Page 1 of Stalked at Rescue Ridge

Prologue

“After this, I’m getting out.”

With those words, Zeke Akehurst had just cursed the mission.

Kade Sturgess bit back a string of swear words as he wiped sweat from his forehead before more rolled into his eyes, blurring his vision. “Jesus, Zeke, why the hell would you say something like that right now?” Did the man not realize they were about to be in a shit storm? Did he not realize there were snipers on rooftops chomping at the bit to take down an “infidel” like him? Did he not realize the fastest way to leave Kandahar was today, in a body bag?

Zeke knew better. Didn’t he?

“She needs me,” Zeke continued, unfazed by the fact he’d just jinxed the shit out of their mission. “I should be home.”

Kade didn’t want to be reminded of Bree Kyndall’s pregnancy or the fact his best friend was the father of Bree’s child instead of him. Not that Kade wanted kids. An involuntary shiver rocked his body every time he thought about having rug rats of his own running around, causing trouble. But that was just sour grapes. He’d been outdone by his best friend. One minute, Kade and Bree had shared the best weekend of his life, with sex that had raised the bar too high for anyone else to reach, let alone beat it. Then Bree had gone radio silent for weeks after. The next thing Kade knew, Bree was in a relationship with his best friend. The change had happened so fast that Kade’s head was still spinning. The baby news had come a couple of months later. All that head spinning had turned to stomach bile and nausea.

If Kade and Zeke hadn’t been battle buddies since basic training and best friends long before that, Kade would have given the man a piece of his mind. But no one knew about Kade’s brief fling with Bree. “Shut up, would you?”

“Do you have a problem with me?” Zeke asked, offended. “Because you’ve been a pain in my ass for months now.”

“Yeah, I gotta a problem with you,” Kade said through clenched teeth. He would never tell Zeke about the weekend with Bree. Kade wasn’t a jerk. Zeke was under Bree’s spell. He’d said he’d finally found the love of his life. Kade didn’t have it in him to ask why the two hadn’t tied the knot yet. He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to be asked to be Zeke’s best man. And he sure as hell didn’t want to stand at the altar across from Bree and bear witness to her making the biggest mistake of her life, marrying Zeke and not Kade.

So, no, he hadn’t pried into Zeke’s personal life.

“Right now, my biggest problem is that you’re distracted when you should have a laser focus on the many asshats who are doing their job, staring down the barrels of their AR-15s, ready and waiting for this convoy to parade through town like its Fourth of July and we’re headed to a backyard barbecue,” Kade said, knowing full well the fireworks could begin any moment. “Plus, it’s hotter than Hades out here. I have an awful mix of sweat and sand in my eyes, and I need a shower.”

“Since when have you ever complained about a free exfoliant?” Zeke’s joke and smirk would normally be enough to shake Kade out of one of his dark moods.

“Focus, please,” Kade stated, nodding toward the mounted assault rifle his buddy was manning.

Zeke shot Kade a look that was equivalent to a bullet. “You could have had—”

Before he finished the sentence, the barrage began.Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat. Those were the last sounds Zeke heard before taking multiple hits. Kade could do nothing to stop the onslaught.

Eyes wide, his buddy’s jaw dropped in disbelief.Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat. Several bullets scored hits above and below his Kevlar vest. Blood spurted. So much blood. Kade threw himself on top of his longtime friend, knocking him to the floorboard of the Humvee as blood spewed from Zeke’s mouth and his gaze fixed.

No!

“Don’t you go anywhere on me,” Kade demanded, stuffing down his desperation in order to stay positive-sounding for his best friend. “Stay with me. You hear?”

Zeke’s muscles fell limp.

No!

“You’re going to be all right. You hear?” Kade turned Zeke’s head to the side so he could breathe. “Breeneedsyou. The babyneedsyou.”I need you.

The sounds of a chopper flying by overhead quieted thetat-tat-tats.

Blood dripped onto Zeke. It was Kade’s blood. Shock consumed him, but he refused to give up hope. He flipped Zeke around and started plugging bullet holes with his hands.

Seconds ticked by as darkness tugged, threatening to suck Kade under. Fighting the urge to close his eyes, Kade managed to locate his radio and call for help.

“Come on,” he begged Zeke. “Don’t you go anywhere on me.”

Kade had no idea how much time passed until rescue arrived. He was lifted off Zeke by hands that felt almost superhuman.

“We can take over from here,” someone said before darkness descended and Kade’s eyes closed.

Bright light madeit next to impossible for Kade to open his eyes. He blinked a couple of times through blurred vision. Where the hell was he?

Kade attempted to sit up—and failed.

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