Page 74 of His Angel

I nod, my mind shifting into battle mode, every instinct honed from years in this life kicking in as I start barking orders.

“Get everyone we have armed and positioned along the perimeter, focus on the north beach where they’ll likely land. I want snipers on the roof, two teams at the east and west flanks, and a third ready to defend the villa if they get through. Get the chopper ready. We need to get her out of here.”

I turn toward the villa, my heart racing as I move, but Talon grabs my arm, his grip like iron, his eyes seizing mine with an intensity that stops me cold.

“This is a fucking army, Isaia. We’re outnumbered. You need to be ready to make a call if this goes south. We can’t hold them off forever.” His words hit me like a slap, the reality of our situation sinking in, and I feel a cold dread settle in my chest, the fear I’ve been carrying for weeks roaring to life.

I pull my arm free. “They’re not getting her, Talon.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll kill every last one of them before they touch her. And, Talon?”

“Yeah?”

I ball my fists. “If it’s a choice between me or her, you choose her. Understand? Always. Her.”

Talon nods, his expression hardening into a mask of steel. “Understood.”

I sprint inside, my boots pounding against the wooden floor as I head for our bedroom, my mind racing with a thousand scenarios, each one worse than the last. I push open the door, the hinges creaking, and I see Everly sleeping in our bed, her hair fanned across the pillow, her chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths.

She looks so peaceful, so fucking beautiful, and the sight of her hits me like a punch, the fear of losing her choking me as I cross the room in three strides.

I kneel beside her, my hand shaking as I brush a strand of hair from her face, my voice low and urgent as I speak.

“Everly, baby girl, you need to wake up.”

Her eyes flutter open, confusion clouding her gaze for a moment before she sees the look on my face, the fear I can’t hide. She sits up, reaching for me as her voice trembles with alarm.

“Isaia, what’s wrong?”

I take her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing her cheeks, and I force myself to stay calm, to be the rock she needs right now, even as my heart pounds with terror. “They found us.”

She jerks upright. “The Paladinos?”

“Yeah. Come on, baby girl. We don’t have much time.”

I pull her to her feet, my hands steady despite the storm raging, and I grab a shirt from the chair, helping her into it as quickly as I can. My fingers fumble with the fabric as I dress her, and my mind screams at me to hurry.

I hear the choppers circling closer, their searchlights slicing through the windows, casting harsh beams of light across the room, and the boats are near the shore, their engines a menacing hum that vibrates through the walls.

“Isaia,” her bottom lip trembles, “I’m scared.”

Without thinking, I slam my lips onto hers, kissing her with a desperation that matches the drumming of my pulse. It’s raw. Heated. It’s all the words I can’t say. I lean my forehead against hers.

“I know you’re scared, baby girl. But I swear on my life I won’t let them hurt you.”

“I’m not worried about myself, Isaia. I’m worried about you. I can’t lose you.”

Fuck. Her words curl around my heart, tasting like the sweetest poison, and I clutch her closer, burying my face in her neck, breathing her in. The ticking clock inside my head is almost deafening—we need to move now.

“Come on.” I take her hand, pulling her toward the door, my gun already in my other hand.

The sound of gunfire erupts outside, sharp and staccato, splitting the night like a thunderclap, and I hear the shouts of my men, the crack of their rifles as they engage the enemy on the beach, the chaos of battle unfolding faster than I can process.

Everly’s grip tightens on my hand, her voice shaking as she speaks, her words barely audible over the cacophony of war outside. “Isaia, what’s happening? How many are there?”

I glance at her, my jaw clenched, my voice low and urgent as I respond, forcing myself to focus on getting her to safety, even as the gunfire grows louder, the choppers hovering so close I can feel the vibration in my chest. “Not enough to stop me from protecting you.”

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