Page 61 of Hot Soldier's Rescue

Telemetry? What on earth was he talking about? They who?

“Elise. Where would Grandma take the children to hide? She mentioned having a son and daughter in the Army of Freedom. Did she say anything about them living in this area?”

She thought back through her various conversations with the elderly woman. She shook her head regretfully.

Drago was arguing into the phone. “…important assets. I’m not going to leave them behind… No, it’s not open to discussion…I’m not leaving until I’ve got them.”

He disconnected the call angrily.

“Were you talking about Mia and Emanuel just now?” she asked.

“Yeah. H.O.T. Watch is going to try to figure out where they’ve gone. But in a city this size, they could be anywhere. Particularly since Grandma may actually know some of the locals. I don’t know how we’re going to find the kids, but I swear, Elise. We will.”

“Look. They’re my responsibility. You need to get to a hospital, and if that means leaving the country, you need to go ahead and do that. I’ll stay behind and look for them.”

“Not happening,” he bit out.

“Why? They’re not your job.”

“I choose to make them my job.”

“But—”

He sat up, swearing, effectively cutting her off as she darted forward to help him.

“But nothing,” he ground out. “I couldn’t live with myself if I left those kids behind. They were scared out of their minds tonight. I need to know they’re safe. That they’ll be okay and I didn’t scar them for life by getting them kidnapped and hauled into the middle of a shoot-out.”

She stared at him in shock.

“What?” he demanded irritably.

“For an arms dealer with no experience around children, you sure do have a soft spot for those kids.”

“Are you complaining?” he snapped as he reached for the weapon she’d tossed on the bed when she’d gone to work on him earlier.

“You’re not going out in this state. I just got the bleeding stopped and you’ve only been conscious a few minutes.”

“I feel fine.”

“You’re not fine, and you can barely move without swearing up a blue storm. I’ve seen plenty of injuries like yours, and you need a couple of months of complete rest to heal.”

“Mia and Emanuel don’t have a couple of months. They may have only a couple of hours.”

The panic already bubbling in her gut surged even harder. “I know that,” she replied with desperate calm. “But I’ll go look for them. You need to stay here and rest.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “Do you seriously think I’m going to let you go out into the war zone this town has just become alone to look for those kids?”

“Well, yes.”

“Well, no,” he snarled.

“Why not?” she demanded in utter frustration.

“Because I love you, dammit.”

Chapter Thirteen

Ted didn’t know who was more shocked by his declaration, him or her. Elise was staring at him as though she’d just witnessed a miracle.

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