Intense - Aspen Drake & Emily Cain

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Intense - Aspen Drake & Emily Cain Page 15

by Special Forces - Operation Alpha


  I didn’t feel any remorse about it. These evil men kidnapped a child and strapped a bomb to his chest. An eternity would pass before I lost any sleep over it.

  Parker had opened the face of the bomb and began tugging out wires. His hands worked quickly and remained calm the entire time.

  “Do you know what you’re doing?” Every time he touched a wire, my heart stopped and my lungs locked up.

  He nodded. “I think so.”

  My eyes widened, and my knees went weak. “You think?”

  “Chase,” Parker said into the air. “I need some help here.”

  I eyed the clock. We had thirty seconds.

  “Give me two seconds.” Chase fell silent as he worked on his end.

  I huffed, getting more anxious by the second. “How is Chase going to help us?”

  “He can see the bomb.”

  I looked around and didn’t see any cameras.

  Parker answered my unspoken question. “There’s a camera in my lens.”

  Chase’s voice filled my ear. “Cut the red wire and the yellow wire. But make sure you cut the red wire first.”

  “Are you sure?” Parker asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Chase snapped. “Now do it.”

  There was only five seconds left. “Cut the damn wire.”

  Parker moved the pliers around the insulated wires. “Chase, if you’re wrong, I’m kicking your ass in the next life.”

  “Meet you in hell, buddy.”

  Parker cut both wires, and the clock stopped.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Chase.”

  The child was still scared, so I sat beside him and wrapped my arm around his shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re going home.”

  Tears were still wet on his face even though he’d stopped crying. “Home?”

  “Yeah.” I rubbed his back then brushed his hair off his sweaty forehead.

  He took a stuttering breath. “I miss my mom and my dad.”

  “I know, kiddo.” I imagined how relieved his parents would be when they saw him. “You’ll see them soon.”

  Parker removed the bomb from his chest. “Alright, champ. You’re all set.”

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Cameron,” he whispered.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Cameron. I’m Sierra. And this is my friend, Parker. We’re going to get you home safely.”

  “Okay…” He bowed his head and stared at the floor.

  Parker looked at me. “Let’s get out of here before people realize what’s going on.” He turned to Cameron. “Can you walk?”

  Cameron nodded. “I can run. Just take me home.”

  Parker gave him a smile before he patted him on the shoulder. “Then let’s go.”

  I sat in the rear of the plane with Cameron beside me. He was still shaken up over the ordeal, not that I blamed him. The past twenty-four hours would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  “Why don’t you get some sleep?” I rubbed his back and tried to make him feel comfortable.

  “If I sleep, will you leave?”

  That broke my heart all over again. “No. I’ll be here the whole time.” I was tired, but my body was still too revved up to fully relax.

  Cameron lay his head on my thigh and extended his feet to the other seats. His hands were pulled to his chest and he looked so small. Within minutes, he was asleep. My hand rested on his back, feeling it rise and fall with every breath.

  A few minutes later, Parker joined us. He sat beside me and looked down at Cameron. “You’re good with kids.”

  “He’s just scared.” My fingers moved through Cameron’s hair. “But he’s a trooper.”

  “He is.”

  Parker stared at me like there was something else he wanted to say. I looked right at him, giving him my attention.

  “You did great today.”

  “Thank you.” It was nice to get a compliment from him.

  “You were quick on your feet and made the right decision at every turn.” He held my gaze without blinking. “You’re going to make a great agent.” He glanced at Cameron before he looked at me again. “Because you care about people, not money.”

  I nodded, overwhelmed by his praise.

  “Looks like you’re ready for the next step.”

  I peeked back up at him from under my lashes. “And what would that be?”

  “Meeting the team.” Parker chuckled. “Chase jokes around a lot, but he’s a great guy. You’ll like him.”

  “I already do like him.”

  “You’ll like the rest of the team too.”

  I was really excited to meet everyone else, but I was even more excited to spend time with Parker in a new environment. “What’s next?”

  “We’ll deliver Cameron to his father. After that, I’ll take you to the office.”

  “In Texas?”

  “Yep,” he answered. “And I want you to remember this isn’t the mafia. If you ever want to stop working with us, all you need to do is say so.”

  “I know, Parker.”

  “Just want to make sure you understand that. If things become too much, you can always bow out.”

  “That won’t be a problem.” Even though I’d only completed one mission, this felt right. I never cared about school or anything else. While this job was dangerous, I was already passionate about it. A rescued child was sleeping on my lap. What could be a greater reward than that?

  “We still have to take care of your father. Not all missions will be as straight-forward as this.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded. “I know.”

  Parker was quiet for a moment before he leaned over and kissed me on the lips. “I should get back to the cockpit. Get some sleep if you can.”

  He watched me for a moment then slipped his hand behind my neck, giving me a gentle squeeze. “I love you.”

  My heart tripled in size and all the fear and tension I had still lingering inside me was replaced by joy and love. “I love you too, Parker.”

  He smiled and headed back to the front of the plane while I relaxed and stared at Cameron.

  This felt good. Not every mission would be so rewarding, but this is what I needed to do with my life.

  I wanted to save people, and I wanted to be with Parker. Working with him allowed me to do both. And if we ever got to the point where we needed to consider another change, we’d do that.

  But for now, this was my new life. My only objective going forward was to save as many people as possible while making sure to go home with Parker every night.

  This was where I was meant to be.

  Next in the Intensity series…

  Order Now

  About the Author

  Born and raised in the Silicon Valley, Aspen Drake has never ventured far from home. She loves to read, so much so that her husband has often lamented that he wishes he was a sentence so he could get more of her attention. She's working on seeking a more balanced life...but until then, you can find her curled around her ipad or laptop for many hours per day. When she isn't writing the stories that come to her while sitting in traffic, she's hawking wares as a marketing manager for a tech company.

  Reach out to her at [email protected].

  Also by Aspen Drake

  Intensity Series

  Intense

  Intrigue

  Finding Shelter Series

  Sheltering Emma

  Convincing Jenna

  Defending Lucy

  Searching for Shan

  Winning over Waverly

  Destined for Della

  Fierce Salon Series

  Wash

  Rince

  Repeat

  Creamy’s Bakery Series

  Knead

  There are many more books in this fan fiction world than listed here, for an up-to-date list go to www.AcesPress.com

  You can also visit our Amazon page at:

  http://www.amazon.com/author/operationalpha

&n
bsp; Special Forces: Operation Alpha World

  Denise Agnew: Dangerous to Hold

  Shauna Allen: Awakening Aubrey

  Shauna Allen: Defending Danielle

  Shauna Allen: Rescuing Rebekah

  Shauna Allen: Saving Scarlett

  Shauna Allen: Saving Grace

  Brynne Asher: Blackburn

  Jennifer Becker: Hiding Catherine

  Julia Bright: Saving Lorelei

  Julia Bright: Rescuing Amy

  Victoria Bright: Surviving Savage

  Victoria Bright: Going Ghost

  Victoria Bright: Jostling Joker

  Cara Carnes: Protecting Mari

  Kendra Mei Chailyn: Beast

  Kendra Mei Chailyn: Barbie

  Kendra Mei Chailyn : Pitbull

  Melissa Kay Clarke: Rescuing Annabeth

  Melissa Kay Clarke: Safeguarding Miley

  Samantha A. Cole: Handling Haven

  Samantha A. Cole: Cheating the Devil

  Sue Coletta: Hacked

  Melissa Combs: Gallant

  KaLyn Cooper: Rescuing Melina

  Liz Crowe: Marking Mariah

  Jordan Dane: Redemption for Avery

  Jordan Dane: Fiona’s Salvation

  Riley Edwards: Protecting Olivia

  Riley Edwards: Redeeming Violet

  Riley Edwards, Recovering Ivy

  Nicole Flockton: Protecting Maria

  Nicole Flockton: Guarding Erin

  Nicole Flockton: Guarding Suzie

  Nicole Flockton: Guarding Brielle

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Nebraska

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Harlow

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Josie

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Blair

  Desiree Holt: Protecting Maddie

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Sarah

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Savannah

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Stephanie

  Jesse Jacobson: Protecting Honor

  Jesse Jacobson: Fighting for Honor

  Jesse Jacobson: Defending Honor

  Jesse Jacobson: Summer Breeze

  Silver James: Rescue Moon

  Silver James: SEAL Moon

  Silver James: Assassin’s Moon

  Silver James: Under the Assassin’s Moon

  Becca Jameson: Saving Sofia

  Kate Kinsley: Protecting Ava

  Heather Long: Securing Arizona

  Heather Long: Guarding Gertrude

  Heather Long: Protecting Pilar

  Heather Long: Covering Coco

  Gennita Low: No Protection

  Kirsten Lynn: Joining Forces for Jesse

  Margaret Madigan: Bang for the Buck

  Margaret Madigan: Buck the System

  Margaret Madigan: Jungle Buck

  Margaret Madigan: December Chill

  Rachel McNeely: The SEAL’s Surprise Baby

  Rachel McNeely: The SEAL’s Surprise Bride

  Rachel McNeely: The SEAL’s Surprise Twin

  KD Michaels: Saving Laura

  KD Michaels: Protecting Shane

  KD Michaels: Avenging Angels

  Wren Michaels: The Fox & The Hound

  Wren Michaels: The Fox & The Hound 2

  Wren Michaels: Shadow of Doubt

  Wren Michaels: Shift of Fate

  Wren Michaels: Steeling His Heart

  Kat Mizera: Protecting Bobbi

  Mary B Moore: Force Protection

  LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Butterfly

  LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Goddess

  LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Vixen

  LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Heartbeat

  MJ Nightingale: Protecting Beauty

  MJ Nightingale: Betting on Benny

  MJ Nightingale: Protecting Secrets

  Sarah O’Rourke: Saving Liberty

  Debra Parmley: Protecting Pippa

  Lainey Reese: Protecting New York

  Jenika Snow: Protecting Lily

  Jen Talty: Burning Desire

  Jen Talty: Burning Kiss

  Jen Talty: Burning Skies

  Jen Talty: Burning Lies

  Jen Talty: Burning Heart

  Megan Vernon: Protecting Us

  Megan Vernon: Protecting Earth

  Police and Fire: Operation Alpha World

  Freya Barker: Burning for Autumn

  KaLyn Cooper: Justice for Gwen

  Aspen Drake: Sheltering Emma

  Deanndra Hall: Shelter for Sharla

  Deanndra Hall:Justice for Aleta

  Barb Han: Kace

  Reina Torres: Justice for Sloane

  Stacey Wilk: Stage Fright

  As you know, this book included at least one character from Susan Stoker’s books. To check out more, see below.

  SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series

  Securing Caite

  Securing Brenae (novella)

  Securing Sidney

  Securing Piper (Aug 2019)

  Securing Zoey (Jan 2020)

  Securing Avery (May 2020)

  Securing Kalee (Sept 2020)

  Delta Force Heroes Series

  Rescuing Rayne (FREE!)

  Rescuing Aimee (novella)

  Rescuing Emily

  Rescuing Harley

  Marrying Emily (novella)

  Rescuing Kassie

  Rescuing Bryn

  Rescuing Casey

  Rescuing Sadie (novella)

  Rescuing Wendy

  Rescuing Mary

  Rescuing Macie (Novella)

  Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series

  Justice for Mackenzie (FREE!)

  Justice for Mickie

  Justice for Corrie

  Justice for Laine (novella)

  Shelter for Elizabeth

  Justice for Boone

  Shelter for Adeline

  Shelter for Sophie

  Justice for Erin

  Justice for Milena

  Shelter for Blythe

  Justice for Hope

  Shelter for Quinn

  Shelter for Koren (July 2019)

  Shelter for Penelope (Oct 2019)

  SEAL of Protection Series

  Protecting Caroline (FREE!)

  Protecting Alabama

  Protecting Fiona

  Marrying Caroline (novella)

  Protecting Summer

  Protecting Cheyenne

  Protecting Jessyka

  Protecting Julie (novella)

  Protecting Melody

  Protecting the Future

  Protecting Kiera (novella)

  Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)

  Protecting Dakota

  New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.

  She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.

  If you enjoyed this book, or any book, please consider leaving a review. It’s appreciated by authors more than you’ll know.

  www.stokeraces.com

  www.AcesPress.com

  [email protected]

 

 

 


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