Page 79 of Breathe
“Yes, Azrael?” Stone said.
“What is YA’s role?”
“You will accompany us to the location. Once we get the information on potential victims, I want you on hand to help with the young ones.”
“I’m not sitting this one out,” Freedom charged, getting to his feet.
“You’re underage,” Viper cut in before Stone could answer. “You’re lucky to be included at all.”
“Screw this. There are plenty more places that need wet work done,” Freedom spat.
Viper studied the boy’s angry face. Freedom was a perfect fit for what they did. He was so beautiful, like an innocent boy next door, that people didn’t see him coming.
“Freedom, see me after this meeting,” Viper growled, and Freedom’s chin tipped, fire spat from the boy’s bright blue eyes.
Shaking his blond curls angrily out of his eyes, Freedom plopped back down on the bench.
Stone turned his attention back to him, and Azrael waited.
“If we find children or young adults inside of this compound, they will be brought to you. It will be YA’s responsibility to keep them safe. Protect them at all costs. Do you understand?” Stone asked.
Azrael nodded. “Understood.” He turned to Freedom and glared at the teenager.
“Do you have a problem with that?” Azrael asked Freedom, who looked contrite.
“No problem, sorry,” the blond boy muttered and ducked his head.
“I have an objection,” Missy Brown said, standing from the table where the women sat.
Viper and Stone gave her their attention. While Viper, Stone, and Real ran the ranch and assassins, Missy was an honorary leader of the women. With her short dark bob, hard green eyes, and tall build, people took her seriously. It could have been the way she had handed several men their asses during training, but Azrael didn’t think so.
Missy was nice until you got on her bad side, and he wondered if that was going to be the case here.
“What’s that?” Viper asked.
“I think the children will be more comfortable with the women,” Missy said.
“I doubt they are young children,” Viper said, frowning.
“Are you kidding me?” Azrael stared at Viper in disbelief. From what he recalled, there had been a three-year-old inside Tanis’s bunker when they’d completed that rescue. “Do you even know the age of Tanis’ victims?”
“Watch your tone,” Stone warned.
Azrael glared. “One of those boys was three. Three fucking years old.”
“Do you want to sit this one out and have the women do that part?” Viper asked.
“Woman’s work?” one of the women spat. “I’m not babysitting.” More loud outbursts rang through the female population.
“That was my mistake,” Viper told Azrael. “I knew they were young, but I honestly think that YA will be better to keep the kids safe until the whole thing is settled. Besides…” Viper said, gazing at Missy. “We need you in the fight as part of this op.”
“Yeah, so sit your ass down and quit trying to make us mothers,” Sheila Donner snapped. Sheila shook back her long platinum blonde hair and glared at Missy.
“Bite me,” Missy sneered. There was no love lost between the two women.
A chair scraped loudly in the room, and Azrael looked around.
He hadn’t seen the man sitting in the crowd, but he noticed the cut of Dave’s shoulders when he stood.
