Page 50 of Declan's Hope

"But that’s what you’re going to do. Nothing," Garrett nearly growled. "You’ll stay where you are." A heavy pause followed his command, while Declan kept his gaze glued to the house and grimaced over the hole his friend continued to dig for himself. Then Garrett’s nearly pleading, "Please, for my own peace of mind," filled the quiet. "I need to know you’re safe so I can do what I have to do."

A harsh breath sounding from her before a grudging, "I promise," had Declan sighing in relief. Destiny was almost as protective of Hope as he was. But knowing Hope’s friend wasn’t going to try and help gave him one less thing to worry about.

Hope would never forgive him if something happened to Destiny. And Garrett? He doubted the man would survive it.

"Thank you," Garrett said on a low breath.

"Our principles are still in the living room, along with the three who just entered," Solace whispered. Their principles being Hope, Mercy, and Kara. "I’ve got…" Declan tensed at Solace’s pause. "One just stood up and is facing the three. The other two are still close together on the couch."

Hope.

After two of Salazar’s men had left the house moments before, those three were the only ones left. It had been a surprise to all of them at the small contingency of men. Twelve in all, with Salazar surely being that twelfth man. God, let her not be confronting him.

"Shit. Two of the men are going around the couch. And… Mercy and Kara are being pulled up while it looks like one has hold of Hope."

"Is everyone in place?" The colonel’s brusque words came out on a harsh whisper.

"I’m close to the bus," Garrett said low. "The—"

"Declan," Solace broke in. "Your sister just hauled off and hit one of them."

"Of course she did," Declan muttered and hung his head at the same time Jennings’s quiet, "Dammit," filled his ear. His sister had always been too much like him. And not in a good way.

"He just…"

"He just what?" Declan heart stuttered. He hadn’t heard a gunshot, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t used something else on his sister.

"She was knocked to the ground," Solaced groused as a hard grunt sounded from Jennings. "But she’s up again. It looks like they’re heading toward the front of the house."

"I’m closing in on the side of the porch now in the tall bushes," Jennings’s fierce whisper came at him.

"I’m flanking them from the west," Cal said low. "Their guards aren’t very diligent."

Declan could see that—hear it too, as their laughter filled the air.

"I’m going into the back of the house now," the colonel added. "I’ll come at them from behind."

"I’ll give the word when… They’re at the door now," Solace said in a rush.

Declan steadied himself and let out a cleansing breath as the door opened. Mercy and Kara appeared first. His sister had Kara held tight to the front of her body as they stepped out onto the porch. Then she stumbled forward after being shoved from behind by one of the men. His lips tightened as he zoomed in on her face.

That explained the blood on Mercy’s driveway.

He zoomed out as Hope came into view next, her arm in what looked like a too-tight grip by one of the men. A slight bruise blooming on her left cheek spoke of the smack from earlier, but otherwise it didn’t look like she’d come to any harm while she’d been in the house.

"Don’t worry, baby," Declan whispered, as her gaze stayed trained toward the bus. "We won’t let anything happen to them."

Next, the man himself appeared. He looked nothing like his picture from months ago. He’d aged and seemed smaller than he had before.

The nine men in the yard moved closer as Salazar began to speak—all of them moving beyond the bus. Declan wasn’t close enough to hear. Not that he would have understood anyhow if he were.

"Today is a momentous day," Solace relayed to everyone. "Today we begin making the members of the Elite Squad pay for what they took from me, starting with the one man who owes me the most. Declan Carter."

Applause and whistles rose from the ranks in front of the porch. Then Salazar raised his hand and began to speak again.

"This woman… this Hope Danford… thanks to…" Solace stopped. "What the hell?"

"Son of a bitch," Jennings grumbled low.

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