Page 107 of SEAL of Valor

He shoves the gun into my hand. “You can do this. Anyone but us comes through that door. Anyone you don’t recognize, you put them down, understand? Lights off. Door locked at all times. Stay away from the window, no matter what happens.”

“I—” Tears fill my eyes. Weston gently grips my chin and raises my face.

“I love you, Reese.”

“I love you, too.”

He leans in and kisses me quickly, then leans down and pets Aragorn. “Keep her safe, boy. I’m counting on you.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“Right downstairs,” he says softly.

Knowing he will be so close eases a bit of my nerves. “If someone gets hurt⁠—”

“I know,” he says, then turns to leave the room, pausing right by the door. “We’ll finish our date tomorrow night.”

“I’m free for breakfast first thing in the morning.”

He grins. “Sounds great. Breakfast on the beach. I like it.”

With a final smile in my direction, he turns and races out of the room. With the gun in hand, I lean back against the wall. Aragorn trots over and lies beside me, ears perked.

Outside, I hear nothing.

But I know, without a doubt, a storm is brewing.

Chapter 32

Weston

“You’ve got movement coming up on the south side of the house,” Sawyer says through the comms, his voice low. “I don’t have a clear shot yet.”

“Don’t engage until they get close enough for Garrison’s charges to go off,” Zane tells him. “They have us in numbers, so we need everything we’ve got.”

“Copy that, Cap,” Sawyer replies.

Normally, it would be me on top of the house, keeping watch and eliminating hostiles as they close in on us, but with Reese in the house, I need to stay nearby. And I trust Sawyer’s shot just like I trust him to run his mouth and get himself hit.

Which has happened on more than one occasion.

My rifle is aimed out of one of the living room windows facing the north side of the house. Between the five of us, we’ve got eyes on every direction. Unfortunately, I know this doesn’t necessarily mean we have one hundred percent of the perimeter covered. Brenda doesn’t work with amateurs. Anyone on her payroll is going to be highly trained and incredibly efficient.

Still, they’re not us. And I have more confidence in my team than I do in an entire army of trained soldiers.

“We’ve got hostiles closing in on the west side,” Ryker says from where he’s situated downstairs in the living room.

“East, too,” Garrison adds. “Twenty-four total by my count.”

“Two dozen. How nice of her to bring the big guns,” I say dryly. “Any word on that SWAT team?” Normally, I wouldn’t mind these odds. In fact, I’d count on my team to go up against an army of thousands and still remain standing, but the cost is so much higher now.

We all have a whole lot more to lose.

“Nothing new,” Zane replies. “We’re on our own for now.” His gaze locks on mine, and in his eyes, I see the same calm I’ve always appreciated about him. No matter what we were facing, Cap never lets fear take hold.

All because of his faith.

I shift my attention to the worn leather Bible Pastor Reeves gave me. It’s sitting on the dining room table, where it’s been all day. And the mere sight of it fills me with a peace that I never would have expected and certainly have never experienced.