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“You’ll go first!” I told the kid. He flinched, and I lowered my voice. “Sorry. You’ll go first, and they’ll haul you up, okay? We’ll all be on the same rope, and they’ll ascend before reeling us in, so don’t be afraid. Don’t look down if heights bother you.”
He nodded once. “Thank you,” he mouthed. He turned to Reese and said something, and the man scratched the side of his head, then pulled out his phone.
He showed it to me soon after.
Can you be there when I strap him to the line? It’s been a while for me.
I nodded. “Of course.”
By the time I was done with Shay, everyone else had geared up, and I ushered Shay to the rope, with Reese following right behind.
This was the easy part, so I didn’t have to do much. Reese secured Shay to the suspension rope—I mean, there was an actual hook, so it was possible he was used to something else from back in the day when we used knots for everything.
I gestured for everyone to line up, figuring it was best I went last.
The roar from above was clearly loud for all the others, and I kinda wished I heard it too. Helicopters were my second home. But at least I felt the winds whipping, and I saw the grass flattening.
One by one, I made sure everyone was secured to the line. Shay, Reese, River, Coach, Danny…Elliott.
Elliott showed me the screen of his phone.
I can say anything to you right now, and you won’t hear it.
I frowned at him. What the fuck?
He said something, and he tightened the strap to my helmet. What was he saying? In the corner of my eye, I caught Danny signaling to the pilots, and Shay was the first to get his feet off the ground. I shifted my gaze back to Elliott and secured myself to the line too, and I repositioned my rifle to my front instead, wanting easy access. For fuck’s sake, could he stop talking? I didn’t hear a fucking word!
He actually grinned for a second, then shook his head and—I went rigid when he cupped my face in his hands and leaned closer. The intensity in his eyes—in those familiar silvery-blue eyes…Don’t fucking do anything. You’ll break me again. He couldn’t know how badly I wanted—
He was done. He finished talking and backed off, and I immediately missed his muddy fingers on my muddy fucking face.
I clenched my jaw. This was what he did to me. Even now, years later.
Goddamn bastard.
I hated him with every fiber of my being.
A beat later, he was airborne, and I was next. I grabbed on to the rope and unfastened my gun from its holster on my hip, and I fixed my stare on our surroundings. A decent shot could have a field day with us right now, pick us off one by one on the line.
Right before my feet left the ground, I lowered my monocular and switched to thermal vision.
What the hell had he said to me? He’d never had any issues giving me shit to my face before. Although, the silent treatment had been his favorite up until this mission—not counting the few times we’d been forced into the same room for Blake’s birthday party. He saved his digs for when she couldn’t hear.
* * *
Reese Tenley
“Sleep, baby. I’m not letting you go.” I tucked the blanket under Shay’s seat belt and made sure he was wrapped up tightly.
He nodded and rested his cheek on my shoulder, but that wasn’t good enough for me. I had to put my arm around him, and then I grabbed the other blanket and gave him a better pillow than my vest.
“There we go. Just relax now.” I kissed the top of his head.
Even with the constant helicopter noises, this had to be a hell of a lot more peaceful than being held captive. The danger had passed. He was safe. He was back with me and River. Where he belonged.
I’d snatched three seats for us closer to the back of the helicopter, so that River could take the edge seat and lean back against whatever cargo they had there. Then he could rest his injured leg across Shay’s lap and my own. And get some shut-eye.
The seats lined the sides, ’cause this type of helicopter could take a fairly big payload and even had a back ramp. Hell, a few four-wheelers would easily fit in here. But for now, just Danny. He was lying flat on his back on a gurney on the floor, eyes closed, his uninjured arm folded under his head, not a care in the world—though, I knew he missed Emerson. He wouldn’t relax properly until they were reunited tomorrow morning. But I bet the painkillers helped with both missing his hubby and the gunshot wound in his bicep.
