Page 83 of Missile Strike

Danny checked the sidelight, then unlocked the door.

“Hey, man.” He clapped palms with Caleb and fist-bumped his former SEAL teammate, Tavari Dixon.

Tavari had three inches on him and was almost as tall as Nathan, although not as muscular. The former sniper slipped inside and immediately claimed a spot near the wall. He never said much, but little escaped his notice as he tracked every exit, window, and blind spot in the room.

Bella hovered near the couch, one hand gripping Trip’s collar, the other twisting the hem of her shirt. Her gaze darted between Danny and his friends.

“Bella, this is Caleb Varella and Tavari Dixon.”

“Hello.”

“Ma’am.” Caleb crouched to greet Trip, then rose and offered his hand.

Bella shook it, her gaze catching on the silver and turquoise ring on Caleb’s other hand. “Danny mentioned you just got married?”

Caleb’s face softened, a rare smile breaking through. “I did. My wife’s a doctor on the Navajo reservation.”

Danny guided Bella to the couch. “His grandfather’s the president of the Navajo Nation.”

Bella blinked. “You’re Navajo?”

“Half,” Caleb said.

“Caleb’s a former Green Beret,” Danny informed her. “Tavari and I were on the same SEAL team.”

That caught Bella’s attention. She studied Tavari. “So you’d know why his nickname is Chaos.”

A flash of white teeth against light brown skin. “Yes, ma’am.”

Bella’s shoulders drooped when Tavari didn’t elaborate.

Danny bit back a smile.

“Nathan sent goodies.” Caleb pulled a black device from his shoulder bag. “Uninterruptible power supply. Top of the line.”

Then another, larger device. “And a secure router—one that meets Nathan’s specs. He’ll walk you through the setup later.”

Danny took the offered items.

Bella leaned into him to take a closer look, bringing with her the familiar scent of honeyed jasmine and citrus. “What are these for?”

“Hassan’s a cybersecurity expert.” He felt her tense. “It’s just a precaution to keep your network secure.”

She tilted her face up to meet his gaze. On instinct, he dropped his head until their faces were mere inches apart. Close enough for her breath to brush his lips.

“If he shows up in person, I’ll handle it.” And yeah, he’d registered his tone. Low and deadly.

Bella’s pupils dilated.

There it was again. That shift in his chest. Protecting Bella had become about far more than the job.

His teammates watched.

He looked up. Held Caleb’s gaze, then Tavari’s. Dared them to say something.

Caleb’s brow lifted.

Tavari found something fascinating on his jeans.