“Al-Fayed has Georgie,” Sam said, knowing his team would hear.
“Hawk’s got a bead on him,” Richie responded.
Sam’s stomach flipped. He knew that the sniper was supposed to be the best in HOT, but if he was off even a millimeter, he could kill Georgie instead of Al-Fayed. “Nassif is wearing a suicide vest.”
“We gathered that from the conversation.”
“He disarmed it when he retrieved his pistol.”
“Flash, you close enough to intercept him?” Richie asked.
“That’s an affirmative,” Flash responded.
“Then take him down. Alive if possible. And don’t get blown up.”
“Copy that.”
“I’m coming out the backdoor,” Sam said. “Where’s Georgie now?”
“Christ!” someone hissed. “She’s doing something. I can’t get a clear shot.”
A second later, Sam heard gunfire. Fear skated down his spine, chilling him to the bone. He bolted around the house, uncertain what he might find but determined to save the woman he loved—his Georgie—from any harm. He’d said he’d die if he had to—and he would. Without hesitation if it meant Georgeanne Hayes was alive in this world.
Sam didn’t have the benefit of night vision goggles since he’d been operating inside the house, but his team did. He had to trust that was enough. His vision was still adjusting to the dark, but what he saw in front of the house froze his blood.
Georgie was wrapped around Abdullah al-Fayed, screaming bloody murder. Her hands were on his wrist—the one holding the weapon—and she was wrestling for control.
Al-Fayed wasn’t much bigger than she was, but he was stronger. Something flashed in his free hand and then he wrenched his arm free, bringing the gun up and around. Swinging it toward Georgie’s head.
Sam didn’t hesitate. He sprinted toward Al-Fayed, determined to throw himself between Georgie and the weapon. But he was too far and Al-Fayed wasn’t that slow. Any second and the trigger would click, the weapon exploding.
And Georgie would be dead.
Sam shouted. Al-Fayed jerked toward the sound—and then he doubled over, screaming in agony. Had Hawk connected? But if the sniper had shot him, why was Al-Fayed still alive?
Sam tackled the man, sending him sprawling. The gun bounced away, hitting the ground with a thick sound. Sam grabbed Al-Fayed’s shoulders and slammed him against the ground again and again.
“Knight Rider! Sam, Jesus,” somebody said. Strong hands grabbed him and dragged him off the terrorist who lay sobbing in the dirt. “It’s okay, you got him. She’s safe.”
Sam was on his knees and he looked up to see his team surrounding him, grease-painted faces, NVGs on helmets, rifles slung across chests. “Georgie,” he croaked out.
Garrett “Iceman” Spencer, the other FNG who’d arrived at HOT right after he did, stepped through the circle, a smaller figure beside him. “She’s right here, dude.”
Georgie rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him against her. He came up to her chest when he was on his knees. Not a bad place to be, but he didn’t want to be there with everyone watching so he got to his feet and gathered her close.
“I fought back, Sam,” she said. “I kicked him in the nuts, too. He screamed like a little girl.”
It took Sam a moment to process that. Then he laughed in relief for a second before his grip on her tightened. “He could have killed you. You shouldn’t have done it.”
“I’m tired of other people trying to run my life. I wasn’t going to let him make decisions for me. And I’m not letting you either. Just so you know.”
“Georgie,” he choked out, not trusting himself to say anything else.
“Come on, ladies,” Richie said to everyone. “We’ve got to turn these last two motherfuckers over to the FBI team and clean this place up. Then we have to book it home before Daddy Mendez has a fit.”
Sam ran his hands down Georgie’s arms, intending to let her go and do his job. Something hot and sticky coated his palm. He pulled it up to the light, his gut twisting at the color. “You’re bleeding.”
“Am I? I didn’t realize… Sam, I feel kinda light-headed,” she said just a second before she went limp in his arms.
21
Georgie was in a hospital bed. That was the first thing she realized when she woke. The second was that she wasn’t alone. Sam sat in a chair by the bed, engrossed in his phone. She took a long moment to study him, casting her mind back over the events of the past few days.
He was so handsome, so lonely. Her Sam. Always determined to do the right thing. Determined to sacrifice himself for her. He was still wearing the clothing he’d had on when Al-Fayed and his friend entered the cottage, so she didn’t think she’d been in the hospital all that long.
“Sam?”
His head jerked up, his eyes intent on hers. Filled with emotions she couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Hey, G. How you feeling?”
Her arm was sore. It was also bandaged and her head was a little stuffy from whatever pain medication they’d given her. But she was happy. “Great. You’re here.”
He smiled as he reached for her hand. Their fingers tangled. “I’m glad. You scared me.”
“What happened? I don’t remember.”
“Which part? The part where you attacked a terrorist or what happened afterward?”
“I remember right up until you were holding me when it was over.”
He let out a breath. “Then you remember just about everything. We found a knife on the ground. Al-Fayed slashed your arm with it. He was probably trying to stab you, but he missed in the struggle for the gun.”
Georgie blinked. “I didn’t know. I remember that something stung, but then everything happened so fast I forgot about it.”
“Until you lost enough blood to make you dizzy.”
“Did I lose that much?”
“Not a lot, but it affects everyone differently. It was probably a combination of blood loss and the adrenaline drop. Iceman’s still kicking himself for not checking you over before he brought you to me.”
“He didn’t have a choice. I was already trying to get to you. He just opened the circle and let me in.”
“You’re going to be fine, Georgie. The doc stitched you up. There’ll be a scar on your upper arm, but the cut was clean and it won’t show too bad once it heals.”
“Did you call my family?” Her stomach twisted at the thought.
He shook his head and relief flooded her. “I wanted to, but I figured it was your call. If you’d been hurt worse, I would have called Rick though.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.” She blinked up at the ceiling as relief swamped her. “How long have I been here? And where’s Belle?”
“Belle is fine. Evie has her.”
“Who’s Evie?”
“Matt Girard’s fiancée. She’ll take good care of Belle until you can get her. As for how long you’ve been here, you’ve been asleep a few hours now. Once we realized you were hurt, Ice gave you pain meds. You’d already passed out by then, but they seem to have kept you knocked out.”
“Yeah, I’m a bit of a lightweight with pain medication. I don’t take anything stronger than Tylenol or I’ll be out for hours.” It was still dark outside the windows, so at least she hadn’t slept until the next day. “What time is it?”
“About two in the morning.”
“Oh. Wow. Did you get those guys, Sam?”
He squeezed her hand. “We did. They won’t be a problem again.”
Georgie bit her lip. “What’s going to happen to them?”
“Not sure. And even if I was, I couldn’t tell you. But they won’t bother you ever again. That much I’m certain of.”
She thought of that moment back in the cottage when Al-Fayed had aimed his pistol at Sam. “I’m sorry, Sam, but I had to go with him when he threatened to shoot you. I couldn’t let it happen.”
He bent and kissed the back of her hand.
“I know. You scared the hell out of me, though.”
“I wasn’t sure the other guy wouldn’t blow you both up after we left, but I had to eliminate at least one threat to you.”
“I appreciate that, honey. Even if you shaved a few years off my life. The asshole was wearing a dummy bomb, by the way. He had no intention of blowing himself up.”
Georgie processed that. “It was a fake? Holy cow.”
“Yeah, and I wish I’d known that at the time because I’d have shot them both.”
She was kind of glad he hadn’t just because she wouldn’t have wanted to see that. She didn’t imagine it was the kind of thing she’d easily forget. “When can I go home?”
“Probably in the morning once the doctor checks you out again.”
She wanted to go home now and snuggle up in bed with Sam, but she’d have to be patient. She thought about what she hadn’t said to him before Abdullah Al-Fayed dragged her outside, but now that she had the time and space to tell him how she felt, her throat tightened and the words wouldn’t come out. What would happen if she said those words and he didn’t return them? Or, worse, he looked at her with pity? Poor little Georgie Hayes with her crush on Sam McKnight.
She couldn’t take it if he did that, so she said nothing. Inside, she was a ball of nerves though.
“Georgie, I—” His phone buzzed and he dragged it from his pocket, frowning at whatever he saw there.
For a moment she thought it might be Rick, but her brother wouldn’t be calling at two in the morning.
“McKnight,” he said. “Yes. Now? I’ll be there in ten.” He shoved the phone into his pocket and stood. “I’m sorry, G, but I have to go.”
Her heart throbbed. “Will you be back?”
“It might be a bit, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He bent and kissed her on the forehead. “You scared me, Georgie. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Just glad? She swallowed. “I’m glad too.”
“I already put Evie’s number into your phone, so you can reach her about Belle.”
Georgie grabbed his sleeve. “Wait, what? That sounds like you’re not coming back at all.”
“I am, but I don’t know when.” He kissed her lips and she opened to him, love and fear flooding her in nearly equal measure. “Be good, G. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
Sam strode out the door before she could disentangle the words clogging her throat. Tears pricked her eyes as his footsteps echoed down the hallway, carrying him away from her.
“I love you,” she whispered to the empty room.
You didn’t tell her you love her.
Sam slammed his truck door and shoved the key into the ignition. He’d wanted to tell her, intended to tell her, but then the phone call came and he’d been ordered back to HOT HQ. They’d only just wrapped up the operation with the terrorists who’d killed Jake Hamilton and they were already being sent on another mission.
He didn’t know what it was about or where they were going, but he’d known that he couldn’t tell Georgie what was in his heart and then walk out on her like that.
Maybe it was a sign that he wasn’t supposed to. He’d never intended to fall for her, and he certainly hadn’t intended to drag her into this kind of life. He’d lost his head a bit after Al-Fayed took her. He’d been so damned happy she was alive he’d have told her anything she wanted to hear.
But he had his head on straight now. Georgie Hayes wasn’t meant for the kind of rough and tumble existence a professional soldier led. Hell, she’d almost lost her life because she’d gotten too close to a Pentagon employee. And Sam’s life was way worse than some random sergeant’s in the Pentagon.
No, he wasn’t ever putting her in that kind of peril again. Best if he drove away and didn’t come back. Georgie would move on with her life if he weren’t in it. He’d been a diversion for a while, a teenage fantasy that she’d finally gotten to explore. She was a grown woman now and she could do far better than either him or Tim Cash.
Maybe he’d given her back her confidence after Tim had wrecked it. She could find another man, certain she was desirable now.
Sam clenched the wheel like his life depended on it. He didn’t want to think of Georgie with another man. It’d nearly killed him when she’d married Tim, and that’s when he was still denying how he felt. Now?
Jesus.
Sam stepped on the gas and flew toward HQ. He needed to lose himself in work for awhile. Get his priorities straight again.
Remember that Georgie wasn’t ever going to be his.
Georgie was discharged the next morning from the private hospital where she’d been treated. She’d never heard of it before but it was called Riverstone. She’d been treated like a VIP and had no complaints. They didn’t even ask her for her insurance information, which she found odd, but the discharge nurse told her everything was taken care of and not to worry.
She’d hoped that Sam would be the one to take her home once she was free, but it was someone else who arrived. A soldier in uniform, and not one she’d ever met before. He took her to the military building where Sam had taken her before and deposited her in a plush waiting room.
It wasn’t Sam who came through the doors to greet her, though. It was Colonel Mendez. He was smiling as he came over and politely shook her hand. Then he took a seat across from her, his big form seeming to dwarf the chair in which he sat. He was a handsome man, probably somewhere around fifty, and more than a little bit intimidating.
“Thank you for your help, Dr. Hayes. Without you, those men would still be plotting a terror attack on the United States.”
Georgie dropped her gaze. “I don’t feel like I did much. But I’m glad it was useful.” She looked at him again. “Will they be charged for killing Sergeant Hamilton?”
“I think so, yes. Abdullah Al-Fayed confessed when you and Sergeant McKnight were with him last night. We have the conversation recorded. Good work, by the way.”
Georgie twisted her fingers together in her lap. She didn’t know why she was here, and she didn’t know where Sam was. Would he walk in soon?
“You understand that you can’t talk with anyone about what happened over the past few days, right?” The colonel looked serious, his dark eyes spearing into her, searching for something.
“I know that, Colonel. I’ve been teaching military students for more than a year now, and I’ve had a Pentagon pass for nearly that long. I understand that some things are meant to be kept quiet for national security reasons.”
He nodded, seemingly pleased. “Yes, that’s correct. It’s for your safety, too. The less that’s said about your involvement last night, the better.”
“Believe me, I don’t want to tell anyone. I don’t want to be scared all the time and looking over my shoulder.”
“You won’t have to. We captured the entire cell. They’re finished here. The main cell back in their home country has other priorities to chase. They won’t be looking for you.”
“How can you be sure?”
His eyes flashed even as he smiled a big, wolfish smile. “I’m sure. They have other fish to fry. Your home is safe, Dr. Hayes. I’ve sent a team to secure it and install an alarm system as well as cameras. They’ll show you how to work everything when you arrive.”
“I… Thank you. Could I speak to Sam now?” she added.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but his team is downrange. They won’t be home for at least a couple of weeks. Maybe more.”
Georgie’s heart fell. Sam had left. And without saying goodbye. Without saying anything. Had he known last night when he got that phone call?
Of course he had. And he’d said nothing.
What had been earth shattering to her was nothing more than sex to him. But he’d told her that, hadn’t he? She just hadn’t listened.
“If you’re ready to go home, Evie is waiting in another room for you. She has your cat.”
“Yes,” Georgie said, her voice feeling rusty and tight. “I’m ready.”
22
“What the hell happened, Georgie? First there was a guy and now there’s no guy.” Rick sounded exasperated with her. And more than a little worried.
Georgie sighed and shoved her hair back from her face. “I made him up so you’d stop bothering me.”
Of course it wasn’t true, but she wasn’t telling her brother about Sam. Or about the blissful few days she’d spent wrapped in his arms in a cottage in Maryland.
Her heart ached every time she thought of Sam. She hadn’t seen him or heard from him in three weeks. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said his life was unpredictable.
She’d made friends with Evie Baker, who’d told her so much about what life with a Special Operator was like. Evie was gorgeous, a tall black-haired beauty who cooked mouthwatering meals and somehow managed to stay thin.
Georgie had eaten her share of that food over the past three weeks. She’d gone to Evie and Matt’s place, and Evie had come over to her kitchen to cook as well. Georgie had even learned a thing or two about how to make simple dishes that were amazingly delicious.
She’d hoped she might get to fix them for Sam, but she wasn’t sure that would ever happen. She couldn’t get over the fact he hadn’t said anything to her about leaving, or when he might be back.
And since she knew how Sam was about anything to do with her, she figured that he wasn’t in any hurry to see her again. He’d probably convinced himself that she was too good for him and it was better this way.
Which made her want to knock him over the head with a frying pan.
Rick sighed. “Mother worries about you. I’m just trying to make sure you’re all right since she won’t ask you herself.”
“She won’t ask because she knows I’m a grown woman and I can take care of myself.” Georgie tapped her pencil against the desk in her home office. “Rick, honestly, I’m happy with what I’m doing. I love my house, I love my job, and I’m not ready to jump into a relationship with anyone.” Anyone except Sam. “And while we’re at it, I don’t appreciate you asking Sam to check on me. He has an important job and he doesn’t have time to chase me down just because you ask him to.”
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