Page 44 of Declan's Hope

The idea one or both of them had been hurt because of him was driving him insane. And who had been watching the whole thing go down? Had Trussell had eyes on her home and that of his parents? He’d like to find out and have a few minutes alone with him if he had. Because orders or not, you don’t allow innocent people to be used as pawns.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. At least his parents were safe.

Their house? Not so much. It had been ransacked.

Luckily they’d left early that morning on a spur-of-the moment day trip and hadn’t been home when Salazar’s people had obviously intended on taking them too. Right now they were being protected by some of the colonel’s personal contacts—contacts he trusted—with Homeland Security.

The colonel had also made a connection with the Pruitts—the couple who lived on his property and worked for him. The older couple was safe as well and not at their home.

Then just for caution’s sake, the colonel had put a detail on Haven at the FBI academy. She wasn’t happy about it, especially when she’d learned Destiny had managed to board the copter with Garrett, but she’d accepted it had to be done.

Garretthad not been happy with Destiny’s insistence on going with them. But their options had been limited about what to do. With time being a limited commodity, they certainly couldn’t leave her unprotected until help arrived.

In the end, they’d had no other choice but to take her with them. So, they’d managed to get her into some of the tactical gear the team kept on hand, even though Destiny didn’t quite fit into Solace’s clothes. But with some rolling up and tightening, they’d made it work. She’d even rummaged in the trunk of her car for a pair of sneakers. It was the first time Declan had ever seen her in anything other than heels and some kind of skirt or dress.

The rest of the squad had quickly changed as well, with two new additions joining them—Jennings and Chance.

Noah—Jennings’s first name—had made it clear he would be coming whether anyone wanted him to or not, saying, "I’ve let Trussell get away with too much."

There had been no argument from anyone. But Declan had let him know he understood what it meant to be at the mercy of a higher-up you didn’t agree with. As far as Declan was concerned, the younger man had shown some big balls standing up to the dickhead he worked for. Even if it had cost him his career. Although something told him he wouldn’t be unemployed for long.

What he hadn’t understood had been the quiet comment Noah made about Mercy, with his murmured, "And I can’t let her down again." He’d had to assume it had something to do with him being shot.

Chance Granger had been a surprise in more ways than one. While they’d all changed into tactical gear, Cal had quietly let him know the man hadn’t only been military, but a former Army Ranger in the Regimental Special Troops Battalion where he’d fought the war on terrorism. His friend hadn’t gone into detail about why the man had retired early.

He hadn’t needed to.

Scars riddled Chance’s left lower body and leg—at least what remained of it. He’d lost most of the limb starting from just above his knee.

But that hadn’t seemed to stop him as he’d rolled up his pants leg to above where his prosthetic leg attached to a rod sticking out of his stump. He’d unhooked it, then snap-locked another sporting a blade in its place.

"Fancy," Declan had said, eyeing the prosthesis and rod.

"Monitoring osseointegrated prosthesis. How’s that for a mouthful?" Chance had said with a grin and shrug as he’d stood and tested his weight on the blade. "A titanium rod goes up through one of my thigh bones and attaches to one of the two prostheses I have." He balanced on his left leg and stuck out the bladed one. "You never know when you might have to do some running."

"You can count on it today," Declan had assured him as he’d picked up Destiny’s phone to check in on Hope. He’d kept it with him, only putting it down long enough to change. He’d soaked in the sound of her voice telling her class a story.

The one person not coming with them was Trussell. They’d left the fuming dickhead standing on the tarmac on his phone. They’d refused to tell them where they were going.

"There it is."

Declan sat forward at Cal’s words and peered past him to a point a good distance to their left. Cal banked to the right, taking them away from the small valley and their ultimate location. They had to land far enough away their presence wouldn’t be detected, then hike to the rise looking down over the house.

"Everyone, get secured," Cal said over the speaker going to the back of the craft. "We’re landing in three."

Minutes later, the squad plus three pulled munitions, guns, explosives, and portable infrared and listening equipment from the copter. Everyone had something to carry as they left the small clearing where Cal had landed and started toward their destination. Directly in front of him, Garrett gave Destiny a litany of orders in a harsh whisper as they marched.

"You will stay exactly where I tell you. You will not argue with me. You will keep your head down. And you will not come out until I tell you it’s all clear."

"Aye, aye, sir," she muttered with a short salute, before tripping and nearly dropping the five-pound box of ammo she carried. Of course his friend steadied her as her snarky, "Anything else?" had Declan shaking his head.

"Garrett, your girlfriend isn’t stupid," he said low as he hoisted the strap attached to his sniper rifle case higher on his shoulder. He prayed he’d be able to shoot straight when the time came. Why hadn’t he already been working on this? But the colonel must have thought he could do it or he wouldn’t have handed it out to him as they’d unloaded, saying, "You’ve got this."

"I’m not his girlfriend," Destiny groused over her shoulder, then squared off at Garrett with a heatedly whispered, "I’m not taking any chances with the life of someone I love."

"That’s the same reason you’ll do what I say," he said in the same tone, bending low to get into her face. "I’m not taking a chance with you."

Did his friend realize what he’d just declared? From the shocked expressions on both of their faces as Declan passed by where they stood stock still staring wide-eyed at each other, no he hadn’t.

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