The driver’s side rear door popped open, and I swung into the backseat, the SUV’s engine roaring as we took off. The door slammed shut on its own as the massive SUV swung sharply, raising off the outside wheels.
I glanced to see who was behind the wheel, but quickly shut my mouth. Heidi had put all of us Marines through both a defensive and offensive driving test. She knew what the fuck she was doing.
I didn’t pay attention to where we were going or if we were even following Foster, Katie, and Jackson.
As soon as I was in, I looked over Declan and Marcie to make sure they were unharmed and sighed. Not a scratch on either. Declan stared at me, his gaze questioning, but I turned my focus to Marcie.
“Colibrí, buckle up for Papi, okay?” I whispered as I cupped her tear-stained face.
She nodded, her chin trembling against my palm as she reached for the seatbelt. The car swerved again, and I cursed. Declan grabbed me, so I didn’t hit the floor since I hadn’t buckled up either.
“Take your own damn advice,” he growled as I righted myself.
I looked at the other piece of my heart. The one who never let me get away with anything, who pushed me to the brink of insanity, and made me a better man.
“You okay, cariño?”
“Yes. I’m fine. We both are. Why aren’t you with Foster watching over Jackson and Katie?”
I didn’t answer him. What could I say? I did the one thing you weren’t supposed to do. I let personal feelings get in the way of my fucking job. I failed to remember that the mission came first.
Declan and Marcie owned me: heart, body, and soul. When Jackson told me to go, I did, barely giving any consideration to the two people who needed my protection more. Declan would hand me my ass when we got ourselves out of this mess.
As he should.
He was the pro. I was a trained amateur playing in the big leagues.
My only excuse was fear. The likes of which I’d never known. It filled me, swarming me like a hive of angry bees, and held me hostage. All I could think about was getting the two people who meant more to me than my own life out of danger.
I couldn’t remember a time I’d ever been this worked up. I’d been on some backassward missions. Ops that had gone so far sideways there was no righting them. Hell, I hadn’t even been this worked up when I got hurt, and I’d been a fucking mess then.
“Motherfucker!”
I turned to look at Heidi, but the reason she cursed stared at us blatantly as we came around the bend in the road.
The other SUV blocked the road. Flipped on its top. Oh fuck! We were fucking stupid. Every last one of us.
The bomb threats were diversions. Meant to throw us off kilter and send us scrambling in retreat. Heidi slammed on the brakes, throwing us all forward. As soon as we came to a stop, everyone but Marcie and me scrambled out of the car as gunshots rang out.
I turned to Marcie.
“Baby girl, get down on the floor between the rows and don’t get up until Daddy or I say it’s okay,” I ordered her, unbuckling her seatbelt and helping her to the floor.
“Papi!” she sobbed. “What’s happening?” Her head swiveled, searching for Declan, if I had to guess. “Where’s Daddy?”
“Baby girl. Listen to me, okay? Get down.”
“I’m scared.”
I sighed. I was, too. The other part of my soul was out there and bullets were fucking flying, and our girl was in the thick of it with us.
“I know you are, colibrí, but I need you on the floor for me, okay. I’ve gotta help Daddy.”
She moved to the floor,finally, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“All the way down. Flatten yourself on the floor and stay put, colibrí. I mean it. Don’t move. Papi will be back for you,” I said before leaving the vehicle.
Looking out the front glass, I clocked the van, a guy behind the wheel, two assailants near the flipped SUV that Heidi, Scott, and Declan advanced toward with guns drawn.
