surprised if we make it out of El Salvador without further backlash from him.”
“The Deltas will be right behind us. They’ll make sure we aren’t tailed by the cartel men. The DEA agents are guarding the plane at the airport. If all goes well, we’ll be on our way back to Montana within the next couple of hours.”
“If all goes well.” She sighed. “I’m not holding my breath. I don’t feel like this is over. El Chefe doesn’t give up that easily.”
“We’ll be ready.” Rafe smoothed a hand down her arm. “We’ll get you home.”
“Home.” She sighed. “Where is home? I can’t go back to my apartment.”
“Then make Montana your home. There are plenty of children who need someone like you to look out for their best interests.”
She smiled up at him. “You make it sound so easy. My life was in Chicago.”
“And is it still?” He kissed her forehead. “What’s keeping you there?”
“What do I have in Montana?” she asked.
“Me and Lucy,” he answered.
She cocked an eyebrow. “For how long?”
“As long as we both shall live?”
“Ah, put the poor guy out of his misery,” the driver said.
Rafe laughed. “Briana, you might not have had the pleasure of meeting Bear and Swede. They work with Hank as some of his Brotherhood Protectors. Swede’s prior Navy, and a SEAL. Bear was Delta Force, like me. And they’re interrupting a private conversation.”
“Problem is, you two lovebirds are making things too difficult,” Bear said from the driver’s seat.
“Bear’s right,” Swede said. “Admit you care for each other and get on with life.”
Briana laughed. “We’ve only known each other for a week.”
“A week…a month…” Bear shrugged. “You know what you know. I knew within the first couple of days I loved Mia.”
“Same with me and Allie,” Swede said. “In our line of work, we have to rely on our instincts…you know…gut feel. What is your gut telling you?” Swede turned and pinned Briana with his gaze.
Heat rose up her neck. “I’ve never been happier than the week we spent in the cabin in the mountains. But that doesn’t mean Rafe feels the same.”
Rafe pulled her into his arms, the hard bulletproof vest digging into her. “Oh, sweetheart, I do.”
“There you go. End of discussion,” Bear said.
“Not really,” Swede argued. “It’s only the beginning.”
“The beginning,” Briana sighed. “I like the sound of that.”
Chapter 13
Rafe held Briana in his arms the entire trip back to Montana. He felt that if he let go, she’d slip through his fingers and be gone again. He wasn’t ready to let her go and hoped she’d stay with him in Montana.
The big question was as what?
Was a week together enough to know if you were right for each other? Did he want a commitment from her? Did he want to marry her? Maybe the question he should’ve been asking himself all along was whether he was willing to lose her.
After her abduction, he knew the answer to that question.
No.
When they arrived at the airport in Bozeman, Hank called Sadie, waking her up, to let him know he was on the ground and would be home in less than an hour. The other guys all called their ladies and let them know they’d be home soon as well. The atmosphere was jovial, if not completely happy. They’d extracted both women and none of their people had been killed or injured badly.
The big downer was that El Chefe had gotten away.
Alejandra and Briana rode in the SUV with Hank and Rafe. Swede, Taz, Bear, Boomer and Chuck rode in the other. Rather than go to Hank’s ranch, where they’d all parked their own vehicles before they’d loaded up weapons, communications and personnel for the trip to El Salvador, Chuck would drop them off at their homes so they could get some sleep.
In the early hours of the morning, Hank drove up to the ranch house. The lights were all out.
“That’s unusual,” Hank said as he shifted the SUV into park. “Sadie always leaves a light on the porch and one in the living room when I’m away.”
“Maybe she forgot,” Rafe suggested.
“Maybe,” Hank said, a frown settling between his eyebrows. “Leave the gear in the vehicle. We can unload it all tomorrow. Everyone will want to get sleep. And speaking of home…Donovan and Briana, you two can stay here for the night. It might be safer than the cabin. Alejandra, you’ll stay with us until we can figure out something. Right now, we all need sleep.” He pushed open his door and stepped