The Alpha's Secret Baby 2

C H A P T E R O N E S H A U N

There was no noise at all. The sounds of insects buzzing and chirping in the distance were the only things breaking the stillness of the dense jungle around Shaun. As he took a seat at his post high up in a large tree on his stomach, he scrunched his nose and slightly shifted his weight to his hips.

There was no noise at all. The sounds of insects buzzing and chirping in the distance were the only things breaking the stillness of the dense jungle around Shaun. As he took a seat at his post high up in a large tree on his stomach, he scrunched his nose and slightly shifted his weight to his hips.

They were in the midst of a South American jungle in a nation that Shaun didn't care about and couldn't recall the name of. All of these haunts began to resemble one another after a few years with The Firm. Depending on the mission, the only differences were the flight's duration and the type of nest he would need to choose.

drug traffickers Why didn't they choose a better environment to do their shit in? Shaun thought dejectedly.

He had developed a strong phobia of heat after serving two tours in Afghanistan. Even though the exjaguar SEAL's appeared to be purring contentedly and be prepared to move as soon as the call came, the human side of him was not particularly pleased with the warm, humid weather. Even though it wasn't as bad as the desert's oppressive, dry heat, he had recently grown to appreciate more temperate climates.

Smiling to himself, Shaun said. The mission must have been taking forever if he was talking about the weather in his inner monologue.

The comm unit was turned on by him touching his finger to his ear. "Category 3. This is all clear. Any news on when we will arrive? He tried to disguise his slight annoyance in his voice with something more akin to eagerness as he asked.

“Cat One. Cat Four encountered a problem; we'll keep you updated," Jerome reported.

Shaun held back his sigh. If Tim, Cat Four, encountered a problem, it was likely that one or more of the bombs had not yet been detonated. In order to confuse the thugs when they decided to attack, he and Mitch had been creeping around the campsite's perimeter and planting tiny explosive devices on the buildings that were closest to the ground.

Shaun inhaled deeply, reminding himself that he was a patient man. He needed to be. Being a sniper came with the territory. But in all honesty, he had lost a lot of his composure in the past few years and didn't really know how to get it back. In an effort to keep himself busy, he carefully kept his eye on the scope as he circled the buildings and the guards one by one, noting their locations.

When he was on a long stakeout like this one, thoughts started racing through his mind that he didn't really need. Memories, flashes, screams, promises... he could do without them all. His nightly scotch habit, along with a rigorous training regimen and keeping good company, either with his team or with women, kept them at bay, but when he was all alone up in a nest like this one, time was his worst enemy.

Don't go there, he told himself as the corners of his vision blurred and his finger itched to press the trigger.

So he tallied. At the center building, there are two guards. Two are at the warehouse door, with a third circling it. Three more were walking around in a circle, looking as if they knew what they were doing. As their recon over the previous three days had revealed, there were probably a few more hidden by the other buildings, and countless more in the houses.

Shaun felt a familiar sense of unease as he observed their equipment. These guys were wellarmed and wellequipped. They weren't armed with discarded AKs and a mishmash of handguns like Shaun was used to seeing on drug lords, but with new weapons. Clean, orderly, and wellmaintained.

The men wielding them appeared to be putting on their best slumming act, but a man can't hide prowess and capability for long. These guys were pumped and tense. Careful. They weren't just bumbling muscle sent out into the jungles to get killed over a bad deal.

When Jerome relayed this to command, they got a deadpan response about it being "just a drug cartel" and "the mission is the same—clean out the group," which elicited a round of eye rolls in the bunker and more than a few expletives directed at the guy delivering the news.

Spade. Somehow, whenever things started to seem strange, that motherfucker was always involved. Nobody was surprised that this was another one of these occasions or that, even in the best of circumstances, getting information out of him was difficult. Shaun wasn't the biggest Spade fan to begin with because of the incident involving Tim and Tom and their wife Maddison.

However, they followed instructions as usual, albeit perhaps this time with a little more caution. That was probably the reason Jerome was not in a hurry, taking longer than usual to stake out the location and giving Tim plenty of time to set up. They all aspired to enter and exit in a tidy manner. Shaun knew he was speaking for everyone when he said that a sensible mission would be most welcome for a change because there had been too many unexpected, uncivilized fights lately.

He was therefore irritated when he unexpectedly heard noises coming from the camp as one of the guards pointed to the perimeter's shadows while shouting something.

Shit, Shaun thought to himself, recognizing the area he was pointing at as one of the places Tim was planning to plant an explosive.

A low whine, subtle but present, reached his ears. Lasertripped perimeter guards Tim probably didn't realize he was close to one until it went off like an air horn.

"Cat Four has been created," Shaun growled into the comm as he took aim.

“Lock and load,” came the familiar reply, Jerome’s voice as tight as Shaun’s.

Everything went to hell in an instant. Tim had to have hit the remote detonation triggers at the same time Shaun pulled the trigger on the gun for the first time, dropping the guy screaming with a clean hit to the head. The four buildings exploded in a brilliant display of sparks, flames, and explosions so loud they could deafen a man in the distance Shaun was located.

Even through the protective goggles he was wearing, which were set for low light and quick adaptation between illumination levels, Shaun instinctively closed his eyes as the explosions flashed intensely. Even so, he was already adjusting the rifle with his hands, the barrel moving only a few inches in the direction he anticipated the next two guards might be running.

He smiled to himself as the hair trigger on a beast of a guard running toward the entrance Jerome and Tom would use was perfectly aligned when he opened his eyes. A millisecond later, the man fell to his knees while clutching his throat, and the person behind him did the same.

Shaun fired three bullets into the rifle with a quick reload. His heart was racing, and his veins were pounding with adrenaline. Chaos annoyed him. To be completely honest, I detested it with a fervent hatred. Nothing made him happier than a wellorganized maneuver, and this was far from it.

People piled out of the burning buildings, some prepared to fight and some simply prepared to perish. A definite indication that the rest of Squadron Six was approaching was the sound of gunfire beginning to rumble the jungle below. This was not how things should have been. This was not flawless.

But occasionally, that was how their missions went. He had to be ready for anything, and he was, according to the spirits above. However, no one implied that Shaun had to concur.

Shaun focused on their main objective as Mitch's voice over the comm announced, "Movement in the warehouse."

Typically, they were given the assignment to eliminate everyone present by either wiping them out or gathering them together for local authorities. Local authorities, of course, usually meant some wealthy jerk who had paid them to eliminate some competition. In the end, Shaun wasn't too concerned. His morals had been questionable for a long time, and at the end of the day, he considered any piece of shit that wasn't roaming the Earth and potentially killing innocent people a victory.

However, this time, it was against the law to leave anyone unattended. To say the least, it was unusual but not unheard of. Squad Six was aware of The Firm's reputation for accepting jobs that weren't entirely kosher.

They'd talked about it numerous times, but they came to the understanding that they could refuse anything if it didn't quite line up with their moral compass. But for Shaun, getting rid of a bunch of drug dealers was a winwin situation.

When he noticed one of the powerful guards running directly toward Jordan, who was protecting Jerome, like he was being pursued by demons, he didn't think twice for a moment. Before pulling the trigger, Shaun let his finger rest on it for a moment. A second later, he saw the man fall to the ground like a wet tissue, which was a satisfying sight.

Seconds later, he remarked, "Warehouse stable," frowning slightly as he regarded the long, slender structure.

Even though nobody had yet left, he knew there had to be at least five people inside. No back entrances existed, and the windows he could see did not exhibit any movement. He had assumed that because they were on the highest alert, the warehouse workers would be among the first to leave. Although he had killed the guards stationed at the door, he was unable to see any other individuals trying to join the fight or flee.

Shaun muttered to himself, pushing the tobacco he was chewing into the corner of his mouth, "The fuck's going on here."

A few years ago, when he had taken more than one bullet during the squad's valiant show of introducing Jerome to his wife Libby, his knee throbbed with a dull ache. A wolf had nearly killed him when it had caught him in his nest.

Shaun had developed a severe case of nestrelated paranoia since then. Nothing was worse for a sniper than to be killed while their focus was on a battle taking place half a mile away. Nevertheless, he was adamant about never letting anyone else enter the nest with him.

In an effort to bring some order to the chaos, Mitch called, "Cat Two, buildings three and seven cleaned out."

Jordan said, "Cat Five, building two cleaned out."

The conflict was becoming more erratic. The perimeter's smaller buildings had been thoroughly cleaned out after Jerome and the rest of the team took out the weak points. The three huts that had been damaged by the explosions were on fire and in danger of spreading the destruction. The only indication that anyone was down there at all was sporadic gunfire coming from covered locations; however, the wouldbe commandos were no longer in sight.

The warehouse remained standing as a symbol of absolute silence. There was a problem. Shaun was aware of it in his body.

C H A P T E R T W O D A N I E L L A

Everything was going exactly the opposite way it was supposed to.

Dani gritted her teeth, passing the time with the tiny packages of cocaine so pure she was certain she could entertain half of Batangas with the small baggie she was carrying. Sweat was dripping down her face, licking at the delicate curve behind her ear and causing it to itch. She was irritated, and it was getting worse.

I can't believe I'm still here, she thought to herself as she tried to figure out what time it was.

It had to be after three a.m. at the very least. The sun would rise soon, and she knew she had to finish this shipment quickly if she wanted to avoid Soyo's misplaced rage. He never got too bad, but she'd gotten a few smacks in the last few months and it was getting tiresome pretending to be hurt by them.

"Are you nearly finished? " she inquired, remembering to switch from Filipino to English when addressing Roy, one of the guards on packing duty with her.

"I have no choice. I'm falling asleep here," he said flatly, his cold, dead eyes fixed on his work.

Peculiar. He'd never appeared to be the type of guy who needed to sleep. That went for the majority of the Silk Slayers, the most ridiculous name for a drug cartel she'd ever heard. But these were not your average drug dealers. Even though they had some Filipino in their blood, the majority of them were Americans, and English was as widely spoken in the camp as Tagalog.

Dani had been in the business long enough to know that such nonsense did not occur. Not in the middle of a jungle, with a large camp hidden away like busy worker bees, everyone going through their tasks mechanically at best.

Yes, the coke was good, and yes, they did move it in large shipments, but the longer Dani was involved, the more she suspected that coke wasn't the only thing they were transporting.

Of course, The Firm would not hear a word she said about it.

"You're two months behind schedule. Find out who they work for and who their main client is before leaving. "We're running out of time."

That was the last message she'd received from her handler, and it had been more than a month. Dani considered herself lucky to be alive. The Firm did not appreciate having their orders ignored or extended as she had. But she was unable to simply give up and leave. Something wasn't... right. Her jaguar senses began to tingle due to something in the air, and she was unable to let go or remove herself from the situation in order to concede defeat.

It took another month after she was accepted before she was actually allowed to "graduate" from a rundown apartment to this wonderful stretch of jungle to work as a packer. It certainly helped that she could boast of having quick fingers and an excellent sense of scale for cocaine baggies, but that was a longer story.

She knew she was low on the totem pole, but she was nonetheless gradually moving up the organizational hierarchy. At least the angry fuck in charge of this particular operation, Soyo, was now prepared to look her in the eye and not treat her like some kind of elaborate wall decoration.

She was one of the few women in the area, and the absence of any awkward advances from the men was another pretty obvious flashing sign that something odd was happening.

She simply didn't know what yet.

Soyo frequently spent days away with an armored guard while traveling, coming and going constantly from the compound. When the convoy returned, they occasionally brought in sealed wooden crates filled with something that was obviously not more coke and hid it under tarps at the back of the warehouse until it was moved once more. She was never permitted to see what it was, but by this point, she was certain that it held the solution to this absurd nonsense.

You could decide to give up and return home. Sleep in a bed without mosquito netting. Eat something that isn't a vaguely defined kind of gruel. Dani allowed her gaze to wander over the individuals in the warehouse with her and thought to herself, "Wouldn't that be nice."

Ron was standing with his rifle in his hands, looking as prepared to fall on his face and sleep as he was to take out any threat that might come his way. Roy, Mar, and Louie were also packing like she was. Dani had no doubt that if she ever made the wrong move, Ron or any of the other guys would be more than happy to end her misery.

When the first explosion shook the compound, she was wiping sweat from her brow and cursing the unbearable heat.

"Wait a minute!" Shar yelled, leaping to his feet and running to the door as the rest of the bombs detonated in quick succession.

From the window, Dani could see the flames reaching high and casting shadows against the dark green jungle backdrop.

"Shit, we're getting hit," Louie hissed through clenched teeth, rising from his seat and beginning to toss the packages into a large basket on the floor. "Dani, help me," he said, drawing Dani into the situation.

She stood up and began assisting, her hands doing the work with noticeable apathy. Her mind was racing ahead of her, trying to figure out who in the world would care enough to come and attack them. Yes, drugrelated cartel wars were common, but the Silk Slayers had been very careful to stay out of the spotlight, constantly moving the base to avoid anyone's radar who might have taken offense at their mere existence. They were also too small to justify such bombings and carnage.

Most of all, Dani was trying to figure out how to get her hands on a gun so she wouldn't die with the rest of these scumbags.

Mar and Ron were watching out the door as they swiftly cleared the long table. Like Dani would have anticipated from men who only knew violence, neither was sprinting outside. They chose to wait. She could not detect any fear in any of the four men present because of their rigid muscles and alert eyes. They appeared to have been anticipating this. They weren't pleased to see their camp in flames, but they were sort of... blasé about the whole thing.

Dani assisted Louie in moving the basket to the other end of the long warehouse, where he yanked open a trap door buried in the ground. Behind another safety door, there was a large silo down there with numerous baskets of tightly packed coke. Louie dragged the load inside, quickly shut the hatches, and smoothed the floor's edges.

He gently said, "So they won't get our shit," and he grabbed Dani by the arm and dragged her back to the entrance.

Dani winced at his vicelike hold but remained silent. It was already bad enough that she was stranded in the middle of a firefight with these men and had no way to sneak away and hide in the jungle until the situation calmed down. While she was at it, she didn't want to make them angry.

Louie examined his gun, his face solemn.

"Soyo will be pissed when he gets back," Shar remarked mildly, boredly watching the commotion outside.

"Good thing he got out with the shipment, then," Ron said, prompting Louie to give him a silent stare.

"Which shipment?" Dani inquired, perking up slightly.

She was vaguely aware of her hands rolling into fists and then loosening again, as if she was prepared to go ten rounds with whoever came at her. That readiness to fight, kill, or be killed was a familiar sensation. Mindanao, and then the seemingly endless missions back in Manila, had taught her to stay alert at all times.

It was difficult enough to live the life she had chosen, but as a woman she had to be especially cautious. If she was caught, her gender would have no bearing on anything. After all, a bullet to the head was a bullet to the head. So it was even more surprising that she'd allow such a slip.

It has to be the heat.

"None of your business, Dani," Louie grumbled, not looking at her.

Dani took a deep breath to center herself. She'd joined the Silk Slayers, but they didn't seem to trust her yet. She couldn't hold it against them. Such things took time. It's strange how she and a bunch of drugrunning whackos got it, but her own employer, one of the world's most lauded private "security" firms, didn't.

"Who do you believe they are?" Shar inquired, his lips drawn into a thin line.

"Does it make a difference?"

"If they're coming at us with explosives, it might," Mar smirked.

He almost appeared to be drawn to the possibility.

"Does not, in reality. You are familiar with the procedure. Wait until Soyo and the rest of the crew arrive, then take care of them while remaining hidden". He started to say something while flicking a glance at Dani, "At least we don't have to worry about the..."

Dani raised her hands, took a step back, and scowled.

"Louie, hurry up. I have no idea what's happening, but I shouldn't be your concern in this situation. Not when there are a bunch of psychotic commandos running around outside attempting to destroy the camp. Should we not be assisting? ”

The last question was reasonable enough considering that at that precise moment, highpitched screams briefly rang in Dani's ears before being masked by gunfire. Dani questioned whether the man screaming was on the side of the attackers.

They were aware of the risks, Louie said with a shrug. They grow old and pass away. It is their own issue.

Callous, Dani grimly reflected.

It didn't surprise her at all. None of these guys had particularly strong sentiments. She was by far the shortest person in the entire camp at five foot eight. They were all large, strong, and physically fit. She was aware that there were a few shifters present, but it appeared that only the senior members of their improvised management were weres of any kind. All of the foot soldiers were people, but they were still in excellent physical condition.

However, she had discovered herself in the warehouse with four of the five shifters who were present throughout the compound, with Soyo the lone absentee. Now that I think about it, it seemed like an absurd coincidence.

As a stray bullet came barreling into the building, going straight through a wall and not stopping, Ron called out, pulling Dani next to him and out of the way.

“Fuck! " Dani exclaimed. "Man, I appreciate it."

"Dani, how about you concentrate for a while on not killing yourself? Do you think you could pull that off?" Louie scoffed, giving her a look that could have set the sun on fire.

She mumbled, tucking back her long, curly black hair in an effort to prevent her hands from doing anything other than suffocating him to death. "Sure thing," she said.

Prick. I'm hoping that one day I'll be the one to shoot you in the head.

Only when they heard the distinctive sound of a truck trundling through the brush did things start to spiral out of control once more. Dani also realized very quickly that this was not your typical drug operation.

C H A P T E R T H R E E S H A U N

It's taking longer than expected.

Shaun's body thrummed with the first stings of anxiety as the thought hammered in the back of his mind. Nothing was worse than watching a carefully planned hit go to shit, but what if it went wrong and took far too long? That's when things got dicey. Ammo may run out, reinforcements may arrive, someone may be injured, and there may be no way to extract them. As soon as time became an issue, the chances of failure began to mount.

"Cat Four. What exactly is going on? " Shaun inquired, his voice low and growling.

"Cat Five and Cat Two have been apprehended. The targets have built a bunker in the warehouse. Getting rid of resistance pockets on the outside. Do you have a clear shot on anyone in the warehouse, Cat Four? ”

Jerome's voice came across the line strained and irritated. It didn't take long to realize that Shaun wasn't the only one who was tense about the situation. He looked through the scope at the warehouse, seeing fleeting shadows on the walls but not a single person he could have shot.

They were all pressed up against the walls, far away from windows and doors. He could theoretically try his luck and shoot through the wall, but there was no telling if he'd actually hit anything.

"Cat Four is a negative. "I'm going to switch nests."

Shaun's stomach lurched as the words left his mouth, but he knew it had to be done. He quickly disassembled the rifle, packing it away in about ten seconds before lugging it up on his back. His boots hit the soft ground below as he slid down the tree in complete silence, and he took off in a soundless run. Being a shifter had its advantages in their line of work, and stealth was one of them.

The heat of the fires raging below him could be felt all the way up on the bank he stood on. He scrambled up a rocky ledge, flung the gun in front of him, and then clambered up after it, gaining a new perspective on the warehouse and its residents that wasn't obstructed by fire.

Shaun quickly reloaded the weapon, noticing that the sun was rising. When he threw himself down on his stomach and got into his position, he heard a new sound, one he hadn't heard before that night. Crawling into the underbrush in search of the camp, car tires.

Shit. That was just what we needed.

“Cat Four. Possible reinforcements, vehicle sighted," he stated into the radio, noticing movements on the far right but too concealed by trees to distinguish who or how many were in the automobile.

“Noted. The warehouse is the goal, I repeat, the warehouse is the goal."

Shaun nodded and scanned the windows one by one. The folks inside were generally sitting quietly, but when the car approached, they began to move. Shaun noticed someone attempting to peer out again, not satisfied with one glance but looking for another.

He murmured beneath his breath, pressing the trigger, "Got you."

The man was slumped over with half of his body outside the warehouse while a cloud of red covered the exterior wall. When he took another aim, Shaun noticed him jerk once and experience throat drying. However, that shot had been effective. The automobile was approaching, and whomever was inside no longer felt secure. Four individuals suddenly emerged from the warehouse, racing at top speed while attempting to zigzag between the structures.

Shaun fired again, but this time it smacked into the ground behind a man's heel, making him swear. Three guys, followed by the smaller, leaner shape of a lady, were all he could count. His hair trigger instinctively aligned on the woman's shoulder blades as he took aim. He attempted it, but his hand stumbled. He was prevented from firing by something inside of him.

“The fuck’s wrong with you,” he growled to himself, shaking his head.

Shaun liked women just as much as the next guy locked in a goddamn sandpit for months on end, but no woman had ever so badly affected his thinking or, worse still, his aim as she did. Whether they were male or female, soldiers were still soldiers, in his eyes. But she? The way her arms were tense as she ran beside the men, the way her full lips were squeezed into a narrow line as she peered back and searched... It was very hypnotic.

He growled into the comm, struggling mightily to restore consciousness, "Cat Four, targets on the move."

The Jeep smashed into the property at that same moment as gunshots rained down all around it. Shaun's heart skipped a beat as he saw the automobile roar into the space directly in front of Jordan, trapping him between the car and the four people sprinting in its direction while keeping Tom, who had been with him but was now on the other side of the car, out of view.

Even yet, Jordan was still being pursued by the four individuals, at least three of whom were armed. He had knelt down because he realized he was trapped and was aiming at the group. Jordan, however, collapsed and screamed as blood spurted out of his right hand after taking a fortunate hit to it. When things looked their worst, Jerome trusted each member of his unit to make the proper choices, thus the comms were deathly silent.

But it wasn't Squad Six who came to Jordan's aid that night. Shaun just had one bullet left, so he selected the one nearest to Jordan. He started reloading as soon as he fired the trigger, his gaze fixed on the action. One of the big, burly men took aim, and Shaun expected to see his friend's skull split apart like a watermelon, but it never occurred.

The lady who'd run so stoically with the guys tackled the guy with the pistol, as if she'd changed in front of his eyes. She was quick and brutal. Kicking the barrel up, she jerked forward, yanking the guy almost twice her size over her shoulder and onto the ground with her elbow. She snatched the rifle from his grip and stamped her buttocks on his neck, aiming towards the last man standing.

But he was also quick. She didn't even get a chance to fire when the guy smacked her across the face with the stock, knocking her to the ground. Shaun had never been so furious in his whole life. When the car spun around and the guy who'd taken down the girl climbed in, pulling his halfconscious companion with him, the bullets snapped into place.

“All units, move in. "Man down," Jerome said dryly, no doubt in his voice.

Shaun put his gear together, vibrating with wrath. It has been a long time since a Squad Six assignment went so horribly wrong. He was used to seeing trash like this in the military, but with Jerome and the rest of the lads, it was unusual.

There was no one to blame either. Their recon had given them all they needed to know, or so they believed, and they'd misjudged the fuckers they'd faced.

It hit me square in the face.

Shaun was rushing through the bush, his breathing steady and his eyes filled with hatred. He drew out his handgun as he reached the perimeter, which was still lighted with burning fires, because there was no communication on the comms.

She'd better be OK.

As he went onto the grounds, skulking past the homes, the notion hit him like a freight train. Most of them had been moved out by the rest of the squad before the Jeep arrived, but one couldn't be too sure. He didn't need to get capped by some overzealous moron now when the game was almost done.

He arrived in time to watch Tim and Tom drag Jordan onto a field stretcher, Jordan's face distorted with rage and anguish. Of course, the medic was the one who had half his hand blown off. Jerome was kneeling next to the girl, and Shaun could feel the air becoming more charged with each step closer to her. Even when she was lying prone with her lips open and her eyes closed, she had a pull on him that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"What happened to Mitch?" Shaun questioned, bending down next to Jerome, his gaze following Tim and Tom as they carried Jordan away.

Tim was bleeding from his shin, and Tom was gripping his shoulder, but the Crawleys weren't going to be held back by a few flesh wounds. It seemed as if Shaun was trying to avoid staring directly at the woman on the ground in front of him, as if she were the sun and gazing at her would blind him. Shaun felt a tight and intense rush of envy as Jerome placed his fingers on her pulse.

"Just in case, he's emptying out the side buildings. You already know how those two are. If Jordan goes insane and Mitch notices it, we might have to sedate Mitch before punching Jordan out," Jerome said, his eyes clouded.

"This entire thing went to shit, huh?" Shaun said dryly, glancing down at the woman.

When he looked at her face up close, it took his breath away; so peaceful, but so determined.

"You could repeat that," Jerome agreed. "Did you chance to notice what happened to Jordan?" ”

"He became entangled between the Jeep and the warehouse employees." "I took one of them out," Shaun replied, gazing to the left to see the lifeless body of a large guy who was halfway through his transformation into a wolf.

When shifters were terminally injured, they'd sometimes let the animal take over in the hopes of making it out before their strength ran out. A predator on adrenaline might accomplish far more than a human. This person hadn't been that fortunate. Shaun's brow furrowed. A wolf. It's not surprising.

"However, it was her who saved Jordan."

“Yeah?

" Jerome inquired, frowning as he raised his head to study the surroundings around them.

"She tackled the guy with the gun and took him out. She's not some random drug addict and dealer, lieutenant. She has experience."

"Do you believe she's one of us? " Jerome inquired, cocking his brow.

"She's not one of them, for sure," Shaun grumbled.

Before curtly nodding, Jerome appeared to consider this for a little moment. Shaun was aware of the procedure. If she was found in a situation like this, they were meant to shoot her in the head and forget she ever existed. However, she had saved one of their brothers, which had to at least be cause for a brief investigation.

“Fine. Tag and bag the person. Given that we didn't really have a clean sweep, I believe we require someone to question.”

Shaun nodded in agreement while adjusting the strap on the bulky sniper backpack.

After standing up and checking his ammunition, Jerome sent out a low whistle, which was answered by a similar whistle from behind them. There had to be Mitch. Shaun was briefly left alone with his sleeping beauty when Jerome departed at a brisk jog. He considered phoning the Crawleys so that someone might arrive with a stretcher, but the idea of another man being close to her made his skin crawl.

Instead, he tenderly scooped her up and cradled her to his chest by looping his arms under her shoulders and legs. His entire being was electrified. Her head flopped into his shoulder, and as Shaun inhaled, his jaguar roared with the utmost ferocity and darkness he had ever experienced.

He owned her. That much was decided by the large cat.

Now all that remained was for the person to board.

C H A P T E R F O UR D A N I E L L A

Great. This was what I was looking for in my evening.

Dani murmured quietly when she awoke, falling back and forth on a bench, her head throbbing in pain and her wrists zipped together in front of her. At the very least, they'd buckled her seatbelt.

"Good morning, sunshine. Enjoy the view, I hear it's the greatest drug nation has to offer," someone said from the front seat, blue and gold eyes flickering in the rearview mirror at her.

"Fuck you," she murmured groggily, laying her head on the headrest and instantly regretting it.

The smooth bounce of the armored vehicle as it moved over the forest floor made her sick, though her gaping head wound and the low end of her adrenaline high certainly helped. It took her a second to get her bearings and clear the first traces of hysteria from her mind.

The Silk Slayers were not among them. These were fighters. It didn't take more than a quick glance to notice. They were dressed in jungle camo gear, drenched in perspiration, and filled the small area with manly odors that made her jaguar sniff at the air hungrily.

Shifters. Big, powerful shifters. Shit.

Therefore, it was going to be difficult for her to escape this predicament. Her thoughts were racing, and she attempted twisting her wrists in the bonds. Tight but not overly so. They did not want to stop her blood flow. It must not have been completely lost. Though she couldn't quite hear it, she could definitely feel something hum in the air. Something that nearly caused the air around her to crackle

She quickly understood as she opened her eyes once more and saw the man sitting next to her with a deep, almost obscenely golden look. A single blink caused the gold in his eyes to vanish in an instant and be replaced by a gray and blue that was as alluring as the whirling depths in front of them. She could sense his hyperawareness of her presence because the hairs on the back of his arm sprang up when he turned his head away and looked out the window as though she didn't exist.

She spotted yet another jaguar. She felt a part of her light up with eerie interest.

They weren't typical shifters, particularly not in the military. They were loner types who enjoyed working alone and didn't enjoy group dynamics as much as, say, lions did. Dani knew they were fierce and unbeatable once they joined forces, though. But considering the circumstances, it seemed strange to see another person of her type crammed into a little car alongside her.

"You want to tell us who you are, or is that something we really must know? " The driver made a joke, his eyes glistening with laughter that no one else in the car seemed to be experiencing.

She paused to assess the circumstance. The sun was already risen when the driver made his way through the bush on a crooked path. She wasn't very drunk, but she knew she had to have been out for at least an hour. She was also unfamiliar with the areas of the bush they were walking through. She had no clue where they were going at the moment, but perhaps if the window had been open and she had been able to smell them, she might have known.

The passenger seat was occupied by a man who appeared to be recording the events and was broadly formed and strikingly composed. In their right ears, she could see unremarkable communications equipment that was completely opaque. She could not identify them because of the lack of insignia or other distinguishing features on their clothes. She did, however, notice dog tags straining beneath their shirts, off their muscular chests and against the cloth.

Also strongly identifying them as Americans was the driver's mild Creole accent. Dani wasn't sure if she was being driven to death or merely taken on a joyride, but at least that was a comfort. She was berating herself for her careless choices, or she was blaming herself.

You had the option to board that vehicle. You would have been more accurate. You've now completely ruined the plan.

Finally answering with the most girliest grin she could muster, Dani said, "I believe it's more fun if you guys guess."

The driver laughed, and if she had wanted to, she could have read amusement in the man sitting next to him's expression. She was seated next to a man, but he said nothing and gave her no attention. She caught a glimpse of his fingers ticking nervously on his knee out of the corner of her eye. She made a little frown. Nothing about him suggested that he was the restless sort, yet that one clue gave her more information than she may have needed to know.

She batted her eyelashes and said, "How about you show me yours and I'll show you mine?" She definitely couldn't really count on employing her feminine cunning while blood was gushing from her forehead.

"Miss," the driver said, "I think you're mixing up who caught whom here."

Chatty, isn’t he.

Before the automobile abruptly came to a stop, appearing in the middle of nowhere, it was another thirty minutes. Dani could hear rustling and things being dragged out of the rear of the large armored vehicle as the guys filed out. After that, a door was opened, and the man who avoided her look bent over her and unbuckled her seatbelt.

As his hand glided up her calf to loosen the belt, she couldn't help but exhale as their bodies met. The jolt ran like a ball of lightning from her knee to her toes and then to the top of her head, warming her all over, as if someone had tased her. She glanced at him with big green eyes, and they both momentarily stopped moving.

He was so cute, fuck.

Darkness and rough lines, all at once beautiful and ominous. His canine badges briefly protruded from his sweatstained dark gray shirt as he halted over her, his lips unnaturally near. Square, enormous shoulders dug into her. He had a stiff jaw that gave the impression that he was clenching his teeth, and his lips were thin but had a deep Cupid's bow. Dark brows, a strong Roman nose, and eyes that made her feel like the hunted, not the hunter, for the first time in her life.

Finally, he murmured, "Come on," reversing and opening the car door widely to give her some space. "We have to leave."

His voice was flawless, even. Growly and raspy, as though he had smoked too much, yet it just improved it. Dani had spent a significant portion of her adult life around every macho male cliche she could think of, so the fact that he smelt like a genuine guy was significant. But this man? The genuine stuff, he was. Quiet, dignified, and radiating power. She was certain that they would be fucking by the time the clock struck twelve if she had met him at a pub.

Shaking her head, she got up from the chair and waited for him to shut the door and thrust her in front before moving. A voice in her brain urged her to go, but it seemed more interested in how long it would take this huge wall of a man to catch her than in whether she would succeed in doing so.

He led her to a door that was hardly more than a hatch in the underbrush. She could see the other two men securing the car as she peered over her shoulder. She could make out another mound about a hundred feet to the right, which to the inexperienced eye appeared to be dense vegetation, but she could infer that there was a similar automobile below.

He opened the door and took her down a narrow, dark staircase, lowering her into the depths of the night. The lights flashed on as she walked down the last step, making sparks dance in her field of vision as she had been acutely aware of his presence behind her the entire time.

They were in a modestly sized yet roomy bunker. Doors leading to numerous adjacent rooms were visible to her. It had a musty, stale scent that suggested it had been abandoned for some time and had just lately been used. Dani was about to spin around and make a sassy remark about whether this was the guy with her's strategy for first dates when she was stopped short by a gurgling growl from the rear.

He pointed in the direction of the sound and said, "That way."

C H A P T E R F I V E D A N I E L L A

His eyes are captivating.

Dani did as she was ordered without saying anything, feeling an acute sensation in her shoulders as she went forward, his presence making her squirm slightly. She came to a halt at the entrance and almost ran into him. Her knees were wobbly from being so close to him. It was truly absurd. She wasn't the type of girl to swoon over any man, no matter how damned scorching gorgeous and deadly he was.

Yet, here you are, she thought, a momentary feeling of irony in her voice.

However, the scene in front of her was not pleasant. She knew the man on the cot right away as the lucky motherfucker who hadn't been shot in the head a few hours before. His side and arm were shredded and torn, and blood was still pouring through while two guys worked on him, one much tenser than the other.

"I brought a visitor," the guy behind her stated stiffly, his voice sweet in her ears.

"Oh, look, Jordan, it's your knight in shining armor," one of the men remarked, looking up and nodding.

“Great. She needs to save me first, and then she has to watch my humiliation," the guy rasped, his body tensing.

Dani took a step closer, frowning. She could see the jagged edges of the wound, where the bullet had ripped through his hand and side. It appeared to have gone completely through, which was a good thing. Even though his lung hadn't collapsed, the individuals tending to him were plainly not doctors. After enough time in the field, every soldier would have received adequate instruction in what to do in the event of severe injuries, but this would only get them so far.

"Have you guys have a medic on staff?" She questioned after noticing the tattoos of the SEAL eagle, trident, pistol, and anchor on Jordan's ribcage, just above the entry wound.

He screamed, his eyes gleaming with anguish, "I am the medic." She said, struggling to hold back the grin, "Ah. , see that you planned this properly."

"Oh, screw you. Please maintain your sense of superiority and leave your wit at the door. I'm in agony and can't strike girls right now."

"Man, you couldn't punch anybody. Are we going to watch as your friend loses the use of his right hand or are you two fools going to break the ties that are around my wrists so I can aid your friend here? ”

The four men were pressed together, and Dani inclined his head to one side. When it came to her, if that was all they had to worry about, she was in excellent standings, despite the skepticism in their eyes.

An authoritative voice from behind them said, "Cut them off."

When Dani turned back, she saw the man who had been sitting in the passenger seat glaring at her and crossing his arms over his chest. He had to be in charge of the team. Thankfully, the man who appeared to be about to go on a rampage stood up, pulled a knife from his belt, and slashed the ties around Dani's wrists. Before signaling for the guys to disperse so she could get a better view of the injured man, she swiftly massaged them.

She knelt down and brought the medkit to her, mumbling, "Thank you."

She wasn't a qualified medic either, but she'd made it a point to study as much as she could after witnessing two of her squad mates bleed to death when the medic wasn't on duty. The side wound had been sufficiently cleaned up by the guys, but the hand was so fragile that they were at a loss for what to do with it other than debride it. As she observed the exposed tendons and bones with the blood coagulating around them, her nose scrunched.

"Can you clench your fist?" She whispered, seeing that Jordan was in excruciating pain but maintaining remarkable composure.

She could tell that everyone in this group was a shifter, which both made life simpler and more difficult. However, at least no one was holding a pistol to her head. Nevertheless, she could still feel the towering, powerful presence of the man with the grayblue eyes. She was far more relaxed and at ease than she probably should have been as a result.

"Are you concerned that I'll punch you? " Jordan enquired, making a sardonic jest.

He hissed in pain as he twisted his hand into a fist despite her expression. The tenselooking man was clearly fidgeting.

The person in charge responded, "Easy, Mitch," placing a hand on the man's shoulder and yanking him back. "You're not helping at all. Will you send Tim and Tom to clean the equipment? ”

The two men who had been working on Jordan, Tom and the driver Tim, rose up and nodded solemnly. They exchanged glances with Jordan, who then waved them off while maintaining enough composure to hide his distress. Jordan, the person in command, Dani, and her mysterious favorite remained in the bunker as the trio marched off.

Before any of them could say anything, the upper hatch had already closed with a loud thud.

"It's fantastic that your hand can move. You must be a shifter, then. Is she your twin? "Is that where the other man went?" Dani said while pointing with her chin in that general area.

“That cheerful motherfucker? Sure is," Jordan said with a chuckle. “He doesn't like it when one of us tries to end our lives, so don't worry about him. I believe he has it against me.”

She said, "That'll assist with the healing then." Twins have always had the advantage of healing more quickly from injuries when their partner is nearby.

"I'm grateful, by the way. For what you did there," Jordan remarked, losing all sense of humor.

Dani brushed it aside and responded, "No problem."

They used to be SEALs, if not now. What in the name of God are they doing in the jungle?

She had an idea, but she dared not say it since the knowledge had shaken her too much. She finished up her work in silence and then picked up a syringe, holding up a bottle of mild sedative for Jordan to see. It wasn't entirely out of the question that these men were from The Firm, and when she'd thought "losing patience" meant "getting fired," it could have also meant "being collateral damage during a raid."

"All right, I'll give you two milligrams of this. You won't sleep otherwise, I'll wager. Are you okay with that? ”

She also cast a peek behind her. Both the stonyfaced commander and his depressed companion were resting against the wall, arms crossed, looks unreadable.

"All OK. Confirmed that she's giving me a twopointfive, Lieutenant."

Dani extracted the prescribed quantity from the syringe and handed it out for the lieutenant to see.

Lieutenant... most likely a shifter squad, she reasoned.

Few shifters ever went through officer training, preferring to battle rather than sit at a table cramming theory that their animal sides could accomplish without thinking. That meant they were frequently commanded by twerps considerably beneath them, something Dani had discovered while in the service herself.

He nodded and took a step back, saying, "It's the correct amount, Jordan."

Jordan's arm was the location where Dani swabbed and inserted the needle to immediately deliver the medication. Inhaling deeply, Jordan tilted his head back and peered up at the ceiling.

Finally, sounding exhausted, he replied, "I owe you a beer, Miss."

She sneered, "You owe me at least three."

She wasn't expecting the guy behind her to laugh. Looking back, she can see that it was the one that gave her brain a headache and made her stomach lurch. He was even adorable when he was grinning, by golly.

This was really unjust. Being imprisoned against her will while dealing with a botched mission, facing her own death, treating a wounded soldier she didn't know was difficult enough, but now she had to cope with becoming wet because a hot man made a sexy as fuck sound when he laughed? Oh my God, that was a lot.

As soon as Jordan was out like a light, Jerome stated, "Miss, I think it's time you and we have a conversation now." Jerome then stood up straight.

Dani inhaled deeply, quieting her pounding heart.

In an effort to persuade her frail body to stop acting like a girl and start thinking like the professional she was, she pleaded with herself, "Get your mind back in the game." It almost succeeded.

Her knees were still a little wobbly, though, as she got to her feet and left the room in the direction she was pointing, with her lovely tormentor following close after. And that was just very unfair.

C H A P T E R S I X S HA U N

Shaun wished he could bite his knuckles. His hands were wanting to move on their own, and it was getting absurd trying to control them.

She was very near, and she smelt fantastic. The man wasn't the only one who was turned on; the jaguar was nearly roaring with passion, making him squirm every time he moved too close to her. And he had no idea what her name was.

Shaun watched her walk inside one of the secondary rooms, the one where he slept, her beautiful locks bouncing on her shoulders. She needed a shower, she must have been fatigued, and her wound had not yet been treated, yet she was utterly devastating throughout.

Jerome led her to a chair, and Shaun came to a halt at the door, closing it but standing against the doorframe like an ominous ghost. Jerome probably didn't need him there and didn't protest on the grounds of adding some intimidation to the situation, but Shaun wouldn't have left if he'd been instructed to. He wasn't trying to defy the lieutenant, but he couldn't shift his body any more away from her than he had to.

She sat down hard, and her body language indicated tiredness. Shaun wanted to pick her up and place her on the bed, wrap up over her, and keep her safe until she was relaxed and everything was fine. The concept made him visibly cringe.

What’s wrong with you, man? Snap out of it.

Easier said than done.

“You want to tell me why you chose to help Jordan? You didn’t have any reason to,” Jerome started.

The woman shrugged, putting her elbows on her knees and leaning forward a bit, a sly look in her eyes that could have almost doubled for amusement if she hadn’t looked so damn worn and ragged.

“I figured I could play both sides a little. You know, keep my life interesting,” she noted with a smirk, one that Shaun wanted badly to kiss off her lips.

“Hey, we can make this easy or we can make this hard. You can tell me who you are or I can bundle you up, throw you back in the jungle for your friends to find you and see what they make of you,” Jerome said, flashing his teeth in a predatory snarl that Shaun knew all too well.

His threats were rarely empty. They’d done it before with hostages that they didn’t really need, and let their own people sort out what to do with them. Usually though, it meant freedom for the party at hand. This time, Shaun was sure that the first person from the camp to get their hands on her would make sure she never had another chance to help anyone ever again.

His hands rolled into tight fists at the mere thought of it.

“You could do that. But I bet you won’t,” she said idly, her expressive eyes sparkling with something other than exhaustion.

It was like she was almost playing with them, taunting them. It made her even sexier than before and Shaun was cursing the moment he’d ever laid eyes on her. He’d made a point of keeping his life rational, on track, and without distraction. This beautiful, impossible creature had the capability to ruin all of that. And Shaun hated it when something fucked with his system.

“How come?” Jerome asked, cocking a brow and mirroring her faint amusement.

“Well, you guys don’t look like assholes. I mean, for a bunch who mowed down a camp full of thugs, that is, but my point remains.”

“You can’t build your expectations based on first impressions,” Jerome warned with a chuckle.

“True,” she agreed, shrugging her shoulders a little. “But aren’t SEALs supposed to have a code of conduct of some sort? You know, serve with honor and integrity and what not.”

Shaun felt himself tense. She’d seen Jordan’s tattoo, and almost every member of the squad had it tattooed on them at some point during their service. He flicked his gaze at Jerome and the lieutenant remained unflappable, as he always was during missions. The way that man could keep a cool head was impressive to say the least.

“What we were in our past has little to do with what we are now,” he noted coolly.

“I doubt that, though,” she said, the smirk hovering on her lips.

Without another word, she peeled up the side of her ratty, ragged shirt. Shaun’s muscles flexed halfway because he was instinctively worried that she was going for a weapon—impossible, because they’d checked her before tying her up—and halfway because the exposed flesh on her stomach and side longed to be kissed and touched by him. He had to put serious effort into not getting turned on by the fact that he could see a tiny bit of skin that he hadn’t seen before.

You are so fucked.

She looked at both Jerome and then at Shaun and it might have been his imagination, but he was pretty sure her gaze lingered on him longer than it needed to. Her fingers peeled at an invisible edge on her side, right on her ribs, and Shaun strangled a gasp of surprise as the flesh tore back, coming off smoothly with a hint of a ripping noise scratching at his ears.

It was a coverup bandage, wide but perfectly matched to her skin tone and with edges so fine that it would have been impossible to tell it was there if she hadn’t taken it off. Underneath it, a crisp, sharp ink figure was revealed. The United States Marine Corps logo in simple black, close to her heart.

Shaun wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he definitely didn’t anticipate Jerome bursting into laughter, his body visibly relaxing.

“So you know, huh?” he asked, the corners of his eyes crinkling with laughter.

“I could guess,” she admitted, further confusing Shaun.

“Know what?” Shaun asked, feeling his heart beat far too fast and hard.

He could recognize that logo anywhere, but why the hell was it on a woman they’d found in a foreign drug operation, packing away cocaine? It made no damn sense.

“You want to tell her or shall I, Miss Daniella Gutierrez?” Jerome asked, giving the woman a look and then raising his hand to settle Shaun and show him everything was okay.

“You two seem to have such great rapport, I’m sure you can explain it better. But just so we’re clear here, you’re with The Firm, right? Did you know I was going to be there?” she asked, letting out a long breath and patting the shirt back over her exposed skin.

“No, we didn’t. I don’t think that’ll surprise you much, right?” Jerome asked, getting a confirmatory nod and an eye roll from Daniella. “I called it in after we extracted you and Jordan from the scene. When I said we had you alive, our handlers were more than happy to tell us that you were one of us and that we should send you home. But we weren’t alerted beforehand, so you know what that means.”

His brows were furrowed and he felt irritation boiling in him. Daniella dropped her eyes for a moment, nodding solemnly, and the air in the room seemed suffocating, thick. The Firm had been willing to let Squad Six kill one of their own without remorse, without warning, or having them try and get her out of there alive. She would have been collateral damage and it was dumb luck that she was alive.

“Wait, what? You’re with The Firm?” Shaun piped in, standing up straight.

Bile rose in Shaun’s stomach. This was exactly like The Firm to pull bullshit like that. If he had to guess, he was willing to place a stiff bet on the fact that Ace had to have something to do with the whole mess.

“I am,” Daniella nodded, rolling back her shoulders now and slouching a bit in the chair, like she could finally take a breath that wasn’t calculated.

“Guess we all got lucky today, Daniella,” Jerome said.

“Call me Dani.”

“Fine, Dani. Thank you for making sure one of my boys didn’t get his brain blasted on the side of a Jeep. And for patching him up. I’m sure Jordan will bitch and moan about your handiwork later, but don’t mind him. He’s a big pussycat, really,” Jerome said, reaching out a hand to Dani.

She took it and they shook hands, her grip firm and sure. Shaun could see that from the way the tendons in her forearm flexed, and now, suddenly, he could look at her in a whole new light. The sureness of step and the way her body seemed to float when thrown into a mess that would have made any normal person falter, panic, and stumble was the result of years of training, muscle memory, and confidence colliding into the perfect combination.

She was a warrior, like they were. And he’d almost killed her.

“Don’t mention it,” she said, and there was a genuine smile on her lips now.

It was disarming.

“Shaun will get you settled in,” Jerome said as they released hands, with Dani looking at Shaun now for more than a simple stolen moment. “Give her a chance to clean up and check out that laceration on her head. I bet you need a good night’s sleep with some shitty air conditioning and stale rations, right Dani?”

“Sounds about right,” she confirmed with a chuckle, her mesmerizing eyes still locked on Shaun.

“I need to get a report from you as soon as you feel up to it. Apparently there’s a twomonth gap between your last transmissions and the desk monkeys don’t like that. Shaun can take it, right? I’ll go check with the rest of the team and let command know you’re in one piece and of sound mind.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she noted. “If I were of sound mind, I wouldn’t be in the middle of this fucking jungle.”

“Yeah, well, that’s a brand of insanity we all subscribe to,” Shaun muttered, drawing a grin out of her that damn near lit the room up.

“It’s settled then,” Jerome said, pushing open the door and stepping out with a nod to both of them.

Being alone with her was difficult, to say the least. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring before Dani grinned a little, cocking her head to the side.

“What, soldier? Like what you see?” she asked, batting her lashes in a way that was obviously full of at least a little bit of mockery.

“Impressed to see a dead woman walking, that’s all,” Shaun gruffed, slicking a hand through his hair in an effort to do anything other than sink into her.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, the fake coyness wiped from her face immediately.

Shaun couldn’t help but grin a little at that. She was feisty as hell and he bet her reflexes were topnotch. Serious little actress, too. Her body language could go from inviting to threatening at the drop of a hat, and for once he felt wellmatched. He couldn’t banter with most women at all, fearing he would hurt their feelings and cause a big teary mess as soon as he said a word. Dani, though? He bet she could dish it back twice as hard as she took it.

“I had you in my cross hairs,” he said, pursing his lips lazily.

She stilled for a second. She must have known as well as he did what that meant, and he bet she’d seen the sniper rifle case being hauled out from the back of the vehicle. Shaun himself still couldn’t believe he hadn’t taken the shot, though every fiber in his body was trained to act when he had a clear chance in a situation like that.

But standing a few feet from her now, hell… she could arrest him from hundreds of yards away, making his hand falter, but at this distance, she had disarmed him completely. All he had now was his wits and even that seemed to be running dry when faced with her.

“Why didn’t you take the shot?” she asked, echoing the question rolling back and forth in Shaun’s head as well.

“Guess I did like what I saw,” he said, grinning wryly.

He was almost expecting her to lunge at him for that and get in a good punch or two, but she didn’t. Instead, she licked over her lips, her gaze flicking down to the toes of her boots and for a second, Shaun thought he spied a slight blush on her cheeks. That was surprising. Apparently she wasn’t all sass, then. It looked just as cute on her as her tough attitude did.

“Careful, soldier. You’re playing with fire here,” she said, looking back up and clearing the tiny note of surprise off of her expression.

She couldn’t fool him, though. He’d seen it, and now the dynamic was changed. Shaun shrugged his shoulders, pushing the door open in front of him and motioning for her to go through.

“I’m not afraid of getting burned,” he said.

He wasn’t sure if that was a lie or not.

C H A P T E R S E V E N D A N I E L L A

Daniella felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders as Jerome verified her concerns.

She'd taken a risk by showing them her tattoo, but she believed they'd locate it eventually. And her notion that the six fine gentlemen she found herself in the presence of weren't deranged lunatics remained solid. She doubted she'd ever get free of her zip ties if they were.

She didn't have the firm belief that all Marines or SEALs were morally upright by nature. Not at all. She knew a lot of extremely nasty soldiers who were psychopaths in camouflage and managed to avoid going to prison only because the government paid them to do heinous crimes rather than allowing them to do it as ordinary citizens.

However, she had a gut feeling about these men, and it was a huge comfort to know that her instincts hadn't been entirely destroyed by the struggle and the protracted period of being imprisoned in the filthy forest.

She needed the assurance since hoping he was good would only work for so long.

Dani felt like she could think a little bit more clearly after washing the dirt off of herself. It appeared as though the fog was dissipating and she was resuming her customary razorsharpness.

Shaun replied, sneaking a glance at her that Dani caught, "So you're saying that this Soyo man is definitely hiding something and you think there's a parallel operation someplace in the woods."

Then, she threw the towel to the side while grinning and paused for a little while with her hands in her hair. Dani felt as like she and Shaun were more involved in an awkward flirting game than anything else since they were in the middle of preparing her report for The Firm, with one other operative having to be present whenever possible.

Her skin remained a little bit too shiny and her body language much too inviting for this to be strictly business, and he kept giving her those stares that might pass for a blasted mating call. She was powerless to stop. She attempted to rationally justify it by claiming that it was because she hadn't touched another body in months, but emotionally she knew she was lying.

Dani yearned for him. She was so close to tasting how his skin would feel on her mouth. She had been engulfed in a continual pool of need ever since she had first seen him in the automobile. It was absurd and so hot that it started to cloud her judgment.

"Yes, I would suppose so. Every two weeks, the camp is cycled, but I continued seeing that Soyo leaves the camp with one or two guards every three days and doesn't come back till the next day. From what I could determine, they were always moving in the same direction, too, regardless of where the camp was.”

After spending more than an hour drafting the lengthy paragraph, Shaun nodded as he read it. Dani exhaled in relief when he finally appeared happy with it and closed the file, the screen's blueish brightness briefly flickering across his shirt. Not just because she was relieved it was finished, but also because it may give her a better understanding of the mind of the man she was currently smitten with.

You are only acting like that because you are horny. She chastised herself to stop.

She had her doubts that it would be that simple.

Shaun slammed the laptop down and got to his feet, giving Dani a wonderful view of his muscular, lithe figure as he marched across the room. He placed the Laptop on a metal shelf and then carried his bulky sniper rifle case across the room. Even when he realized she was observing him, she didn't break her stare; instead, she only added a mischievous smirk.

As he once again sat down on the bunk next to hers, the corners of his lips twitched upward and he slightly shook his head. Despite the fact that it felt like miles separated them, the gap between them was just a few feet. Shaun quickly got to work after opening the case, assembling the massive gun with such speed and ease that his movements were practically a blur.

When did you start using a sniper rifle?

"Do you talk about work?" she questioned, noticing that her throat was beginning to feel a little dry.

Without taking his eyes off his work, he remarked, "Nearly 10 years now."

"Explain why you left the military. I take it that you were also a SEAL? ”

"Why did you?" He questioned, casting an indiscernible glance her her.

It heightened her desire to learn everything.

"I asked you first," she remarked, her tone amused.

"What is this, elementary school?" He grunted, his brow furrowed.

He had a powerful jaw, and the little sweep of his Roman nose was curiously seductive. But his hands were far more enticing. Dani crossed her knees, straining her thigh muscles, while he maneuvered with exquisite precision, muscles tensing and knotting as he constructed the weapon. Watching him work was as sexy as hell. She's sure doing something more enjoyable with him would be much better.

The pause lingered between them and she finally gave in. Her pride wasn’t important enough to let the conversation lull.

“I left because I couldn’t watch friends die anymore,” she admitted.

That afforded her a nod, his lips getting thin. It wasn’t a simple reaction. She could see his shoulders hunch a little and a wave of recognition coil through his body, almost like an invisible hand squeezing around him before releasing. Whatever it was that made him respond that way, Dani could recognize repressed pain when she saw it.

I wonder what he’s hiding…

“Your turn.”

“I left because it wasn’t home anymore,” he said.

“Do you have a home now?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her eyes went to his ring finger, confirming for the fifteenth time that hour that there wasn’t a band there, or even a shadow of one, a tan line, anything. As much as she was intrigued by him, she would have never made a move on a married guy. Something in her stilled for the time it took for him to shake his head, adamantly hoping that he was going to say no.

“I have my brothers now,” he offered, pulling the rifle to his shoulder and leaning forward to look through the scope before lowering it, satisfied with it.

“But they’re the same kind of guys that were in the service, aren’t they?” she asked, slightly confused by his answer.

Shaun’s hands stopped, those strong, powerful fingers pausing on the smooth metal, and Dani could feel the lump in her throat get a tad tighter. She wished badly that his hands were on hers, and her jaguar purred at the thought. All of it was positively ridiculous, because she was never the kind of woman to lose her cool over a man. But Shaun? Hell, he seemed like he was worth it.

“They’re not. All of these guys, they’ve lost something. A part of themselves, mostly,” he said, training his eyes on Dani and making her world focus intensely on him while he spoke. “They’re my brothers. I’ve had others, but they’re no more. So I guess my reason is the same as yours,” he finished, the sternness of his expression lingering, brooding.

“But you could lose them again,” she said, wishing she could tell herself to shut up, but impressively failing at it.

“I could,” he agreed, smirking dryly. “But a man fights harder than anything for his family.”

The lump in her throat relaxed and she could swallow it down. The fact that he was so passionate about those he loved really resonated with her, and a big part of her got very busy pondering what kind of a partner he would be. Would he be a good father? Would he devote himself to his family like he did his crew? The answer seemed to be a resounding yes, but why she started wondering about it was a mystery Dani didn’t quite want to unravel.

Those grayblue eyes seemed to consider her for a moment too long, rolling over her in more than simple casual interest. She’d caught him looking several times, but he had kept his tone neutral, his words careful around her since their little flirting after her identity was revealed.

A mischievous thought ran through her mind, egging her on. Maybe she could make the unflappable soldier play again…

“Can I try it?” she asked, pointing at the rifle.

That caught him off guard.

“Why?” he asked, an automatic reaction.

“I’ve never held a real sniper rifle before. Assault rifles for me, mostly. Never had the sureness of hand, I guess. I’d like to know what one feels like,” she said.

“It’s heavy,” he warned, indecision evident in his voice.

“I won’t break,” she purred, catching herself when she heard the flirty tone, but not apologizing for it.

He smirked, shaking his head with mild amusement. At least it was working. He stood up, taking the rifle in his hands, and Dani scrambled to her feet as well. He gave the gun to her and he hadn’t been kidding, that thing was heavy as hell. Dani sucked in a breath through clenched teeth as she hauled it up to her shoulder, pressing the butt against the muscle firmly while her hands gripped it with expertise that couldn’t be forgotten once learned.

Shaun slipped behind her and she had to catch herself from yelping when she felt his strong hands around her and the heat rising from his chest and body licking around her back and ass. It was all she could do to keep from rubbing up against him. He adjusted her grip slightly and that same electricity whirred through her again that she’d felt when they’d touched in the car, and she almost dropped the rifle.

He secured her hands around the heavy gun, his chest against her back now. Leaning forward to press her eye to the scope, she felt his hot breath on her neck as he spoke into her ear, his voice low, growly.

“You need to lean into it, but be ready for it. The kickback’s like getting hit in the shoulder by a mule. It’s the hardest, rawest thing you’ll ever feel,” he whispered, and she was more than sure that he was talking about more than just the gun.

“I can handle it,” she said, her body vibrating with need against him.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his massive hands now sliding down from the gun, around and tracing down her arms.

Dani bit down on her lip so hard she was afraid she’d draw blood. But she couldn’t taste the telltale tang of copper in her mouth, despite the slight hum in her ears and the very familiar feeling of adrenaline starting to snake through her veins again.

She could tell herself that it was the battle, the hormones still riding high. She could even try to convince herself that it could have been anyone, and that Shaun was at the right place at the right time. She could try. But she would be wrong.

“Yes,” she said, pulling back from the scope slowly, tilting her head to the side only slightly.

His lips were right there, inviting, delicious. He grabbed the rifle from her, holding it up while she looked into his eyes, feeling a bit like a deer getting stared down by a wolf, even though she was supposed to be the hunter here.

“Good,” he said finally, with almost an eon passing between her words and his in Dani’s mind.

Then, he crushed his lips to hers and she moaned into him readily, parting her lips and letting his tongue lash into her mouth. It was like kissing fire, so brutal that it burned wherever it touched her, but so hot that she couldn’t tear herself away. Her whole universe spun around on itself, changing and tipping, and she was gladly falling right along with it.

But a part of her was beginning to wonder if she really could handle it.

C H A P T E R E I G H T D A N I E L L A

Shaun entirely removed the gun from Daniella's hands and laid it down on the bunk, leaving it there. Daniella hardly noticed it at the time. She received the impression that he had never just casually abandoned his pistol in that manner or been too distracted to take attention to his tools.

She almost pulled herself up and closer to him as her body pivoted to face him and her hands around his neck. As his hands gripped her ass and dragged her into his arms, Dani had to hold back a giggle as he snarled into the kiss. Everything trembled in reaction to the deep sound, which flowed through her like a strong current.

His waist was encircled by her legs as he shoved her back against the concrete wall, the chilly surface shivering against her slippery, moist flesh. She was lowering her chin into Shaun's hand as he held her head motionless and violated her mouth, and she enjoyed every second of it. She mewled into the crushing, violent kiss, all raw passion and want, as her claws scraped at his strong neck, making him grunt.

He rasped, "Fucking hell, you're so hot," while moving his other hand up her side and massaging her tits to make her bounce against him.

Dani couldn't get enough of him and felt like she was drowning in her juices. Shaun merely leaned back a little to rip off his shirt as her hands pulled at it, urging him to do so. His mouth was back on hers immediately after, claiming it as if it belonged to him and him alone.

In answer, she remarked, "You're not too bad yourself," which elicited another strangled hiss from him.

Without showing even the slightest sign of tenderness, Shaun spun around and tossed her down on her little bunk. She desired it just that way. By the time he had finished taking off his belt buckle, she had kicked off her loosely fastened boots, giving her the opportunity to properly appreciate his physique.

He had a robust, sturdy build like a wall. His physique was made up of tight, gleaming creases and dips, thick, bulging muscles, and almost no fat. His shoulders were very broad, which made up for his narrow hips even more. His eyes were flaming, and his chest rose and fell quickly.

Her stare, which she could see flashing with the gold of his beast, must have been doing the same thing as the large cat clawed at her, pleading to be let out, she realized. But at this moment, she preferred having his body to herself.

He started ripping off her tank top and unhooking her bra in a move that was almost solid, so she put her fingers to his zipper and unfastened it. When her clothes were stripped off, she didn't feel shy, the desire to hide herself, or the urge to know what he actually thought of her body. He had it all painted on him, as obvious and unambiguous as the rules of nature. He throbbed for her, wanting her as much as she did.

As soon as she saw Dani's thick, lengthy cock break free, she groaned breathlessly and started drooling. He had pushed down his boxers and camo trousers just enough. His fingers tangled in her long hair as he smirked and made fists in it. She felt the barely contained want to take more of him as soon as he could overtake her, but he didn't push her toward him. Then, sucking every last bit of precum, her tongue skimmed over the velvety head of his cock.

It was scrumptious. She almost sobbed as she widened her mouth and drew him in very slowly. As soon as she could, she wanted him completely inside of her, but she also wanted to take her time with it. to savor this opportunity, which had come her her after months of preparing, stressing, and overanalyzing everything she did. that she wouldn't have to worry and could follow her desires without worrying about the repercussions.

Shaun was so enormous that she was afraid he would tear her in two. She struggled to get him in her mouth and kissed him while seeing some of his spit drop over his palm and grab the base of his cock with his free hand. He eased gently and comfortably into her mouth, giving her time to get used to the sensation of him in her mouth and throat. He stopped moving slowly though as her claws bit into his thighs and she almost dragged him onto her.

Shaun pushed into her lips with a groan, plunging deep into her throat. Dani rolled her eyes back in glee, giggling slightly but savoring every moment. He continued to do it, driving himself deeper into her as she gasped and spat around him, seeking more. Wide veins pressing against her tongue and hefty balls straining to unload into her let her feel his pulse in her lips.

He hissed and jerked away from her as though she had stung him when she sucked on him, creating a vacuum with her mouth. Dani raised her head, her reddened lips parted.

She pleaded with him, shocked to hear a real appeal in there, "Don't stop."

She didn't make any requests. She was prepared to get on her hands and knees for Shaun, though, if it meant getting more.

She was, however, ready to go on her knees for Shaun if it meant getting more from him.

He stated in a gruff, direct voice, "I want all of you.

Dani struggled with the belt when he took down his trousers on her, but she didn't make much progress until Shaun's body fell on her and his hands assisted where hers failed. She immediately opened her legs for him as he took off her underwear and pants, enjoying the way his eyes lit up as he gazed at her dripping sex and her voluptuous figure laid out for him like a feast.

She said "Fuck me," which was equally a plea and a demand.

Shaun responded, grinning cruelly, "Ask me politely," as he lowered himself and stroked his tongue up the length of her leg, moving evercloser to her crotch.

She shivered, her body responding furiously to him, her back arching and her hips thrusting. Dani wanted to place her hands in his short hair, but he wouldn't let her, gently swiping her hands away while he did the same to her other thigh, driving her insane with need.

"I said ask me gently, baby," he hissed, and the sound alone made her whimper.

How could she beg for anything when she couldn't even speak?

"I..." she faltered, her thighs shaking despite the fact that she'd just had a taste of him thus far. "Please, Shaun. Please fuck me, please," she pleaded, feeling something crack in her that she was relieved to see shatter.

She may have been willing to reveal a more vulnerable aspect of herself for the first time ever since she trusted them so much. The person in authority and on top always needed to be the one winning and not always on guard. It took everything she had to resist bolting up and running away as soon as the words had left her mouth since she was giving herself up with her heart on a sleeve.

As he snaked up her body and let his cock to brush against her slit, he grinned and murmured, "Shh, baby." When he plunged inside her, Dani absolutely believed him when he said, "We're only getting started."

As he gently filled her up by splitting her in half around his cock, her claws sank into his large, strong biceps. By making his thrusts gradual and keeping his hand on her mouth while he sank into her inch by inch, he gave her time to become used to him. By the time he slipped his entire length inside her and bottomed out, her body pressed rigidly against him.

He pulled his hand off Dani's mouth and placed his lips in its place as she gasped for air. While dragging him into her, she inhaled him as her hands slipped around his chest and began to grind against her. His body was quivering indescribably, and she could tell he was just as nervous as she was.

They had a passionate kiss that matched the intensity of their fucking. She was forced to pay attention to everything that was happening, to each instant and sensation, as if she knew she would want to remember this for the rest of her life. Before her nails sank into him and scraped at his wonderful ass, her palms were flat against his buttocks, drawing him even closer to her as he dove in and out of her.

The tremendous yearning she had been experiencing ever since their first contact had turned into an inferno that was obliterating everything in its path. Desire so raw it left no room for anything else to engulf her, her core throbbed and pumped.

Between feverish kisses, she exhaled, "Fucking hell, Shaun," her fangs nibbling at his lips. "Don't you fucking dare stop!"

He vowed, perspiration pouring on his body, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Dani gasped for air as Shaun seized her lower lip between his lips and chewed on it, slowing down his strokes to an almost excruciating grind. However, he wouldn't give up and simply gave her more motivation, so when he kissed her again, she completely fell in.

Her body buckled as the orgasm erupted through her, whipping her head back and twitching frantically under him. Her nails must have been digging into Shaun so forcefully that she was unquestionably leaving scars because there was a violent and hardly restrained snarl coming from the back of her neck. The only thing that counted at that specific moment, though, was how they felt, thus none of it mattered.

She scratched Shaun's back with her nails while crying into his shoulder. Shaun roared, and his thrusts quickened once more until he was brutally smashing into her. Dani threatened to be entirely destroyed by her climax as she grabbed on for dear life while biting down on his neck and ripping her teeth into the skin. Every cell in her body was painfully aware of Shaun and the unparalleled pleasure he was giving her, and she could see stars behind her eyes.

His cock was squeezed between her pussy's lips as she teased, milked, and demanded that he give in to her peak as well. His waist was encircled by her legs, drawing him into her and engulfing him in her warmth. Dani smiled widely as Shaun let out a deep, booming roar that seemed to rock the environment around her.

When he exploded into her, she sensed that his movements were becoming more jerky and thought she might almost start sobbing. Her wobbling, heaving, and little frenzied state were caused by the intensity of what was the closest thing to a spiritual experience she had ever had.

Shaun's scent was so overpowering that she felt as though she had taken a bath in him, and they were both saturated in perspiration. Dani gently licked along Shaun's neck, enjoying the way he shook as she got close to the area behind his ear, causing him to complain once again and eventually move away from her. He took a moment to wait before kissing her and grinning at her with a mixture of passion and tenderness. She immediately missed him when he left her after pulling away.

They both fit on the cot, Dani curled in Shaun's arms, their bodies so close that there was barely enough room for air between them. Her back was to his chest, and his heart's powerful, regular beats were so calming. On what seemed like the first time since she'd left New York for this assignment, she felt her eyelids becoming heavy and her body relaxing.

"That was..." she began after a time, unable to find words to convey how she felt.

But how can one define perfection?

"Yeah," he acknowledged, smiling at her hesitancy and inability to articulate what they had gone through. "You got ta make sure I can locate you when I get away from this hellhole. I'm not sure I'm done with you."

Those words slashed straight through her. Dani's teeth chewed on the inside of her cheek when she realized she'd have to leave the forest the next day and return to the base for her debriefing. Dani had totally forgotten that this was intended to be a bit of fun, something to blow off steam, between taking up his gun and ending up in bed with him.

She was tying herself in knots in an effort to keep in mind that she had only just met this man and had no prior knowledge of him other than the fact that he was both scary and seductive—the ideal combo.

She leaned back against him once more and gave him a feeble grin as she vowed, "I'll try," blocking out the grim prospect of their future together.

She could take in this moment for what it was for the time being. Be damned tomorrow.

C H A P T E R N I N E S H A U N

Shaun Thompson was many things, but he was not a calm person.

He genuinely hadn't thought of himself as a man with a bad attitude. If anything, he had been darn near stoic for the majority of his life, a quality that was frequently used against him rather than in his favor. But those who knew him well were well aware that a predator who was difficult to contain and much harder to tame erupted behind that strong, calm facade.

Two the fact that he had become increasingly worse over the previous year or so was something he assumed no one should have noticed, but his assumptions were clearly incorrect. He should have known this when he lifted himself up from the sidewalk, dusting off his leather jacket.

"What the heck was it for?" he demanded, broadening his arms as he glanced at Jordan and Mitch, who were standing like bouncers in front of the entrance.

Shaun could see the fallen tables and shattered glasses from the altercation behind them, as well as some unlucky drunk massaging his presumably dislocated jaw while Jerome tried to smooth things up with him. At a venue named The Dive, a man should have anticipated to get hit if he wasn't careful about what he said to whom, right?

"Shaun, stop it. Go walk it off," Jordan remarked, sharing a look with his twin and receiving a nod of understanding.

Deep gashes that were left over from the injuries Jordan sustained in that unnamed jungle more than a year ago could still be seen on his right hand. Shaun was unable to avoid that hand or the emotions it brought up each time he turned to face his friend and squadmate.

Why do you think I should walk it off? He absolutely called us "sissies"! He insulted all we stand for," Shaun said, his ire building like a tsunami.

"He's inebriated. You're definitely inebriated. It's the middle of the day, man, just chill. We don't need any additional problems around here. Wasn't Negros City enough? " Mitch inquired, cocking his brow.

Shaun huffed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Negros City felt like a billions of years ago, although it had only been less than two weeks since they'd remained holed up in that sorry excuse for a province, and Shaun had ended up wrecking a bar due to an unfortunate mix of too much scotch and a bad temper. Jerome had sat him down after it and told him flatly that if he didn't shape up, he'd be on an extended leave from Squad Six.

Shaun, on the other hand, was skeptical. Shaun began to doubt his views after seeing Jerome kneeling next to the injured prick, his face distorted in a sympathy and wrath grimace. He opened his mouth to say something else to the cougar twins, but then grumbled and waved them away as he wheeled around and went away.

"Fuck you guys as well. "Don't expect pity from me the next time you get into this kind of mess," he yelled over his shoulder as he crossed the street, hands thrust into his pockets.

He didn't turn around, but he didn't have to since he knew the twins would be keeping an eye on him as long as he was still on the street before they went back to the pub and contributed to bringing things under control. People trying to calm Shaun's raging irritability has been happening a lot lately, to no avail. It almost succeeded.

Missions were the only thing keeping him alive and well at this time. He seemed to be able to focus only when he had his gun in hand, was holed up in a nest, and was watching for someone to utterly screw up. One of the only possible explanations for why Jerome continued to put up with this nonsense from him was the fact that his performance hadn't decreased.

Shaun thought grimly, "Not like he was much better back when things went to shit with Libby." But that notion had to be quickly dismissed. If it wasn't, he'd be confessing that there was something more to his actions right now. Something like to, instance, love for one's partner. And it was ridiculous, right?

You don't even know who she is. It was just one night. Shaun repeated to himself, "Get the fuck over her," the same words he'd told himself over and over and fucking over again.

They didn't appear to stick very well, though.

Without regard for his destination, he moved quickly down the street. He took a moment to consider where in hell he was going and what he was going to do when he reached a bus stop. The choice to go back to base was there, dangling in front of him like a carrot, promising further conflict with superiors and the potential for receiving a severe rebuke from Hemingway or someone of a same quality. At that moment, especially with alcohol in his system, he wasn't really interested in it.

He at least maintained his ability to choose well.

Jerome pursed his lips as he squinted his eyes up at the sun. He fished his phone from his pocket, checking the time and seeing whether he had any messages. Nothing.

Why the fuck hasn't Carter come back to me yet, he pondered, loving the chance to think about something other than the fact that his mind was absolutely screwed up right now.

His hesitation came to an end when a bus appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Shaun logged on after verifying the line number. He settled onto one of the cramped seats after paying the fee. He slouched against the glass of the largely empty bus, one hand up for support, and watched the drab, filthy streets of Negros City pass past.

The fact that Squad Six was in Negros City wasn't a coincidence. It was one of The Firm's four primary hubs and served as the operational hub for many of its operations that went farther south. They probably had to make another excursion to the magnificent depths of the jungles and distant locations to take out one viper's nest after another since they were here right now.

The fact that Squad Six was in Ilocos wasn't a coincidence. It was one of The Firm's four primary hubs and served as the operational hub for many of its operations that went farther south. They probably had to make another excursion to the magnificent depths of the jungles and distant locations to take out one viper's nest after another since they were here right now.

The fact that no one in their right mind would be caught dead going to Ilocos today added to the region's allure. That was the reason The Firm maintained such a constant presence, although secretly. It's challenging to find a group that visits all the locations where nobody else wants to be. like, Ilocos, maybe.

That happiness, however, was shortlived because when he arrived back in the United States a few weeks later, he learned that Daniella Gutierrez had left the group and performed a disappearing performance so brilliant that Houdini ought to have been studying it.

She had entirely disappeared, and Shaun couldn't help but take it personally even though he knew better. It had, in a sense, destroyed him.

This is why you don't get connected, he told himself, repeating a phrase that had been ingrained in him for some time but had never really seemed to benefit him.

About forty minutes later, at a station that was much worse than the one he had boarded, he finally came to an end. He gave the area a quick glance in both directions before shoving his hands back into his pockets and walking ominously down the street. He couldn't tell which street he was searching for because they all seemed the same to him, but once he did, it wasn't difficult to locate the building.

It was a tall, dilapidated brick structure. Shaun didn't really care that the windows were mostly smashed or that the children playing ball out front may have benefited from a supper and a bath. He entered, keeping his eyes and ears open as he climbed the stairs in search of an apartment in block 12.

It was the final apartment on the righthand side of the third level. As he passed the other doors, some of which had definitely been broken into, he noticed a guy tearing something out of a brown paper bag in one apartment, his face distorted with the strain of the issues of the world. At the very least, Shaun might surmise how he felt.

He tapped the door once and then again before slamming it so forcefully with his fist that he worried it would fall off its hinges. Although he continued to bang on the door, it finally creaked open and let him inside the flat. He grumbled and waited a while at the door before entering.

“Carter?" He yelled, craned his neck to scan the cramped space. He said, "It's Uncle Shaun," the word "uncle" sounding insulting in his ears.

However, Carter wasn't there, and it appeared that he hadn't been for some time. As Shaun shut the door behind him, he noticed empty pizza boxes and traces of life that hadn't been stirred in a while. Carter seemed like he always did: a little bit careless, a little bit impetuous, and a lot dirty. There was an open magazine on the end table near the bed, soiled linens, and garments scattered all over the floor. similar to his father in many ways.

Shaun systematically walked into the little flat, his lips thinning into a harsh line. Only a bedroomkitchen and a small bathroom with a misaligned shower were there. Carter hadn't been home for a long, and it didn't take much to recognize that.

Shaun sat down on the bed and looked through the automobile magazine that was still on the stand, wondering what the heck he had gotten himself into this time.

Only 19 years old, Carter Taylor was. He was the son of Lieutenant Marcus Taylor, who served with Shaun on his second and third tours in Afghanistan and was one of his closest friends. Marcus Thompson, often known as "Syke" by his friends and blood brothers, was one of the roughest bastards Shaun had the pleasure of knowing. He had a smile on his face and a tongue that was always cracking horribly cringeworthy jokes.

Shaun felt accountable on a personal level. When Syke was in his arms bleeding out from a chest wound that was already plainly deadly before they tore apart the vest and uniform covering it to allow the medic a chance to see if there was anything they could do for him, he had stated as much. Additionally, Syke had instructed him to stop talking and maintain his composure because it was what needed to be done.

Shaun's only request from Syke was that he watch over his child. No matter how nuts in the head he was at the time, Shaun had every intention of honouring his vow. In order to be closer to Carter, Shaun had left active service as soon as he could after Syke's passing, albeit that wasn't the only reason. Carter, who at the time was fourteen and still naive, worshipped his father for good reason. A few years before, breast cancer had claimed the life of his mother.

Shaun and Carter were a strange pair. They were both fighting to find motivation to carry on because they didn't have anybody else in their lives.Carter was destined to live with his aunt and uncle following Syke's passing, so Shaun would see him whenever he could. When Carter turned eighteen, it seemed as though he had made up his mind about the world and wanted to join the Marines to follow in his father's footsteps.

To be completely honest, Shaun wasn't sure whether keeping him away from it was really a smart idea. It had taken far too much tequila and many chats to get him to change his mind. However, he had sensed something was off when he had voluntarily relocated to Negros City and texted Shaun about it rather than phoning.

He had started returning Shaun's calls, which furthered that conclusion. Shaun was aware that something was awry as he sat in that dilapidated small apartment in the center of one of the poorest districts in Negros City.

He got to his feet, making unconscious fists out of his hands. For once, Shaun wasn't the source of the problem. Instead, there was something wrong.

I must track him down.

Thankfully, Shaun had discovered the one thing that would enable him to avoid thinking about Dani for longer than an hour or so. He detested the idea that it had to be this way nevertheless.