“Low blood pressure,” she whispered. “Stay calm, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Nico will find us.”

  It took several minutes for her to get her emotions under control. Praying helped keep her grounded. She stood and walked to the door, unsurprised to find it was locked. She turned and made her way back to the cot.

  When she’d been thrust into the car by Abe, she’d thought she’d seen Nico’s SUV, but she made a point not to look at it too long so Abe wouldn’t get suspicious. Even if the SUV wasn’t Nico’s, he’d probably know she was gone from the hospital by now. The nursing staff had taken his phone number as her point of contact since she didn’t have a phone.

  Nico would find her, but where was Callie? She wondered if Nico had found Callie while he’d been checking the warehouse.

  Glancing around the small, spartan bedroom, she imagined Callie might be nearby in a similar space. Simon hadn’t bothered to tie her up, likely assuming she wouldn’t be able to escape so easily this time, being eight months pregnant.

  And he’d be right. A wave of despair washed over her. She didn’t even have her knife, it was still in her backpack. She’d grown lax being with Nico. Normally, she would have taken it everywhere.

  She stood and began searching beneath the bed, hoping to find something she could use as a weapon. But the room was completely empty except for the bare mattress on the cot. There wasn’t a pillow or any sheets either. Nothing that she could use against Simon or one of his biker thugs.

  Okay, then. She’d have to wait for Nico to come. And she knew in her heart he would. She wished she’d allowed him to call in his SEAL friends and his cop buddy sooner. And for a moment, she remembered their kiss. The one she’d initiated.

  Looking around her prison room now, she couldn’t regret having kissed Nico. He was here out of duty, but she’d come to care about him.

  Maybe even falling in love with him.

  It was probably just the danger surrounding them, but she didn’t think so. After the time she’d spent with Simon, especially the way he’d just treated her, she understood just how different Nico was.

  A man who was strong but also a gentleman. A man of honor, of bravery. He was the kind of man any woman would be lucky to have.

  Too bad she didn’t deserve his love. Nico was a man of God, he’d already forgiven her foolish decisions, the sins she’d committed. He’d come for her because she was Jaydon’s little sister.

  But that didn’t mean he loved her. Not in the way that truly mattered.

  Her stomach churned with nausea, and she became aware of a nagging headache, a different pain from the throbbing in her cheek.

  A wave of fear washed over her. This was exactly how she’d felt when she was in the car with Nico, shortly before she’d thrown up.

  No, please. Not now. She couldn’t have another episode now.

  She curled up along the side of the bare mattress and began to take long, deep breaths to bring her blood pressure down. Slow and easy. It had worked once in the hospital, so it had to work again. She could do this.

  She had no choice but to do this.

  Chapter Nine

  Nico looked at the concerned faces of his teammates. He’d seen them frequently over the months after they’d all been given an honorable medical discharge from the Navy, but this was the first time they’d work together since their last op. The one that had gone seriously sideways, killing Jaydon and wounding all of them.

  Now they were just as determined to rescue Jaydon’s sister, Ava. And the young woman Callie Burgess. Every one of them would put their own life on the line to protect the innocent.

  And that included K9 Officer Bryce Flynn.

  “Any last questions?” Nico asked as he tightened the strap of his bullet-resistant vest.

  “We’re good,” Mason answered for all of them.

  The goal was for them to get in and out with the women without any of the Desert Death Rays realizing what had happened.

  A task easier said than done, but nothing they hadn’t faced before.

  “Chief, you, Hudd, Dawson, and Dallas take each of the four sides of the building,” Nico repeated. Mason was their senior chief, but he was the one in charge of this op. It seemed strange, but he was the one who knew the layout and what to expect going in. Thankfully, they were geared up, Mason had even brought earpiece radios for them to use. “When you’ve cleared those areas, Bryce, Kaleb, and I will go in to find the women.”

  “Roger that,” Dallas drawled. “Let’s do this.”

  Nico nodded, then added, “Thank you. For coming to help.”

  “No need, this is what we’re trained for.” Mason gestured toward the warehouse. “Let’s move.”

  It bothered Nico that these men putting themselves in danger had wives and in some cases children waiting for them back home. If anything happened to them, he’d be the one responsible for the loss.

  Nico quickly thrust those thoughts aside. His team was here voluntarily, and they were experts at infiltrating the enemy. He trusted in God and in their individual training. Better to stay focused on the mission.

  The SEAL mantra—the only easy day was yesterday—was appropriate here.

  He crouched near the warehouse that appeared to be used by the Death Rays for storage of who knew what with Bryce and Kaleb. Together as a team, they’d decided against using their respective K9s. In their SEAL ops, they’d sometimes used one dog to track the scent of a tango, but tonight, it wasn’t reasonable to go into hostile territory with three dogs. Especially not with motion cameras everywhere.

  Mason, Hudd, Dallas, and Dawson hadn’t brought their K9s because the chopper wasn’t large enough to accommodate that many people and their dogs. Nico had put Zulu in the back of the SUV. Kaleb and Bryce had done the same.

  Nico couldn’t deny feeling a bit lost without Zulu at his side, but he knew it was for the best. Stealth was key. They couldn’t be hampered by dogs on leashes, and leaving them off leash would only put them in harm’s way.

  Even if the cameras weren’t a concern, too many unknown variables awaited them inside the warehouse.

  The radio in Nico’s ear remained silent as the four men slowly crept into position. Patience was a virtue, but knowing Ava and her unborn child were in danger, not just from Simon and his men but from the possibility of going into full-blown eclampsia, was impossible to ignore.

  Straining to listen, he was reassured when there was nothing but silence from the main warehouse. He knew the guys would take out their guards without making a sound.

  Finally, he heard a low voice in his ear; it was Mason. “South side secure, one tango down.”

  “West side secure, two tangos down,” Dawson said.

  “North side secure, one tango down,” Dallas echoed.

  “East side secure, one tango down,” Hudd said. “The first room is empty, the second and third are occupied by women. Fourth room has a man sleeping inside.”

  “We’re going in,” Nico murmured, then gave the go signal to Kaleb and Bryce. The first phase of the mission was a success.

  Time to implement the second phase, with a similar result.

  Nico led the way, with Bryce behind him and Kaleb covering their six. As earlier that night, he moved with excruciating slowness as to not set off the motion cameras. They passed Dallas and the single biker that was sitting slumped against the side of the building. Nico barely glanced at the fallen man, his attention riveted on getting inside the building.

  There was no doubt in his mind that this was the most dangerous aspect of the plan. He carefully eased the door open just enough to see inside the warehouse, listening intently.

  All was quiet.

  He slipped through the doorway, taking a moment to pull down his night vision goggles. He was in what appeared to be a main gathering room, with tables and chairs. No sign of any men, sleeping or otherwise. He stepped farther into the room, not as worried about cameras now, using hand signals to let the other two men know it was safe to enter.

  Then he pointed to the left, reminding Kaleb and Bryce that was where he’d seen Callie being held in one of the bedrooms. A fact recently verified by Hudd. Passing through the doorway, Nico found himself in a long, narrow hallway with several doors along the left side.

  It was an odd setup, almost as if the bedrooms had been an afterthought. And maybe the additional rooms had been. Based on Hudd’s intel, he tested the door to the second and third rooms.

  They were both locked.

  It was what they’d expected, but it would still take time to breach if they were to escape without being seen or heard. As tempting as it was to simply blast through each doorway, Nico took up a position near the third room, leaving the second room to Bryce. They needed to work silently so as not to raise the alarm of the man sleeping in the fourth room.

  From when he’d seen Callie earlier, he’d known what sort of door locks to expect. Nothing super industrial, thankfully. These areas hadn’t been originally set up to keep people inside against their will.

  He and Bryce went to work using screwdrivers to remove the door handles. Kaleb took up a defensive position in front of the fourth door in case the sleeping man became a threat.

  Nico silently removed the door handle and carefully pushed the door open. His heart lodged in his throat when he saw Ava curled up in a ball, her back to the door as if attempting to protect her baby.

  He crept into the room, knowing this was the most dangerous part of the mission. If Ava screamed in fear, she’d wake the guy sleeping on the other side of the wall.

  “Ava, it’s Nico.” He whispered the words as he slipped his hand around her head to cover her mouth.

  She immediately stiffened and lashed out with her legs.

  “Shh. It’s Nico.” He whispered the words into her ear. “You need to stay quiet.”

  The tension eased from her body. Her eyes were wide and bright with tears. She nodded, and he removed his hand, then helped her into a sitting position. She stood, then wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning against him.

  “We need to move very slowly and stay in the shadows,” he whispered. “Motion cameras outside, understand?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, still leaning against him.

  He wasn’t sure if she was just weak from her ordeal or if she was feeling sick to her stomach again. Either way, getting her out of here should help. He gave her a quick hug, then pushed her behind him as he headed to the door.

  Ava curled her fingers into the waistband of his jeans as if needing to maintain contact between them. He didn’t mind a bit. He led Ava through the doorway and saw that Kaleb was there, waiting. Glancing over, he was relieved to see Bryce had Callie too. He was sure Bryce had warned the dark-haired woman about the motion cameras as she stood still at his side.

  They weren’t out of danger yet. Not by a long shot.

  Nico continued leading the way, retracing their path down the narrow hall to the main room, then turning to head outside. Just as Nico stepped over the threshold, he heard a low warning in his ear.

  “Second tango on the west,” Dawson whispered. “He’s down, but there could be more.”

  Nico’s pulse kicked up at the thought of running into more Death Rays, but he stayed focused on getting Ava and Callie out of there. He slowly inched forward, glancing over at Dallas. His teammate gave a barely perceptible nod, encouraging him to keep going. He did so, knowing Kaleb, Dallas, and the others would continue to secure the building until the women were safely out of the line of fire.

  He continued creeping carefully along the side of the building, toward the storage warehouse, which coincidentally was located on the west side of the building. When they finally made it to the corner, he eased around to find Dawson pressed up against the wall near two prone bodies. Again, Dawson gave a slight nod, and he continued inching forward, with Bryce and Callie hopefully mirroring his movements behind him.

  Every cell in his body wanted to run, to hurry, but he didn’t dare risk setting off an alarm. Not when they were so close.

  He could feel Ava’s tension as she did her best to copy his movements. He wished he could reassure her, but his senses were tuned to his surroundings. Still, when the voice spoke in his ear, he nearly jumped.

  “Second tango down on the north,” Dallas whispered.

  Where were these guys coming from? He wasn’t sure, but there was nothing he could do but keep moving forward.

  One slow inch at a time.

  After what seemed like eons, he and Ava reached the storage warehouse. He didn’t stop to wait for Bryce and Callie, he had to trust in the guy’s skill to get Callie out of there safely.

  He continued moving cautiously along the rear side of the storage building. They’d made it to the far corner when he heard another voice in his ear.

  “Two tangos talking in the south doorway,” Mason whispered. “Cover is blown. They’re looking for the hostages.”

  “Roger,” Nico said. Stealth instantly took a back seat to speed. He turned, swept Ava into his arms, and ran toward the SUVs. Behind him, he could tell Bryce had done the same with Callie. To their credit, both women didn’t make a sound, despite how fearful they must have been.

  He yanked open the car door and set Ava down so she could get inside. He shut the door, then ran around to get into the driver’s seat. The plan all along had been to bug out if their cover was blown.

  Now he needed to pray that the rest of the guys all made it without becoming injured or worse.

  “Stay down,” he told Ava, starting the engine. They needed to be ready to roll as soon as every last man was accounted for. In the rearview, he could see Callie and Bryce in his K9 vehicle, but there was no sign yet of Kaleb.

  He held his breath knowing Kaleb would have hung back to help the other guys get clear.

  Then suddenly the guys burst around the corner, all five running fast. Nico sent up a brief prayer of thanks as the men instinctively headed toward various SUVs. His three teammates joined Kaleb in his SUV, leaving Hudd to get into his vehicle. Bryce and Callie were already inside his police SUV. The moment Hudd’s backside hit the leather, Nico punched the accelerator, pulling out of the gas station parking lot and out onto the road.

  In the rearview, he saw that the other two SUVs, Kaleb’s and Bryce’s, soon followed suit.

  They split up heading off in different directions, fully expecting multiple biker guys to follow. Nico used his radio, glad they were still all wired for sound.

  “I’m taking Ava to the closest hospital, rendezvous there when you’re clear.”

  A chorus of “roger that” echoed in his ear. Hudd simply nodded from the back seat.

  “The same hospital as before?” Ava asked, fear in her gaze. “That’s where they found me.”

  “No, we’re going to a different one, Alhambra Hospital not far from East Los Angeles.” He glanced at her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better now.” She managed a smile, but then her eyes filled with tears again. “I’m so glad you came for me, Nico. I knew you would.”

  “Always.” He frowned, noticing the bruise on her cheek and the smear of blood staining the front of her white nightgown. His gut clenched with anger and fear. “What happened? Who hit you?”

  She turned away. “Simon, but it doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”

  He sincerely doubted it and wanted to punch Simon for assaulting her. A wave of fury clouded his vision, but he pushed it off with an effort. They weren’t completely out of danger yet, they needed to get Ava to the hospital.

  Without any Death Rays members following them.

  He caught Hudd’s grim glance in the rearview mirror. He could tell Hudd was thinking the same thing he was.

  What sort of pathetic excuse of a man would hit a pregnant woman? Especially a woman carrying his child?

  Nico’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel, wishing he could wrap them around Simon’s throat. He had to work hard to remain calm, knowing it was best for Ava and her baby.

  And now that he had Ava and Callie safe, he wasn’t going to let Simon or his Death Rays buddies touch either of them ever again.

  “Ava, meet Hudson. Hudd, this is Jaydon’s sister, Ava. You remember her from the funeral.”

  “I do,” Hudd said with a nod.

  “Hi.” Ava forced a smile, although her emotions were all over the place. Relief at being rescued, horrified that Nico and his fellow SEAL friends had all put themselves in danger, and fear that Simon would still find a way to track her down.

  She knew she’d never be safe. Not as long as Simon was alive. He’d made it clear he intended to seek revenge. And that he still had those pictures that portrayed her stabbing Banjo in the neck, seemingly without provocation.

  Knowing Simon, he had retained the entire video feed.

  “I’m glad to see you again,” she managed.

  “Ditto,” Hudd said, reaching up to awkwardly pat Ava’s shoulder. “We’re all glad you’re safe.”

  “Even though my being here is my own fault?” Ava battled a wave of self-loathing. For the millionth time, she wished she hadn’t been so stupid and naïve to have fallen for Simon’s fake charm.

  “We’ve done that and more for those less deserving,” Hudd responded. “Personally, I find it much easier to put myself in a tough situation to help a woman I know and respect.”

  Hudd didn’t know her, not really, but she knew what he meant. Like Nico, Hudd would do whatever was necessary for Jaydon’s sister.

  Tears slipped down her cheeks. She quickly swiped at them, hoping the guys wouldn’t notice.

  Stupid hormones.

  “Hey, I told you before, everyone makes mistakes,” Nico said. “You deserve to be safe, Ava. And so does your baby.”

  He was right about the baby. She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to fall asleep while being locked inside the warehouse. One minute she was doing deep breathing and relaxation exercises to bring her blood pressure down, the next Nico was there.

  The way he’d placed his hand over her mouth had scared her to death, and she’d kicked out in a weak effort to get free. But only for a moment. Nico’s unique scent had quickly reassured her, as did his husky voice in her ear.

 

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