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The full force of the wind slammed into Leo as he stood on the deck, salt and cold biting at his exposed skin. The boat pitched beneath his boots. Ahead, the cliff loomed—black and craggy. Waves exploded white against its base like detonations.

He’d been on missions like this before. But this one was different.

Kat’s here.

But knowing all that didn’t quiet the voice in his head that screamed she shouldn’t be here. That he should’ve told her no. That he should’ve fought harder to keep her safe.

Because he loved her. And because part of him would always want to protect her, no matter how many times she proved she didn’t need it.

“There!” Navarro pointed to a narrow break in the rocks, half-lost in the moonlight. “Only place possible. But very dangerous.”

Leo raised his night-vision binoculars. The green-tinted image swept across the ridge.

No sentries. But if life had taught him anything, it was that quiet was just another kind of bait. “Thermal’s clean.”

“Too easy,” Fox muttered close by.

“Never that.” Abe tightened his pack straps.

Navarro slowed the boat’s engine to a near-silent crawl as they approached the rocks. The sound of waves smashing against stone grew louder, drowning out the howl of the wind.

“Current too strong,” Navarro shouted over the noise. “You swim from here.”

Leo caught Fox’s eye—grim understanding passed between them. “Wet approach it is.”

“Guess dry and easy was a one-time thing.” Fox grimaced.

Leo turned to Kat, checking her gear, her face, her eyes. “Ready?”

“Ready.” She nodded.

Griff slipped into the water. In seconds, the black surf erased him, like he’d never existed. Fox followed, then Abe, Zak, Eli and Landon, each man entering with the same disciplined economy of movement.

“You next.” Leo gave her hand a brief squeeze, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m right there with you.”

Kat took a deep breath and jumped.

The water closed over her, triggering every instinct in his body.

He waved a silent thanks to Navarro and dove in after her.

The water was a shock—ice-cold even through his wetsuit. The current caught him instantly, tugging him sideways, trying to drive him into the rocks where the waves exploded into white foam. He fought back with deliberate strokes, cutting through the black sea until he caught up to her.

“Kat.”

She turned her head, her face pale against the dark water. Her lips were blue. She looked like hell—but her voice was steady. “Still kicking. Keep up.”

Emotion plowed through him. Relief. Fear. Respect. She’d chosen this life, same as him—but it didn’t make it easier to watch her vanish in a wave.

His muscles burned, but he didn’t slow. Salt stung his eyes, swamped his mouth when he turned to breathe. His gear weighed down on him, threatening to drag him under. The shore was just a shimmer between sea and cliff—there, then gone—as the sea surged.

A wave caught Kat from behind, lifting her up before dropping her into a trough. He blinked. She was gone. Just for a moment. But it was enough. His heart seized as panic flared hot and bright in his chest.

Kat.

Then another swell rose, and he glimpsed her again, her stroke strong, her head breaking the surface.

Thank fuck.

Beyond her, Griff had already reached the narrow strip of shingle at the base of the cliff.

Leo pushed harder, fueled by something deeper than adrenaline. He wasn’t just swimming to shore—he was trying to stay between her and anything that might come at them out of the dark.

Finally, his feet hit bottom.

The sensation of ground was disorientating. He staggered forward, water streaming from his body, his limbs numb with cold. The rocks beneath the surface were slimed and sharp.

Kat stumbled beside him, caught off balance by a surge.

He shot out a hand and grabbed her before she could fall on the wicked-looking stone. “Hey.”

She nodded once, hands on her knees, chest heaving. “Thanks.”

He didn’t say anything. Just held her arm for a breath longer than necessary.

She was here, and she was okay.

Around them, his team was already shrugging off the outer layers of their wetsuits, revealing tactical gear beneath. Griff kneeled by his climbing kit, sorting through carabiners and rope. His expression was focused calm.

“How bad is it?” Leo crouched beside him.

“I’ve studied the geological survey. There’s a natural chimney—a vertical crack we can ascend—it’ll give us cover from security feeds and the weather.

” Griff’s eyes moved up the dark rise. The cliff towered above them like a black wall against the starless sky, its peak invisible in the darkness.

“Class five, some stretches at five-ten. Wet rock, maybe loose in places. Doable, but not pretty.”

Leo pushed back to standing. “Your shoulder?”

Griff’s face was emotionless. “It’s up to this.”

“Time estimate?”

“Forty minutes to the first plateau. Another twenty to the perimeter ledge.”

Landon joined them, checking his watch. He looked back at the increasingly choppy sea. The rain had picked up—fat, slanted drops pelting the rocks, soaking any bare skin. “Weather’s not going to hold that long.”

“Then we move faster.” Griff stood, adjusting his harness.

Fox nodded.

This was what they did. Who they were.

Leo turned his eyes to the cliff.

Somewhere up there, Korolov was waiting. He was sure of it. Maybe Eldridge too.

But so were the truths Kat had bled for. The ones they’d buried her under.

Whatever waited at the top, they’d climb straight into it.

Together.