Page 49 of Single Mom’s Navy Seals (Claimed by the Alphas #2)

JAX

T he air smells like smoke and dust, and I'd like nothing more than to get the hell out of here.

I glance toward Cole and Liam, both men moving with precise, fluid movements honed over years of mastering their skills.

Together we move seamlessly, a perfect unit operating on instinct and determination alone.

A sudden movement flashes in my peripheral vision, and I pivot on instinct, my body responding to years of rigorous training.

A shadowy figure rushes toward me, and without hesitation, I brace myself, dodging smoothly to the side.

The assailant stumbles forward, thrown off balance, and I take advantage of his vulnerability.

My fist connects with his abdomen, and I can hear the punch knocking the breath from his lungs. He doubles over with a gasp, and I finish with a precise blow to the back of his neck. He collapses onto the floor, out cold, and I don’t spare him another glance.

“Clear,” I call, voice steady and controlled.

Liam acknowledges with a brisk nod, dispatching another assailant of his own in a similarly efficient manner.

Cole steps neatly around another man’s wild swing, his expression calm, almost bored, as he neatly incapacitates him.

The three of us press forward, movements perfectly synchronized, each step taking us closer to our goal and closer to Ava and Eli.

“Where the fuck is she?” Cole growls, frustration briefly edging into his voice. He grabs the collar of one of the fallen men, forcing him roughly upright. “Speak.”

The man sputters, eyes wide with panic. “In the office! At the end of the hallway—last door on the left!”

Cole tosses him aside, meeting my eyes with a swift, unspoken command. My heart pounds fiercely at the revelation, urgency flaring within me. The three of us move, footsteps echoing down the hallway as we race toward the indicated office.

We’re mere feet from the door when a familiar voice echoes from behind, stopping us in our tracks. “Gentlemen, this isn’t the way.”

We spin around, weapons raised instinctively, bodies taut with readiness. Morales stands calmly in the hallway, arms folded, his face twisted into a constructed mask of sincerity. Four heavily armed men flank him, their weapons aimed directly at us.

“Morales,” Liam snarls, voice tight with barely controlled fury. “You’ve made a grave mistake.”

Morales raises an eyebrow calmly, unruffled by Liam’s tone.

“I’ve made the only sensible choice. You’re too close, too emotionally invested.

I understand your frustration, truly. But two lives are a small price to pay for dismantling an entire criminal network—drugs, weapons, trafficking.

Think of all the innocent lives we’ll save by sacrificing two. ”

I step forward, eyes narrowed fiercely, voice hard. “You seriously overestimate how many fucks we actually give about other people.”

Before Morales can respond, I fire a single shot toward one of his men, the sound echoing in the hallway.

Morales’s man crumples theatrically to the ground.

Chaos erupts, and the remaining men scatter and fire wildly.

Cole charges Morales without hesitation, fists flying furiously as the two men grapple violently.

Despite Morales’s recovered strength and evident training, he’s no match for Cole.

Within moments, Cole has Morales pinned firmly, the slightly smaller man struggling uselessly beneath his grip.

A vicious look on his face, Cole breaks both of Morales's legs with neat kicks aimed at the front of his knees.

Morales howls in pain, but Cole ignores it, dropping him roughly against the wall.

“Face your punishment publicly,” Cole growls coldly, stepping away. “It’s far worse than anything I could do to you here.”

Cole immediately rejoins Liam and me, taking down the remaining threats quickly. The final opponent drops unceremoniously to the floor, silence abruptly descending over the warehouse hallway.

But before we can move, a small voice rings loudly down the hall, sending a surge of pure joy and relief flooding my veins.

“Daddies!” Eli cries, sprinting toward us, his small face bright with relief and tears.

No words are exchanged, and yet the three of us rush forward at a dead sprint. I reach Eli a split-second before Cole and Liam, scooping him into my arms, holding him against me.

“You’re safe now, buddy,” I whisper fiercely, my voice thick with emotion. “We’ve got you.”

Cole and Liam crowd around us, their expressions raw with relief and love as they check Eli for injuries. Eli’s small body shakes as he clings to us, face buried against my shoulder.

“Where’s your mom, Eli?” Liam asks, gently stroking Eli’s hair. “Is she okay?”

Eli lifts his head, eyes wide and frantic. “Mommy’s still in there! She was fighting my evil daddy, and she told me to run!”

Eli points in the direction he’d come from, fear and urgency brightening his tear-filled eyes. My heart tightens, dread twisting fiercely through me.

Cole’s expression hardens, his voice firm and steady. “We have to find her.”

We move, Eli still safely clutched in my arms, Cole taking point while Liam covers our rear. Every step is filled with desperation, fear driving us forward relentlessly. Cole leads us around the next corner, weapons raised, eyes alert.

In the same moment, Ava bursts around the corner from the opposite direction, colliding forcefully into Cole’s chest. He immediately engulfs her protectively, strong arms wrapping around her securely. Liam and I crowd around them, relief and concern washing through us.

Ava’s eyes widen, relief flooding her features as she sees Eli safe in my arms. “Eli!”

I pass Eli to Ava, watching tenderly as he wraps around her, crying against her neck. Ava strokes his hair gently, murmuring quiet reassurances. Her clothes are stained red, panic briefly flooding through us as we immediately check her for injuries.

“It’s not my blood,” Ava whispers, voice shaking as she meets our concerned gazes. “I’m okay. Randy’s gone. It’s over.”

Liam gently takes her face in his hands, brushing tears tenderly from her cheeks. “We have so much to talk about, Ava. But we need to get out of here now before backup arrives.”

"Okay, let's get out of here. Eli, baby, keep your eyes closed. We’re going to leave now.” Eli keeps his face buried against her neck, eyes squeezed shut.

We move through the warehouse halls with haste. As we turn toward the exit, we find Morales slumped painfully against the wall, pale and groaning as he attempts to reset his legs.

Cole and I exchange a quick glance, silently agreeing. Together, we roughly haul Morales to his feet, supporting his weight as we drag him along behind us. Liam pulls out his phone and places a crucial call to a trusted FBI contact.

“We have Morales. It’s done,” Liam informs firmly. “We’ll meet at the extraction point. We’re bringing him in.”

Ending the call, Liam’s gaze meets mine. We move steadily toward the exit, Cole and I hauling Morales, Liam guiding Ava and Eli protectively through the chaos.

We have what we came here for, and now it’s time to get the hell out of Dodge.