Nori's Delta (Delta Team Three #1) - Lori Ryan Page 0,34

down.

“You see it, Merlin?”

“I’m not blind,” the unofficial leader of their team called back to him as he swerved to the left so the truck missed them.

The rest of Eleanor’s team was in the SUV behind them. The truck clipped the corner of their vehicle and they spun out.

Zip and Jangles jumped out of the vehicle as Merlin slowed. Beth was screaming and Eleanor was trying to sit up, but Heath kept himself over her. No way he was letting anything happen to her. Not when he’d just found her again.

What the hell was that thought doing there? It almost sounded like he hoped now that he’d found her, this could go somewhere. It couldn’t. Yes, he’d kissed her the night before, but that didn’t mean nothing more could happen between them.

There wasn’t room for love in his world. She would forever be waiting at home for him when he was away on missions. They couldn’t tell anyone where they were going or when they’d be back. Couldn’t let her know if he was safe. It would be hell on any woman who was with him. He wouldn’t do that to Eleanor. Wouldn’t turn her world into one of uncertainty and strain like that.

“My team?” She asked from beneath him as Merlin sped up and got their SUV out of there.

He had to hand it to her. She was handling this much better than he thought she would. Better than Beth who was still screaming.

Heath put a hand on Beth’s shoulder and pushed her down, but he didn’t cover her with his body. His assignment was to protect Eleanor. And assignment or not, that’s what he was going to do. If they wanted to get to her, they’d have to go through him.

Merlin was driving hell bent down the dirt road now.

“My team?” Eleanor said again, this time a lot more demand in the words.

Heath looked back. Zip and Jangles had opened fire on the truck from behind a large boulder. He couldn’t see if anyone had gotten out of the truck, but they were returning fire.

Duff was driving the SUV with the rest of Eleanor’s team in it and he had the driver’s door open, unloading his HK 416 on the truck.

“They’re safe,” he said to Eleanor, not really knowing for sure that they hadn’t been injured in the crash. And it wasn’t like they were out of danger.

Still, the crash had really been minor and he fully expected Duff and the boys to take care of the people in the truck and get her team back to the hotel in one piece. It’s what they did and they were good at it.

“We’re not going back for them?” There was outrage in her voice.

Beth was crying now.

“No,” Heath said, no apology at all in the words. “Our mission is to keep you safe. Our team has them covered.”

He looked behind them. There were no signs of anyone else coming at them or anyone coming to help the guys in the truck. He watched as Zip and Jangles approached the cab of the truck.

Seconds later, they were hopping into the SUV with the others and Duff was steering the dented vehicle around the truck to catch up to Heath and Merlin.

“They’re safe,” he said to her and Beth. “Catching up now.”

He eased back and let Eleanor sit up.

She turned to look out the back window. The SUV was still a long ways back but it was clear they were catching up and the truck wasn’t pursuing them.

He could hear her exhalation as she let out a relieved breath. He squeezed her thigh as he started to realize just how much his heart was slamming in his chest. He was trained to handle combat situations and life-threatening scenarios. He was used to holding the life of someone they were tasked to protect in his hands. Used to split second decisions and to the adrenaline pumping scenarios where you went from copasetic to FUBAR in an instant.

He stayed calm and steady through it all. He didn’t worry. He did the job.

But he’d never felt the way he did on this mission. Every time Eleanor was in danger it sent him reeling. He’d never felt the heart stopping terror he felt now at the thought of her being hurt or worse.

He didn’t like that whoever was trying to stop this negotiation had tried for her again.

“Is my team okay?” Eleanor asked.

Merlin nodded, giving her the update that had come over their earpiece moments