AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gabby raised an eyebrow at him, clearly amused by the whole situation. She walked closer, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Hey, boys. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Nails here didn’t expect to see you either,” Bear joked, elbowing the red-faced SEAL.
Playboy cleared his throat, getting serious. “I didn’t expect to see you out and about.”
Gabby’s lips curled into a smile. “As a matter of fact, I’ll be your captain today. I’ll be escorting you boys to and from today’s excursion.” She said, giving him a playful wink.
Jay Bird laughed. “Oh, this just got interesting.”
“Captain, huh?” Playboy smirked.
“Damn straight,” she teased. “Now hurry up, or you’ll be swimming after the sub on your own.”
More laughter followed as they boarded the boat, but Playboy couldn’t shake the mix of pride and excitement swirling inside him. Gabby was tough—he knew that better than anyone—but getting to see her in action was going to be something else.
???
Gabby gripped the wheel of the boat, her focus honed in on the open waters ahead. The ocean was calm, but her thoughts weren’t. Being paired with Playboy’s team was ironic. She hadn’t expected to see him today, much less in the middle of an op.
She’d run countless ops like this, but having Playboy and his team on board added a new layer of tension she hadn’t expected. Not that she wasn’t used to working with special operators, but this was different. This was personal. But this was their life now, balancing dangerous jobs and their growing relationship.
As she drove, she glanced back at him occasionally, watching him go over the mission details with the team. He was allbusiness, his face set in that determined way she found sexy. It was just one of the many things she admired about him.
The radio crackled to life. “Vessel sighted, heading north,” came the voice from the lookout helicopter hovering above them.” The pilot rattled off the coordinates. They were about six miles out. Flipping on the lights and sirens, Gabby pushed the throttle to full speed as the other two Coast Guard boats followed her lead.
As they closed in, Gabby saw the helicopter circling. Joker stood next to her, looking through a pair of binoculars.
“I’ve got a visual!” Joker called out and pointed.
Gabby looked and spotted the hatch in the distance as it powered through the water. Her pulse quickened. It was showtime.
“Get ready!” Bear called out to his team.
As they came up behind the sub, they could all see the dark shape of the sub now, looming just beneath the water’s surface. But it wasn’t stopping.
Gabby reached for the radio. “This is the United States Coast Guard. Stop the boat! I repeat, this is the United States Coast Guard. Stop the boat!”
“They’re not listening,” Joker muttered as the sub continued at full speed.
“Do it again,” Bear ordered.
She grabbed the radio again as she tailed the sub.
“This is your final warning. Stop your vessel immediately!”
The sub ignored them and kept moving.
“They’re not going to stop,” Jay Bird said.
“Then, we’re going to have to force them,” Bear said. He looked at Gabby. “Pull up along their starboard side.” He then looked at Nails. “You and I are gonna have to jump on while the others provide cover in case that hatch opens before we can get to it.”
Gabby radioed to the other boats what the plan was. One of the other Coast Guard boats was going to pull up along the other side to provide support should it be needed.
“All right, let’s do this!” Bear said, and everyone disbursed to get into position. Gabby felt her stomach tighten, but she kept her focus.
With a nod from Bear, she maneuvered the boat with precision, keeping pace with the sub as it barreled through the water, refusing to surrender. Her heart pounded in sync with the roaring engine beneath her feet.
As soon as she brought the boat into position alongside the sub, she heard one of the guys call out. “Go, go, go!”
