“Lily—”
She didn’t allow him to interrupt. This needed to be said. “But Stone, if you ever change your mind, if you ever decide you do want something more, please think of me. Find me. I would take it all, I would take anything…for you.”
His eyes glimmered as he stared at her. His lips worked, but he said nothing.
“Although,” she muttered. “I cannot imagine anything worse than watching you be gunned down on a beach.”
“That was nothing,” he muttered. “A scratch.”
“It was a bullet.” She touched the lump of metal nested in his vest, so close to his heart.
He winced.
“Does it hurt?”
“Damn right it hurts.”
“But you’re wearing armor.”
“It still hurts like hell.”
She smacked his shoulder.
“Ow.” He frowned. “What was that for?”
“You should have told me that when I was wearing it. Here I thought I was all safe and everything.”
“You were safe.” He glanced up at the chopper coming in to land just down the beach. Sand and water sprayed them. “You are safe. I would never let anything happen to you. Lily…” His throat worked.
“Yes, Stone?”
“I… I would die if anything happened to you.” She wondered at that pause, but only for a moment, there was hardly any time left.
She didn’t waste a second.
She kissed him again.
That there was a woman—a hostage, no less—kissing Stone as the Zipperhead Twins jogged down the ramp of the Chinook was not lost on them. Stone saw it in their shit-eating grins. Garrett opened his mouth to say something as he helped Stone to his feet and wrapped an arm around him, but before he could say anything, Stone growled at him to “Shut up.”
Luke snorted and clapped him on the chest. Stone flinched.
“Be careful!” Lily barked.
Garrett fixed her with a bemused look. “Ma’am?”
Lily set her fists on her hips. Her glower was terrifying. Also, adorable. “He’s been shot. Do be careful.”
“Have you been shot, Stone?” Luke asked.
Garrett smirked as he led Stone to the chopper. Luke followed with Lily, so hopefully she didn’t hear his murmured, “Did widdle Ryder get shot by a mean bullet?”
“Fuck off, Garrett.”
“Who’s Ryder?”
Shit. Stone nearly groaned aloud. She had heard. “I’m Ryder,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “Ryder?”
“Ryder Maddox, ma’am,” Luke said. His expression made his meaning clear. You should know the name of the man whose face you were just sucking on.
Lily frowned. “But you said your name was Stone.”
“I said people call me Stone.” And hell. He should have told her his real name. At least before making love…
“Because he’s stone cold.” Yeah. He should smack Garrett.
Stone forced a smile. “And hard. A terrible pillow.” This he said for her ears alone, but the others heard. They hooted with laughter. Lily assaulted them with a scorching rain of fire. Or it could have been a glare. Either way, they both cringed.
They were smart, those two. They knew when to cringe.
“You want to get into the chopper, ma’am?” Luke asked with only a tiny hint of sarcasm. “We would very much like to rescue you.”
The look she sent him would freeze ice. But she did climb in, slapping away Luke’s hands when he tried to help.
Stone clambered into the Chinook, nodded to the other troops, who’d come along as back up, and dropped into his seat with an oof. Lily sat next to him and he fit a headset on her. It took a while because his grip was still iffy. The nerves on his right side were still screaming.
Luke bounded aboard and gave the signal to take off. He and Garrett popped on their headsets too. The headsets were necessary for conversations in the loud chopper, but the problem was, everyone heard everything. There was no privacy. No whispered conversations. No chance to talk to her without these two yahoos—and every man aboard—hearing every word. So Stone didn’t speak. They all sat silently, glaring at each other as the chopper rose, turned, and skimmed over the sparkling sea.
“Where’s your brain bucket?” Luke asked after a while.
“Lost it,” Stone grumbled. “Along with comms. The first night.”
“Yeah. That was a cluster—” Garrett glanced at Lily and choked on the words. He cleared his throat and finished with a lame, “Charlie Foxtrot.”
“No shit,” Luke muttered.
A cluster fuck for sure. It was a relief to be out. A relief to know Lily was safe. But Stone burned to know more. He wasn’t used to being in the dark. He shot a sharp glance at Garrett and Luke. “And the team? Everyone safe?”
It was disconcerting the way they didn’t answer. The way they met each other’s gaze and pressed their lips together.
Stone’s heart lurched. “Drake?”
Garrett looked away. Luke swallowed. “We lost Zack.”
Goosebumps prickled his nape. “I know that. What about Drake?”
“Tate took a hit. And Mason got a little dinged up. But they’re okay.”
Why weren’t they answering him?
Well, hell. He knew why. Because the answer was bad. Real bad. His blood went cold. “What. About. Drake?”
He probably shouldn’t have snarled. There was a lady present. But these two fuckwads were getting on his last nerve. If anything had happened to Drake, he didn’t know what he would do. How would his mom take it? Christ. It would kill her. Drake was her baby, her only son, her golden boy. Her—
Lily set her hand on his and squeezed. Garrett and Luke didn’t miss that either. But at least they didn’t smirk or make some lame comment that might earn them a fist in the kisser. He was not in the mood for lame comments at the moment.
Garrett’s lashes flickered. “We, ah, don’t know what has happened to Drake.”
“You don’t know?” Pain rose in Stone’s chest, squeezing his oxygen supply off. His head went light.
“Last report we had, he and one of the hostages were headed up the beach for the extraction point. He’d been hit in the leg and was going slow. And then…” Garrett glanced at Luke.
“And then…?”
“Comms cut out.”
Hell.
Goddamn comms.
“He missed the pick up.”
“And his GPS?”
“Shows he’s still on the other island. He hasn’t moved for several hours.”
Shit.
“Are we going in?” Why did he need to ask? Of course they were going in. “Is a team prepared?”
Luke made a face. “The brass has been trying to negotiate with the pirates.”
Goddamn brass. They should just let them go in and do their jobs. Why the fuck were they negotiating? Drake was still in enemy territory. He clenched his jaw.
Lily’s hold on his hand tightened. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered.
Yeah. For her it would be—and thank God for that.
But for him, the outcome was unclear.
Drake was in danger. For all Stone knew, he could be dead.
By the time the chopper landed on the deck of the USS Sierra Nevada, Stone was in a wad. He whipped off his headset and grabbed Lily’s arm, helping her off the craft and guiding her below decks to the war room without a word.
He was torn. On the one hand, their precious time together was running out and he wanted nothing more than to hold her, maybe kiss her again. Though with his job, they couldn’t be together the way she wanted, the way she deserved, at the very least, he should offer her a sweet farewell—something that would make her remember him long after they’d parted. But he was incapable of that.
Because—on the other hand—he churned with agitation to finish this mission. His warrior instincts were on high alert. He needed to find Brandywine and Harper and give them a debrief…and fucking conv
ince them to go in for an extraction now. SEALs did not leave a man behind. Ever.
That this man was Drake ate at him. Bile churned in his belly.
The pirates had lost most of their hostages and, if the counts he’d gotten from Garrett were correct, a lot of their men. Men who’d lost a lot tended to be desperate. The longer Drake was in the fire, the more dangerous the situation could become.
If he had to choose one thing to focus on, it had to be the mission. Still, he towed Lily along because the Brass would want to debrief her as well.
And he couldn’t bear to let her go. Not just yet.
He burst into the war room and came to an abrupt halt. Lily, who was following close behind, bumped into him with an eep.
Harper and Brandywine and another man were scouring the sat maps on the table. A cluster of men in black suits in the corner came to attention when they saw him. Once they determined he was not a threat, they relaxed.
Harper glanced up and grimaced. “You look like hell, Maddox.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The lieutenant broke in a grin. “But I’m glad to see you alive.”
“Yeah.” Stone rubbed at the ache in his chest. “Glad to be alive. But sir, we need to go back in—”
Harper held up a hand. “Stone, you’re preaching to the choir. We’ve already got things in motion.”
In motion? In fucking motion? They needed to go…now. Fly to the fucking X. Drop in. Waste these fuckers and pull Drake out. “Sir—”
The third man, who seemed somewhat familiar—but out of place in a Navy issued jumpsuit—stepped forward. He was a tall, slender man with closely cropped black hair, sporting a sprinkling of silver at the temples. His features were tense and drawn. With a hit to the gut, Stone realized who he was. His skin prickled.
“They said you had my daughter,” the senator said in a gruff voice. “Where is she?”
“Daddy?” Lily peeped out from behind him and then rushed into the room, barreling into her father’s arms.
“Oh. Thank God,” the senator gushed as he wrapped her in a crushing hug.
It was natural for her to cry, Stone supposed. He didn’t know why it tore him up to hear her sobs. Maybe the fact that now she was safe—in her father’s arms—and it was definitely over. Whatever it was.
She didn’t belong to him anymore. If she ever had.
Fuck. He hated this.
He attempted to push the bleakness away. Stiffening his spine, he stormed over to the table and stared at the maps, quickly analyzing the plan of attack.
“Wilson was the one asking us to hold back,” Brandywine murmured as Stone studied the op. “Now that his daughter is safe, we’re going in full bore.”
“We’ll be taking three teams, air and marine assault,” Harper added. “No need for surprise. We’re shooting for sheer intimidation.”
Stone nodded. “I want to go.”
Harper studied him. Stone knew he looked like hell. He didn’t care. When the lieutenant’s attention narrowed in on the bullet wedged in his vest, he knew what he’d say. “You’ve been shot.”
“It’s nothing.”
“You need to get to medical.”
“Bullshit. There’s no time for that.”
“You’ve been fucking shot.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Goddamn it, Maddox—” Harper choked on the words. His face went beet red. “Um, sorry, ma’am,” he said.
Stone turned to find Lily at his side. Oh, he’d known she was there. He’d felt her approach. She set her hand on his arm. Her touch burned him. “You aren’t going back in?” Her lip trembled. “You just got safe.”
He set his teeth. “I have to, Lily. It’s my job.”
Her haunted expression made his chest hurt. Even more. “But Stone, can’t someone else go?”
He put his hands on her slight shoulders, willing her to understand. “Sure they can. But Drake is a member of my team. This is my mission…and I know the lay of the land. I have to go.”
“But Stone…”
His grip tightened. Damn. This was harder than he’d expected, but it had to be said. She needed to understand. Maybe now, she would. “This is exactly what I meant, Lily. This is what I was talking about. This is what I do. When there’s danger, I rush in.”
Tears welled in her eyes. The sight burned him to a crisp. Her lip wobbled. She reached up to cup his cheek. “I don’t want you to go.” A whisper. A sigh.
He kissed her forehead—without thinking, but his brain wasn’t working very well anyway. He couldn’t help but notice the sharp shift in energy around them. Most specifically, her father’s bristle. And Harper’s. And Brandywine’s.
Typically, SEALs didn’t kiss their targets.
In front of their targets’ fathers.
But they could all bristle all they wanted. This was between him and Lily. Suddenly, he didn’t give a damn who saw, who knew, or who cared. All that mattered was her. Her understanding. Her peace. And, in a very real way, just her.
“I have to go, baby. I just have to.”
The senator made a strangled sound at the endearment and stepped forward, crossing his arms. Not a good sign. “And you are?” The question was clipped and sharp. Stone read between the lines. What he really meant was: Who the fuck are you? And get your hands off my daughter.
“Daddy.” Lily frowned at her father as she stepped between the two men. “This is Ryder Maddox, but people call him Stone. He saved me.”
The senator was not mollified. “I gathered as much.” He gave Stone a scorching once-over and his lips curled a little bit.
“Daddy, you don’t understand. He saved my life. A man had a gun to my head and he saved me.”
The senator paled as he stared at his daughter. His throat worked. When his gaze shot to Stone’s, he met it. He owed the man that much. Besides, he never backed down from a challenge. He was not a coward. Even if Lily thought him one. “Sir.”
It took a while for the senator to decide what to do. Apparently the choices were order Stone hung from the yardarms for kissing his daughter, or offer his hand. It was a relief when he thrust out his hand.
Shit, he had a firm handshake for a pencil pusher.
“Thank you for keeping my daughter safe,” he muttered grudgingly.
“My pleasure, sir.” Stone winced as the words slipped out. It had been his pleasure. In more ways than one. In more ways than Daddy needed to know about.
Harper cleared his throat. “We should get moving, Maddox. If you want to do a ride along, you’re going to need fresh gear.”
Stone nodded. Body armor wasn’t guaranteed to stop endless hits. He needed to collect new ballistic plates, get fresh ammo, and restock his kit. He forced a soothing smile at Lily, but judging from her reaction it was not as comforting as he hoped. “Gotta go, Lily,” he said.
Was this it? Was this the last time he would see her? The last words he’d ever speak to her?
Probably.
He wished he could wrangle up something memorable. Or romantic. Or clever. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t wade through the murk of his desolation to find the words.
She smiled back. It was sad and sweet. “Be safe,” she whispered. This time, she kissed him. And not on the forehead. Silence settled in the room as the kiss, their final farewell, dragged on. Stone savored every second.
“Ahem.” Fucking Harper.
Stone lifted his head and gazed down at her, memorizing her face, her scent, this moment, although he already had.
She patted him on the chest. “I’ll be here when you get back,” she said.
The senator issued a snort. “Absolutely not, young lady. We’re leaving immediately. We have a jet standing by.”
Stone’s heart dropped. He’d known. He’d known this was it, but he’d really secretly hoped she’d still be here when he got back. He’d thought he could do it. He’d thought he could say a casual goodbye and walk away from her forever. But now that the time was here…
Maybe he was a coward.
Because he didn’t think he could face life without her.
“Come along, Lily.” The senator took her arm and tried to tug her from the room.
She steeled herself and didn’t budge. Then Lily shot a look at her father, one Stone had never seen before. Or maybe he had. She had a flair for intractable looks—this one was fierce. She set her jaw in a stubborn line, opened her mouth, and said, “No.”
Just no.
Her father gaped at her. “What did you just say?”
“No. We’re staying until everyone comes out safe.”
“Lily. Darling. I need to get you home. Your mother is beside herself.”
“Call her and tell her I’m okay. But I’m not leaving.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Not. Yet.”
“But—”
Her eyes blazed. The sight filled Stone with pride…and perhaps a flicker of fear. As tiny as she was, she was truly daunting when she wanted to be. “This is not a negotiation.”
The senator paled. His eyes narrowed. They flicked to Stone and back to his daughter. “You never told me no before.” It sounded like a complaint.
She patted his hand. “I’m sorry, Daddy, but I must insist. I won’t rest at all until I know everyone is off that island.”
The senator seemed to deflate as he blew out a breath. “Okay. Okay. I guess. I’ll go call your mother…” He tromped over to the corner, where his security detail waited, and commandeered a sat phone.
Lily turned to Stone and grinned. “I learned that from you,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Being all adamant. You’re good at it.”
He couldn’t help it. He kissed her forehead. Her nose. Her lips.
He could have kissed her forever, but Harper cleared his throat again, reminding Stone that he needed to move. But hell, it was hard saying the words. “I have to go.”
Her smile dimmed. “Will you be gone long?”
“As long as it takes.”
Her chin tipped up. She nodded. A light, imbued with meaning, flared in her eye. “I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”
And somehow, they both knew, she wasn’t talking about the mission.
Hot Alpha SEALs: Military Romance Megaset Page 92