by Anna Blakely
“Take Turner with you. I’m staying here.”
Matt, who was sitting in the chair across from Kole, looked at Zade, then over to Nate.
“Uh, Carter? Boss said it was an—”
“Order,” Nate finished for him. “Yeah, I got that. Listen, we don’t need some other guys coming in and telling us what to do on this. We can find her on our own. I can find her. But I won’t if I’m playing fucking pizza delivery boy instead of being here, where I’m needed.”
Kole looked as though he was about to say something, but pressed his lips together and kept silent.
“What?” Nate held his arms out to his side, opening himself up to whatever his friend wanted to throw at him.
Kole shook his head and mumbled, “Nothing,” before turning back to the file in his hand.
Fuck that.
From across the room, Nate hollered out, “You got something to say, Jameson? Say it.”
“Kole, don’t,” Sarah sat up a little straighter in her chair.
“It’s okay, Sarah,” Nate assured her. “Really. I mean, I already know what your fiancé is thinking. I just want to hear him say it.” He looked back over at Kole. “You’ve been keeping that shit in ever since you got back, so go ahead. Spit it out.”
“Come on, guys,” Zade tried to keep the peace amongst the two friends. “This isn’t helping.”
“No, he’s right.” Kole stood from his chair and slowly began walking toward the living room. “You want to know what I’m thinking? Fine. You had one job, Nathan. One. Fucking. Job. And you’re gonna stand there and whine because Jake has someone who might be able to help us get Gracie back faster? Seriously?”
“We know nothing about these guys, Kole.” Nate took a couple steps closer. “You really want to risk her life by trusting some other team we’ve never worked with? Guys we’ve never even met before?”
“Well, we wouldn’t have to, if you’d just—”
“Kole!” Sarah reprimanded her fiancé, but it was too late. The damage was already done.
“If I’d what, Kole?” Nate brought himself nearly toe-to-toe with his friend. “Say it. We wouldn’t be asking for help if I’d just what?”
Kole had never looked at him the way he was now. Like he was the enemy, rather than his friend and teammate.
“Been thinking with your brain instead of your dick.”
And there it was.
“Don’t,” Nate warned Kole.
“Don’t what? Call you out on your fuck-up? Just admit it, Nate. You were so busy trying to get into her pants, you forgot why you were even at that fucking cabin to begin with. Shit, you dropped the ball before you and Gracie even left town.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The picture, Nate!” Kole yelled in his face. “You left that fucking picture of you and your brother in your apartment for them to find. You may as well have drawn them a goddamn road map.”
“Fuck you, Kole. You have no idea what happened at that cabin, and you sure as hell don’t know that picture had anything to do with them finding us.”
Nate wasn’t about to admit to the jackass that he’d already been beating himself up about the picture of him and Scott. It had been on his mantle for so long, he hadn’t given it a second thought.
“No, fuck you, Nate. This is Gracie we’re talking about. She’s my fiancée’s sister! She’s going to be my sister!”
“And she’s my—” He stopped himself short. Christ, he’d almost said wife. No, she’d only been pretending to be. And Nate had loved every single minute of it.
“She’s what, Nate?” Kole kept on with his rant. “Your newest fuck-buddy?”
Nate’s fist was flying through the air before he even realized he’d moved. His knuckles slammed into the side of Kole’s jaw, causing the mouthy bastard to fall down to the wooden floor.
“Kole!” Sara leapt from the chair and ran over to his side.
Blood dripped from the split Nate put in his friend’s bottom lip. Hovering over him, Nate spoke low and deadly.
“You have no fucking clue what went on with me and Gracie, and frankly, it’s none of your goddamn business.”
Surprising both Kole and Sarah, Nate held out his hand to help Kole up. Once the other man was back on his feet, Nate kept his grip tight.
“I love you like a brother, Kole. You know that. But you ever disrespect Gracie like that again, and you and I? We’re done.”
Not waiting for a response, Nate turned and walked over to the sliding doors leading to Jake’s back patio. Without another word to anyone, he went outside, closing the door behind him.
He wasn’t sure how long he stood out there, looking up at the night sky. His mind was so completely filled with thoughts of Gracie, Nate became oblivious of the passing of time.
He thought about that first night they met. How desperate he’d been to simply talk to her.
A corner of his mouth curved up slightly, remembering the nervous text she’d sent to Sarah when they’d decided to take their food to his apartment. The raw, emotional look in her eyes the first time they made love.
At some point, Nate found himself wondering if he and Gracie were staring at the exact same stars at this exact same moment. The possibility eased his pain slightly, making him feel as though they were somehow still connected.
Then, he remembered what Jake had said about Yavuz possibly being back in Turkey. If that was really the case, it meant Gracie was eight time zones away from him.
For her, it was already tomorrow morning. If she was even still alive.
Nate shook his head. He would not give up on her. Not ever.
The door behind him slid open, but he didn’t bother turning around. He was surprised to see it was Kole who’d stepped up beside him. The other man was carrying two paper plates stacked with slices of meat-covered pizza.
“Thanks, but I’m not really hungry.”
Kole set both plates onto the glass table behind them, and then turned to Nate. “Look, man. About what I said in there. I would never intentionally disrespect Gracie. She’s like my little sister. And what went down at the cabin,” Kole paused. “That shit could’ve happened to any one of us. It wasn’t your fault and I never should have implied that it was. I don’t blame you, Nate. No one does.”
I do. Nate would never forgive himself for leaving her alone the way he had.
When he saw Nate wasn’t going to say anything, Kole added, “Seriously, man. I know you never would have left that cabin if you didn’t think she was safe. I only said those things to you because I’m pissed and scared and, I don’t know. I just want her back.”
“You think I don’t?” Nate looked at his friend incredulously.
Kole studied him a moment. Then, very slowly, the corners of his mouth raised. “You really care about her, don’t’ you?”
Rather than answer the question, Nate responded with one of his own. “Is that really so hard for you to believe?”
Kole’s immediate reaction was to shake his head and say, “No, man.” Then, the truth came out. “Well, maybe a little bit. Yeah.”
“Right.” Nate clenched his jaw and shook his head before looking away.
“Oh, come on, Nate. Can you honestly blame me? The entire time I’ve known you, you’ve had no desire to settle down. Hell, even the night you and Gracie met you were spouting off bullshit about how love isn’t for you and all that crap. So, yeah. If I’m being completely honest, it does surprise me. But, I see it now.”
Nate’s brows crunched together. “What do you see?”
“The way you are when you talk about her. And you’ve got that same look in your eye now that I’m sure I had the night that asshole tried to hurt Sarah.”
“What look is that?”
Kole smirked. “Like you’re ready to kill anyone who dared hurt your woman.” He rubbed his fat lip. “Or knock the shit out of someone stupid enough to run their mouth about her.”
Nate gave him a half-smi
le. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’d be lying.”
Kole chuckled. “I know.”
A moment of silence passed between the two men before Nate began speaking again. “I get that Gracie and I haven’t known each other all that long. And yeah, I know the list of serious relationships I’ve had in the past is, well, non-existent. But I think I might be…” he paused, swallowing hard. “I know I’m in…”
He didn’t say the words, terrified of what they meant for him.
With a knowing smile, Kole gave him a nudge. “Just say it, man.”
Nate looked his friend in the eyes and admitted, “I’m in love with her, Kole. Ah, Jesus.”
Sucking in a breath, Nate bent over at the waist and rested his hands on his knees. Feeling as though he were going to puke all over Jake’s concrete slab, he forced himself to take several slow, deep breaths.
Kole barked out a laugh and slapped the back of Nate’s good shoulder. “Welcome to the club, my friend.”
“God.” Nate stood up straight again. “What the fuck am I going to do, Kole? I can’t lose her, man. I can’t.”
All signs of humor gone, Kole looked him square in the eye and vowed, “You won’t.”
Chapter 16
Two days later…
Sweat trickled down Nate’s back in a steady stream. A heavy, protective vest covered his thin tee, which was becoming more and more soaked as the minutes passed by.
From behind his dark lenses, he kept watch out the abandoned home’s cracked window and inwardly cursed Turkey’s sweltering heat.
Fucking shithole country. If he never stepped foot in it again, it would be too soon.
After landing at a private air strip not far from their current location, one of Homeland’s local assets picked them up and drove them here. To the middle of fucking nowhere.
Using the structure’s thick, stone wall as a shield, Nate kept himself hidden from the outside while maintaining a decent view of the immediate area out front. So far, he’d seen no sign of the men they were waiting to meet.
“They’re late,” he grumbled.
“They’ll be here.”
Nate looked at Gabe. The powerful man was leaning against the wall to his right, legs casually crossed at his ankles. If it wasn’t for the M16 resting in his hands, Gabe would look like he was just hanging with his buddies.
“If these guys can’t be trusted to show up on time, how the hell are we supposed to believe they’ll have our backs?”
Gabe glanced at his watch then to Nate. “They’re two minutes late, Carter. They’ll be here.”
“Seriously, dude,” Matt sided with Gabe. “We may not know these guys, but McQueen does.”
“He’s right,” Zade chimed in from the window at the back. “Jake said he and the one guy...what was it he called him?” He looked to Matt for the answer.
“Ghost.”
“Right. Jake said he and Ghost worked some ops together back when Jake was still Delta. Said these guys are the best.”
“Well,” Matt smirked. “Aside from us.”
Zade wore a smug grin. “Duh.”
Both men snickered, but Nate wasn’t in the laughing mood. This was the most important mission of his life, and they were getting into bed with a team they’d never worked with. Plus, they were a man down.
Kole had chosen to stay behind to ensure Sarah’s safety. It was just a precaution and Nate got it, but right now he couldn’t help but wish his best friend was here. With him.
“I don’t give a shit how good these guys are,” Nate looked at Matt. “If their intel on Yavuz’ location isn’t solid, all we’re doing is wasting time.”
Gabe pushed himself off the wall and walked over to him. “We’re all worried about her, Carter. But, you know as well as I do, Jake wouldn’t have sent us all this fucking way if he wasn’t certain these guys could help us bring her home.”
With a loud sigh, Nate turned to his team leader again. “I know. Logically, I know you’re right. I just wish we were doing something besides sweating our asses off in this crackerjack box.”
It was nothing more than a one-room clay structure on the outskirts of Gaziantep. The city itself was quite large, but where they’d been sent to wait was isolated.
With the exception of the occasional tree here and there, the land around them was all but baron. They were like sitting ducks in a very small pond, which did nothing to help Nate’s already hyped-up anxiety.
“You know how Delta guys are. They’re as secretive as they come.”
Zade smiled. “Unlike you SEALS.”
Gabe raised a brow at the former Marine. “Yeah? What are you implying, King?”
With an incredulous expression, Zade provoked the formidable man. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, you do know how to tell whether a group of guys are SEALs, don’t ya, Dawson?” When Gabe remained silent, Zade teased, “Wait long enough, and they’ll tell ya.”
“You’re a real funny guy,” Matt smarted off, sticking up for his fellow Navy serviceman. “For a jarhead.”
“I’ll take being a jarhead over a frogman any day,” Zade spouted back.
Gabe gave Zade an evil smile. “Keep it up, King. You’ll joke your way right into an extra week’s worth of training.”
“Oh, come on, Boss,” Zade looked to Gabe. “You know I love you and your sexy frog legs.” He kissed the air, and then waggled his brows a few times, making Matt laugh.
“Christ,” Gabe groaned. “It’s like working with a bunch of twelve year olds.”
Nate started to smile, too, but something outside caught his eye. It took him a few seconds to realize there were two black jeeps with tinted windows coming down the dirt road.
“Look alive, boys,” he announced to the others. “We’ve got company.”
Instantly on alert, the men positioned themselves on either side of the door. Nate and Matt took the left, while Gabe and Zade covered the right.
With guns in their hands, the men of Bravo Team watched and waited to see who would step out of those two vehicles. Parking a few feet from the building, the drivers and passengers began exiting the jeeps.
Four men approached them. Three wore matching desert camo and vests much like what Nate and his team had on. Also like Bravo, their long guns were secured in straps running diagonally across their chests.
All three were tall, the one bringing up the rear standing well over six feet. That guy had short, dark hair and was darker complected than the other two. Like Gabe, he was also built like a fucking brick house.
The man to Nate’s left appeared to be right at six feet—still tall, but definitely shorter than the human tower in the back—and also had brown hair. Though, not by much, he looked to be a bit older than the other two and walked with an air of confidence that made Nate think he was the one in charge.
To his right was a third member of the team. Also standing over six feet, the man’s hair was a bit longer than regulation and his arms were covered in bright ink. Of course, Delta came with its own set of rules, so it didn’t really come as much of a shock.
Much shorter than the others, the man walking in front was dressed in worn jeans, a light blue button-up, and ball cap.
With his head hung low, it was hard to make out his features, but when one of the Delta guys put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a slight nudge, Nate caught a glimpse of the all-too-familiar face.
He was looking at Baron Karos, Ryker’s useless prick of an informant.
“Barry?” he growled. Nate looked over at Matt. “What the hell?”
If Barry was here, it was because he had intel that could lead them to Gracie. It also meant he’d most likely held out on them when they were trying to track down Achim.
“So help me, if he knew something that could have prevented all this…” Nate didn’t finish the sentence, but his unspoken words were clear.
I’ll fucking kill him.
Not waiting for Gabe’s okay, Nate walked around Matt and swung open the wooden
door.
“What the fuck is he doing here?”
Hearing his sharp tone, the Delta men stopped their forward progress and began to reach for their guns. When they saw Nate’s gaze was honed in solely on Barry, they relaxed a little.
Hiding his head—Nate wasn’t sure if it was in fear or shame, nor did he give a flying fuck which—Barry took a couple steps backward, bumping into one of the other guy’s chests.
“Watch it,” grumbled the man he’d hit.
“You Carter?” The man to Nate’s left asked.
Nate gave him a single tilt of his head. “You are?”
“Ghost.” He stepped forward and held out his gloved hand for Nate to take. “Good to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
Nate shook his hand and muttered, “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem. Always happy to help our brothers out, active duty or otherwise. Especially if it means rescuing an innocent woman from the clutches of a couple shitfucks like Akmar and Yavuz.”
Damn. The guy actually seemed okay.
“This is Fletch,” Ghost pointed to his teammate on Nate’s right. “The big guy back there is Coach, and from the sounds of it, you already know our new friend, Barry.”
“Yeah,” Nate bit out. “We fuckin’ know him.” The chicken-ass bastard was still focused on the dirt at his feet. “Not sure why you bothered bringing him here, though. This guy doesn’t know shit about shit. Isn’t that right, Barry?”
“Actually,” Fletch came forward. “I think you’ll be surprised to hear what good ole’ Barry knows.”
Ready to kick the pipsqueak’s ass, Nate started to take a step forward. A strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Gabe Dawson.” Reaching around Nate, he held his hand out for Ghost. “Bravo Team Leader. This is Matt, our medic, and Zade’s one of our snipers. Appreciate the assist. Come on in.”
Nate stepped aside to let the four men enter the small space. It took everything he had not to grab ahold of Barry as he passed by and squeeze his scrawny little neck.