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Ray groaned from the floor, dragging himself upright.
“Fuck you,” he wheezed at Brawler.
Beast lunged again.
Ray screamed and took off running through the pit, across the floor, straight toward the exit as Beast chased like a demon loosed from hell, snapping at his flabby ass, connecting a couple of times, while Ray shrieked and tried to cover it.
People started cheering. Phones went up. Someone yelled, “Hell yeah, K-9!”
The SEALs couldn’t stop laughing.
“Let him run,” Twister said. “Hell, give him a head start.”
Beast finally returned, trotting back proudly like he’d just won a medal.
Brawler rose, pulled Toby close, and looked at the rest of his team.
“I owe you guys.”
“You owe us a beer,” Flash said. “Maybe a plate of ribs.”
“You’re bringing Toby next time,” Dagger added, deadly serious. “You’re not hiding your heart anymore. That kid’s one of us now.”
Outside, the Vegas night was still bright, the strip pulsing behind them like a heartbeat.
But Brawler feltclear. His brother was safe. His team was family. The next chapter was already in motion.What happens in Vegas?gets you a SEAL, a dog, and a war.
The small,crowded room smelled faintly of old wood and fresh coffee. Folding chairs creaked under the weight of loved ones, strangers, survivors.
Quinn stood just inside the doorway, the chip would soon be hers. Her hands trembled. Six months carved into her bones. She’d taken a short vacation from the embassy project for this. It was too important not to attend.
But she wasn’t ready. Not yet. Not until she made it right.
Her eyes swept the room, past her parents and Dagger’s, past the twin boys fidgeting in their too-small suits, to the back row, where they stood like sentinels.
The team.
Her eyes burned.
They had every right not to come.
She had blamed them. Hated them. Cast them as the ghosts who brought her husband home in a flag-draped coffin. Still… they came. Stood beside Dagger through every storm. Protected her in Caracas. Kept her boys safe.Stayed.
One by one, she crossed the room.
She stopped in front of Easy first. His midnight-blue eyes met hers, calm and unreadable.
“I’m sorry,” she said, voice soft but steady. “I took my grief out on you. I never once asked what you lost. Thank you… for standing by him.”
He gave a small nod. “He’s our brother,” he said. “So are those boys.”
She hugged him, and he didn’t hesitate, folded his arms around her like they’d known each other a lifetime instead of a war zone.
Next came Shark, who stood a little straighter when she approached. “You watched over all of us. Your comms saved lives. Thank you for protecting him. For never throwing my words back in my face, even when I deserved it.”
Shark blinked hard and muttered, “Hell, now I feel bad for all the times I called you scary behind your back.”
She laughed wetly and hugged him, holding tight.