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I dug my feet in, flexed my hands, and waited as the fuckers raced toward me.

It was like a battle scene in Game of Thrones .

“A little closer.” I listened as the chopper got higher in the sky.

“Come on, come on.” My head lived for this shit.

“Bye-bye.” I hit the button, and fifty little metal bubbles shot into the air, and as soon as they were over the enemy, I fired them all off at the same time.

The sound would have been chilling if I were the target, but we were fighting good versus evil, and all bets were off.

“Fuck yeah!” Mark called into the radio. “It’s like the Fourth of July!”

Then silence took over, and I struggled to check for any Cartel that might have been spared. I felt nothing for their pain, only that these monsters were stopped, and my teams would come home in one piece with their mission complete.

Once I got word that they’d crossed the border, I dropped my head back and allowed myself to suck in a deep breath.

“Paul?” West, my second in command, said from behind me. “Would you like me to take over?”

“Yeah, I would.” I happily let go of the drone’s controllers and stepped out of the pod to stretch my back.

“Great job, sir.”

“Thanks, West. Let’s get her home.” I nodded toward the screen. The drone had been pre-programed to return to a post in Texas, and he would monitor it until it was safely back there.

It was my biggest accomplishment since I returned to Shadows over a year ago.

I spent countless hours making sure the drone was small enough to fly with our teams but large enough that it had incredible firing power.

It was silent, sleek, a real beauty. It would take an RPG to bring it down.

There were six cameras that covered all the angles, and each could rotate three hundred and sixty degrees.

The best part was the real-time communication I had with the teams while I flew it.

It allowed me to be with them where I belonged without exposing my identity to the enemy.

Basically, I conducted security from the sky.

I rubbed my tired eyes and looked at the time.

I had been in the pod for nearly thirteen hours.

I might not be able to show my face in Mexico anymore, as I’d been compromised, but I sure as hell had found a way to continue to fight alongside my brothers.

People might think my story ended, but really, it had just begun.

It was nearly five p.m. when I went upstairs to the main living room of the safehouse. I spotted Doc Roberts talking to his new hire, Dr. Bash Barella, as they were exiting the kitchen.

“Good evening, Paul, how was the mission?” Doc Roberts fixed his glasses on his nose.

“All good, everyone’s fine.” I looked at Dr. Bash and changed the subject. “I hear you’re adjusting pretty well.”

“Slowly but surely, I am.”

Bash was born and raised in Italy and had come to the US to attend medical college then made his way to Washington.

Frank highly recommended him to Daniel, and Cole soon approved him to come work at Shadows.

For the most part, he seemed nice, but he was careful to keep his personal life far from us.

That might work in a different situation, but at Shadows, if you wanted people to trust you, you needed to get to know us on a personal level.

That would mean sharing, and it was something Doc Roberts did very well.

New guy still had a way to go before he’d find his place here.

“The guys and I will be doing a run up the mountain tomorrow. Would you like to join us?” I knew the answer before I asked, but I figured I had to show I was willing to try for the sake of the house.

Bash pushed his long, thick, shaggy, black hair behind his ear as my words sank in. He always waited a beat before he’d speak. “I don’t think I’m available, but perhaps another time.”

“Perhaps.” I shot Doc Roberts a look, and he seemed to read my mind. “Well, I need to find someone. The offer’s still there if you change your mind.”

“Thank you, Paul.” He shoved the sleeves of his black sweater up, and I hid my smile as I remembered what Cat had said about him.

‘He’s what I’d imagine Elio Capri’s therapist would look like.

’ She was right. He had a darkness to his eyes that I couldn’t quite place, but he’d been cleared to be here, so that counted for something.

“I’ll find you later,” Doc Roberts assured me before they left.

I spotted who I was looking for. Savannah was in her favorite spot by the fireplace with Scoot, the moody house cat.

He seemed to have love only for her. She often sat there whenever Cole was due to return from a mission.

Over the years, she’d found that a good book and a spot by the fireplace helped calm her nerves, but I knew she rarely read.

She secretly watched the window for headlights or news of the chopper.

We all had our ways of coping; that was hers.

“Oh, hi.” She perked up when she spotted me. “How was it?”

I rubbed my head as I sat down on the warm stones of the hearth. “Everyone’s fine,” I assured her. “Cole got clipped in the arm, but nothing too serious.” Her face slipped, but she caught herself and looked away. “They should be back any minute.”

“Uncle Paul!” Olivia came running into the room and sat down next to me, her big chocolate brown eyes beaming with excitement.

“I made some revisions to that tactical vest problem you were having. What about something like this?” She turned her notebook around, and I studied the drawing she’d made with colored pencil.

“It’s okay, Mom.” She held out a hand to Savannah.

“Dad gave me permission to help out Uncle Paul.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Savannah nodded, but I knew deep down inside she was nervous about how interested Livi had become in all things Blackstone. She had an inventive mind and loved nothing better than to come up with ideas.

“See, if we rotate this,” she pointed to a piece of the vest that protected the underarm, “that frees this little notch right there.”

I held the notebook closer to my face and looked at Savannah. “She’s good.”

“She is.” Savannah jumped to her feet when the headlights from the SUV lit up the room. “They’re here.”

As usual, when the teams arrived home from a mission, the families would all head outside to meet them. It was such a warm moment and one I’d always remember.

Shit, times like this, I remember how much I missed this place.

“Dad!” Reagan jumped in Keith’s arms while Cole’s youngest, Easton, wiggled his way through the crowd and body slammed into his stomach.

“Hey, big guy.” Cole winced and tousled his floppy hair. “We’re all here, safe and sound.”

I felt someone stand next to me. I would soon start to debrief the mission with the guys, but this had priority.

John’s wife Sloane chuckled. “I’ll step back if you want to hug John.”

I elbowed her in the side then playfully pushed by her and made a point to pull John in for a long hug.

“Miss me, did ya, big guy?” He laughed.

“So much.” I stroked his back and made Mike laugh.

“And now the hug is over.” He shoved me away and grabbed Sloane to pull her to him. “I got a stroke from Paul, so what do you have for me?”

She whispered something, and before anyone could remind him of the debrief in fifteen, they were gone.

“He’ll only need five.” Mark winked with a twin dangling from each of his arms. “Abby’s showing our guest his room. Would you mind…”

“No worries. I got you.” I pressed my fingers into one of the boys’ sides, making him buck with laughter.

“Uncle Paul!” Liam shrieked.

I dropped the little bugger upside down onto a stuffed chair next to the door.

I chuckled as I took two stairs at a time up the grand staircase to the top floor. I could hear Abigail’s voice, and her words became clear when she opened the door. “I know this is a lot, Benjamin, but I promise you’re safe now.”

“Yeah.” The man jumped back when I came in the room. “Sorry, and this isn’t my first time,” his hand landed on his chest. “Guess it doesn’t matter that I’m still a little rattled.” His eyes closed as he rubbed his shoulder and winced. “My body sure ain’t what it once was.”

“My apologies. I should’ve known better.

” I tried to put him at ease as I mentally kicked myself for not remembering how to behave around a house guest. “It’s been a while since,” I stumbled, “since I’ve been on house duty.

” This was a safe house, after all, and most of our ‘guests’ had been through a lot by the time they were brought here.

I gave him an apologetic smile and stayed a little back from him.

Abby gave me a warm smile and squeezed my arm.

“You were missed, and boy, it’s great to have you home,” she whispered as she gave me a hug.

She turned back to look at the man who had already seen too much.

“Benjamin Bale, this is Paul. He’s special ops and one of the men who helped you out in the field.

” She moved toward the door. “Benjamin, whatever you need, just let me or anyone know, and we’ll be happy to help. ”

“Wi-Fi?” he asked with a weak smile.

“Anything but that.” Abby chuckled. “NDA, remember.”

“You mean the encyclopedia I had to read and sign when we stopped over in Texas? The one that had the world’s biggest consequence if you breach the contact?

Yeah,” he tried another smile, “I remember. I’m fine.

I just needed that shower, and thanks to you, these clean clothes.

I could do with a hot meal.” He looked hopeful.

“That, I can help you with. There’s food on, and when you’re ready, I can bring it up here, or you can eat downstairs with the others.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “With people. I can’t take the silence anymore.”

I folded my arms and grinned at him. “Silence sure isn’t something you’ll find in this house.”

“Certainly not.” Abby laughed and rolled her eyes. “All right, then, I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready.”