Page 129 of SEAL's Resolve

“That’s perfect.” He shouldered his pack and threaded his fingers through hers. “Let’s go. You need one more item before you’re ready.”

They left the house, locking up behind them since the rest of the men were waiting in the vehicles. Rafe stopped at the back of his SUV and pulled out a black vest. “Hold still,” he murmured and settled the heavy vest over Kristi’s shoulders. He adjusted the straps, then helped her slip on the button-up black shirt. Rafe eyed her critically. “That’s the best I can do. I should have asked Brent to send a vest your size.”

“Do you have a backup vest for yourself, Rafe? You aren’t going into a dangerous situation without all your gear.”

Rafe lifted his shirt enough for her to see that he wore a vest, too. “You’re wearing my backup.”

“Time to go, Rafe,” Eli said. “We’ll park one block from the house. Kristi, you drive. Fleming might tap into your father’s security system to see if you follow orders.”

“He’ll see Rafe in the SUV.”

“I’ll drop to the floor when we’re a few blocks from your father’s home.” Rafe closed the hatch and climbed into the backseat while Kristi settled behind the steering wheel.

“You can talk to Rafe, but remember the rest of us can hear every word you say,” Jackson warned. “Don’t make me blush.”

“Shut up, Conner,” Rafe said as his teammates chuckled. “I’ll get you back when you have your own woman to worry about.”

“From the way things look at the moment, buddy, I won’t have to worry about a woman for a long time.”

“It’s just a matter of time and the right woman.”

“Watch your speed as you drive, Kristi,” Jon said. “We don’t need a traffic stop, especially with the equipment Rafe and the rest of us carry. No time for long explanations.”

Kristi eased up on the accelerator. Twenty miles over the speed limit would draw the wrong attention from the local police.

She drove as fast as she dared to the other side of Bakerhill where her father lived in a large house on a twenty-acre estate. Thankfully, at this early hour, sparse traffic cut the commute time in half.

When she turned onto the street where her father’s home was located, Rafe slid to the floor. At the security gate, Kristi entered the access code. The gate slid open, and she drove to the front of the house.

“Leave the front door unlocked when you get the money,” Rafe said. “If you run into trouble, I’ll be inside in less than a minute.”

Run into trouble? Kristi swallowed hard. She should have thought of that possibility. Hale and Fleming worked for the company providing security for her father’s home. They could have someone inside waiting to grab her.

She exited the SUV, walked to the front door, and unlocked it. She left the door open and headed for her father’s home office, turning on lights as she went.

Kristi opened the safe and removed the stacks of cash, dropping them into the bag she brought to carry the money. “Leaving now,” she murmured.

“You’re clear outside,” Rafe said.

A minute later, Kristi climbed behind the steering wheel and laid the cash bag on the passenger seat. She drove away from the house.

“I programmed the address into my phone’s navigation app,” Rafe said. “The drive will take 90 minutes if you drive the speed limit.”

“Is that what I need to do?”

“We need a few minutes to get into position,” Eli chimed in. “Drive a little faster than the speed limit, then take your time getting out of the vehicle and walking to the cabin.”

“Do you have a bazooka handy? I can probably hit some of Hale and Fleming’s friends with that.”

More laughter in her ear and from the backseat. Rafe laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “You don’t need a weapon. We’re prepared for just about anything.”

“As long as we get Dad out of there, I don’t care what happens to the rest of them.” Her hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“Including Ward?” he asked.

“Especially Hugh. He lied to me, stole from me, and cheated on me. Worse, he’s threatening my father’s life.”

“Rafe, Jon sent a file to your email,” Eli said. “Pull it up, and we’ll fine tune the plan now that we have the target location.”

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