Page 63 of Scorpion

Three.

The boom echoes through the mountains followed by a cacophony of screams and gunfire. Goldchild drops from the impact.

I don’t check if he stays down. I go from man to man, gunning them down so they can’t make it any closer to Mathijs. I’m too far away to confirm whether I’ve successfully killed them. As long as they’re too disabled to do more, Sergei and his men can clean the place.

The shouts continue for what must be minutes. My position is compromised, but I can’t risk moving and leaving Mathijs open without cover.

Just as I think it, nearby commotion pulls me from the sniper. My hand shoots out for the handgun strapped in the holster at my side. Aiden hisses as he tries to fight off two guys from his position on the ground. With one swift curve of my arm, I fire off two shots, hitting the taller one in the throat, and the other chest. Aiden snaps his attention up to me, jaw dropped.

I revert my attention back to the sniper and continue releasing bullet after bullet. I only stop to replace the magazine, then keep going again until Sergei’s voice reaches me.

“The north side is clear.”

“The house?” I ask.

“Civilians and hostages only. What’s Edelhert’s status?”

I sweep the area surrounding Mathijs, noting each body littering the ground while Josh unties him from the pole.

“Clear,” I answer.

“Good. Stay on watch up there until we roll out.”

“Roger.”

The line dies, and I let myself close my eyes for just a moment. Relief floods through me, and I let out a breath.

Thank you, TJ. I owe you a drink the next time I see you.

I continue patrolling the compound from a distance, prattling off directions into the receiver to the men on the ground so they can deal with anyone who’s still alive. I pause when my phone vibrates with an incoming call from Josh.

Frowning, I search the grounds to find him at the back of the house kneeling next to the second person I shot at tonight, fingers pressed against the man’s pulse point.

I answer the call. “What’s wrong?”

Josh turns his head to say something to the person behind him, but no sound comes through the phone. I follow his line of sight to Mathijs, who’s standing over Goldchild’s body wearing Josh’s coat. Despite the distance, he’s staring straight at me. There’s a pride-filled glint in his eyes that makes me falter.

“What’s the distance?”

Warmth unfurls through my body at the sound of Mathijs voice. The corners of my lips tip up and I throw a quick glance at my ring before double checking the computer. Clearing my throat, I say, “One thousand five hundred and two meters.”

He smirks. “Zalak Bhatia. Ex-Sergeant of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Eleven Bravo. Special Operations Forces. Codename: Scorpion. Two confirmed kills at fifteen hundred meters.”

A smile cracks across my face, and I have to chew on the inside of my cheek to try to contain it.

Look at me, Mom. Your beloved daughter just made history.

“Get in the car, Mathijs Halenbeek.” I can’t help myself from grinning. I got engaged, broke my personal record, killed Goldchild, and got in a car. All in one night. “Stop being a security nightmare.”

His ensuing chuckle makes my cheeks ache. “I take it a mountainside wedding is off the table?”

“I’ll kill you myself if you don’t get out of my shot.”

“I love when you talk dirty to me.”

“Get out,” I growl as I whip open the door into Mathijs’s office.

One of the housekeepers and the on-call doctor both send me puzzled looks. It’s unlike me to call out orders like this, but unless everyone except Mathijs leaves this room within the next ten seconds, I’m going to lose my shit. I had to travel separately and stay until Sergei cleared me to leave.

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