He winced as he envisioned the violence that had ripped apart the front of the Seahawk. Neither of those men were still alive. “No. Come on, we need to be well away from this place before the hybrids show up.”
Declan shouldered the other pack and the M4, then took off at a steady trot he hoped Kendra would be able to hold for a while. He didn’t really have a plan, other than to keep both of them alive long enough to get out of the immediate area so he’d have a chance to come up with something better. Right now, that was about the best he could hope for. If the rest of his team were here, it would be different. But with just the two of them going up against what seemed like an impossible number of trained soldiers and hybrid killing machines, he wasn’t holding out much hope.
Chapter 3
Angelo Rios inhaled deeply, almost groaning in appreciation as the aroma from the grill wafted across the terrace. His former captain might not be in charge of their Special Forces A-Team anymore, but the man still knew how to take care of them. Landon and Ivy had literally emptied the freezer for him and fellow Special Forces operator Derek Mickens. And the weather today was perfect for grilling.
“So, why’s the army sending you guys to a place like Tajikistan?” Clayne asked. “Not exactly a name you see in the news a lot.”
Angelo grabbed another handful of tortilla chips and sat back in his chair. He’d asked his first sergeant the same thing when the operational order had come down.
“Tajikistan’s proximity to Afghanistan makes it an ideal location for terrorist safe havens,” he explained. “According to the State Department, the amount of fighters, weapons, and drugs flowing back and forth across the border finally got bad enough for them to ask for help. We’re going in to help conduct counterterrorism training.”
“How long are you guys going to be there?” Landon asked as he flipped the burgers, steaks, and chicken on the grill—in that order.
“Probably two or three months, but it could be as long as six.” Derek frowned down at his bottle of beer. “So, why is Kendra in Costa Rica again?”
Angelo almost laughed. Derek never was a subtle guy. While the medic liked hanging out with Landon as much as Angelo did, Derek had mainly come on the impromptu vacation with the hope of seeing Kendra again. According to him, they’d hit it off at Landon and Ivy’s wedding.
Landon moved the chicken to a cooler part of the grill. “I think it’s the boss’s way of showing his appreciation for all the hard work she does for him.”
Derek frowned. “By sending her to Costa Rica? Couldn’t he just give her a few extra days of leave?”
Landon chuckled. “John probably would have, but Kendra has her own idea of fun. She wanted to go.”
“I don’t think fun had anything to do with it.” Angelo grinned as he reached for his bottle of beer. “She probably heard Derek was coming up here and figured getting out of town was the best way to avoid having to tell him she’s not interested.”
Derek gave him a sour look. “You just don’t want to admit that Kendra and I made a connection. Admit it. We’re meant to be together.”
Angelo almost choked on his beer. “You made a connection? All you did was dance with her, dude.”
“There’s dancing, and then there’s dancing, Tex-Mex.” Derek shook his head with a snort. “Why am I bothering? You’re not even qualified to evaluate my relationship with Kendra. You’ve never connected with a woman in your life.”
That wasn’t exactly true. Angelo had connected with a lot of women over the years, just not in the way Derek was talking about. But that was by choice. He’d learned long ago that women, long-term relationships, and Army Special Forces didn’t mix. Never had and never would. He’d seen firsthand what endless deployments and dangerous missions could do to a wife a Special Forces operator left behind. Every time his father shipped out, his mother had died a little inside until it finally destroyed her. Angelo had vowed then to never get married, or even involved seriously with a woman until he got out of the military. Since he intended to make a career of being a soldier, that was going to be a long time.
Landon opened the sliding glass door and leaned in. “Protein’s just about ready out here, hon.”
“We’re almost done in here, too,” Ivy called.
“Keep your shirts on,” said Clayne’s fiancée, Danica Beckett. “Or don’t. Ivy and I won’t complain.”
The two women laughed at the joke, while Clayne let out a snort. Angelo still wasn’t sure how the gruff wolf shifter—man, it was going to take a while to get used to the idea that there were people who had animal DNA—had landed an amazing woman like Danica.
“When are you two getting married?” Angelo asked.
Her Wild Hero
Paige Tyler's books
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