Sammie peeked out from behind the team’s sniper. Hank turned slightly and wrapped his arm around her waist to guide her forward. “These guys are safe, Sammie. Let me introduce you.” He pointed at each soldier and told her their names. “That’s Caden, Koa, Jerico, and Zale. We’re all teammates, including Max who’s taking care of a problem.”
A muffled boom sounded. Saylor jumped and looked around the room in horror. “Did something just blow up?”
“Yes, but safely, little girl. That was something being exploded in a controlled environment. One threat has been eliminated. Let’s listen for the second,” Caden assured her.
Long minutes passed as Saylor hardly breathed. She swayed and everything got fuzzy around the edges of her vision. Stiffeningher knees, she kept listening for anything that would signal that Max was okay.
Zale stepped forward to run his hands over her arms. “Let’s go sit down, Saylor. You look pale. Inhale deep for me as we walk.” He guided her over to the bleachers and sat down with her. “Do you feel like you’re going to pass out? Put your head down between your knees if you’re dizzy.”
“I’m okay. Can we go check on Max?” she asked.
“Not now. As soon as they give the all clear,” Zale told her.
“This is so hard,” she whispered.
“I know. Max’s skills are without equal. And now he has even more reason to be careful,” Zale said.
“Because of me?” Saylor needed to hear someone say it other than the voice in the back of her mind.
“Definitely. He just found you. He won’t risk missing time with you,” Zale reassured her.
Saylor inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. She did one of the breathing exercises her therapist had taught her to settle her nerves, and her fogginess cleared. Another muffled boom sounded. Saylor’s gaze rebounded to Zale’s face. “That’s a good sound?”
“The best ever,” Zale answered with a smile.
“We should get the all-clear announcement soon,” Jerico predicted.
The entire team turned as one and stepped in front of the two women to shield them as the door opened.
“Hey, did you schedule a party and not invite me?” Max’s voice came from the doorway.
“Daddy?” Saylor launched herself up and ran to jump into Max’s arms. He absorbed the impact easily as he squeezed her tight. Saylor wrapped her legs around him, clinging to his hard body like a monkey.
“Did she just call him Daddy?” Sammie’s voice asked from behind her.
Saylor didn’t care if the woman judged her. Her daddy was safe.
“Come sit down and let me clean that,” Zale said from behind her.
“Are you hurt?” Saylor immediately lowered her legs and pushed away from Max. She spotted the bloody towel wrapped around his hand. The haziness rebounded, and she felt herself falling as the reactions around her seemed to come from a long distance away.
When she blinked her eyes open, Saylor sat on her daddy’s lap. His concerned face watched her intently. “Daddy?”
“You passed out, baby. How do you feel?”
“Shaky,” she admitted.
“Me, too.”
Saylor remembered his injury and sat up straight quickly. “Whoa,” she whispered and clutched his shirt to steady herself.
“Drink this, Saylor,” Zale said, handing her an open sports drink.
She took it and almost spilled the bright blue liquid inside. Max steadied the bottle with his towel-wrapped hand. “You’re hurt.”
“Not bad. The device was booby-trapped with glass. I cut a finger as I removed the cover. I’m fine. A few stitches and I’ll be as good as new.”
“If Max will ever let me sew him back together,” Zale muttered.
