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The rescue.
The safe house.
The mission planning.
Pierce carrying her upstairs…
She rubbed her eyes and sat up, glancing around the dimly lit room. The space beside her was empty, the sheets cool to the touch. How long had she been asleep?
She sat up, scanning the room for him, but found herself alone. A pang of disappointment twisted in her chest. She’d grown accustomed to waking up beside him, feeling the solid warmth of his body next to hers.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she padded to the door and eased it open. Voices drifted up from downstairs—the low rumble of male conversation punctuated by the occasional clatter of equipment being moved. The mission prep was still in full swing.
She started down the stairs but was distracted at the bottom landing by her brother’s voice out on the porch. Since the door was cracked open, she figured Ethan didn’t care if she went outside. If he’d wanted her to stay inside, he should’ve locked the door.
She saw Rylan and Izzy sitting side-by-side in the rocking chairs on the porch.
Rhiannon hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. But as she turned to go back inside, a floorboard creaked beneath her feet, drawing their attention.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Rylan said and shot to his feet. He crossed to her and smoothed his hands over her shoulders, looking her up and down. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she replied, stepping out onto the porch. The cool evening air raised goosebumps on her arms. “How long was I out?”
“A few hours,” Izzy answered. “Pierce carried you up like a princess. It was very romantic.”
Rylan scowled at her over his shoulder.
She just grinned back unapologetically and pushed out of her seat when her cell phone rang. She held it up and gave it a little wiggle. “It’s my mom. I’ll take this and give you some time to talk.”
Rhiannon watched Izzy disappear around the corner of the house, then turned back to her brother. “Where’s Pierce?”
Rylan’s expression tightened almost imperceptibly. “He’s inside, going over some last-minute details with the team.”
She nodded, trying to ignore the growing unease in her stomach. Something felt off. “Is everything okay? You seem... tense.”
Rylan forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just worried about tomorrow. Pre-mission jitters.”
She didn’t believe that for a second. Her big, bad, ex-SEAL brother didn’t get jitters.
She crossed her arms and pinned him with a hard stare. “Don’t lie to me. I know you better than that.”
“It’s nothing. It’s…” As he spoke, his shoulders sagged like an extremely heavy weight sat on them and he couldn’t hold it anymore. “I-I was so fucking scared for you, Rhee. I thought you were dead. I had to call our parents and—” His voice cracked, and he curled in on himself, a sob ripping out of him.
“Oh, Ry.” She hurried to his side and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. She felt his body shake as he cried silently into her shoulder, and her own eyes stung with tears as she held him.
It was rare to see him fall apart like this. After he’d lost his arm and spiraled out of control, he had worked so hard to rebuild himself, to find balance and purpose. It broke her heart that she’d been the one to crack his carefully constructed armor.
“I’m here,” she whispered, running her hand soothingly over his back. “I’m safe. You found me just like I knew you would.”
Rhiannon held her brother for several long moments, letting him release the pent-up fear and anguish he’d been carrying. When his breathing finally steadied, she pulled back slightly, cupping his face in her hands. “Better now?”
Rylan wiped roughly at his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t be falling apart like this. You’re the one who went through hell.”
“Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to feel, Ry. You know that better than anyone. You don’t have to be strong all the time,” she whispered, her voice gentle. “Especially not with me.”
Rylan nodded, though his jaw clenched as he fought to compose himself. He straightened, giving her a look that told her he wasn’t quite done being her protective older brother just yet.
“Listen, Rhee,” he began, his voice low and serious. “I need to talk to you about Pierce.”
