Page 30 of Shielding his Legacy (Shattered SEALs #7)

Eva sat cross-legged on the floor of the supply closet, a flashlight illuminating the far wall. She was rocking forward and back, continuing to burp the baby long after it was necessary, taking comfort in Abby’s tiny body and her memory of Gavin doing the same.

She had to distract herself from what might be happening outside the supply closet door. Too many people she cared about were out there. Gavin. Sloan. Champion and Trace. Even Marina, who she’d never even met, but was willing to stand in Eva’s place.

Those shots had been aimed at someone, and until she knew who—and whether or not they’d found their mark—she was going to be a nervous wreck.

The officer guarding her, Johansson, was a kind man who’d tried to assure her that everything would be okay, but he couldn’t know that any more than she could.

He was a rookie—the oldest one on the force.

Before the shots, they’d chatted about hometowns and loved ones, even favorite movies.

But after the shots, they both listened intently to the radio on his hip, its volume set to a mere whisper.

They heard the call for an ambulance, and the call for backup as the suspect fled the scene of the crime. They heard when Detective Carver had been found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, then they waited for news of the wounded until Eva couldn’t stand it anymore.

Johansson tried to get an update on the radio, but someone snapped at him to keep the channel clear, and his cheeks flushed a deep red.

“It’s been almost an hour,” she said, her body aching from the tension in her muscles and the way she’d been sitting on the floor. “Do you think we should check? I mean, if the guy killed himself the coast is clear, right?”

“I don’t know about that. I was told to keep you here until Mr. DeGrey came to get us.”

“Yes, but what if Marina was injured, and he had to go to the hospital with her?” What if he’s been hurt? She didn’t give voice to her true fear.

He worried his bottom lip, then glanced at his radio. She knew she was pressuring him, but the danger was clearly gone. Surely it was chaotic out there, and Gavin had forgotten about her locked in a supply closet. She raised her eyebrows and smiled hopefully at Johansson.

“I guess I could go check,” he said. “But you need to stay here.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“I need to stay off the radio, so I’ll just go check in person.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“You keep the door locked.”

“I will. Thanks so much for checking, Officer.” She kept the smile plastered to her face until he was out the door, taking care to lock it behind him.

Dropping her grin, she let her face return to its worried form.

She didn’t think for a minute Gavin had forgotten her in the supply closet, which was all the more reason to be concerned.

She needed to move around. Her left foot had gone completely numb since last she’d used it. Shaking it out, she leaned against the wall and rotated her ankle.

The doorknob turned this way and that, then she heard a key slip into the lock.

“What’d you forget?” she asked. Johanssen hadn’t been gone long enough for it to be anyone but him.

But he didn’t respond, and her good-natured grin slowly fell from her face.

She took a step back from the door, then another.

“Officer Johanssen?” She swallowed hard. “Is that you?”