C H A P T E R S E V E N - - - - - D A N I E L L A

Daniella felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders as Jerome verified her concerns.

She'd taken a risk by showing them her tattoo, but she believed they'd locate it eventually. And her notion that the six fine gentlemen she found herself in the presence of weren't deranged lunatics remained solid. She doubted she'd ever get free of her zip ties if they were.

She didn't have the firm belief that all Marines or SEALs were morally upright by nature. Not at all. She knew a lot of extremely nasty soldiers who were psychopaths in camouflage and managed to avoid going to prison only because the government paid them to do heinous crimes rather than allowing them to do it as ordinary citizens.

However, she had a gut feeling about these men, and it was a huge comfort to know that her instincts hadn't been entirely destroyed by the struggle and the protracted period of being imprisoned in the filthy forest.

But Shaun was the one who ultimately persuaded her to take a gamble. She was able to have complete faith in that man because of something about him. She was drawn to Shaun even though Jerome was the one who everyone looked up to and who was the obvious leader among a bunch of powerful Alphas. He was the only reason she had been so outspoken, whether it was because of his steely gaze, his sniper-like nerves (which she had since discovered), or the fact that her body screamed with need every time she was within ten feet of him.

She needed the assurance since hoping he was good would only work for so long.

She was now imprisoned in the same chamber that Jerome had previously led her to, but the circumstances had altered. She wasn't perched on the edge of a chair, pulsating with adrenaline, ready to roll and duck or try to fight for her freedom at any moment, and Shaun wasn't keeping watch. A ragged towel was being run through Dani's hair as she attempted to dry it while Shaun balanced a laptop on his knees and sat on the second bed. Their brief shared time in the small space was almost comforting. Because Squad Six was so gentlemanly, she had been allowed first dibs on the water in the little portable shower that had been set up in the cubbyhole that they were using as a restroom. She didn't require two reminders.

Dani felt like she could think a little bit more clearly after washing the dirt off of herself. It appeared as though the fog was dissipating and she was resuming her customary razor-sharpness.

Shaun replied, sneaking a glance at her that Dani caught, "So you're saying that this Soyo man is definitely hiding something and you think there's a parallel operation someplace in the woods."

Then, she threw the towel to the side while grinning and paused for a little while with her hands in her hair. Dani felt as like she and Shaun were more involved in an awkward flirting game than anything else since they were in the middle of preparing her report for The Firm, with one other operative having to be present whenever possible.

Her skin remained a little bit too shiny and her body language much too inviting for this to be strictly business, and he kept giving her those stares that might pass for a blasted mating call. She was powerless to stop. She attempted to rationally justify it by claiming that it was because she hadn't touched another body in months, but emotionally she knew she was lying.

Dani yearned for him. She was so close to tasting how his skin would feel on her mouth. She had been engulfed in a continual pool of need ever since she had first seen him in the automobile. It was absurd and so hot that it started to cloud her judgment.

"Yes, I would suppose so. Every two weeks, the camp is cycled, but I continued seeing that Soyo leaves the camp with one or two guards every three days and doesn't come back till the next day. From what I could determine, they were always moving in the same direction, too, regardless of where the camp was.”

After spending more than an hour drafting the lengthy paragraph, Shaun nodded as he read it. Dani exhaled in relief when he finally appeared happy with it and closed the file, the screen's blueish brightness briefly flickering across his shirt. Not just because she was relieved it was finished, but also because it may give her a better understanding of the mind of the man she was currently smitten with.

You are only acting like that because you are horny. She chastised herself to stop.

She had her doubts that it would be that simple.

Shaun slammed the laptop down and got to his feet, giving Dani a wonderful view of his muscular, lithe figure as he marched across the room. He placed the Laptop on a metal shelf and then carried his bulky sniper rifle case across the room. Even when he realized she was observing him, she didn't break her stare; instead, she only added a mischievous smirk.

As he once again sat down on the bunk next to hers, the corners of his lips twitched upward and he slightly shook his head. Despite the fact that it felt like miles separated them, the gap between them was just a few feet. Shaun quickly got to work after opening the case, assembling the massive gun with such speed and ease that his movements were practically a blur.

When did you start using a sniper rifle?

"Do you talk about work?" she questioned, noticing that her throat was beginning to feel a little dry.

Without taking his eyes off his work, he remarked, "Nearly 10 years now."

"Explain why you left the military. I take it that you were also a SEAL? ”

"Why did you?" He questioned, casting an indiscernible glance her her.

It heightened her desire to learn everything.

"I asked you first," she remarked, her tone amused.

"What is this, elementary school?" He grunted, his brow furrowed.

He had a powerful jaw, and the little sweep of his Roman nose was curiously seductive. But his hands were far more enticing. Dani crossed her knees, straining her thigh muscles, while he maneuvered with exquisite precision, muscles tensing and knotting as he constructed the weapon. Watching him work was as sexy as hell. She's sure doing something more enjoyable with him would be much better.

The pause lingered between them and she finally gave in. Her pride wasn’t important enough to let the conversation lull.

“I left because I couldn’t watch friends die anymore,” she admitted.

That afforded her a nod, his lips getting thin. It wasn’t a simple reaction. She could see his shoulders hunch a little and a wave of recognition coil through his body, almost like an invisible hand squeezing around him before releasing. Whatever it was that made him respond that way, Dani could recognize repressed pain when she saw it.

I wonder what he’s hiding…

“Your turn.”

“I left because it wasn’t home anymore,” he said.

“Do you have a home now?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her eyes went to his ring finger, confirming for the fifteenth time that hour that there wasn’t a band there, or even a shadow of one, a tan line, anything. As much as she was intrigued by him, she would have never made a move on a married guy. Something in her stilled for the time it took for him to shake his head, adamantly hoping that he was going to say no.

“I have my brothers now,” he offered, pulling the rifle to his shoulder and leaning forward to look through the scope before lowering it, satisfied with it.

“But they’re the same kind of guys that were in the service, aren’t they?” she asked, slightly confused by his answer.

Shaun’s hands stopped, those strong, powerful fingers pausing on the smooth metal, and Dani could feel the lump in her throat get a tad tighter. She wished badly that his hands were on hers, and her jaguar purred at the thought. All of it was positively ridiculous, because she was never the kind of woman to lose her cool over a man. But Shaun? Hell, he seemed like he was worth it.

“They’re not. All of these guys, they’ve lost something. A part of themselves, mostly,” he said, training his eyes on Dani and making her world focus intensely on him while he spoke. “They’re my brothers. I’ve had others, but they’re no more. So I guess my reason is the same as yours,” he finished, the sternness of his expression lingering, brooding.

“But you could lose them again,” she said, wishing she could tell herself to shut up, but impressively failing at it.

“I could,” he agreed, smirking dryly. “But a man fights harder than anything for his family.”

The lump in her throat relaxed and she could swallow it down. The fact that he was so passionate about those he loved really resonated with her, and a big part of her got very busy pondering what kind of a partner he would be. Would he be a good father? Would he devote himself to his family like he did his crew? The answer seemed to be a resounding yes, but why she started wondering about it was a mystery Dani didn’t quite want to unravel.

Those gray-blue eyes seemed to consider her for a moment too long, rolling over her in more than simple casual interest. She’d caught him looking several times, but he had kept his tone neutral, his words careful around her since their little flirting after her identity was revealed.

A mischievous thought ran through her mind, egging her on. Maybe she could make the unflappable soldier play again…

“Can I try it?” she asked, pointing at the rifle.

That caught him off guard.

“Why?” he asked, an automatic reaction.

“I’ve never held a real sniper rifle before. Assault rifles for me, mostly. Never had the sureness of hand, I guess. I’d like to know what one feels like,” she said.

“It’s heavy,” he warned, indecision evident in his voice.

“I won’t break,” she purred, catching herself when she heard the flirty tone, but not apologizing for it.

He smirked, shaking his head with mild amusement. At least it was working. He stood up, taking the rifle in his hands, and Dani scrambled to her feet as well. He gave the gun to her and he hadn’t been kidding, that thing was heavy as hell. Dani sucked in a breath through clenched teeth as she hauled it up to her shoulder, pressing the butt against the muscle firmly while her hands gripped it with expertise that couldn’t be forgotten once learned.

Shaun slipped behind her and she had to catch herself from yelping when she felt his strong hands around her and the heat rising from his chest and body licking around her back and ass. It was all she could do to keep from rubbing up against him. He adjusted her grip slightly and that same electricity whirred through her again that she’d felt when they’d touched in the car, and she almost dropped the rifle.

He secured her hands around the heavy gun, his chest against her back now. Leaning forward to press her eye to the scope, she felt his hot breath on her neck as he spoke into her ear, his voice low, growly.

“You need to lean into it, but be ready for it. The kickback’s like getting hit in the shoulder by a mule. It’s the hardest, rawest thing you’ll ever feel,” he whispered, and she was more than sure that he was talking about more than just the gun.

“I can handle it,” she said, her body vibrating with need against him.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his massive hands now sliding down from the gun, around and tracing down her arms.

Dani bit down on her lip so hard she was afraid she’d draw blood. But she couldn’t taste the telltale tang of copper in her mouth, despite the slight hum in her ears and the very familiar feeling of adrenaline starting to snake through her veins again.

She could tell herself that it was the battle, the hormones still riding high. She could even try to convince herself that it could have been anyone, and that Shaun was at the right place at the right time. She could try. But she would be wrong.

“Yes,” she said, pulling back from the scope slowly, tilting her head to the side only slightly.

His lips were right there, inviting, delicious. He grabbed the rifle from her, holding it up while she looked into his eyes, feeling a bit like a deer getting stared down by a wolf, even though she was supposed to be the hunter here.

“Good,” he said finally, with almost an eon passing between her words and his in Dani’s mind.

Then, he crushed his lips to hers and she moaned into him readily, parting her lips and letting his tongue lash into her mouth. It was like kissing fire, so brutal that it burned wherever it touched her, but so hot that she couldn’t tear herself away. Her whole universe spun around on itself, changing and tipping, and she was gladly falling right along with it.

But a part of her was beginning to wonder if she really could handle it.

C H A P T E R E I G H T - - - D A N I E L L A

Shaun entirely removed the gun from Daniella's hands and laid it down on the bunk, leaving it there. Daniella hardly noticed it at the time. She received the impression that he had never just casually abandoned his pistol in that manner or been too distracted to take attention to his tools.

She almost pulled herself up and closer to him as her body pivoted to face him and her hands around his neck. As his hands gripped her ass and dragged her into his arms, Dani had to hold back a giggle as he snarled into the kiss. Everything trembled in reaction to the deep sound, which flowed through her like a strong current.

His waist was encircled by her legs as he shoved her back against the concrete wall, the chilly surface shivering against her slippery, moist flesh. She was lowering her chin into Shaun's hand as he held her head motionless and violated her mouth, and she enjoyed every second of it. She mewled into the crushing, violent kiss, all raw passion and want, as her claws scraped at his strong neck, making him grunt.

He rasped, "Fucking hell, you're so hot," while moving his other hand up her side and massaging her tits to make her bounce against him.

Dani couldn't get enough of him and felt like she was drowning in her juices. Shaun merely leaned back a little to rip off his shirt as her hands pulled at it, urging him to do so. His mouth was back on hers immediately after, claiming it as if it belonged to him and him alone.

In answer, she remarked, "You're not too bad yourself," which elicited another strangled hiss from him.

Without showing even the slightest sign of tenderness, Shaun spun around and tossed her down on her little bunk. She desired it just that way. By the time he had finished taking off his belt buckle, she had kicked off her loosely fastened boots, giving her the opportunity to properly appreciate his physique.

He had a robust, sturdy build like a wall. His physique was made up of tight, gleaming creases and dips, thick, bulging muscles, and almost no fat. His shoulders were very broad, which made up for his narrow hips even more. His eyes were flaming, and his chest rose and fell quickly.

Her stare, which she could see flashing with the gold of his beast, must have been doing the same thing as the large cat clawed at her, pleading to be let out, she realized. But at this moment, she preferred having his body to herself.

He started ripping off her tank top and unhooking her bra in a move that was almost solid, so she put her fingers to his zipper and unfastened it. When her clothes were stripped off, she didn't feel shy, the desire to hide herself, or the urge to know what he actually thought of her body. He had it all painted on him, as obvious and unambiguous as the rules of nature. He throbbed for her, wanting her as much as she did.

As soon as she saw Dani's thick, lengthy cock break free, she groaned breathlessly and started drooling. He had pushed down his boxers and camo trousers just enough. His fingers tangled in her long hair as he smirked and made fists in it. She felt the barely contained want to take more of him as soon as he could overtake her, but he didn't push her toward him. Then, sucking every last bit of pre-cum, her tongue skimmed over the velvety head of his cock.

It was scrumptious. She almost sobbed as she widened her mouth and drew him in very slowly. As soon as she could, she wanted him completely inside of her, but she also wanted to take her time with it. to savor this opportunity, which had come her her after months of preparing, stressing, and overanalyzing everything she did. that she wouldn't have to worry and could follow her desires without worrying about the repercussions.

Shaun was so enormous that she was afraid he would tear her in two. She struggled to get him in her mouth and kissed him while seeing some of his spit drop over his palm and grab the base of his cock with his free hand. He eased gently and comfortably into her mouth, giving her time to get used to the sensation of him in her mouth and throat. He stopped moving slowly though as her claws bit into his thighs and she almost dragged him onto her.

Shaun pushed into her lips with a groan, plunging deep into her throat. Dani rolled her eyes back in glee, giggling slightly but savoring every moment. He continued to do it, driving himself deeper into her as she gasped and spat around him, seeking more. Wide veins pressing against her tongue and hefty balls straining to unload into her let her feel his pulse in her lips.

He hissed and jerked away from her as though she had stung him when she sucked on him, creating a vacuum with her mouth. Dani raised her head, her reddened lips parted.

She pleaded with him, shocked to hear a real appeal in there, "Don't stop."

She didn't make any requests. She was prepared to get on her hands and knees for Shaun, though, if it meant getting more.

She was, however, ready to go on her knees for Shaun if it meant getting more from him.

He stated in a gruff, direct voice, "I want all of you.

Dani struggled with the belt when he took down his trousers on her, but she didn't make much progress until Shaun's body fell on her and his hands assisted where hers failed. She immediately opened her legs for him as he took off her underwear and pants, enjoying the way his eyes lit up as he gazed at her dripping sex and her voluptuous figure laid out for him like a feast.

She said "Fuck me," which was equally a plea and a demand.

Shaun responded, grinning cruelly, "Ask me politely," as he lowered himself and stroked his tongue up the length of her leg, moving ever-closer to her crotch.

She shivered, her body responding furiously to him, her back arching and her hips thrusting. Dani wanted to place her hands in his short hair, but he wouldn't let her, gently swiping her hands away while he did the same to her other thigh, driving her insane with need.

"I said ask me gently, baby," he hissed, and the sound alone made her whimper.

How could she beg for anything when she couldn't even speak?

"I..." she faltered, her thighs shaking despite the fact that she'd just had a taste of him thus far. "Please, Shaun. Please fuck me, please," she pleaded, feeling something crack in her that she was relieved to see shatter.

She may have been willing to reveal a more vulnerable aspect of herself for the first time ever since she trusted them so much. The person in authority and on top always needed to be the one winning and not always on guard. It took everything she had to resist bolting up and running away as soon as the words had left her mouth since she was giving herself up with her heart on a sleeve.

She was steadied and pressed down on the bed by Shaun, who placed his hands on her hips. While his tongue lapped and laved around her clit, he buried his face in her pussy, making her groan. In contrast to the violent, jagged way he had previously fucked her mouth, this time he ate her out slowly and sensually while her body twisted beneath him. Shaun reached up, put a hand over her mouth, and let her to shriek into his palm as a long howl released from her mouth as he sucked her clit between his enraging lips.

As he snaked up her body and let his cock to brush against her slit, he grinned and murmured, "Shh, baby." When he plunged inside her, Dani absolutely believed him when he said, "We're only getting started."

As he gently filled her up by splitting her in half around his cock, her claws sank into his large, strong biceps. By making his thrusts gradual and keeping his hand on her mouth while he sank into her inch by inch, he gave her time to become used to him. By the time he slipped his entire length inside her and bottomed out, her body pressed rigidly against him.

He pulled his hand off Dani's mouth and placed his lips in its place as she gasped for air. While dragging him into her, she inhaled him as her hands slipped around his chest and began to grind against her. His body was quivering indescribably, and she could tell he was just as nervous as she was.

They had a passionate kiss that matched the intensity of their fucking. She was forced to pay attention to everything that was happening, to each instant and sensation, as if she knew she would want to remember this for the rest of her life. Before her nails sank into him and scraped at his wonderful ass, her palms were flat against his buttocks, drawing him even closer to her as he dove in and out of her.

The tremendous yearning she had been experiencing ever since their first contact had turned into an inferno that was obliterating everything in its path. Desire so raw it left no room for anything else to engulf her, her core throbbed and pumped.

Between feverish kisses, she exhaled, "Fucking hell, Shaun," her fangs nibbling at his lips. "Don't you fucking dare stop!"

He vowed, perspiration pouring on his body, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Dani gasped for air as Shaun seized her lower lip between his lips and chewed on it, slowing down his strokes to an almost excruciating grind. However, he wouldn't give up and simply gave her more motivation, so when he kissed her again, she completely fell in.

Her body buckled as the orgasm erupted through her, whipping her head back and twitching frantically under him. Her nails must have been digging into Shaun so forcefully that she was unquestionably leaving scars because there was a violent and hardly restrained snarl coming from the back of her neck. The only thing that counted at that specific moment, though, was how they felt, thus none of it mattered.

She scratched Shaun's back with her nails while crying into his shoulder. Shaun roared, and his thrusts quickened once more until he was brutally smashing into her. Dani threatened to be entirely destroyed by her climax as she grabbed on for dear life while biting down on his neck and ripping her teeth into the skin. Every cell in her body was painfully aware of Shaun and the unparalleled pleasure he was giving her, and she could see stars behind her eyes.

His cock was squeezed between her pussy's lips as she teased, milked, and demanded that he give in to her peak as well. His waist was encircled by her legs, drawing him into her and engulfing him in her warmth. Dani smiled widely as Shaun let out a deep, booming roar that seemed to rock the environment around her.

When he exploded into her, she sensed that his movements were becoming more jerky and thought she might almost start sobbing. Her wobbling, heaving, and little frenzied state were caused by the intensity of what was the closest thing to a spiritual experience she had ever had.

Shaun's scent was so overpowering that she felt as though she had taken a bath in him, and they were both saturated in perspiration. Dani gently licked along Shaun's neck, enjoying the way he shook as she got close to the area behind his ear, causing him to complain once again and eventually move away from her. He took a moment to wait before kissing her and grinning at her with a mixture of passion and tenderness. She immediately missed him when he left her after pulling away.

They both fit on the cot, Dani curled in Shaun's arms, their bodies so close that there was barely enough room for air between them. Her back was to his chest, and his heart's powerful, regular beats were so calming. On what seemed like the first time since she'd left New York for this assignment, she felt her eyelids becoming heavy and her body relaxing.

"That was..." she began after a time, unable to find words to convey how she felt.

But how can one define perfection?

"Yeah," he acknowledged, smiling at her hesitancy and inability to articulate what they had gone through. "You got ta make sure I can locate you when I get away from this hellhole. I'm not sure I'm done with you."

Those words slashed straight through her. Dani's teeth chewed on the inside of her cheek when she realized she'd have to leave the forest the next day and return to the base for her debriefing. Dani had totally forgotten that this was intended to be a bit of fun, something to blow off steam, between taking up his gun and ending up in bed with him.

She was tying herself in knots in an effort to keep in mind that she had only just met this man and had no prior knowledge of him other than the fact that he was both scary and seductive—the ideal combo.

She leaned back against him once more and gave him a feeble grin as she vowed, "I'll try," blocking out the grim prospect of their future together.

She could take in this moment for what it was for the time being. Be damned tomorrow.

C H A P T E R N I N E - - - - S H A U N

Shaun Thompson was many things, but he was not a calm person.

He genuinely hadn't thought of himself as a man with a bad attitude. If anything, he had been darn near stoic for the majority of his life, a quality that was frequently used against him rather than in his favor. But those who knew him well were well aware that a predator who was difficult to contain and much harder to tame erupted behind that strong, calm facade.

Two the fact that he had become increasingly worse over the previous year or so was something he assumed no one should have noticed, but his assumptions were clearly incorrect. He should have known this when he lifted himself up from the sidewalk, dusting off his leather jacket.

"What the heck was it for?" he demanded, broadening his arms as he glanced at Jordan and Mitch, who were standing like bouncers in front of the entrance.

Shaun could see the fallen tables and shattered glasses from the altercation behind them, as well as some unlucky drunk massaging his presumably dislocated jaw while Jerome tried to smooth things up with him. At a venue named The Dive, a man should have anticipated to get hit if he wasn't careful about what he said to whom, right?

"Shaun, stop it. Go walk it off," Jordan remarked, sharing a look with his twin and receiving a nod of understanding.

Deep gashes that were left over from the injuries Jordan sustained in that unnamed jungle more than a year ago could still be seen on his right hand. Shaun was unable to avoid that hand or the emotions it brought up each time he turned to face his friend and squadmate.

She was a vision, an apparition that, for all Shaun knew at this point, could have been a ghost. Dani's dark hair, which fell down to her shoulders, the hawk-like expression on her face as she glanced over her shoulder, and her green eyes, which were ablaze with an unidentifiable emotion, all stood out. Since that assignment, he hadn't seen her, and if he had stopped to reflect, he probably would have understood that his nasty attitude could have had more to do with that fact than he liked to acknowledge.

Why do you think I should walk it off? He absolutely called us "sissies"! He insulted all we stand for," Shaun said, his ire building like a tsunami.

"He's inebriated. You're definitely inebriated. It's the middle of the day, man, just chill. We don't need any additional problems around here. Wasn't Negros City enough? " Mitch inquired, cocking his brow.

Shaun huffed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Negros City felt like a billions of years ago, although it had only been less than two weeks since they'd remained holed up in that sorry excuse for a province, and Shaun had ended up wrecking a bar due to an unfortunate mix of too much scotch and a bad temper. Jerome had sat him down after it and told him flatly that if he didn't shape up, he'd be on an extended leave from Squad Six.

Shaun, on the other hand, was skeptical. Shaun began to doubt his views after seeing Jerome kneeling next to the injured prick, his face distorted in a sympathy and wrath grimace. He opened his mouth to say something else to the cougar twins, but then grumbled and waved them away as he wheeled around and went away.

"Fuck you guys as well. "Don't expect pity from me the next time you get into this kind of mess," he yelled over his shoulder as he crossed the street, hands thrust into his pockets.

He didn't turn around, but he didn't have to since he knew the twins would be keeping an eye on him as long as he was still on the street before they went back to the pub and contributed to bringing things under control. People trying to calm Shaun's raging irritability has been happening a lot lately, to no avail. It almost succeeded.

Missions were the only thing keeping him alive and well at this time. He seemed to be able to focus only when he had his gun in hand, was holed up in a nest, and was watching for someone to utterly screw up. One of the only possible explanations for why Jerome continued to put up with this nonsense from him was the fact that his performance hadn't decreased.

Shaun thought grimly, "Not like he was much better back when things went to shit with Libby." But that notion had to be quickly dismissed. If it wasn't, he'd be confessing that there was something more to his actions right now. Something like to, instance, love for one's partner. And it was ridiculous, right?

You don't even know who she is. It was just one night. Shaun repeated to himself, "Get the fuck over her," the same words he'd told himself over and over and fucking over again.

They didn't appear to stick very well, though.

Without regard for his destination, he moved quickly down the street. He took a moment to consider where in hell he was going and what he was going to do when he reached a bus stop. The choice to go back to base was there, dangling in front of him like a carrot, promising further conflict with superiors and the potential for receiving a severe rebuke from Hemingway or someone of a same quality. At that moment, especially with alcohol in his system, he wasn't really interested in it.

He at least maintained his ability to choose well.

Jerome pursed his lips as he squinted his eyes up at the sun. He fished his phone from his pocket, checking the time and seeing whether he had any messages. Nothing.

Why the fuck hasn't Carter come back to me yet, he pondered, loving the chance to think about something other than the fact that his mind was absolutely screwed up right now.

His hesitation came to an end when a bus appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Shaun logged on after verifying the line number. He settled onto one of the cramped seats after paying the fee. He slouched against the glass of the largely empty bus, one hand up for support, and watched the drab, filthy streets of Negros City pass past.

The fact that Squad Six was in Negros City wasn't a coincidence. It was one of The Firm's four primary hubs and served as the operational hub for many of its operations that went farther south. They probably had to make another excursion to the magnificent depths of the jungles and distant locations to take out one viper's nest after another since they were here right now.

The fact that Squad Six was in Ilocos wasn't a coincidence. It was one of The Firm's four primary hubs and served as the operational hub for many of its operations that went farther south. They probably had to make another excursion to the magnificent depths of the jungles and distant locations to take out one viper's nest after another since they were here right now.

The fact that no one in their right mind would be caught dead going to Ilocos today added to the region's allure. That was the reason The Firm maintained such a constant presence, although secretly. It's challenging to find a group that visits all the locations where nobody else wants to be. like, Ilocos, maybe.

That happiness, however, was short-lived because when he arrived back in the United States a few weeks later, he learned that Daniella Gutierrez had left the group and performed a disappearing performance so brilliant that Houdini ought to have been studying it.

She had entirely disappeared, and Shaun couldn't help but take it personally even though he knew better. It had, in a sense, destroyed him.

This is why you don't get connected, he told himself, repeating a phrase that had been ingrained in him for some time but had never really seemed to benefit him.

About forty minutes later, at a station that was much worse than the one he had boarded, he finally came to an end. He gave the area a quick glance in both directions before shoving his hands back into his pockets and walking ominously down the street. He couldn't tell which street he was searching for because they all seemed the same to him, but once he did, it wasn't difficult to locate the building.

It was a tall, dilapidated brick structure. Shaun didn't really care that the windows were mostly smashed or that the children playing ball out front may have benefited from a supper and a bath. He entered, keeping his eyes and ears open as he climbed the stairs in search of an apartment in block 12.

It was the final apartment on the right-hand side of the third level. As he passed the other doors, some of which had definitely been broken into, he noticed a guy tearing something out of a brown paper bag in one apartment, his face distorted with the strain of the issues of the world. At the very least, Shaun might surmise how he felt.

He tapped the door once and then again before slamming it so forcefully with his fist that he worried it would fall off its hinges. Although he continued to bang on the door, it finally creaked open and let him inside the flat. He grumbled and waited a while at the door before entering.

“Carter?" He yelled, craned his neck to scan the cramped space. He said, "It's Uncle Shaun," the word "uncle" sounding insulting in his ears.

However, Carter wasn't there, and it appeared that he hadn't been for some time. As Shaun shut the door behind him, he noticed empty pizza boxes and traces of life that hadn't been stirred in a while. Carter seemed like he always did: a little bit careless, a little bit impetuous, and a lot dirty. There was an open magazine on the end table near the bed, soiled linens, and garments scattered all over the floor. similar to his father in many ways.

Shaun systematically walked into the little flat, his lips thinning into a harsh line. Only a bedroom-kitchen and a small bathroom with a misaligned shower were there. Carter hadn't been home for a long, and it didn't take much to recognize that.

Shaun sat down on the bed and looked through the automobile magazine that was still on the stand, wondering what the heck he had gotten himself into this time.

Only 19 years old, Carter Taylor was. He was the son of Lieutenant Marcus Taylor, who served with Shaun on his second and third tours in Afghanistan and was one of his closest friends. Marcus Thompson, often known as "Syke" by his friends and blood brothers, was one of the roughest bastards Shaun had the pleasure of knowing. He had a smile on his face and a tongue that was always cracking horribly cringeworthy jokes.

A weretiger named Syke had probably rescued each member of his squad at least once. He repeatedly yanked the people with worse luck out of harm's way. He was the sort of man that the younger population looked up to and desired to be since he was a veteran with more tours than most of the other guys in his unit. Therefore, it had been a blow to everyone when Syke passed away while he was pulling Shaun out of the field after he had been hit in the leg, precisely around that blasted knee where he would later receive another shot.

Shaun felt accountable on a personal level. When Syke was in his arms bleeding out from a chest wound that was already plainly deadly before they tore apart the vest and uniform covering it to allow the medic a chance to see if there was anything they could do for him, he had stated as much. Additionally, Syke had instructed him to stop talking and maintain his composure because it was what needed to be done.

Shaun's only request from Syke was that he watch over his child. No matter how nuts in the head he was at the time, Shaun had every intention of honouring his vow. In order to be closer to Carter, Shaun had left active service as soon as he could after Syke's passing, albeit that wasn't the only reason. Carter, who at the time was fourteen and still naive, worshipped his father for good reason. A few years before, breast cancer had claimed the life of his mother.

Shaun and Carter were a strange pair. They were both fighting to find motivation to carry on because they didn't have anybody else in their lives.Carter was destined to live with his aunt and uncle following Syke's passing, so Shaun would see him whenever he could. When Carter turned eighteen, it seemed as though he had made up his mind about the world and wanted to join the Marines to follow in his father's footsteps.

To be completely honest, Shaun wasn't sure whether keeping him away from it was really a smart idea. It had taken far too much tequila and many chats to get him to change his mind. However, he had sensed something was off when he had voluntarily relocated to Negros City and texted Shaun about it rather than phoning.

He had started returning Shaun's calls, which furthered that conclusion. Shaun was aware that something was awry as he sat in that dilapidated small apartment in the center of one of the poorest districts in Negros City.

He got to his feet, making unconscious fists out of his hands. For once, Shaun wasn't the source of the problem. Instead, there was something wrong.

I must track him down.

Thankfully, Shaun had discovered the one thing that would enable him to avoid thinking about Dani for longer than an hour or so. He detested the idea that it had to be this way nevertheless.