Chapter 49

Time shifted into slow motion.Every detail, every sound, every sensation, etched itself in Mason’s brain.

Avery slammed into Goshiro, knocking him off his feet. She must have been prepared for the explosion, using it as a diversion to catch him off guard.

“Hold your fire,” Mason ordered over the comlink and launched himself at the pair.

He leapt straight for Goshiro’s gun, tearing it out of the man’s hand with a sickening crack of bone. Goshiro howled in pain, his eyes wide with shock and fury as Mason flipped him over, pulling his hands behind his back and pressing a knee into the man’s spine.

“Can’t breathe,” Goshiro wheezed, his face pressed into the mud.

“Don’t care.”

But then he felt a hand on his arm, warm and gentle, and all the feelings rushed back. His eyes started to sting, his whole body feeling like the rush of blood after a tourniquet was loosened.

“Mason. Stop.” Avery’s voice was soft and pleading. “We’re okay. Paul and I are okay.”

“Copy that.” A flood of emotion threatened to overwhelm him.

He pushed back the feels, concentrating on the task at hand. After zip-tying Goshiro’s wrists, Mason climbed to his feet. “You’re gonna want to stay put,” he advised the creep.

Then he reached for Avery. Soaking wet and shivery, she looked like the best thing he’d ever seen.

As Mason pulled Avery into his arms, the relief that washed over him was so intense it nearly brought him to his knees. He held her close, feeling the warmth of her body seeping into his own, chasing away the chill that had settled into his bones.

He buried his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her, a mixture of sweat and salt water and something uniquely Avery. Gradually, his pulse began to slow, his breathing evening out as the reality of their survival sank in.

“Thank you Jesus,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion.

Avery clung to him, her fingers digging into his back as she trembled in his arms.

Around them, the marshland was a flurry of activity as the rest of the team secured the scene. But for Mason, the world had narrowed down to the woman in his arms, the miracle of her presence, the overwhelming gratitude he felt to whatever higher power had brought her back to him.

He closed his eyes, sending up a silent prayer of thanks. Their Savior truly had been watching over them, guiding them through the darkness and bringing them back into the light.

Paul, too.

Graham and Tai reached them a moment later, their faces grim with determination.

“She’s good,” Mason said, waving them on toward the shack. “Paul’s over there.”

“He saved us,” Avery whispered. “He’s quite a guy.”

Mind too jumbled to form words, Mason cupped the back of her head in his hand and pulled her close. Just breathing. They stayed like that for a long moment, their breath mingling in the cool, damp air, until the sound of sirens filled the clearing.

“He is. Just don’t tell him that,” he said once he could speak again. “His head’s already way too big for those skinny shoulders.”

Avery laughed—a delightful sound that sent shivers all the way to his toes—and stepped out of his arms.

Graham and Tai flanked Paul, who was sopping wet and covered in blood and soot, but grinning widely.

His brother stopped a few feet away and wiped water out of his eyes. “And you told me never to play with matches.” He shook his head playfully. “Dude.”

Mason thrust out his fist for a fist bump, his voice rough with feeling. “Nice work, bro. Nice work.”

Paul’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “No way to hide it. I’m all kinds of awesome.”

Emergency vehicles sped down the dirt lane, sirens blaring. Tai stepped forward, his voice calm and authoritative. “I’ll handle first contact.” He loped toward the oncoming parade of lights.

Graham waved Paul toward him. “Help me with Goshiro.”

“What about his little helper, Javier?” Paul reminded her.

“Ryan sent him to get supplies for their… Their boobytrap,” she said. “Black SUV.”

Graham stopped her. “Got it. I’ll inform the officers on scene.” He jogged off after Tai.

Mason pulled Avery close again, searching her face for any sign of pain or distress. “You okay?”

“Not a scratch.”

This could have gone down so much differently …

He shook off the ugly thoughts. Any mission could turn into a disaster. It’s how things went in his world. But when you cared about someone. Really cared …

He didn’t know how Bridger and Tai did it. How they stifled the overwhelming worry.

Something to chew on. Another day.

Avery wriggled out of his hold smiled up at him, her eyes soft and tender.

He wiped a chunk of mud off her cheek. “I think I need a vacation.”

“Me, too,” Avery agreed, her lips curving into a playful grin.

Mason raised an eyebrow, his mind flashing back to their first meeting, when she’d told him that she hated vacations, that she’d never really gone on one.

“Seriously?” he asked, his voice filled with mock surprise.

Avery shrugged, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Never had a reason before.”

The ground shifted under his feet, his heart swelling with a fierce, protective love that he’d never felt before. Whatever this woman wanted, whatever she needed, he’d be there to fulfill it. Forever.

Now, if he could only find a way to convince Avery that they had a future ahead of them …