Page 117 of Nails

Nails looked at Riley and squeezed her hand.This was it.They were so damn close to shutting this operation down and bringing Anna home.They were close to making every minute Riley spent in that hellhole worth it.

His jaw tightened as he looked around the room, everyone already moving, grabbing gear, checking weapons, locking in for the mission in front of them.

His gaze shifted to Riley, who was watching them all with tired, haunted eyes that still held fire.

She smiled at him.“Go, and finish this so that we can go home,” she said and then leaned in and kissed him.

When they finally broke apart, Nails rested his forehead against hers.“Be safe, tomorrow,” he told her, knowing she would be going in with the team to take down Adam and shut down his club.

“Always,” she said and winked.

He kissed her one last time and then turned to follow the others, his mind sharpening like a blade.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The energy crackled in the air like static as Riley stood just outside the perimeter of Club Lune.She was dressed in tactical gear instead of her usual barely there hostess uniform.Her HIS badge hung at her chest, her earpiece in place, and her nerves wound tight.The night air of Hong Kong was heavy, humid, and filled with the weight of anticipation.

Around her, dozens of agents moved in coordinated silence, each waiting for the signal.Hong Kong authorities, several allied agencies, and her own people, all of them ready to bring Adam’s entire operation crashing down.

She glanced to her left, where Russell and Ryan stood.Seeing her partner again brought a smile to her face.He looked the same, with a smug grin, relaxed posture, and that annoying older brother vibe that both irritated and comforted her.

She took a deep breath, but her mind pulled away from the present, drifting back to just before they arrived on scene.Russell had approached her with a firm hand on her shoulder and a gleam of something close to pride in his eyes.

“Derek just called.Anna’s safe.”

Riley had gone completely still.“Are you serious?”

Russell nodded.“They found her and a few other women who were being held against their will.But she’s alive, though shaken up a bit.The guys pulled her out with minimal injuries to the team, just some bumps and bruises.They’re en route to the U.S.Consulate, where she’ll be reunited with her parents.

Emotion had hit her like a gut punch.She had never felt so many things at once—relief, gratitude, exhaustion, pride.And heartache.Watching Nails and the rest of the team leave that morning had been harder than she had expected.She had grown attached to them, all of them.But Nails?He had burrowed under her skin.

He had kissed her quickly, whispered a few words that were only meant for her, then vanished like smoke.She knew she would see him again.But not knowing when made it hard.

“Hey,” Ryan nudged her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts.“You’re not getting all emotional over SEAL boy, are you?”

Riley rolled her eyes.“Are you seriously going to bring that up right now?”

“What?”he asked innocently.“I just never expected the whole brooding special ops thing to be your type.”

“I will tase you,” she warned.

Ryan smirked.“Just saying, if he breaks your heart, I’m legally obligated to break his face.Big brother code.”

She laughed, shaking her head.But before she could answer back, Russell’s voice called out.“Move in ten.Everyone, gear up.”

Riley exhaled slowly and gave her weapon one last check.She slipped on her comms earpiece, adjusted the mic, and joined her team at the front of the club.Another team was already in place behind the building, ready to sweep the back entrances and service corridors.The plan was tight and aggressive.

As the green light was given, Riley and her unit surged forward, breaching the front entrance with practiced precision.The next few minutes were a blur of motion and adrenaline.Inside the club was chaos.Lights came on, the music cut off, and startled staff scrambled as the armed agents flooded inside.

“Hands where we can see them!”Riley barked, her pistol raised, as she moved forward.Most of the workers froze and surrendered immediately.And Riley couldn’t blame them.Most of them were probably victims themselves.

“Clear the front!”Ryan shouted behind her.

“Moving toward the stairs,” Riley called out and pushed her way toward the stairs.

But before she could reach them, shouting broke out near the back hallway.She saw two agents dragging a struggling man through the center of the club, his wrists cuffed behind his back, his lip bloodied, and one eye already swelling.

It was Adam.