There was a pause and then, “Sir?”
“Amy, I need you to listen to me. I am a retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator.” Because she worked in a Naval hospital, sheshouldunderstand what that meant. “Less than five minutes before you called, I was made aware of a threat to Dr. Dawson’s life.” He stepped out of his apartment, locked his door, and jogged to his truck. “I’m in Dallas now, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, Ellena needs security posted outside her room. Do you understand?”
Obviously flustered, the woman attempted to respond. “I-I…um…”
Shit.He needed to make her understand. “Amy?”
“Y-yes?”
“I’m going to give you a phone number, and then I’m going to hang up. I want you to wait three minutes and call that number.”
“Who am I calling?”
Gabe got into his truck and started the engine. Tires squealed loudly as he tore out of the parking lot and headed for Jake McQueen’s ranch.
More specifically, the private airstrip located on his boss’s property.
“The number I’m giving you is a direct line to Agent Jason Ryker with Homeland Security. I want you to tell him what’s going on and that I told you to call him. He’ll be able to verify who I am and that this is not a hoax or some type of prank. The threat to Ellena is very real, and I need for your hospital to take it seriously.” He rattled off Ryker’s number. “I’m going to hang up now, Amy. Please. Call the number. Ask for Agent Ryker. He’ll take care of the rest.”
Gabe started to end the call when he heard the nurse’s voice again.
“Wait!”
Shit.“Yeah?”
“How will I know this man really is a Homeland agent?”
“Trust me. You’ll know.”
There was another short pause and then, “What exactly is your relationship to the patient?”
Gabe swallowed before answering, “Ellena’s my wife.”
Chapter 2
“You’remarried?”
Feeling like a doomed man facing a firing squad, Gabe stared back at his boss and his team. With his hands shoved deep inside his denim pockets, he stood in front of the large, stone fireplace and blew out a breath.
“Yeah, Carter.” Gabe nodded to the former Naval Intelligence officer. “I’m married.”
“Whoa.” Nathan Carter, Bravo Team’s technical analyst, looked like a cartoon character as he blinked his wide eyes and plopped down onto the leather couch.
“Holy shit.” Kole looked just as surprised. “I don’t…I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“Nothing to say,” Gabe told the young sniper who was sitting next to Nate.
“Oh, there’s plenty to say, Dawson.” With a shake of his head, Zade grunted. “I’m just trying to decide where to start.”
Gabe looked over at Zade, who was sitting in one of the room’s two leather recliners. The former Marine lifted his ballcap and ran a hand through his short, dark hair before readjusting the hat back into its rightful place.
“Tell me about it,” Matt spoke up from the recliner positioned on the opposite side of the cozy space. “Between that major bomb drop and Walker showing back up, I’ve got so many what-the-fucks going through my head right now, I can’t even think of a response.”
Matt’s confusion wasn’t unexpected, given the white lie Gabe told his teammate months before. An elaborate excuse for why he and Ellena were no longer together.
Fuck!
“There’s a first,” Nate teased the other man.
