A SEAL's Heart Read Free Page B

around. He’s in pain right now.”
              She nodded against Kamilah’s shoulder. “I’m so stupid. I’m sobbing and he has to be–”
              “Don’t,” her sister warned. “Don’t undercut your feelings. He’s in pain, yes. But that doesn’t mean his hurt cancels out your own. When you truly love someone you’re connected on a level that defies logic. And you two have always defied logic. Howling weirdoes.”
              Zuly snorted as Kamilah kissed her forehead and pulled back to brush her thumbs just under Zuly’s eyes. “You’re a Hines woman, Z. You don’t take no for an answer, remember?”
              “I may just have to,” she whispered.
              Kamilah shook her head. “No. You really don’t.”
              Something about the steely look in her sibling’s eyes sparked something within her. Did she? Did she really have to take no for answer?

Chapter Two
     
              “Carrigan! You handle this shit delicately!”
              He would. He’d be as delicate as fucking possible. There was no other choice here; not when he was staring into the face of the devil, and the devil had a hold on a child. With unerring calm, he rolled his shoulders, desperate to beat down the anxiety thumping in his pulse, the words of his chief ringing in his head.
              “Jafar. Let her go.” Arabic wasn’t needed here. Jafar Akeem Hamal was well versed in at least ten different languages and had enough terrorism under his belt to grasp the tone of Fitz’s voice. The message was clear. Jafarould either put the girl down or die. Something flashed in the man’s eyes as he stepped just that much closer to the cliff they stood near, his insanity becoming a palpable thing as he challenged Fitz to come closer without even speaking a word.
              “Put her down now.” Fitz was trying to stay focused, keep his gaze off the pleading eyes of the child staring at him with so much hope. The sick fuck had snatched her from her bed in his own compound as the rest of the place was raided and taken down--the daughter of one of his own men. He would risk her if he had to--use her as he would a shield. Fitz had followed him here, aware that Jafar could and would do anything necessary to protect himself, including killing the girl in his arms.
              Fitz’s stomach roiled. He wouldn’t let that happen. Not tonight. Not ever. It had taken six years to track one of the Middle East’s greatest threats and now that Fitz’s team had him in their grasp, they would not let go.
              “Let me go. I let her go,” Jafar replied in a lilting accent, his calm radiating in waves.
              Fitz could smell the scent of salt water, hear the crashing waves below. Just a little longer, sweetheart. I swear. His hands clenched at his sides, aching to reach for the M9 on his person, but any sudden moves could cost the girl her life. Besides, he knew Donnelly had a M107 trained on Jafar somewhere close by. Jafar wouldn’t escape this intact if something happened to that girl.
              Fitz was well aware of the sound of the girl’s father crying out to their god in the distance, that his will would be done. Fuck that. The only will Fitz was following tonight was that of the US Navy SEALs.
              “Why are we talking?” Donnelly’s voice crackled through Fitz’s earpiece. “I can take the prick down now and we can be done with this.”
              “Because if you propel him over the edge, she goes with him. That’s why,” Fitz growled back. “Don’t make a move until I say otherwise.”
              Donnelly had been unraveling lately, impatience making him reckless on the last three missions. He wasn’t just making jokes to push Fitz’s buttons anymore. The sniper had begun to voice the fact that he didn’t believe Fitz was a strong enough