Page 104 of Zorro

She turned toward him, gaze steady. He met it…barely.

His voice came rough. “It’s one thing to stand beside me through this. It’s another to walk in alone.”

“I won’t be alone,” she said evenly. “I’ve got one of the biggest, baddest SEAL teams covering my six.”

“Bree—” His voice faltered, just enough to show the crack. “What if they search you?”

Zorro couldn’t resist.

He leaned in slightly, lips twitching. “Hot pink bikini? It’ll be a miracle if they can even see straight once she walks in. Most women aren’t carrying at the beach.” He paused. “You know. Tactically.”

Bree smirked. “If they find my gun, I’ll just look at them with wide eyes and say, ‘Oops, did I pack my Glock? Oh, you know those pesky sharks.’”

“Yeah, then she’ll tell them, ‘While you’re rummaging in there, can you find my lip gloss?’”

Bree threw back her head and laughed. “I’m a hot pink weapon,” Bree said, like she was prepping for a beach shoot and a murder.

The men in the room shifted. Blitz muttered something foul under his breath.

Off to the side, Migs and Sanchez exchanged a look. Just a glance. Half a blink. No words at first. Then, as one, they murmured, “Os Americanos.”

Everyone in the room chuckled.

Migs looked at Zorro with an affectionate look on his face. “I hope this tactic makes it into our handbook.”

Bree grinned unfazed. “Let me know if you need help with the wording. Something like beach shoot, now with less sunscreen and more body count.”

Everyone cracked up. Even Joker’s mouth twitched.

Blitz exhaled like it hurt. His jaw flexed once. Twice. “Babe, you’re layers of terrifying.”

She leaned in. “Good. That’s how I know I’ve still got it.”

“Fucking SEAL babes,” D-Day muttered shaking his head. “Fearless SEAL babes.”

Suddenly shots sounded outside. Zorro strode to the window, parted the curtains. He saw people running, emergency personnel down in the street. “She’s picking off the first responders.”

“Snipe placements are likely elevated. She’ll want to control the perimeter,” Gator muttered. “That’s what I would do.”

Professor nodded. “We can map likely perch angles once we see where she's shooting from.” He fist-bumped Gator. “Yeah. We’ll run calculations,” Professor replied, his eyes flicking toward his CO. “We’ve got this, LT. She won’t miss. But neither will we.”

“Good, you two get geared up, armed, and send her and her friends to their maker.”

Gator hugged Izzy. “You be careful, my shadow.”

She smiled. “Always.”

Joker’s voice came low, final. “Then let’s make them sorry they ever walked into this hotel.”

Everly sat between Maritza and Julia, her back to the wall, heart still hammering from the stampede. The ballroom buzzed with panicked murmurs, the air thick with sweat, fear, and the sharp, metallic tang of adrenaline. Yet they were calm.

Maritza sat like a woman on a beach, not a battlefield. Julia’s hands were folded gently around a water bottle she hadn’t touched. Both of them were scanning, calculating, waiting…for rescue?

Everly narrowed her eyes. No. No, it can’t be. She turned toward them slowly, suspicion blooming. “Okay,” she said under her breath, “just to be clear…are you two, by any chance, married to SEALs?”

Julia blinked, startled. “Yes.”

Everly growled softly. “Of course you are.”