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“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I have armor for you to wear. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Right beside you.”

I nodded.

He led me over to an open crate, then helped me strap the armor on. I’d seen my parents’ old armor. It used to be bulkier, and theirs was covered in scratches and dings from countless fights. I was the daughter of Claudia and Shaw Baird. I could do this, just like they had, hundreds of times.

Jameson took my hand. “Ready?”

I lifted my chin. “Let’s do this.”

He held out his palm. There was a small device resting on it. “Earpiece. You’ll be in constant contact with me, the squad, and Sasha.”

I carefully slipped it into my ear and he checked it. His fingers brushed along the shell of my ear.

We walked off the dam wall toward the Talon parked on the grass. Sunlight gleamed off the gray metal. Colbie was doing her preflight checks and waved.

Kai, North, and the twins were already in their armor. God, they were something to look at. Tough and sexy as hell.

Not quite as tough and sexy as my man.

My man. I controlled my inner jolt.

“All right.” Marc smiled. “We’re ready to rock and roll and kick some monster ass.”

“You’re about to dangle from the Talon over a killer monster,” I said dryly.

He winked. “Fun, right?”

I shook my head.

“All right, Hunter Squad,” Jameson said. “Let’s move out.”

He helped me aboard the Talon. It had a large central area, with several rows of seats. There was a large turret at the back where an operator could sit.

Colbie climbed into the cockpit at the front and pulled a helmet over her head. She started humming as she swiped the control panel and flicked switches. The engines started. The others all sat in their seats, joking around.

I tried to take some calming breaths. Jameson sat across from me and squeezed my knee.

“Hold on, everyone,” Colbie called back.

The Talon lifted off and my belly swooped. Normally, I liked to fly. I looked out the window at the trees, and smiled.

Then, the dam came into view. It looked big from up here. My gaze shifted to the forest, green and vital, and the dark water, stretching all the way south. I straightened in my seat. This project was important. People needed this water. If we wanted to grow and expand, we had to succeed in killing this monster.

We were going to do this.

“Release the bait,” Colbie said.

“Funny, little sparrow.” Marc checked his harness and where he was attached to the rappel cord.

Jameson slid the side door open.

“Be careful,” Zeke told his brother.

Marc clasped his brother’s arm. “Always.”

“No, you’re not,” Zeke said.

“More like never,” Colbie added from the cockpit.