Page 81 of SEAL of Valor

Sat across the table.

Smiled.

Shared a few kisses.

And the whole time, he was a monster in disguise.

Then there’s Ash. I can’t even begin to process that level of betrayal. Years. That’s how long I knew her. And the entire time, she was helping to plan this.

“Yeah, well, in his defense, they didn’t count on me living very long.”

“You said Brenda was going to kill you.”

“She told me as much.”

My throat constricts as I remember what he told me. “You said that I was going to get married and have kids, but you already knew that you weren’t walking out.”

“She gave me her word that you would walk away and the team would be safe so long as I played along.”

“And you believed her?”

“Not really, but I didn’t have much of a choice but to play along. Getting you out was my only priority. I would have gladly traded my life for yours.”

“I don’t want to live in a world where you don’t exist anymore,” I insist, hating that I have to even speak those words out loud. It should be a given.

“And I can’t live if anything ever happens to you. I lost you once, Reese, I’m not doing it again.”

I open my mouth to respond, but the door opens, and Ryker strolls in alongside Maverick.

“Well, look who’s awake. We missed you, Princess,” Ryker jokes.

Weston grins. “Who else would share a club soda with you in a crowded bar? Good to see you, Mav.”

“You, too. Sorry you got grabbed from my parking lot. I was so busy looking for who we thought drugged her that I wasn’t watching the security cameras.”

“Not your fault.”

Maverick nods. “Still. Let me know if you need anything else,” he says to Ryker. “Heal up,” he tells Weston, then offers me a curt nod and leaves the room.

Weston turns toward Ryker. “Any word on Brenda?”

Ryker’s expression darkens, turning borderline murderous. I’m pretty sure a chill runs through the room. Though that could be my imagination. All I know is, Ryker Granger is not a man whose bad side I ever want to be on. “Not yet. Sawyer brought Tucker Hunt into it, and they’re working the trace from two separate sides. Cap is currently letting her handler have it for not looping us in when she escaped.” He crosses his arms. “She who worked you over?”

“Nah. Malcolm’s brother, Max, had that particular pleasure. Coward had me chained up the entire time.”

“We’ll be sure to return the favor. You just need to get healed up first.”

“Brenda’s coming for us, Ryker. She threatened every one of you, as well as Garrison’s family, Tessa, and Anastasia. We need to make sure everyone has eyes on them. Max was also getting into Vivian’s house and adding benzodiazepines to her pill box in hopes she’d call Reese home. It was all orchestrated.”

“That’s what Reese said. Don’t worry, we’ve got eyes on everyone. Vivian and Momma Knox are with Sawyer and Anastasia right now, and Garrison’s got eyes on his family as well as the Hardings. Sawyer and Anastasia are moving into Momma Knox’s guest bedroom until this is over, and Zane and Tessa are going to be in their place, right next door. I’m staying with Vivian until you’re back on your feet.”

“Did you tell her what I said?” I ask. “That she should leave town for a while? Go stay with my aunt in Dallas?”

“She refused to go anywhere,” Ryker tells me with a grin. “At least until you two are back and she has eyes on you. Bradyn Hunt has offered to send a private jet out and collect anyone we want to keep hidden. He said he and his brothers can set them up on the ranch and keep eyes on them there in Texas.”

“She needs to go. Max said—” I take a deep breath. “He said that if it were up to him, he would have killed her. The woman is in her seventies, and he was going to kill her.”

“Monsters like that don’t have any care or concern for morality,” Weston tells me. “But we won’t let him get anywhere near her again. I should have noticed something was off; the fact that I didn’t is on me.”