Page 70 of Her Honorable Hero

“No,” Dex and Clint said simultaneously. Clint spoke through Dalton’s phone.

Griff started flipping through the pictures on the app, and when he got to Livvie’s room, spiders crawled down his spine. The camera was set at an angle where you could see his baby girl’s crib. He could see Miranda’s back where she was bending over Livvie at the changing table, and behind her was Roger Heinrich. Because of the position, he couldn’t see what was between them, but his body language indicated he was holding a weapon.

Dex was pressed up against Griff. “Blow up the image,” Dex said.

Griff shook his head, clearing it. He enlarged the picture on the phone. He still couldn’t see the weapon that was trained on Miranda, but he could see that she was unharmed, her shoulders were tight under the light sweater she’d worn to work. He could see her pulling on leggings for Livvie.

Griff looked up to see where they were on the freeway, he saw the slow down ahead. Too damn far away. “Who’s close to Poway?”

“I’ve been checking,” Clint called over Dalton’s phone. “I’ve already got the cavalry going over to your place. “Commander McAllister and Captain Hale were in a meeting at Miramar, I pinged them. The Captain is going to be calling Dex’s phone.”

“Well stop him,” Griff yelled. “I don’t want to interrupt this feed. Why the hell isn’t he patching through you?”

Griff did a quick calculation in his head. Miramar was definitely closer to his house in Poway, than the base in Coronado, and looking at the traffic ahead of them on The Fifteen freeway, they were going to be another hour.”

“Dalton, in about five miles is the Pamerado exit. Take that.”

Dalton blasted his horn, and started squeezing over. People took one look at his truck and figured he wouldn’t care if he banged into them, so they got the hell out of his way. Soon he was driving on the shoulder, once again going way, way faster than anybody else was going. Dalton took the Pamerado exit on two wheels, and Griff suppressed a groan as the seat belt cut into his rib.

“What now?” Dalton asked.

“The main intersections are Sprint, Scripps then take a right on Poway. Dex, take the call from Josiah, I don’t have time for that shit until he gets to the house.” He lowered his head and sucked in a breath as he saw his beautiful wife pick up their precious baby.

A grin spread over his face as he saw her head to the crib. Livvie was having a fit, she sure as hell didn’t want to be put down for a nap, but Miranda didn’t care. She set their crying daughter on her plump butt and gave her a pacifier.

Go Miranda!

He saw Heinrich get in Miranda’s face, it was clear he didn’t want Miranda to leave Livvie in the nursery. He watched his woman throw her hands on her hips and go nose to nose with the guy. Good for her. God he loved his wife. Finally Heinrich gave in, and he followed her out the nursery door. Griff’s heart sank when he got a good look at the Glock he was holding on Miranda. It made it all real.

Griff switched to the hallway cam, and watched as they went to the living room. There were two in there, one that showed the main seating area, and one near the corner with the desk. Why was he not surprised that’s where they ended up? This had to be about the project she’d been working on. He didn’t know what it was, but it was big.

He watched as she sat down at the desk. She looked up at him. Then he saw it. That damned mutinous expression.

No Baby, cooperate. Please, come on. It’s not worth it.

Heinrich was getting all worked up. He saw it. The picture was in black and white, but Griff imagined he could see him getting red in the face as he started to yell. Miranda tried to get up from the chair. He shoved her down.

She shouted back at him.

Time came to a slow crawl as Griff saw him take his pistol and slash it across her cheek. Her head whipped backwards, and she fell out of the chair. He could swear he had heard a crack. Had the monster actually broken her cheek?

When Heinrich bent down, Griff saw him use his left hand to tangle it in Miranda’s hair to wrench her up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down, her feet in his stomach and he waited with baited breath.

Come on. You can do it. You can do it.

But Heinrich countered the move. He didn’t let her push him over her head. Instead he broke her hold, stood up, and kicked her in the ribs. Then he grabbed her arm and shoved her back into the chair. She sat there sullen. He made a move to the hallway, in the direction of Livvie’s room. Griff saw Miranda struggle to stand. She was screaming. Heinrich turned, a look of satisfaction on his face. He meandered back to her, his gun pointed at her. She bowed her head and sat back down.

Griff looked up to orient himself. Two more stoplights and they would be taking a right onto Poway, then ten minutes to home.

* * *

Things weresoft around the edges.

She just knew she was going to need some of her crowns re-done, the fucker. Miranda chose to focus on anger and hate. She would not give into pain and fear.

She would not.

After all, she’d managed to talk him away from Livvie…again.