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“I thought about it, but I’d rather see the danger coming.”
She shoved the gate open, and they entered the yard. A baby swing drifted in the light breeze, and water toys gathered around a small plastic pool with a slide. Overgrown bushes shaded the windows. Ellie’s shoulders were tight as she pressed her finger to a pad on the back door and the locks snicked open.
Daniel checked over his shoulder once again. No one was there, but the feeling of being watched lingered. He pressed the Talk button on his cell phone. “Entering the house.”
“10-4.” Ranger Jackson Barker’s response was immediate. He was the lead for this operation. “We’ve got your back.”
The steady confidence in Jackson's voice was reassuring.It was only a few weeks ago that Jackson’s life was put in danger during another case. Thankfully, both he—and his now-fiancée, Piper—came out of the ordeal in one piece. But if anyone could understand the nerves firing inside Daniel, it was his fellow ranger.
He dreaded the teasing that would accompany any meeting after this mission. Chances were, a member of the team had seen Daniel and Ellie kissing at the car. A mistake he shouldn’t have indulged in. The rangers in Company A had a tendency to fall in love with the women they protected, a pattern Daniel wasn’tdoing a good job of resisting. An honest conversation with Ellie about his shortcomings needed to happen, and soon, before things progressed any further.
Ellie pushed open the back door. Daniel entered the house behind her, carefully stepping over broken glass and scattered silverware. The place hadn’t been cleaned up since the break-in a few days ago. Drawers gaped open. The kitchen pantry was a wreck, and cabinet doors hung from the hinges. It smelled musty, even with the air-conditioning on.
Her gaze swept the space and her jaw tightened. Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll clean it up after this is all over. Between my pack of siblings and the sewing circle, this place will be good as new in a few hours.”
She nodded sharply, but her eyes were hard. Angry. “Let’s get this over with.”
Ellie led the way through the living room and into the hallway. The rest of the house was as bad as the kitchen. Pictures torn off walls. Furniture destroyed. Even Owen’s nursery hadn’t been spared. His tiny crib was broken in two places, jagged wood exposed like snapped bones, and little clothes were scattered across the floor. Stuffed animals had been ripped open. The sight of it churned Daniel’s stomach. As did the destruction in Ellie’s bedroom. The violation of her space ignited something primal inside him.
She didn’t deserve this. Any of it.
Ellie ignored the wreckage and crossed to the walk-in closet. Dropping to the floor, she shoved away ripped clothing and pried at the carpet’s edge. “I hid the bracelet here and nailed it down.”
“Let me.” Daniel moved past her and yanked at the corner, ripping the carpet up with brute force. Beneath it, tucked in a shallow cutout in the padding, was a plastic sleeve holding a diamond ring, a charm bracelet, and several papers.
His earpiece cracked.
“We’ve got movement.” Jackson’s voice was sharp and clipped.
Daniel tensed. His gaze snapped to Ellie even as his hand flew to the holster on his belt. He drew his handgun. Within seconds, she had done the same. He pressed the Talk button on his cell. “Status.”
Static.
Gunshots.
They came from the front of the house. Shouts followed. Daniel heard his colleagues give the command for the shooters to put down their weapons, but then chaos erupted as a chorus of sounds made it hard to hear what was happening. An unfamiliar voice echoed in his ear. “FBI! Put down your weapons!”
Ellie’s complexion was pale, her eyes round, but her jaw was set. She held her weapon in a steady two-handed grip.
Another round of gunfire. This time closer. The sharp crack of bullets splintering wood echoed through the house.
Adrenaline surged through his veins as Daniel’s training kicked in. “Move. Now.”
Ellie snatched the clear sleeve from its hiding place, and together, they darted out of the closet just as a fresh barrage of gunfire shattered windows in the living room. Heaven help them, were they surrounded? What was going on? Daniel tapped his earpiece. “Jackson, advise!”
Silence. Not even the buzzing letting him know the line was open.
The comms were down.
More shouting. A crash. The front door splintered as something heavy slammed against it repeatedly, each impact shaking the walls.
Daniel seized Ellie’s hand and raced across the bedroom. He threw open the window leading to the backyard and stuck his head outside. Clear. For the moment.
He waved Ellie forward. “You first.”
She pitched herself over the ledge and into the mulch below. Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall. As Daniel placed a hand on the windowsill, the bedroom door slammed against the wall.
Three masked men burst in.