Page 45 of Cooper's Command

“If we’re all screwed.” Cooper glanced at the door then back, hating that the rest of his team was taking the kind of chanceshe should be. Because Nova was his. Not in a possessive asshole kind of way, but he’d promised to protect her. Wanted to spend the next fifty years with her. So, he should be the one risking his life.

Bellamy wouldn’t go for it. Cooper knew that. Recognized the look on his best friend’s face. Ride or die.

“Fine. We’ll give you five minutes, tops. Then, we’ll head for the dock.” Cooper snagged Bellamy’s arm when he went to leave. “Don’t make me have to come looking for you, or I will shoot you in the ass.”

“You could try…” Bellamy stopped in the threshold, this time. “One click.”

Then he was gone. Vanishing into the night along with Rusty and Soda. Nothing but the wind and the rain sounding around them.

Cooper closed the door, meeting Nova in the center of the room. He didn’t ask if she was okay, her pinched lips and furrowed brow clear indicators of how she felt about his team risking their lives for her. That she was barely keeping it together and he couldn’t help but wonder if Tate had ever really had her back. Not that he thought the man hadn’t been a good mentor. It was obvious Nova was more than skilled. But Tate had been so preoccupied trying to give Octavia justice, Cooper couldn’t help but wonder if he’d left Nova to face the world, alone. That she’d quickly grown accustomed to having to fend for herself. Never trusting that Tate would be there when she needed him.

Cooper would and he’d spend the rest of his life proving that if needed.

He gave her hand a squeeze. “They’ll be okay.”

Nova huffed. “I’m not helpless.”

“I know you’re not. In fact, you’re a force of freaking nature. But you’re also the only person who might be able to put allthe pieces together and my team knows it. Besides, you’re still healing, whether you want to admit that or not.”

Another huff, but she didn’t push the subject, following him over to the far side of the cabin. He took up point on one window while she watched out the other. Branches snapped in the wind, the driving rain making it hard to see more than a few feet away.

“Coop.”

He snapped his gaze toward her, shifting in beside her when she motioned him over.

She stayed back from the glass, nodding toward the left side. “I swear I saw a shadow out there, but… it’s gone.”

Cooper changed positions, inching closer before taking a quick peak just as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Setting off the landscape in harsh relief. Nearly giving him a freaking heart attack when a bug-eyed tango appeared in front of the glass. Night vision goggles nearly touching the window. What he thought might be a Range-R device clasped in his hands. What would allow him and anyone else along for the ride to essentially see through the damn walls.

The asshole obviously hadn’t been prepared to see anyone either — that the lightning would flash at the worst possible moment and expose him — because he jumped, tripping back on his ass, the unit tumbling to the ground.

What was the bastard’s last mistake because Cooper fired right through the glass a second later — clipped the guy in the shoulder. Shouts rose above the next roll of thunder, what sounded like an entire army closing in on them.

Cooper grabbed Nova’s hand then raced toward the door, Whiskey hugging the other side. He paused at the doorway, drawing Nova in close as he grabbed the handle. “We make a run for the dock. No stopping. No looking back. No mercy. You shoot to kill. And whatever you do… Don’t get shot.”

CHAPTER 14

Cooper heldNova’s gaze for one more heartbeat, noting the way her eyes had rounded when he’d mentioned the dock. What looked like fear before she’d schooled her features and nodded. He cleared the area one last time then they were through the door and sprinting up the path. Twigs snapped behind them, a couple of shots hitting the nearby trees.

Nova kept pace behind him, tackling him to the ground a moment later just as a missile soared over top, impacting the cliff off to their right — raining down stones and dirt across their backs.

Cooper tapped Whiskey, and the dog took off, jumping the guy a few seconds later as he tried to reload. Cries echoed down the path before it suddenly cut off. Cooper whistled, pushing to his feet as Whiskey came bounding back up the trail. He gave her a quick once-over, then motioned for Nova to go first.

“Not arguing, sweetheart. Go.”

She looked as if she was about to rip a strip off him then turned and started running, holding her right side as she followed the path down to the water. Cooper stayed on her six, downing two tangos when they popped out from the tree line, aiming AR-15s his way. They toppled backwards, but managedto stagger to their feet a minute later, those vests obviously Kevlar.

But he was already hoofing it down the trail, closing in on Nova as she made her way onto the dock. Ethan had the boat ready as Bellamy and Rusty closed in from the opposite direction.

Bellamy raced over to him, firing off a few shots before ushering him forward. “Fuck, Coop, we were just about to flank the cabin when all hell broke loose. We saw you book it out of there so we tried to sweep in behind you, but… They cordoned us off and we had to circle around. I swear there’re two dozen of the bastards. Which means they might have water resistance too.”

“All the more reason to get the hell out before they land a freaking missile on the boat.” Cooper ran over to the vessel, holding it steady as Nova climbed in. She stopped once her feet hit the deck, swallowing hard before moving over to the helm and gripping the seat until her knuckles blanched white.

He frowned, wondering why she seemed off before helping Whiskey jump in. Then he grabbed the rope and shoved off as he launched himself onto the deck.

Ethan hit the throttle, surging the boat forward as bullets flew through the air, whizzing past Cooper’s head and ricocheting off the frame. Rusty fired off several rounds, sending whoever was shooting at them scurrying for cover.

That gave Cooper a chance to dart in beside Nova and take Ethan’s position. Not that his buddy couldn’t pilot a boat but Cooper hadn’t been joking. He’d taken the same training as all the other Coasties, and there wasn’t a vessel he couldn’t make dance through the water.

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