Page 10 of Blade and Arrow Origins

I know how he’s feeling, because I feel the same every day.

Meeting his gaze, I ask, “So… What’s your idea?”

Cole takes a deep breath and exhales slowly before responding. “What if I started a company that would protect people like Dana? A team of people who could step in when the police won’t, or can’t? For all the people in trouble who don’t have the money to pay for private security? The people who are scared and feel like they have nowhere else to turn?”

The emptiness in my chest starts to fill with a cautious hope.

“And where would this team come from?”

Cole looks at me. “Us. Me. You. Leo. Rylan. Finn. Nora.Wecould protect people. We have the skills. And we’ve worked together for years. I can’t think of a better group to do it.”

For the last year, I’ve felt adrift. But now… I can see a glimpse of the shore.

But I’m afraid to let myself hope. So I sound a bit doubtful as I say, “But that costs money. I mean, I’d contribute, I have some savings, but I’m not sure—”

“That’s what I’ve been working on. How to make it work.” Cole’s expression brightens. “And I think I’ve figured it out—a way to provide protection for free to the people who need it, but still keep the company afloat.”

“How?”

His words come faster as his enthusiasm builds. “So, this office building. It’s really rundown, been on the market for months, so I could get it for much lower than asking. And I have money my parents left me. I didn’t need it before, so it’s just been collecting interest. If I use all of it, I could buy the building and pay for the renovations.”

“What kind of renovations are you thinking?”

Cole smiles. “A gym. A shooting range, so we can keep up our skills. A small clinic. Plenty of secure storage. And—” He pauses. “Apartments. The place is big enough that I could have six apartments put in. So we’d all have a place to live. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about finding housing nearby.”

A breathless hope sweeps through me. “So we’d work together again? The six of us?”

“Yes. And I’ve been thinking about how to finance things after. We could allot half our time to the free protection—pro-bono, if you will—and the other half to paid security work. Six former Special Forces operators offering top-notch security services, and being so close to the city…”

“We could work events,” I offer. “Conferences. Maybe… train security teams.”

“Exactly. I think we could make enough money to cover everything. Our salaries wouldn’t be huge, but housing would be included, and—” All at once, he looks more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen him. “We’d be a team again. I miss it. I miss you guys. Ithought I could be happy in Texas, but I’m not. Leo’s not happy, and I don’t—”

“Neither am I.” A lump rises in my throat. “I miss you guys. And this job at the gym. It’s not the same.”

My friend of almost a decade meets my gaze. “I think this could work, Zane. I really do. What do you think? Are you willing to take this gamble with me?”

Work with my best friends again? Be part of a team? Make a difference, protecting people, like I used to?

There’s only one answer. “Of course. Whatever you need, I’ve got your six.”

CHAPTER 4

NORA

I can’t remember the last time I felt this optimistic.

No. That’s not true.

The last time was the day before we left on that mission, the one that shattered my life into pieces.

Jack was over, and we were in our favorite post-sex position—me cuddled against him, my head resting on his chest, while his fingers trailed lazily through my hair.

He used to love it when I wore my hair down. Jack would say,“Your hair is so gorgeous like this, all wild and fiery, and I love that you only wear it this way for me.”

I did. At work, around the guys, I wanted to maintain the image I’d cultivated ever since I joined the Army. Capable. Unvarnished. Just another member of the team. I didn’t want to be seen as a woman—not after fighting so hard to break the stereotypes, proving almost everyone wrong when I finally became one of the very first female Green Berets.

But with Jack… I wanted to be feminine. After months of him breaking down my prickly defenses, I was okay with letting him take care of me sometimes.

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