Page 162 of The Best of Us

“He saved Lennon. Risked his life for Daniel, and now . . .” Colin buried his face in his palms, collapsing onto the couch, rocking himself.

I dropped next to him, hooking my arm around him.

“This is Alpha One. All threats are down. The location is now secure.”

That was good. Thathadto be good.

“Echo Team, you’re not coming in hot. You’re clear for the extraction,” someone said over their radio. “Foxtrot has the skies covered, and there’s zero movement on the ground.”

“What’s Alpha Two’s status?” Izzy asked.

Static filled the line.

No response.

Before I could process anything, Colin shot to his feet, going for the deck again, and I went with him.

As we neared the cliffs, I clapped a hand over my mouth at the sight before me. I hung on to Wyatt with my other hand so I didn’t fall.

Enzo was kneeling on the rocks, and Constantine was stretched alongside him as he removed his vest. Hudson and Alessandro were also there. Lennon and Daniel stood frozen on the rocks behind them, watching in stunned silence.

You have to be okay. You promised.

“How long do you think he was under?” Colin’s voice came out hoarse.

“Over a minute and a half,” Wyatt answered grimly, his gaze flicking to mine with a quickthat’s-not-goodlook.

Yeah, I was well aware. “Go faster! Please.”

“We can’t get any closer. We’ll have to sw?—”

I jumped in before Wyatt could finish, ignoring the other operator shoving a life vest my way. Colin came in right after me, outswimming me.

By the time I made it over, Enzo was still hunched over Constantine, pumping his chest to perform CPR.

Please let him cough up the water before I have to intervene.

Hudson reached down and helped me onto the ledge as Colin shot up over on his own.

“Don’t you die on us, dammit!” Alessandro yelled, then switched to Italian, hurling his helmet aside as I stumbled over to them. Then, as if words failed him, he collapsed onto the rocks and turned his face skyward, sending a plea to God to save his brother.

I dropped beside Constantine, opposite Enzo.

“Nothing’s working. He’s unresponsive,” Enzo whispered, his voice raw as he let me take over. He fell back onto his heels, hands pressed against his thighs. “No pulse. The vest took the round, but he was under too long before I could get to him.”

Constantine’s skin was too cold. His lips were turning blue.

I pressed two fingers to the side of his neck, searching,praying, but?—

Nothing.

No pulse, just as Enzo had said.

I went straight to chest compressions, becoming a nurse, not a woman in love. Because if I let the emotions take over, I’d lose him.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Colin beside me, Lennon at his side.

“Dad, please, don’t die,” Colin choked out.

---