Page 16

Now I had to battle against that scar on my ass, and every step and every movement reminded me of how much my body was broken.
My only saving grace was that my scars could be hidden by a t-shirt and shorts. People didn't stare at me in sympathy or curiosity when they couldn't see them.
Shoving aside the self-pity bullshit, I jumped into the cold shower and scrubbed off the anger and frustration that threatened to consume me.
Thank Christ I was now part of Team Eagle. Having the camaraderie of my fellow ex-SEALs and the adrenaline rush of our new missions kept me going.
Grabbing a cold beer from the fridge, I headed to the porch.
The sun was sinking into the horizon, spitting golden-red hues across the sky. My one-eyed rescue dog, Luna, bounded onto the porch so fast her feet skidded all over the smooth timber. She wagged her tail and looked at me with her big brown eye, begging me to invite her onto her chair.
“Up.” I patted the cushion beside me, and she jumped up, spun around three times, and sat looking out across our backyard like she owned the place.
“Hey, girl.” I ruffled the fur on her head. “Another day, another dollar, huh?”
Luna cocked her head to the side, her one eye focused on me as if she truly understood every word.
Our bond had grown strong since I'd rescued her from the asshole who’d abused her so much she’d lost her eye. Thanks to my older brother, Preston, who had arrested that asshole for animal cruelty, Luna’s previous owner had learned just how cruel humans could be during his six months in jail.
“I sold Conan today.” I took a swig of my beer, enjoying the crisp, cold taste as it washed away the bitter memories of earlier.
Luna rested her head on the back of my hand.
“I know. I liked Conan too. But he’ll be doing the job he’s trained for.”
Unlike me. The job I’d trained for could only be performed by elite soldiers in peak physical form.
Luna released a noise like she understood how much I yearned for my career.
“What?” I said before taking another sip of my beer.
She licked my hand. Luna didn't judge me for my scars or limitations. To her, I was a hero.
My phone buzzed and I pulled it from my pocket, but not recognizing the number on the screen, I tossed the phone onto the side table.
“It’s probably one of the assholes from today wanting to make an offer on Conan. Too late.” I patted Luna. “Right, girl? We don’t have time for pussies who can’t make decisions.”
She curled into a ball and released a massive sigh.
I sighed, too, and finished my beer. Maybe this life I’d created post Navy SEAL wasn’t so bad after all.
But if that was the case, why did I feel like there was a massive crater in my heart?
Out of the corner of my eye, the blinking message button on the phone wouldn’t go away. Whoever it was from didn’t share their number. I swiped to listen to the message.
“Hunter, it's Layla.”
My heart wrenched and I jerked forward, pitching the empty beer bottle across the deck.
“I'm in danger. Please, send help. I’m at a top-secret research lab in the Amazon jungle. Access is only by boat. Coordinates are -3.5002945124432516, -68.84761878654693.”
“Fuck!” I stormed inside, phone in hand, and pulled out a pen and paper from a drawer.
“Please, hurry, Hunter.”
My heart jammed in my throat at the fear in her voice.
“A native tribe attacked us but it’s not their fault. I’m tied up. My friend is unconscious, and my boss has disappeared. Cody and I need help. But please, I don’t want anybody killed because my—”