Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“Roger that. Crew and I will be there in sixty seconds,” Mercier answered.
I took a steadying breath and let it out slowly, finding my focus in the scope. A shot to the forehead caused another guard to drop, and I got the remaining three before the group scattered.
I cursed. “Women and children spreading out around the garage—proceed with caution.”
Mercier reported back to the others.
“Fuck,” I heard Crew gasp. “Is everythin’ on fuckin’ fire?”
“We’re workin’ on it,” Cullen grunted, body checking a door till it opened. I covered him while he peered inside. “Supply storage. Clear.” He told Mercier and Crew to meet up with us in there, and we ducked inside to recharge and catch our breath.
“Third unit entering main estate through the back,” Mercier reported back. “Second unit’s status, Elliott?” There was a pause before Mercier spoke again. “Understood. Second unit will search through villas.”
I flicked on my headlight and dimmed it low, not wanting to readjust to the darkness again in mere minutes—
The door opened, and Cullen and I immediately lifted our weapons, only to lower them again when we recognized Crew’s form.
Thank fuck—we’d been worried sick.
Crew stepped into the poor light, and Cullen was there a beat later to crush his boy in a hug.
“This is not a rescue op,” Crew was quick to say, patting his old man on the back. “I need you to say it with me, Dad. You’re not rescuing me.”
I cracked a smirk. Attaboy. And he was right. We were here as backup. Which he’d sorely needed before all these PMCs had crawled out of the Hillcroft gutters.
“Just shut up and hug me properly,” Cullen replied gruffly.
I gave Crew a pointed look, and he sighed and complied. He was thawing out. I understood him 100%; he wanted to be strong and independent, and he fucking was. He was better than he gave himself credit for most of the time, but when Cullen and I’d heard Crew was heading to Colombia with just one other man…?
It was finally my turn to get a hug, and I squeezed him tightly. “Good to see you, kid.”
“You too, Unc. Don’t worry, I’ll keep youse safe out there.”
I laughed and clapped him on the back, just hard enough for him to protest.
I knew my nephew. Now wasn’t the time for a heart-to-heart. We’d get to that later.
He sucked his teeth and righted his suit, and I was sure he was uncomfortable as fuck. He was a grunt like his old man and me. He preferred combat gear.
To no one’s surprise, Cullen removed his helmet and placed it on Crew’s head. “Don’t argue with me, son.”
Crew didn’t argue. He let Cullen fuss a little bit before he smiled awkwardly and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “So this is my boyfriend. We haven’t gone on our first date yet, unless we count jumping out of an airplane and—”
“And we don’t count that, sweetheart.” Mercier stepped forward and extended a hand to Cullen.
Shitty timing for introductions of this…nature, and nobody had patience for pleasantries when we heard explosions and gunfire going off around us. But here we were.
Cullen shook Mercier’s hand and side-eyed Crew. “Isn’t he like my age?”
Crew snorted. “You wish. He’s old, but you’re decrepit.”
I smiled and shook Mercier’s hand next, and his sigh didn’t go unnoticed. “Welcome to the family. I’m Greer, Crew’s favorite uncle.”
Crew lifted his eyebrows. “I mean… Roe—”
“Shut the fuck up,” I told him. “I’m your favorite.”
He smirked. “You are.”
Damn right.
Mercier smiled politely at the exchange. “I will do my utmost to collect brownie points later, but I’m afraid we have to get going. Danny’s team is leading the way inside the main estate, and I don’t think we’ll find anyone of importance in there. I want to go back to Marco’s villa and search it again. I must’ve missed something last time.”
Then let’s go. I was with him. We were dealing with senior citizens; they couldn’t have made it all the way back here before Cullen and me—or Danny and Reese, for that matter.
CHAPTER 2
Joel Hayward
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“How much do you love me?”
Oh, I wasn’t falling for that again. I swooped her up and blew a raspberry on her stomach to the sound of her squealed giggles, and then I sprinted down to the water’s edge.
The sun was about to set over the horizon, but I didn’t have to go back to base just yet.
“Oh my gosh, no! No, Daddy!” she laughed. “We just got out of the water!”
“Well, last time you asked me that question, it cost me three scoops of ice cream, and you barely finished one. So I think I need to toss you in. Maybe you’ll think twice before you try to shake me down.”
“But I only want a popsicle!” She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“Oh.” I came to an abrupt stop, knee-deep into the water. “Why didn’t you just say so? Let’s go get a popsicle. I definitely love you that much.”