Page 49 of Out of Peril

I chuckled. “By the back porch.”

She groaned and then opened a secret panel in the wall next to her wardrobe to reveal a small staircase.

“Go on, get up there.”

I rolled my eyes, but it also felt like she'd just given me the keys to her place or something. I hadn't know that staircase was there or that it led right into her room. But I was certain to make a habit of using it for as long as we were staying here.

Begrudgingly, I listened if only to give her a few moments to herself after what we’d just done.

Damn, I couldn't stop smiling.

Just as I finished dressing, there was a scream from downstairs. My heart stopped and I flew down the stairs.

“What's wrong?” I asked, seeing my girls standing around Dante.

“Sometimes when he gets really strong visions they look like seizures,” Lindsey explained as she gently lowered him to the ground and rolled him to the side.

We stood around watching him until his body stilled.

He sat up and pointed to me with wide teary eyes. “What have you done?!?”

Ben

Chapter 14

“I've got him! I'll be damned, I've got him!” Tarron yelled.

“Who?” I asked.

“Walker. His tracker just went live. That means he’s back in civilization in . . .” he looked over the screen. “Louisiana? Looks like he's in panther territory.”

“Get on the phone now and let Phillip Dannett know we're coming. Suit up boys. We're going to get Walker back,” Silas said.

As he walked through headquarters, he pounded on Michael's door.

“We've got eyes on our boy. Louisiana. Does Delta want in on the pickup?”

“Hell yes!”

*****

Five days earlier.

I was perched on top of a cargo ship in port that gave me a decent aerial view of the open market below. I could blend in and hide amongst the strapping and netting here. But more importantly I had eyes on Nate as well as Taylor and Walker.

It was pretty boring and uneventful. My interest piqued when they walked towards Nate's cage. I watched them carefully through my scope. They stopped at the cage next to his that had a woman and two kids in it. It always tore me up to see children being traded and treated like cattle. These two couldn't be much older than my kids, which pissed me off even more.

Taylor had herself draped all over Walker and really playing it up today. Poor Grant. I hoped he wasn't watching this. It wasn't easy for him to have Walker cast as her husband in their roles for this mission. But I also knew the second we were done with this mission, he'd whisk her away and we wouldn't hear from them for a week as he reminded her exactly why she was his.

Couldn't blame the bastard. Even knowing how harmless Walker was, he still got under my skin all the time. I loved his friendship with Shelby, but it didn't make it easy. They were so close and I knew they respected our bond. That was never an issue. But that asshole sure like to goad me into thinking it could be sometimes. I was pretty sure he got off on it. Sick bastard.

“Grant's gonna kick your ass for after this mission,” I told him through coms.

Taylor chuckled like he'd just said something funny, but I knew she was responding to me even though she couldn't say it.

They stopped and talked to Nate for a second before Walker took interest in the female with the pups.

“A mother and her two pups?” he asked. “Are they to be sold together?”

---