of them he recognized as Claudette’s missing bodyguard. He managed to instantly neutralize the man who shot Emma, but the muzzle flash of his M4 carbine revealed his position in the darkness. It took experience to shoot and dodge. But even that experience was shaken when he saw Gabby go down, when he saw a man hold a gun to Theo’s head, when he didn’t have a shot as the man pointed that same gun at the love of his life, getting ready to shoot her from five feet away. Then came his son’s heroic display of courage that saved his mother’s life and killed their attacker.
Taking a life would hit Theo hard, but Declan would be there for him and help him through it.
Ducking behind a boulder, he clicked his mic again, signaling Levi to come down, and scanned the area for lurking bad guys. Not accounted for was the driver—who was sitting inside the car—dead or alive—and Ortega.
As Levi hunkered beside him, Declan yelled, “Theo, how’s Emma?”
“We stopped the bleeding, but she’s passing out.”
“I’m on my way,” Bristow said through comms.
“Help’s coming,” he assured his son. He wanted to rush over and check on them, to make sure with his own eyes and hands that they were really okay, but he needed to eliminate the threat of Raul Ortega once and for all.
“Ortega! Come out of the vehicle with your hands up,” Declan shouted. “Tell that man of yours to do the same.”
There was no movement for long seconds.
“You’re surrounded. All your men are dead. Come out now. Don’t make me come and get you. That’s gonna piss me off.”
Finally, the rear passenger door opened. One leather shoe and then another stepped down, the man’s choice of footwear so out of place on the desert dirt. Raul Ortega appeared, wearing a suit jacket over a white unbuttoned dress shirt with gold chains hanging around his neck.
He held his hands up in the air.
Declan’s scope was on him. “Where’s your driver?”
“Dead.”
“Open the front passenger door—slowly.”
He did as he was told and revealed the body of his driver slumped across the seats.
Shouldering his rifle, Declan emerged from behind concealment and approached. “Come five feet closer and get on the ground, face first, hands behind your back.”
Ortega took one step and started to kneel.
Warning bells jolted through his system. “Closer, Ortega!”
He ignored Declan’s order and searched the rocks, getting fully on his knees. “Ariana,” he called. “I’m so sorry, hermana de mi corazon, lo siento mucho.”
The alarm in Declan’s gut went full throttle.
From his peripheral vision, he could make out Gabby’s approach. “Stay back, Gab! Something’s not right.”
“Raul!” Ariana emerged from the rocks, her arm outstretched. She spoke in rapid Spanish, telling her brother to surrender.
“Get up.” Declan snarled at the crime lord, but at the same time took a step back, glancing briefly at Gabby, something passing briefly between them.
“Tell her to stand back!” Migs shouted into their device.
“I’m picking up a signal and it’s” —Nadia’s urgent voice came over the satcom—“Get out of there! Now!”
Both Declan and Gabby scrambled for cover.
It was too late.
An explosion rocked the night.
Ortega was dead.
A large piece of the fucking Escalade landed on him.
As for Declan, his ears were ringing. Parts of his body bitched at him, but he was otherwise unharmed. Though it had been a close call, he didn’t pass out either. Gabby and Levi reached him at the same time and were speaking, but he couldn’t understand a word they were saying.
He was deaf.
Which was probably a good thing because Gabby seemed angry, grabbing him by his ballistic vest and yelling into his face as she leaned over him. He grabbed her too, and kissed her hard while the rest of the team milled around them.
He and Gabby were oblivious.
Hungry for each other.
The near-death experience had reduced them to an elemental need.
Gabby pushed away from him first and said something about Theo. She helped him up and there was his son diving into him and crushing him in a hug. When he leaned back, Theo was talking rapidly, eyes brimming with unbreached tears.
“Can’t understand you.” Declan pointed to his ears.
Theo gestured to where Bristow was working on Emma. Then his gaze landed on Ariana kneeling in front of the wreckage and sobbing. Migs was standing behind her, a hand on her shoulder.
The three of them walked over to check on Emma. She was pale, her smile pinched, but she was putting on a brave face.
Declan looked around for Levi and saw