Page 31 of Guarding The Phoenix: Vol. 2

“And what made you want to join the Marines?”

“My adoptive dad, Brian. He served in the Marines for eight years right out of high school and went to college on a GI Bill. So, I figured it would be a good fit for me. And it was. It was where I met the others.”

His wry grin melted my heart. I leaned in and kissed him. He moved me. They all did. But individually they were twisting my heart in knots.

I lifted my head, ending the kiss, and we grinned at each other. Whatever this was between us was more than two people screwing. But then, I was falling for all of them. I hadn’t realized my heart could hold this much emotion.

It overwhelmed me.

But for a woman who had spent most of her life alone, I wanted to stay with them as a member of their ragtag group. Forever, if they would let me. And even though I paid them to protect me, we had moved past a professional relationship.

The yacht violently dipped.

“Hang on.” Chase rolled me and gripped me tight, sheltering me with his bigger form.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

I screamed. I couldn’t help it. Not when the yacht bounced on waves as explosions rocked the ship.

Gideon’s voice blared over the intercom, “Chase. Get the fuck up here. And secure the Phoenix.”

Chase helped me get out of bed and dress while the world went crazy. The boat swayed. If it kept this up, I would wind up puking my guts out.

“Come with me. We need to get you into a life vest and ready to evacuate if need be.”

Taking his hand, I followed him, understanding he was my best bet for survival. What new hellscape had descended upon us? Had Santos found us?

Chapter eleven

Under Siege

Chase

GrippingKylie’shand,Isurveyed the area outside the bedroom, and ensured the coast was clear. I wouldn’t put her in further harm’s way. It didn’t mean a blast couldn’t hit and upend my attempts to keep her safe. Until that happened, I would fight unto my dying breath to protect her.

I no longer cared if we caught Santos, not at the cost of her life. I wanted Kylie safe and if that meant we took him out, then we needed to do that. After the intimacies we shared I cared about her, and my feelings ran deep. Deeper than I was comfortable admitting.

The boat swayed with increasing violence. Giant chaotic waves rocked the yacht with escalating frequency. If we weren’t careful, they would tip us over and sink the ship.

Fuck, we had to hurry. We descended the stairs at a fast clip. I gripped the railing, needing the handhold to steady myself and keep us upright while the yacht bounced around like a kiddy toy in a bathtub.

“Where are we going?” Fear coated her words. And I wished I could eliminate her terror and anxiety. I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her everything would be all right. But I wouldn’t lie to her. Our situation was dire with the Grim Reaper standing by to drag us into the abyss if we failed.

“Safe room Gideon set up.” I didn’t always care for our leader’s methods until the shit hit the fan. And then I was thankful for his anal retentive ways. The safe room would ensure Kylie made it out alive. Even if the rest of us went down swinging. And we’d ensure that we take those sons of bitches down with us to give her a fighting chance at survival.

“He installed a safe room?” She shouted above another deafening boom.

We reached the last set of stairs and took them at unsafe speeds. “Your husband already had a safe room established in the event of catastrophic failure or an attack. But Gideon added extra equipment and supplies that could be the difference between life and death in an emergency like this one.”

“Oh.”

We moved swiftly, battling the swaying horizon. I held on to Kylie as the yacht dipped and rocked. Explosions boomed all around us. Sulfur and salt water filled the air.

And Kylie whimpered when the boat damn near hopped at the increasingly violent waves jostling us.

“It’ll be all right. We’ll get out of this.” I hoped. But I would never admit how dire the situation was to her. She didn’t need more stress. And I would shield her as much as I could. “We’ve been in worse spots before and emerged victorious. Trust us to see you through.”

We reached the safe room. Fucking finally!

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