Page 254 of Bossy Hero

Because I’ll already know he’s alive and well.

Lettie grabs my hand as soon as I’m within reach. By the time Alan boarded that yacht, she and I had given up sitting by the wall like spectators. We’ve been careful not to distract the intel team running the op. Aside from a few gasps and yelps here and there, we’ve been silent. Sue’s been in and out, much like Sammy. For different reasons. Sue’s anxiety has caused her to take frequent breaks from the tension in the lair, whereas Sammy has stepped out to tend to the babies. Although Val’s doing great with them, one-month-old twins are a handful for a teenager.

Not once have I felt the urge to leave. Even when Leo and Sawyer were exchanging gunfire with Lenkov’s smugglers. I stood firm.

Well, sat firm.

Alan’s voice comes through the speaker, “Patterson, come get this fucker.”

I find his chest cam feed on one of the screens. He removes a handgun from the huge man who had him in a chokehold.

“Yes,” I whisper, pulsing Lettie’s hand in a mini celebration.

About two-thirds of the monitors on the wall are dedicated to various activities in Miami. That op fizzled out about five minutes ago. All our kids are safe there.

I pivot my focus to the camera feeds on the right since they show what’s happening at the marina.

Aaron finishes tying a tourniquet on Josh’s leg, and the two men begin searching for Katia and her baby. Mia’s directing Henderson through the passageways of the boat so he can join them. With Josh moving slowly due to his gunshot wound, Aaron needs the backup. As much as I wish he were watching over Alan, I want the others safe as well.

Speaking of Alan. My line of sight returns to his body cam footage. He sprints down a corridor. The sounds of his lungs battling for air and the pounding of his feet fill the room.

Lettie leans close to me, keeping her volume low. “They think Nikolai Lenkov was the one behind the huge dude. Boss Dad is chasing him now. Aside from a nasty junk punch, that’s all you missed.”

“Not Alan’s, right?”

“Lawd no.He did the punching.”

I shake my head at my dumb question. Considering he’s running and the other man was vomiting, it’s clear who took the damage. I’ve raised two boys, so I’ve seen firsthand what happens when they take a hit down south.

Alan’s gaining on Lenkov.Go, baby, go.

Nervous energy pulses through me, making me bounce on my toes.

Lettie mirrors my energy, adding her brand of support in excited whispers. “Cream his corn, Dad. Get that no-good snake. Jerk his tail out.”

She called himDad. NotBoss Dad.

Oh my heart.

I catch a glimpse of something in my periphery and glance to the left. Sue’s peeking around the doorjamb, nervously watching the monitors. I extend my hand toward her, offering comfort if she wants it. After she notices the movement, she flashes a grateful smile and shakes her head.

I nod in understanding, then focus on the screen just in time to see Alan launch his body toward Lenkov. Once they come into contact with each other, his chest cam becomes useless. All we see is darkness.

But we hear plenty.

Metal clanking. Grunts, thuds, and wails of pain. Thankfully, the ever-increasing anguish seems to be coming from Lenkov. As much as I detest violence, it’s a welcome sound.

Lettie’s anxious bouncing turns to jumping, and she’s virtually strangling my hand with hers. I don’t care if I lose all feeling in my fingers.

As Alan rises to a seated position, his chest cam view is no longer obstructed. The pakhan of the bratva is splayed out like a starfish, held down by Alan.

He did it.

He stopped Lenkov. In more ways than one.

Oh Alan. You did it, my love.

My vision is briefly diverted by the sound of a baby crying. On a different screen, it seems Aaron’s team found Katia’s baby hidden safely in a closet.

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