by Elle James
Sophia crossed her arms over her chest. “I get that, but you’re a pawn, too. He wants you, and he’ll do anything to get you. So, don’t be an idiot and get yourself killed.”
Blade pulled her close to him. “No way. We’ve got something going here, and I’m not ready to give it up.”
She frowned. “If you plan on giving it up, you might as well do it now. I plan on playing for keeps.”
He kissed her hard on the lips. “Good, because apparently I do, too. When I find the right one. And you, my dear, are the right one.”
The Delta team members all grinned.
“Come on, let’s take care of business,” Rucker said. “Dawg, let Ramón’s team know not to shoot us.”
“Already did,” Dawg said.
“Bull, Dash and Lance,” Rucker pointed to each one of them, “you’re on the women. Don’t let them out of your sight and protect them with your lives.”
The three men popped a salute and moved in to surround Maria and Sophia.
“I’d rather you gave me a gun,” Sophia said. “I’ll shoot that bastard myself.”
Blade shook his head with a grin. “Remind me not to make you mad.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That’s right. Don’t make me mad. You have to sleep sometime.”
“As long as it’s with you, babe, I’ll die a happy camper.” He kissed the tip of her nose then claimed her lips.
“Just don’t die today,” she said. And she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him again. “I mean it. Don’t die today.”
He winked. “Yes, ma’am.”
Dawg looked up from his watch. “Clock’s about to strike midnight.”
Rucker nodded. “We need Cinderella out in front of the pumpkin.”
Blade nodded. “On my way.”
Sophia watched him as he climbed into the van that had transported the team to the square. Her chest tightened as he shut the door and started the engine. The plan was to use the van as a shield against whatever bullets might fly his way. Sophia knew better. The metal on the vehicle wouldn’t stop bullets. She prayed it didn’t come to an all-out war. Blade wouldn’t stand a chance.
The team spread out, surrounding Blade’s position.
What killed Sophia was that Blade didn’t have to go. The team had rescued her and Maria from the complex in the jungle. “Why is he doing this?” she whispered.
Bull stared out after Blade. “If he doesn’t, Calderón will still be a threat.”
“Then we’ll just go back to the States. Calderón won’t follow us there. Screw this game of bait and switch.”
“Ramón and the good people of Cancún deserve closure,” Dash said.
Lance nodded. “Until they get the leaders of the cartel, it won’t be over.”
Near to tears, Sophia swallowed hard. “But why does Blade have to be the target?”
“He really doesn’t have to be, but he wants to take care of Andrés Calderón as much as Ramón’s people do,” Bull said. “The people of Cancún are tired of the cartel demanding payola and disturbing the tourists who provide their livelihood.”
Blade drove the van out to the center of the square in front of the cathedral. As far as Sophia could tell, the square was empty, except for Blade and the van. The Delta team and Ramón’s people hid in the shadows, ready to take on the cartel.
Sophia didn’t know what to expect, but when three truckloads of armed men raced into the square, her breath caught and held in her throat. She pressed her fingers against her lips and watched in terror.
A dark SUV followed the three big trucks. The trucks surrounded the rented van.
Sophia turned to Bull. “Give me your handgun. Please. You have to go help Blade.” She could tell by the way Bull and the other two were standing that they wanted to help.
Bull shook his head, his jaw tense. “No. Blade told us to take care of you.”
“Give me a gun,” she pleaded. “I’ll take care of us. Blade needs his team now.” When Bull, Lance and Dash refused to move, Sophia stomped her foot. “If you guys don’t go, I will.” She pushed past Bull and headed for Blade, the van and the cartel’s trucks.
Bull snagged her around the middle and pulled her back into the shadows. He handed her a pistol, showed her how to use it, and then he said, “Please don’t shoot us.”
“I know how to fire a pistol. Sarge taught me everything he knows.” She gripped the pistol in one hand and shoved Bull with the other. “Go.”
“Just stay here,” Bull said to Sophia then nodded to the other two men. They took off across the pavement.
The men in the trucks opened fire on the van with semiautomatic weapons and submachine guns, and they kept firing.
Sophia’s heart leaped into her throat, and her world stood still as the horror unfolded.
The Deltas moved in and picked off the gunmen, one at a time, until the last one threw down his weapon and held his hands high.
Her attention on the van, and her concern for Blade, were Sophia’s downfall.
Behind her, Maria squealed.
Sophia spun with the gun in her hand.
Andrés Calderón held a handgun to Maria’s head. “I’ll make a trade with you,” he said. “Your life for hers.”
She aimed her pistol at Andrés head. “How about I just shoot you and end this now?”
He snorted, his lip curling back in a snarl. “Who will pull the trigger first? You’d sacrifice Maria’s life for yours? That doesn’t sound like the kind of person I thought you were.”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “You have no idea what kind of person I am, but I know what kind you are. You’re an animal. Life doesn’t mean much to you unless it’s your own.”
“Your life or hers,” he said, his tone low and dangerous.
Sophia drew in a breath and let it go. She wanted to kill the man, but he might kill Maria first. The woman had done so much for her; Sophia couldn’t let her die. “Okay,” she said. “We trade. But you have to let her go first.”
Calderón shook his head. “No. Throw down your gun.”
Sophia’s jaw hardened. “I don’t trust you. Take the barrel of your weapon away from Maria’s head. Then I’ll throw down mine.”
His eyes narrowed to a squint. “I don’t trust you. I guess that puts us at a standoff.”
Maria’s gaze captured Sophia’s in the dim glow from a streetlight.
Sophia could tell her body was tensing. She was going to make a move. Sophia had to be ready.
Maria jammed her elbow into Calderón’s gut and ducked her head away from the barrel of his gun.
He fired off a round, missing the housekeeper completely.
At the same time, Sophia pulled the trigger aiming for Calderón’s chest. The bullet hit dead center. Sarge’s lessons had paid off.
Calderón’s eyes widened. His grip on his captive loosened.
Maria ran several steps away.
Calderón stared down at the hole in his chest and clutched it with his empty hand. He raised his weapon and aimed it at Sophia. Before Sophia could fire off another round, a loud bang sounded. Expecting pain, Sophia was surprised when she didn’t feel any. Calderón had been aiming right for her.
The cartel leader fell to his knees, his gun slipping from his fingers. He toppled forward, face-first on the pavement. The man had two exit wounds on his back. Sophia spun to see who had fired the shot.
Blade hurried up beside her, carrying a semi-automatic rifle. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I am, now that I know you’re all right.”
He slung the strap over his shoulder and pulled her into his arms. “I think I just lost a few years off my life. I thought for sure he’d shoot you.”
She wrapped her arms around his back still holding onto the pistol. “How did you survive those men shooting at you? I thought you were dead.”
“I knew they were coming in three trucks. I figured that they would surround me. I figured Calderón was out for blo
od and would have given them orders to shoot to kill.
“As soon as I parked in the square, I slipped out of the van and lay beneath the chassis. They directed their bullets into the van where I would’ve been sitting.” His leaned back, his lips pressing together. “They missed me, but my team didn’t miss them.”
Rucker, Mac, Bull and the rest of them gathered around Sophia and Blade.
Blade turned to Rucker. “What about the rest of the cartel? Any survivors besides the one who surrendered?”
“Ramón and his people will take care of them.” Rucker nodded and turned toward the three trucks and the destroyed van where Ramón’s people were collecting the survivors. He turned back to the Deltas. “We need to bug out before the Mexican police arrive on scene. Remember, we’re not supposed to be here. We’re supposed to be on a fishing trip.”
Blade nodded. “And Sophia and I are supposed to be on vacation.”
“I think we can manage all of that,” Rucker said with a grin. “And I don’t think we’ll have any more trouble from the cartel. We took out the leaders. The Calderóns are no more.”
“Good,” Blade said. “Let’s get back to the resort and see if they have any extra rooms for you guys.”
“Dibs on a bungalow for us,” Sophia added.
“Preferably one that isn’t decorated in red spray paint,” Blade said.
“What about the van?” Dawg asked. “We rented it. It’ll link us to the scene.”
“We’ll report it as stolen,” Rucker said.
Ramón appeared. “My people are thankful for what you and your team did for us. Please, let us give you a ride back to the resort.”
“Do you have enough room in your vehicle?” Rucker asked.
Ramón smiled. “I have cousins.”
Epilogue
“I’m so glad we can finally relax.” Sophia stood in the circle of Blade’s arms, both up to their necks in one of the five swimming pools on the resort. She held a Mai Tai in her hands, while Blade held a beer.
Blade’s arm circled her around her middle. “Me, too. This is the vacation I envisioned when you invited me along.”
“Actually, this is exactly what I’d hoped for, except for the little issue of a kidnapping and a run-in with a deadly cartel.” Sophia smiled. “Fortunately, we still have a few more days of sun, sand and water.”
“And each other,” Blade added.
Her cheeks heated. They’d gone way past the friend zone into the land of lovers since they’d arrived in Mexico. And the way Blade was talking, they’d be together long after they returned to the States. Sophia couldn’t be happier.
The Deltas had also secured rooms at the resort, and each had gotten a drink from the bar and converged on the same pool with Blade and Sophia.
Dash held up his beer. “Here’s to another successful mission.”
Rucker frowned at him. “We weren’t here on a mission.”
Dash grinned. “But I caught the biggest fish.”
“Quit bragging, douchebag,” Dawg said.
Dash’s grin widened. “You’re just jealous because you had the smallest fish.”
The guys had spent the day out on a chartered fishing boat. Blade had stayed behind with Sophia, though she’d insisted she’d be all right on her own.
She had wanted him to go out with the guys and enjoy the fishing, knowing they would have a blast. She’d needed the time for a secret task she’d wanted to complete. Since he’d stayed, she’d had to sneak away from Blade to make it happen. And if her timing was right, her plan would be revealed within the next thirty minutes.
“Well then, if we can’t drink to a mission,” Dash said, “then we should drink to our women. They should be here enjoying the fun in the sun with us.”
“We thought so, too,” said a feminine voice behind Sophia.
All the Delta’s turned as one. Sunny Daye led the pack of women, including Nora Michaels, Kylie Adams, Layla Grey and Beth Drennan.
Nora wore a black string bikini. She carried a colorful drink in one hand and a towel in the other. “We couldn’t let you guys have all the fun.”
Rucker pulled himself up on the side of the pool and set down his beer. He stood, gathered Nora into his arms and kissed her soundly. “How did y’all get here?”
She laughed and turned to Sunny. “The same way you guys did. Sunny’s got some connections.”
Sunny’s cheeks reddened. “I’ve made a few friends in the industry, and I just happen to have one who owns a plane. While you guys were out fishing, the pilot flew the aircraft back to the States to bring us to Cancún.”
“Remind me to thank your friend,” Rucker said as he held Nora in his arms.
Mac got out of the pool and hugged Kylie. “What strings did you have to pull to get time off to come down here?”
She shook her head. “You have no idea, but, damn it, I made it. I was determined to get some sun in the sand with my number one guy.”
“Same here.” Layla dropped her towel on a lounger, slid into the pool and swam over to where Bull was heading toward her. “I could use a little R&R with my guy.”
The women all slipped into the pool, drinks in hand.
Dawg laid back, floating, looking up at the sky. “Now, this is what I call a vacation.”
Beth Drennan splashed water on him. “It seems a little bit tame for you, Dawg.”
He lowered his legs and stood with a shrug. “Yeah, you’re right. I might want to go out on the beach and see if I can get a little wave action. Anybody up for that? I know where I can get a boogie board.”
“I’m in,” Beth said.
“Me too,” Tank said.
“And me,” Lance echoed.
“You single guys, don’t go flirting with any cartel members or Russian mobsters. I’d like to enjoy the rest of this vacation,” Blade said. “I’ve got some catching up to do in the commitment arena.”
“I thought you were a confirmed bachelor?” Rucker said.
Blade nodded, pulling Sophia close to him. “I was, until I realized how much I was in love with my friend and neighbor.”
Dash snorted. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”
“Tell me about it,” Sophia agreed.
“The rest of us saw it coming,” Mac said. “We couldn’t fathom why you were so clueless.”
“Hey, at least I figured it out before it was too late.” Blade leaned his forehead against Sophia’s. “The thought of losing you brought me to my senses.”
“So, you gonna commit to one female?” Dawg asked.
Blade nodded, his gaze locking with Sophia’s. “I am. As long as she’ll have me.”
Sophia nodded. “That’s what I’ve always wanted.”
“Really?” Blade’s brow wrinkled. “Why didn’t you ever say so?”
She snorted. “You had such a phobia about commitment, I wasn’t going to screw up our friendship. If I couldn’t have you all to myself, I was going to be content in the friend zone.”
Blade shook his head. “Screw the friend zone. I want you all to myself.”
She frowned, “You gotta understand it goes both ways.”
He nodded, solemnly. “I understand, and I’m glad, because you’re going to be my one and only.”
“Mmm. I like the way that sounds,” she said. “You wanna kiss on that?”
He lifted his chin and stared down at her, his face serious. “After you promise to marry me.”
Sophia’s heart fluttered and she blinked. “What?”
“You heard me,” he said with a grin. “Will you marry me?”
Rucker laughed. “Damn, dude, when you make up your mind, you make up your mind.”
“Yes, I do.” Blade’s gaze never wavered from Sophia’s. “So, Sophia, will you marry me?”
Sophia stared into his eyes, happiness bubbling up in her chest. “Damn right, I will.”
Afterword
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SEAL Salvation
Brotherhood Protectors Colorado Book #1
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ELLE JAMES
Chapter 1
Jake Cogburn sat in the tattered lounge chair he’d scavenged on the side of the street after moving into an empty apartment in Colorado Springs. He hadn’t planned on living in an apartment, nor had he planned on sleeping on the only piece of furniture he could afford without digging into his savings. He’d put aside money to purchase a plot of land out in the middle of nowhere Colorado. On that land, he’d wanted to build a house.
All those plans had been blown away, along with the lower half of his left leg, when he’d stepped on an IED in Afghanistan. Yeah, he had the money in the bank, but what good did it do him? On one leg, what could he accomplish? Working a piece of land and building a house took all four limbs.
He poured another tumbler of whiskey and tipped the contents up, letting the cool liquid burn a path down his throat. Soon, the numbing effect set in. Jake could almost forget the phantom pain in his missing leg, could almost forget he’d not only lost a leg, but had lost the only family he’d ever had.
As a Navy SEAL, his teammates had been his brothers. Every one of them would lay down his life for him, as he’d taken one for the team when his foot had landed on that IED.
Medically discharged, having gone through multiple surgeries and physical therapy, he’d been dumped out into a civilian world that had no use for a one-legged, former Navy SEAL.
What was he good for? His skillset included demolitions, tactical operations, highly effective weapons firing and hand-to-hand combat.
Where could he find that kind of work in a civilian occupation? And doing all that balanced on one leg?
Nope.
He was all washed up. His only hope was to sit on a corner with his hat held out, begging like a hundred other homeless veterans roaming the streets of Colorado Springs.