Page 48 of Callahan's Haven

“N—”

“Yes, I am,” he told his friend with a grim smile. “I’m also a good distraction.”

Garrett slapped his hands on his steering wheel before gripping it tightly and staring out the windshield. “You think I’m letting you be a fucking decoy?” Garrett turned his burning gaze at him. “Like hell!”

“They’re not going to expect to see me walk through the front door. It’ll give us an added element of surprise.”

“It’ll also more than likely get you killed.” Garrett shook his head. “I won’t let you do it.”

“You can’t stop me.” He understood where his friend was coming from, but he wasn’t going to argue about it. “Our priority is securing Haven and then getting the Colonel’s location to hopefully stop whatever it is he’s being forced to do.” He grabbed his friend’s shoulder and squeezed. “In that order.”

Garrett held his stare and then nodded on a sigh. “I don’t like it.”

“I know you don’t.” He glanced out the windshield at the church. “Now, turn on the comms.” He faced the other man when he hesitated. “Garrett, turn them on.”

Cal watched while Garrett did what he asked and took measured breaths. He had to settle himself for what was about to come before checking in with everyone. “Solace, report.”

“It’s basically one big, open area with a few side rooms. No upstairs. One guard walking the perimeter—a damned lazy one who’s more interested in his smokes than doing his job—so an easy target. Then I’ve got two I could see inside.” He didn’t like when she hesitated. “I didn’t see Woosley.”

Cal knocked his head back on the headrest. What if he was with Haven? He couldn’t think of that. “What else?”

“The back door was locked but it gave way pretty easy.”

“Declan?”

“I found as high a position as I could where I could cover the front. One target sighted in the bell tower.”

So, five total, counting Woosley.

Cal held Garrett’s hard gaze and shook his head when it looked like he was about to say something. “Solace, Garrett will meet you at the back. You’ll both slip inside and Garrett will cover you while you locate Haven. I need her secured before anything goes down. Declan, take out the bell tower guy once the signal is raised. If you see the lazy one, take him out too.” He grinned at his unsmiling friend. “I’ll stay back and monitor from here.”

Garrett grimaced but nodded.

“Solace, everyone’s striking on your signal.” He might not survive, but before he went, he’d know Haven was safe. “Find my girl.”

15

ThankGod this guy went to sleep.

Haven had spent the last several hours with Donald Woosely off and on. He’d said he’d liked looking at her—and touching her. She could still almost feel his hands where he’d groped her through her clothes. She’d stopped cringing at one point because she’d figured out he got off on it just as much as he did feeling her up. But it was difficult not to feel dirty. If she ever got out of here, she was going to have to shower nonstop for a week.

At least this last time when he’d come in, he’d been more interested in sleeping than anything else because he’d just yawned and sat back in a chair close by with a smile on his face as he’d drifted off. She could only imagine what he was thinking about. If she had to guess, it was probably him doing any one of the unspeakable things he’d promised to do to her once her father completed his mission.

The first part of the mission was already underway, and had been for hours. According to Woosley, her father was in the middle of negotiations with several high-ranking Turkish officials and the leader of a band of rebels from one of the provinces, Mazhar Sadik.

The mission would be finished when her father killed Sadik.

If she could cry, she would. But she had no tears left in her after hours sitting with nothing to do but mourn Cal’s loss and dread what was about to happen halfway around the world. She glanced over at her snoring tormenter. And when it was over, she was going to be used by him in the vilest ways possible before he handed her over to the others.

After they were done with her…

Haven kept her eyes fixed on the door and tried to think of something else.

Destiny and Hope.

What she wouldn’t give to have a few last minutes with her best friends. She squeezed her eyes shut. God, they were probably worrying themselves to death over her. Why hadn’t she hugged them when the two had left their dorm room? Sure, she’d been excited about Cal coming over, but she shouldn’t have rushed them out the door. Her last image of them was Hope’s smiling face winking at her over her shoulder and Destiny’s back as she’d laughingly dragged Hope away.

Haven opened her burning eyes and stared once more at the door. She couldn’t believe she’d never—

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