Page 28 of Tango (Hunt Brothers Search & Rescue #4)

Tucker closes his eyes, and even though I’m not sure it’s what he wants, I move forward and take his hand.

He grips it, fingers threading through mine.

His hand is trembling beneath my touch, so I place my other hand on top, hoping to add another layer of comfort as he relives what was likely the worst day of his life.

“We had to keep him chained like an animal as we dragged him out of that cell. The things they did to him— We’ll never know the extent, but they changed him forever. Dylan is no longer the same man he was, and I don’t know that he’ll ever be.”

“What’s the promise you made?” I ask him after a few seconds of silence. “You told me that you made a promise to yourself.”

Tucker turns to me now, bright blue eyes glittering with tears. “That I wouldn’t let myself be happy until Dylan can be.”

Tucker’s words haunt me as I replay them in my head. I’ve always been a visual person, able to play out books in my head as though they were a movie on a screen. It’s a skill I was grateful for until now.

Because I can see Dylan in that hole.

I can feel Tucker’s pain.

Riley’s—all of theirs.

The youngest of all five brothers was held captive, tortured, beaten—who knows what else, all while the government he’d served turned their back on him because there was no proof of life.

Did they even bother to truly look? Or did they just assume?

Given Tucker was able to figure out his brother was alive with—what was likely at the time—limited resources, I’m guessing he wasn’t deemed worthy of the risk it would present to rescue him.

But for Tucker to make a promise to not find happiness until Dylan? That breaks my heart. And not just because—at the present moment—I would very much like to be that happy but because I imagine Dylan would hate that his brother is suffering on his behalf.

I may not have known the Hunts long, but I’ve spent enough time around them to know that they all love each other very much.

“You made a promise to yourself that you wouldn’t be happy until Dylan is?”

“Yes.”

I know I need to choose my words carefully, that if I don’t, I risk pushing Tucker away. “Does Dylan know?”

“No one does. Just like no one outside of our family knows what I just told you about Dylan.”

I can read between the lines: I trust you. Don’t let me down.

“I won’t say anything,” I tell him.

“Thanks.” He shoves his hands into his pockets.

“But just for the record—I think not choosing happiness for yourself would only further torture Dylan.”

“He’s my twin. And I can’t abandon him.”

“You think choosing happy would mean abandoning him?”

Tucker steps away. “Look, I’m a ‘give it my all’ kind of person. Work? I throw everything I have into it. Same thing with the ranch. But if I were to get into a relationship, then?—”

“You’d give it your all, and you worry Dylan will feel alone.”

Tucker shakes his head. “Every other one of our brothers is married.”

“Lani’s not.”

“He’s my twin. I need to be there for him. I should have been there for him.”

“Tucker.” I squeeze his hand. “Given the army’s policy on not allowing siblings into the same unit together, my guess is there was no option for you to have been there.”

“They waited four months before telling us he was dead.”

“What?” I ask, absolutely horrified.

“He was tortured for four months before any of us even knew he was missing.” He shuts his eyes tightly and shakes his head. “Look, I’m not trying to make this about him. The fact is I am enthralled by you, but I can’t—I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m the one who started it, and I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” I release his hand, not at all offended because I know his struggle has nothing to do with me.

“It was a great kiss. Even if a relationship doesn’t come out of it, a memory certainly will.

Me getting kissed by the handsome and elusive Tucker Hunt beneath a blanket of stars.

” I press my hands to my heart. “Put me in a black-and-white movie and watch me swoon.”

Tucker’s expression lightens just a bit. Which is exactly what I was going for. “You’re not angry with me?”

“Why would I be?”

“I made a move on you, then told you—quite literally in the same breath—that I can’t do a relationship.”

I shrug. “You said you can’t be in one until Dylan’s happy. So the way I see it, I just need to find what makes him happy. Then we can see what this really is.” I gesture between us.

Tucker grins. “That easy, huh?”

“That easy.” I stretch up on my tiptoes and press a kiss to his cheek. “Seriously, though, Tucker, great kiss. And I’m not mad.” It’s hard to hide pain from someone as observant as Tucker, but I manage. The truth is, I am hurt.

Hurt that he’s struggling so much.

And hurt that there’s nothing I can do about the rejection I feel even as I know it’s not about me.

The cell phone beside me buzzes, so I answer it just as Tucker instructed me to do before handing over the position of group sentry and grabbing some sleep. “Hello?”

“Where’s Tucker?” Dylan asks over the phone.

“Hello to you, too, Dylan. Tucker’s asleep. I told him I’d take watch halfway through the night, and he told me to answer if the phone rang.”

“Hi.” Dylan is silent for a moment. “You both need to get moving. Tell him to meet me at the intersection of Pine and Cedarwood at dawn. He’ll know where it is. And tell him to leave Jax in pasture twelve. Elliot and Nova will pick him up and bring him back to the barn.”

“Will do. We’ll see you then.” I end the call then stand and cross over to where Tucker is sleeping soundly.

His eyes are closed, his head resting on his curled-up elbow.

He’s lying on top of the thermal blanket—same as I was when I slept—and even though I know I should be waking him, I can’t help but sit and stare for just a moment.

Like this, without the battle hanging over his head, he looks almost peaceful. Serene. I hate that I have to take that from him by waking him up and plunging right back into the fight.

“If you keep staring, I’ll be forced to turn you in for stalking.”

“Add it to my list of charges.” I smile. “How long have you been awake?”

His blue eyes open. “Pretty much the whole time.”

“Really?”

He nods. “I’m not the greatest sleeper anyway.”

“I told you I would keep watch.”

“And you did. What did Dylan say?” He sits up.

I’m a bit frustrated that he didn't get sleep when he could, but I let it go—for now. “To meet him at the intersection of Pine and Cedarwood and to leave Jax in pasture twelve. He said Elliot and Nova will pick him up.”

“When?”

“Dawn.”

Tucker looks up at the sky. “We’d better get going then.” He stands, stretches, and as he holds both arms over his head, I get a glimpse of a tan, muscled abdomen. Oh, boy. I force my gaze away and work on folding up the thermal blanket.

“How far away is this meetup?”

“About a half hour to pasture twelve,” he says. “Then we’ll have to walk the rest of the way, which will be about another forty-five minutes or so.”

“Gotcha.”

He reaches into the bag and tosses me a protein bar. “Breakfast of champions.”

“Hey, I practically lived on protein bars even before all of this. They were my go-to after the gym. Chocolate chip cookie dough. Which also happens to be my favorite flavor.”

“Hates marshmallows, loves chocolate chip cookie dough.” He flashes me a smile that makes my stomach twist into knots. “Noted.”

Oh, man.

Tucker crosses over toward Jax and offers him a bit of water before sliding the saddle onto his back and placing a bridle over his large head. Together, we repack the saddle bags and are on the horse’s strong back within ten minutes of getting that call from Dylan.

I’m seated in front of Tucker, his arm banded around my waist, the other holding the reins. We rode exactly like this yesterday, but it feels different now.

Probably because of the passion his kiss ignited in my soul. The desire to spend more time with him, to get to know him. And, I can admit it to myself, the need to feel his lips on mine again. To know if there’s something that will last once we’ve gotten past all of the danger.

Is he feeling the same way? Or are the walls he successfully put up last night blocking out all feelings?

Keep it together, Alice. You’ve got bigger problems.

“So the plan—you said we’re going to Web Safe?”

“Do you think you can get us in?”

I consider his question, thinking through every logical way that I could get the two of us past security and into the server room without anyone being aware. And there’s only one route I can think of that might work—if protocols haven’t changed.

“There’s one way—maybe. Web Safe changes all protocols every few months just to make sure things stay secure. But right now, trash day is on Saturday mornings.”

“Trash day?”

I nod. “The bins are rolled out with bags on top of them before being rolled back into the building. If we can get between the liner and lie flat at the bottom of one of those bins, they’ll walk us right past security checkpoints and straight into the basement.”

“You want me to lie down in the bottom of a trash bin?”

I turn my head and grin over my shoulder at him. “Afraid to get dirty, Mr. Hunt? I assure you those bins are relatively clean.”

His gaze drops to my mouth for just a moment, and my pulse kicks it up a notch. Man, I want to kiss him again.

He shifts his gaze forward once more. “How would you know they’re clean?”

“Because I’ve done it before. Back with Ramiro. It was a game we’d play. Who can get into the building first without using the typical routes.”

“Is Web Safe aware of the vulnerability?”

I shake my head. “The only one who knew was Ramiro. I beat him by fifteen seconds.”

Tucker is silent for a moment, but his arm tightens around my waist as he pulls me closer against him. “Then we’ll give it a try and pray protocols haven’t changed.”

“We’re going to need prayer if we’re going to pull this off.

” I continue to lean against his chest, not pulling away even as he loosens his arm.

Because this closeness is stirring feelings within me that I’ve waited years to find.

The kind of heart-stirring affections toward a man who loves God and respects me that could lead to something more.

Something worthy of a lifetime.