Walker (In the Company of Snipers #21) - Irish Winters Page 0,150

broad shoulders and wept openly. “You saved her, Boss. You saved my best friend.”

Alex patted Izza’s back. “No, you and Walker saved the day,” he corrected stoically. But who was he trying to kid? His eyes were as misty blue as Walker knew his were.

“How’d you know where we were?” Walker asked when he could finally speak. They’d been completely out of sight in that alley.

“She sent a panic call before I lost her,” Alex explained, while Izza sniffed and dried her eyes. “I could hear her arguing, but the line disconnected before I could pin down her precise location. No doubt Peckering destroyed her sat phone once he disabled her. Never would’ve known there was an alley behind that hotel, until I heard your gunshot.”

“Which one of you fired?” McQueen asked.

“Walker,” Izza replied quickly, her eyes bright as she leaned away from Alex. “You shoulda seen him, Boss. Never blinked. Only fired once. Nailed the bastard. He’s as badass as you.”

Walker glanced over Izza’s shoulder to where Ryder leaned against the aft rail. His XO smiled approvingly, as if he’d never doubted Walker’s skills. Which he shouldn’t. They’d worked enough missions. They both knew how lethal the other was. How loyal.

But Peckering’s cohort looked like he’d seen better days. Rodrigo was face down to the deck, his hands cuffed behind his back, and his chin was bleeding from several lacerations. Walker wasn’t sure what Alex would do with the degenerate once he came to. Shooting an unarmed asshole was a crime in any part of the world, but Alex seemed capable. If he wasn’t, Walker was.

It was unfortunate Admiral Peckering hadn’t spent more time working with and getting to know the men who served with him. He might’ve been a better commander. At least, he would’ve known not to mess with a SEAL on a mission. Because SEALs never backed down, never gave up, and that ‘only easy day was yesterday’ bullshit was the fuckin’ truth.

Walker avoided looking at Izza. He’d caught the love for Persia glowing from her dark eyes when she’d cried. That kind of love was pure, chocolate sunshine, if there were such a thing. If he looked too long, he’d melt like an M&M left in the sun.

A big, square, kick-your-ass fist caught his bicep. Instant agony radiated down from the still healing through and through, but Walker had no choice but to look his new boss in the eye then. He bit his bottom lip, not sure what Alex would see, but sure it wasn’t a tough Navy SEAL.

“You took one helluva chance,” Alex told him. “How’d you know Peckering was here?”

Walker manned up, sucked in his emotions, and filled in most of the rest of the story. How Peckering had forced his yacht into dock, then disembarked into the crowd. How Walker’d known right then and there they’d been followed, that Peckering was going after Persia. How he and Izza couldn’t locate Persia, wouldn’t have known where she’d gone if Izza hadn’t bullied the young girl selling watermelons for information.

“Thanks for that,” Walker told Izza now. The only part he’d left out of the telling was how he and Ryder had planned to take off after Peckering by themselves. Wasn’t Karma a capricious thing? By delivering Persia to Peckering, she’d also served him up to Walker. After, of course, she’d let Peckering’s ego get the best of him.

Izza shrugged. “Just glad Maria saw what went down.”

They were all sitting cross-legged on the deck around Persia by then. She was still unconscious but breathing steadily. Walker would’ve had her on his lap and in his arms, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate the public display of affection.

“We need to get underway,” Alex said as he covered her with a light blanket.

“One question, Walker,” McQueen mused. “What’s your plan once you’re cleared of the charges against you?”

“I don’t imagine that’ll be easy or happen anytime soon, sir. As soon as the Navy knows I’m back in the States… If I even go back to the States—”

“You let me worry about that,” McQueen drawled, his gaze never straying from Walker’s worried eyes. “Let’s say all this crap’s behind you. Your name’s clear. You’re a free man. You were working for me at Fort Campbell, but that was just a short-term fix. What now?”

Walker leveled an index finger at Alex. “Sorry, sir, but I already work for him.”

“Damn you, Stewart,” McQueen cussed, raking a quick hand through his silvery hair. “What makes you think you deserve this