Page 57 of Reid

The depth of pain he’d caused through bad decisions weighed on him like an anvil, pressing down until he could barely stand from the weight of it. In some ways, they would all be better off if he was dead. Milla would be of no use to anyone, but maybe he could persuade Jack to save her. If he died, they couldn’t use him to hurt his team anymore.

They’d know of the threat by now and be ready. Maybe Gunner could do one selfless act and kill the man who threatened his friends, his brothers who he would’ve died for before this started. Keep them safe and die for them now and perhaps redeem himself somehow in the process.

He could leave Callie and Reid to live the life they deserved in peace if he was dead. Nausea bubbled in Gunner’s belly at the thought of his grandmother and the pain his death would cause, but she would survive. She’d survived the loss of her children, and she’d survive this.

Having made a choice, he paused. He’d deal with the agent before he found a way to contact Jack and beg one last favour. Then he could end this on his own terms and finally do some good.

On that thought, he spun to go back inside and deal with Sophia and saw a face he’d never have expected, and he wondered if he’d conjured him up in his pain. “You.”

“Hello, Gunner.”

He saw the fist coming and didn’t duck, whether from shock or some other reason he didn’t understand but as the pain exploded in his head and blackness descended, he felt free for the first time in months.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Reid watched through the scope as Gunner approached the building, his head moving from side to side as he looked for a threat. He wouldn’t see any of them; they were ghosts for a reason. Anger burned through him at the thought of Callie inside that crumbling building and he prayed the worst she faced was the cold.

He felt his best friend next to him as they crouched low, tucked into the wall. It was as if they hadn’t had a second apart. Moving as a unit as fluidly as they ever had, but this time Reid felt the heavy weight of Clay’s condemnation. Reid knew Clay was right to condemn him. He should never have taken Callie out in public; he knew a threat loomed and yet he’d been careless, wanting to please her instead of using his head.

“What the fuck?” Liam growled through the comms. Reid guessed he’d also spotted Gunner.

“This changes things. Pyro, I want you and Chef to focus on Viking. Subdue him but do not shoot to kill. Just make him hurt a little.” Jack wasn’t cruel, but his words relayed the betrayal he still felt from their former friend.

“Copy that,” Liam and Alex both said, in response to the codenames they all used in an operational setting. He’d been dubbed ‘Captain’ thanks to his first name. He’d wished more than once his mom hadn’t named him Kirk.

Reid waited silently, fighting the urge to run across the dark empty road and free Callie, but he couldn’t. His training was barely hanging on though, and he knew Clay wasn’t faring much better. His sister meant the world to him, and Reid would be the same if it were one of his sisters.

“We have a visual on Runway.”

Reid’s insides relaxed a fraction knowing Jack now had eyes on Callie. “Copy.”

The plan had been for them to surround the building and silently overwhelm Sophia, catching her unawares before she could react. It was actually a straightforward rescue, but Reid’s emotions were involved. Callie was in danger, and all he could focus on were the possible landmines in their plan. Now, with Gunner showing up, the stakes had changed.

“Viking is exiting the building via the back door. Pyro, Chef, you’re up. When you have him secure, we move on Runway.”

Reid waited, his muscles tense, coiled, ready to spring into action to ensure his sunshine’s safety. He wanted to tell Clay how he felt. That he couldn’t breathe without her. She was his air, his warm light but he couldn’t because the order came, and he was moving.

He ran with his head down, his black combat clothes and face paint allowing him to disappear into the darkness. Silent feet were beside him as his brothers moved, some he couldn’t see, but he knew they were there.

“King, get that door open.”

Blake blew the lock on the door and they ducked as Clay threw a flashbang through the glass. It all happened in seconds, but as Reid moved through the smoke toward the back clearing the space as he went, his only focus to get to Callie.

He saw a door to an office on the left and moved that way as Clay tucked in behind him. He reached the door and saw the blinds were closed; his heart knew she was there. Looking at Clay, he nodded, and his friend lifted his chin in agreement. Reid shouldered the door open, and Clay entered, going high as he went low.

He saw her then tied to the chair, her gaze strong on his before it moved behind him, and her eyes widened at seeing Clay. Only a cut to her lip marred her perfection. He couldn’t take the time he wanted on Callie though because Sophia stood behind her, a knife at his woman’s throat. He remained steady as he held his weapon on her, calm overtaking the red in his vision.

“Put the knife down, Sophia.”

“Never.”

“You won’t walk out of here alive if you hurt her.” He meant every word. If Callie were hurt, Reid would burn down the world to avenge her.

“You won’t let me live either way.” Sophia looked twitchy, edgy, and unhinged rather than the cool, calm, and collected woman he’d known.

“You can walk out of here and still have a life when you get out of prison.” He kept his eyes on Sophia, not trusting himself to look at Callie. Despite his words, he preferred she stayed in prison forever, the threat against Callie not one he could bear.

“I’d rather die than spend my life with those people.”