Page 58 of Lion’s Den

“Take me with you when you look for Julio.”

Nope, he didn’t like it one bit. “At the moment, you’re safe right here. If we take you outside of this house, we’ll do our best, but we can’t guarantee your safety.” He shook his head. “The risk is too great, Sedona.”

“I’m willing to take the risk.”

“Is anybody interested in what I have to say?” David Montgomery snapped.

“Yes, sir.” Cam wrapped his arm around Sedona’s waist, taking a chance that she wouldn’t reject him outright because of their disagreement. “Go ahead.”

“You’ll have to decide whether Sedona goes with you or stays with me in the car. I need you at the hospital. That’s the last place he was seen.”

Ground zero. Good. They needed to start there. Cam paused. “Sir, I’d like to bring my teammates with me. They have as much training as I do in Search and Rescue.”

“Bring them. We need every advantage we can get. Montgomery out.”

Cam looked at his waiting teammates. “You heard the man. Gear up and team up. We don’t want a caravan of vehicles to draw even more attention to ourselves.”

The other four members of The Thunderhawks scattered to grab their gear from their rooms or their vehicles.

Cam turned to Sedona. Before he said a word, she shook her head.

“Don’t bother arguing with me. Go get your gear. I’ll grab what I can and be back in a couple of minutes.” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t leave me behind, Sims.”

“No man left behind,” he recited. “Including my tigress girlfriend.” Even though the thought had crossed his mind. However, Cam believed she was in danger without The Thunderhawks surrounding her. If they ended up back in the forest, the going might get rough. “Wear something comfortable but tough.”

She frowned. “For looking around the hospital?”

“No guarantees that’s where we’ll stay.”

“Got it. I’ll be right back.” She dashed from the living room and up the staircase.

His teammates returned in less than a minute. “Where is Sedona?” Spencer asked.

“Changing clothes. I need to grab my gear. I’ll be back in a minute.” He took the stairs two at a time and rushed into his assigned room. After a quick perusal of his supplies, he slid his weapons into place and pulled on his bullet-resistant vest at the last second. Picking up his badge, Cam hooked it onto his belt. He didn’t know exactly what he was getting into, but no question it was dangerous.

After sliding his Go bag onto his shoulder, Cam left his assigned room and met Sedona coming out of hers. A quick perusal told him she had chosen her outfit well. Although she didn’t have hiking boots, Sedona was wearing a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and good running shoes. She also carried a wide-brimmed hat in her hands. “This is perfect.” He took her hand and walked side-by-side with her down the staircase, and they joined the others in the living room.

“Ready?” he asked the others.

His teammates nodded and slid their Go bags over their shoulders. Spencer fell in behind Cam. “We took a vote while you were upstairs. I won the privilege of riding with you. The rest of our team is riding together.”

When Cam glanced over his shoulder, his medic inclined his head toward Sedona. He nodded slightly and opened the SUV door for her. After helping her inside, he handed Sedona the seatbelt and circled the hood to climb behind the wheel.

The small caravan turned left at the road and headed to Maple Valley’s hospital. The minutes passed fast as the two men remained alert for trouble mile after mile. Twenty minutes later, Cam turned into the parking lot filled with police vehicles from several agencies. He parked near other Morgan County law enforcement vehicles and came around to open Sedona’s door. With her hand firmly in his, he held up his badge as they approached various perimeters set up by law enforcement. The one closest to the hospital was manned by one of his coworkers. “David asked me to come in,” he said to Carl Greenway.

“He’s in the first-floor lobby, waiting for you.” He nodded at Sedona, then looked at his men. “Introduce me to your friends.”

Really? Did he look like he was out for a summer stroll? “Officer Greenway, these are my teammates from the military: Spencer, Dario, Isaac, and Rhys. This is Carl Greenway.” He lifted the barrier tape for Sedona and they passed Greenway.

“Hold it,” Greenway snapped. “Nobody said anything about letting her in there.”

Cam stopped and turned to his coworker. “What did you say?” he asked, voice soft, gaze laser-focused on the man.

“Your arm candy can’t go inside. She ain’t a cop.”

He took a step toward Greenway with his hand clenched. Spencer grabbed one arm, Dario the other.

“No, Cam,” Spencer murmured. “He’s not worth the trouble it would cause you.”