The black ops security company had two teams: Alpha and Bravo. Derek was part of Alpha Team.
What the hell kind of party did they throw last night?
“Seriously, man.” Jake spoke in his ear again. “You gotta get it together. Riley needs you.”
Riley?No, that wasn’t right. “Day...off.”
“Goddamnit, Eric. He fucking took her!” Derek yelled again. “Are you hearing me? We need you to wake the hell up and tell us what happened so we can find her before it’s too late!”
Eric finally managed to peel his eyes open—barely—but the pounding in his skull made him wince. He blinked a few times and, though it didn’t help with the pain, he did manage to bring the people staring back at him into focus.
Holy shit.The entire team reallywasthere.
Derek, Jake, Trevor, Grant, Coop, Mac.... They were all staring down at him, each with different levels of concern and anger etched across their faces.
They were staring at him, and they were...
“Wanna tell me why you’re in my bedroom?”
Eric turned his head to better take in the whole bizarre scene, but the sudden wave of dizziness stopped him short.
“He’s definitely concussed,” Trevor said from the foot of the bed.
The bed. They were in his bedroom. Except this wasn’t his bedroom, it was...his parents’?
No, it was the bedroom hisparentsused when they stayed at the...beach house.
“Riley!”
Eric shot up from the bed, but then fell right back down on his ass.
“Whoa.” Derek’s swirling image suddenly appeared in front of him. He grabbed Eric’s shoulders to keep him steady. “Just take it easy.”
“Riley,” Eric rasped.
“I’m sorry, man. She’s gone.”
Oh, Jesus.
Ah, God.
No!
Bile hit the base of his throat. He pushed his brother out of the way and stumbled to the bathroom just in time for the contents of his stomach to come rushing out. Thankfully, he managed to get most of it in the toilet.
“Fuck,” someone behind him cursed.
“He needs to go to the hospital.”
The comment came from McKenna Cooper, or Mac as they called her. The former Ranger was a badass sniper and the only female R.I.S.C. operative.
“No hospital.” Eric flushed the toilet and went to the sink to rinse out his mouth.
“Dude, you’ve got a gash the size of Texas in your head. You need to be checked out.”
“I’m fine.” The words barely escaped his lips before another round of convulsions hit. With his system empty, he was forced to endure several hard, painful dry heaves.
Derek wrapped his fingers around Eric’s bicep. “That’s it. Come on.”
