Page 52 of Summer with a SEAL

“Roger that,” Jacob said, and the men began jogging to the west side of the building. Snipers were perched atop office buildings nearby, and the other police who’d arrived had maintained a safe perimeter. The SEALs moved through the police vehicles, crouching down as they readied to breach the building from the side.

“What’s the last known location of the robber?” Noah asked in a low voice.

“Unknown,” Hunter replied. “When SWAT enters the building, they’ll take him out. We can move straight toward the vault where Jessica is being held.”

Jacob swiped his brow, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The sounds of everything else around him began to fade, just like when he was on a mission, and his gaze narrowed on the windows in front of him.

Sunlight reflected off the glass, and he could see the reflection of him and his teammates in the window. They still didn’t know where the bank robber was—he could be aiming his gun directly at them or planning to blow them up the second they entered the bank.

Absolutely nothing was stopping him from going to Jessica though.

He aimed his gun at the window, knowing his teammates had his back. If, God forbid, something happened to him, the other men would take the robber down and get Jessica to safety.

“And move!” Hunter shouted as the back of the building was breached.

Jacob heard the sound of gunshots, but then they were breaking through the windows and moving inside the building. Papers flew through the air of the office they’d burst into. He heard the shouts of the police from another section of the bank and then another round of gunfire.

Holding his weapon in front of him, he moved forward, not caring that he had no helmet and only minimal protection. All that mattered was getting to Jessica and ensuring her safety.

“Clear!” Noah yelled as he swept the room.

“Suspect is down!” one of the SWAT team members called out.

“The entire front of the bank is wired—everyone stay back!”

Jacob aimed his weapon in front of him, sweeping left and right as they moved down the hallway. They turned left and moved toward the vault in the back of the bank. Sunlight poured in through the open emergency exit, but they hurried to the vault down the hall. One of the SWAT officers in tactical gear was already spinning the combination dial as Jacob came to a stop behind him.

“There’s a keypad, too,” one of the men said. Holding a slip of paper, he punched in the numbers. Jacob holstered his weapon, his heart pounding in his chest. Jessica was only a few feet away from him.

The heavy door suddenly swung open, and then she burst forth, rushing straight into his arms.

Jacob hauled her up against him, hating that his bulletproof vest separated her body from his. She wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him as she cried.

He ran a hand through her hair, holding her trembling form to him. “It’s all right, angel,” he murmured into her ear, turning and walking away from the commotion as his teammates tended to the other hostages.

“You’re safe now,” he assured her. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter 22

“Oh my God, don’t ever do that to us again!” Michelle said from the deck of the beach house, giving Jessica another hug before sitting back down beside Ryker. He casually tousled Michelle’s hair but looked over at Jacob and Jessica.

“What? Go to the bank or get locked in a vault?” Jessica asked, raising her eyebrows. “Both are off of my list.”

“Any and all of that! We were worried sick about you!”

Jessica set down the slice of pizza she’d been eating, mostly still untouched. “It was terrifying but kind of a freak accident type of thing. I doubt I’ll ever get caught in a robbery again. But either way, I’ll probably be having nightmares for months.”

She shuddered, Jacob reaching over to comfort her.

“So was it the same guy that robbed the woman at the ATM?” Amy asked, taking a sip of her margarita.

Jacob nodded his head, lightly rubbing the back of Jessica’s neck. “Yep. Same guy. It was a dumb move to rob a bank. I guess the dude was desperate for drug money. But now he’ll be in jail for the rest of his life.”

Jessica let out a shaky sigh, and Jacob pulled her into his arms. “You look exhausted,” he said, brushing a gentle kiss across her forehead.

“I am. Let’s go downstairs and relax in the hammock. I’m not really hungry anyway. I just need to chill out for a while and forget about this entire day.”

“Then let’s go, angel,” Jacob said, taking her hand and helping her to stand up. They excused themselves from the others and headed downstairs.

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