Pain meant she was in my arms.
I wrapped her up tight, shoved my face in her neck, and finally took in a lungful of oxygen.
“Who was hit?” I asked, not lifting my face.
Shiloh’s body bucked and she rasped, “Riddle’s bicep was grazed and Chip took one to the shoulder. Valentine took two—neck and gut.”
“Fuck. Any word on Valentine?”
“Surgery. How’d you know?”
“News was playing at the bar.”
She hadn’t been gone but two hours. That was all it had taken. Two fucking hours. We’d gone from dinner with her brothers to a hospital hallway.
The fragility of life.
Never forget from one minute to the next it can all be gone.
“Love you, baby,” I whispered.
“Love you, Luke.”
I had to give it to Echo and Phoenix. They’d given me a whole five minutes before they pulled Shiloh from my arms to do their own body scans. I didn’t give the same. As soon as her brothers ascertained she was unharmed and had both given her a hug, I yanked her back and held her close while she told us what happened.
There’d been a second shooter lying in wait covering the downstairs. Valentine made it into the house, Riddle was on his way in, and Chip was in position when the man opened fire. Riddle had gotten lucky; not only did he get clipped in the bicep, he’d taken one to the vest.
Chip had taken out the shooter and another man, Soloman took out the second shooter as he came down the stairs. Neither suspect made it out of the house alive.
Shiloh didn’t seem upset two men were dead, but the shock of the evening hadn’t yet worn off.
“Alpha team! Call out!” a man shouted.
Shiloh went solid in my arms.
“Goddamn,” Gordy grumbled.
“We’re three down,” the man continued. “I’m pulling from Charlie. Sixteen-year-old is being held hostage by her estranged father. Ex-wife might be in the house as well. Suspect, Jeff Shepard is wanted for questioning in the murder of Becca Harper. Staging area’s been texted. No time’s a good time, and I know we’re all on edge after what happened tonight. But I need each of you to get your head right. If you can’t do that, you let me know and I’ll pull more from Charlie.”
“Fucking shit,” Gordy seethed and turned to Shiloh.
I missed what he asked her. My mind was stuck back on Jeff Shepard. The motherfucker tagged his daughter. I was reaching for my phone to call Ethan when I heard my name called.
“He’s here, Cap,” Shiloh answered.
I watched the man who’d been calling out orders walk in our direction. He was weirdly taking in me and Shiloh. My arm curled around her tighter and his eyes narrowed.
Then he cut straight to it.
“Got a call from detective Lenox, he said you’d be here. He’s requested you on scene. I gave my okay, but that was before I knew there was a personal relationship between you and Kent. I can’t have—”
“I’ve been working on the Shepard case with Lenox,” I interrupted him. “Ethan’s requested me there, I’m there. Period.”
“Sunny, why don’t you stay here?”
Shiloh’s head jerked toward Echo and her already solid frame turned to stone.
“Don’t start, Echo. This is my job and you fucking know it. I will not stand down. Not tonight. Not ever.” Her head whipped back and she stared at her captain. “I’m not standing down,” she repeated.
It was then I wasn’t sure if I was proud as fuck having Shiloh at my side holding her ground or if I wanted to beg her brothers to physically restrain her from going out again. I had yet to recover from the twenty minutes it’d taken from the time I saw the news to the time I saw her unharmed.
“Captain Thompson,” the man introduced himself. “Lenox said you were a sniper and now work at TC. He also said you’d have your own gear. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Are you armed?”
“Yes.”
Thompson took a long assessing look. Finally, he broke it with a nod.
“Kent, you’re with your team. You do not break ranks. Whatever Luke and Lenox get up to, you remember your position on your team.”
“Yes, sir,” Shiloh said through gritted teeth.
“And, Luke, remember you’re a civilian and this is Georgia, not Baghdad.”
Without saying more Thompson turned and walked away.
“Call me when you’re done.” Phoenix broke the uncomfortable silence.
Echo yanked Shiloh into a rough hug and without a goodbye, he stood away.
“He’ll be fine,” Phoenix murmured. “Go kick ass, baby sister. And make sure your man here doesn’t eat bullets. I think Echo’s had