ve been a straightforward mission could’ve gone to hell so quickly.
“Brady,” Declan said, arching a brow. “I didn’t realize you’d be joining us.”
Brady grinned unapologetically. “You never know when I might come in handy.” He tilted his head toward Elena, and he couldn’t have made it more clear that he was there for her and her alone. Declan could understand and respect that kind of loyalty.
“Now that we’re all here,” he said, “let’s figure out why the hell we lost an agent out there, and why nine more are missing.”
“Holy shit,” Shane said, sitting up in his chair. “Is this the Somalia mission? I thought that was a quick in and out?”
“Nothing is ever that simple when human nature is involved,” Elena said, her voice cool and even.
Declan dimmed the lights and clicked the remote he’d left on the table. An image of a red-headed, green-eyed man appeared on the wall.
“Titus Dean,” Declan said. “I’m going to have to explain to his wife of six months why her husband is never coming home again.”
He saw the grief in Elena’s eyes as she studied the photo. She’d never seen Titus or any of the Alpha Team before. Putting faces to the blurry red images on the computer screen didn’t help her stay cool and dispassionate when the shit started to hit the fan. But now she was seeing that loss of life up close and personal. Declan wanted her to see Titus up close and personal. Because he wanted her to remember, next time she was on the boards, that there were real people at the other end. Maybe next time she’d take a little more caution before sending them into a trap.
“He was a twenty-six-year-old former Airborne Ranger. This was his first mission as team leader. And his last. The mission was simple. He and Alpha Team were assigned to evacuate a civilian offshore oil exploration research team for BrexCorp.”
Elena sat stoically in her chair, her back straight and her fingers laced in front of her. She knew the gravity of their position. A mistake of this magnitude could bring down everything his entire family had sacrificed for.
Shane whistled as he read the intel from the screen. “Somalia is never to be underestimated,” he said. “Right, Brady? We had a couple of close calls on more than one occasion.”
“It’s a damned viper’s nest,” Brady said. “They’re their own worst enemy. I’m guessing the locals didn’t take kindly to good old capitalism.”
“You’d be right,” Declan said. “Rebels began charging the mostly unguarded compound once they saw the helicopters. Not sure what triggered the all-out assault on the complex, but I guess the choppers spooked them. Titus and his team shoved the last civies on a chopper and fled on foot to keep from becoming victims.”
Audrey sighed. “And there’s mistake number one. Why the hell would they run into the jungle?”
“Where else were they supposed to go?” Elena’s voice was sharp, and Declan knew she’d taken the criticism as a personal attack.
“Because it’s like running from a shark and jumping into the ocean,” Audrey said.
“There was nowhere else to run,” Elena argued.
Audrey leaned onto the table. “That’s the point. Why did they run?”
“Because they were being attacked,” Elena said, but her cheeks were flushed and Declan knew she recognized Audrey’s point.
<
br /> “These men are warriors, fighting local insurgents with little to no training. They’re not track stars. Which option do you think they’ll be more successful at?”
“Audrey,” Brady said. “That’s harsh.”
“No,” Elena said. “She’s right. I see it now.” She looked at Declan. “I apologize. I didn’t see them standing to fight as an option. Training has always taught me to avoid engagement unless necessary.”
“Which is why I’m keeping an open mind at the moment,” he said. “Experience and instinct trumps training, and the situation the team was in today was more complicated than any of us thought.”
“You can’t think that I’d purposefully lead them into harm’s way,” Elena said. “None of my training or past experiences allowed for what would happen when the team leader refused to follow orders.”
“Instructions,” Shane interjected.
Elena’s head snapped toward Shane. “Sorry, instructions.” But she didn’t sound sorry, and Declan raised his brows. He’d never seen Elena lose her cool. She’d been like a robot for seven years, and he was almost relieved to see a crack in her armor. Despite the span of time, she’d never fully healed, and he’d almost lost hope that she would.
“There’s a difference,” Shane said, shrugging, though Declan could tell he was surprised by her attitude as well. “A huge difference.”
“You think I don’t know there’s a difference?” Elena said, standing. “I’ve given instructions for exactly three hundred and thirty-seven different and successful operations since I began managing logistics and support years ago. I know the difference between instructions and orders. I know my place here. And it’s okay, because I owe so much to your family, Declan. But the fact of the matter is that Titus put himself and his team in danger because of his own foolish choices. Now we just have to figure out if the next move is to plan for a rescue or a recovery. It’s all in the transcripts.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion,” Declan said. “And I’ll review the transcripts. But I’ve still got nine men unaccounted for.”
Declan turned off the image on the wall and tossed the remote back onto the table. He paced the length of the room a couple of times, trying to think through all the scenarios. Everyone knew him well enough to not interrupt. He was tired. And when it came down to it, he cared more about the men on the ground and the potential loss of lives than he did about losing their reputation or future contracts.
He dropped into the chair at the head of the table and tilted his head toward Elena. “Has it really been three hundred and thirty-seven missions?”
“Exactly that many,” she said stiffly.
“You’re a hell of an asset to us, Elena,” he said. “We’ll get this figured out. I know you did what you could to get them out of there.”
“It’s my duty,” she said. “It’s what I’m expected to do.”
Declan saw Brady flinch out of the corner of his eye. The boy was a goner. And Declan had a feeling he was going to get his heart smashed to bits before it was over.
“You’ve never been just a duty to us,” he told her. “I hope you know that.”
Elena walked the half mile from the main offices to the building where her command center was located. She needed to clear her head and let the July sun beat down on her shoulders. The walled compound nestled deep in the foothills of Surrender, Montana, and she loved seeing the mountains behind them and the clear blue of the lake that sat on the property. She’d never gotten used to the long, snowy winters, but she loved this time of year.
The MacKenzie Security’s operations base was in a remote location to ensure anonymity and safety for all who worked or trained on site. It was a gorgeous section of their sprawling ranch. It had been a good place for Elena, but now she was wondering if it was still the best place for her.
She’d been here for seven years. She’d worked three hundred and thirty-seven missions in the command center. But she didn’t feel like she really belonged anywhere. Maybe it was time to move on. They’d all been so kind to her that leaving would be difficult—unless they didn’t care if she left. It was hard to tell after the meeting in the conference room.
She’d collected all of the audio and video transmissions from the Somalia situation and secured it in an encrypted folder she shared with Declan. She’d titled it Merca / Titus Rescue. Her assistant, Willa, continued to monitor video feeds and satellite transmissions from the region. She’d even tapped into the state military and local militias for reports or gossip of security forces being killed or captured. It was radio silent. She had no idea where her nine remaining men were, even though there hadn’t been any changes to their vital signs. They were still alive. They were just lost. And it was eating her up inside.
She knew what it felt like to be trapped and hurt, and to think that no one would ever come for you, no matter how much you begged for help. She couldn’t imagine leaving anyone else in that same position. But she had.
The reinforced steel building that housed the command center sat off by itself, and when she used her badge to open the door, a cold blast of air chilled her skin.
“Elena,” Willa said, turning from her computer station to face her. “You had a message alert pop up on Cryptocat. Otherwise, it’s been quiet. You okay? You’re looking kind of pale.”
“I’m fine, thanks. Just low on sleep. I’ll take over if you want to catch a break.”
“I’m not going to turn that down,” Willa said, grinning. “Did you see all of those SEALs that Brady brought to the complex? Yum, yum. It’s like Christmas around here whenever the SEALs go on leave and decide to spend it in Surrender.”
“Be careful,” Elena said, raising a brow. “Those are the kind of men where it’s easy to bite off more than you can chew.”
“Sugar, I hope so,” Willa said, winking. “I have no intention of settling down any time soon. I’ve got work I love, my son, and a stable life for him thanks to Declan and my Uncle Archer. I plan on taking advantage of the perks. God wouldn’t put men like that on this planet if he didn’t want a woman to appreciate the creation.”
Elena wasn’t a hundred percent sure how to answer that. She spent most of her time avoiding looking at men.
“Just be careful,” Elena called out again as the door closed behind Willa, leaving her alone.
She scrolled through the computer network’s screen before locating the red marker in her encrypted messaging service. She used Cryptocat as a way of communicating with the MacKenzies, but seldom anytime other than that. She typed in her password, and then waited to be connected.
The door beeped as someone scanned their badge at the door, and Elena figured Willa must have forgotten something. The door swung open and she was surprised to see Brady there.
“Hey,” he said. “Am I interrupting?”
“No,” she said. “Of course not.” And then she saw Declan step in behind him and she froze. She hadn’t had enough time to work off her anger and disappointment from their meeting. She needed some space before she could make any decisions about her future. But she owed Declan her life, and she’d never forget it.
“I’m sorry I lost my temper during the briefing,” she told him. “It won’t happen again.”
“Actually,” he said, “it doesn’t change the circumstances, but it was nice to see. I wanted to tell you that Shane and I are leaving for South Africa. We’ll be connecting with one of our foreign security teams currently working in the Middle East. Those contractors will connect with us in Mogadishu. We’ll send an advance team into the region south of the port of bananas just in case we get a lead on where my men are.”
“Port of bananas?” Elena asked. She was familiar with the region but she’d never heard of that one before.
“That’s what they call the big shipping region at the Port of Merca,” Brady interjected, cracking a smile.
Declan’s face was humorless. “I need you to coordinate a secure location for us to bunk and establish an opera
tions command center.”
“I can do that.” Elena scribbled notes on her day planner. “Anything else?”
“Not unless you want to go explain to my wife why I’m having to leave the country for an unknown amount of time to fix this mess.” He saluted his good-bye and shut the door behind him.
Elena couldn’t hold back the tears, and she quickly turned away from Brady so he didn’t see them.
“Elena,” he said, coming up behind her.
She could feel his presence, but he didn’t touch her. No one ever touched her. And then he did the unexpected. His hands lightly caressed her arms. She shuddered and panic wanted to fill her, but she took a breath and stared at his reflection in the computer screen. If she saw his face, she wouldn’t think of the other faceless men who’d left bruises where Brady now stroked. She slowly started to relax, and she let the heat of his hands seep into her.
“You can’t let him get to you,” Brady said. “He’s taking this hard. I’ve known Dec a long time, and he feels responsible for every life under his command.”
“Of course,” she said. The guilt was eating her up. “He has every right to feel that way. I screwed up. I understand.”
“I don’t think you do,” he said.
She moved out of his hold and was able to breathe steadily again. It had been a hell of a day, and she was hanging on by a thread. She needed a good workout, something that would leave her so exhausted she wouldn’t be able to help but sleep. But first she had to get rid of Brady.
“I’ve got work to do,” she told him. “I’m not on leave like you are.”
He flinched as if she’d struck him, but he covered it with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Sure,” he said. “Catch you later.”
She collapsed as soon as he closed the door behind him. How could she be upset with them after all they’d done to get her back on both feet? But she was upset. She was angry. And she was hurt that Declan hadn’t given her the benefit of the doubt. She’d done what she thought was right. But it hadn’t been good enough.
