Page 51 of Dagger

His attempt at levity earned a low chuckle from Ndhlovu, but the teasing glint in the man’s eyes didn’t fade. “Yeah, I’d say you’d better watch more than your back. She’s not an easy one to keep, that’s all I’m saying.”

Flash tried to fire off a quip, something about him being “drown-proofed” in BUD/S, so a little heartbreak couldn’t be any worse, but the words died in his throat. What he felt was too raw, and his chest constricted.

He cleared his throat instead. “Right. Good talk, O-voo. I’ll…uh, let you get your rest. Safe travels back.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ndhlovu replied. “You, on the other hand…good luck out there.”

Flash managed a crooked grin, nodding as he backed out the door. The moment he was in the corridor again, he exhaled like he’d been holding his breath the whole time. His heart thudded in his chest, and his thoughts whirled, all fixated on one woman who was halfway to a war zone. Part of him knew exactly why it bothered him so much, and that simple truth left him feeling as if he hadn’t so much as scratched the surface of what was happening in his head.

After tracking down Joseph Baxter, who was about to be released, and conversing with him for several minutes, it was clear Flash had made his day. He wished the kid well. Outside his room, Flash braced one hand against the wall, drawing in ashaky breath. Drowning had never been a problem for him. He’d been trained to harness the surf and ride out the worst of any tide. But this…this was a different beast. She was the unrelenting undertow, dragging him under no matter how hard he fought. Part of him suspected that struggling was futile, that maybe surrender was the only way to survive the pull. Yet even as the thought terrified him, some raw, inexplicable part of his soul whispered that something powerful was happening, and maybe he had no choice in whether or not to drown.

Inside the briefingroom at the SEALs’ secured compound, the air crackled with barely restrained fury. Scarred concrete walls pressed in from all sides, illuminated only by harsh, buzzing overhead lights. Tactical maps and satellite images marked with red Xs and hastily scribbled notes covered a metal board behind Tex. The acrid scent of stale coffee mingled with the sharp tang of gun oil, a reminder of violence barely escaped.

Dagger stood rigid near the center, every muscle tight, anger still simmering beneath his controlled exterior. The bruises on his knuckles from slamming his fist against a concrete wall earlier reminded him of how close he'd come to throwing away everything he'd worked for. All because Langford had failed Quinn. That failure nearly cost her life, and the thought sliced deeper than any blade.

“Before we bring in Langford,” Emma said, her voice showing her disdain, “I have some unsettling news.”

The atmosphere in the room tautened. “We of course checked the cameras for any footage to explain what happened.”

“Don’t tell me,” Shark scoffed. “It was blank.”

Emma nodded solemnly. “The attackers shot out the surveillance, and we lost the valuable feed.”

“Fucking convenient,” Easy snarled.

Emma looked toward the door and nodded. Twister opened it and said, “We’re ready for you.”

Langford walked in, his expression tense beneath the unflinching stares of eight battle-hardened men and Emma Sutherland. Beast’s ruff bristled, and he growled low in his throat. Langford’s attention went briefly to the dog, frowning at the animal's animosity. “Control that monster,” Landford said low, his voice skittish.

“Yeah? Well, he has his own opinions, and he outranks me.” Brawler shrugged.

“I don’t think he likes you, Langford,” Flash said with a smirk.

Emma Sutherland, the CIA operative with the lethal grace of a coiled weapon, stood off to one side. Her long blonde hair, her violet-blue eyes sharply appraising Langford's every twitch.

Tex didn't mince words. “Langford, explain to me exactly what happened tonight.”

Langford swallowed visibly, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "My team was running a perimeter check. One of my guys thought he spotted movement near the west fence line. We believed there was a breach and went to verify."

Dagger’s fists tightened, nails digging into his palms as he thought bitterly.They left Quinn wide open and that’s his pathetic excuse?He glanced around, noting his teammates' matching expressions. Brawler's jaw clenched, his body radiating silent fury as he exchanged a dark glance at Beast. The dog was laser-focused on him, simply waiting for Brawler’s command to attack. The usually laid-back Malinois never seemed relaxed in the presence of the Aegis Force SolutionsCEO. Easy's deep-set eyes were narrowed, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by sharp disgust.

"A perimeter check?” Bondo's voice rumbled incredulously from across the table, his massive form leaned forward aggressively. “All of you went off chasing ghosts at the fence and left our people unprotected? That’s amateur hour bullshit.”

No one on the team had trusted Langford’s security outfit, not after what had unfolded today, and certainly not before or after the conversation at the bar. They’d called it then, and Langford had just proven them right. Brawler’s expression darkened, the air around him charged with barely restrained fury. When he spoke, his voice was low, lethal. "We knew exactly what kind of operation you were running, Langford. We called it from the start. And tonight? You proved us right. You left Quinn and her team unprotected, and now you expect us to just take your word for why?"

Easy leaned forward, tension making his midnight-blue eyes appear black. "Exactly. How fucking convenient that the cameras went dark right when your team disappeared. Makes it hard for anyone to prove you wrong."

Langford bristled, shifting defensively. “Look, it was an error in judgment. I admit that. We were trying to cover the perimeter. Thought we had eyes on all entries?—”

Bondo’s voice, steady yet lethally quiet, cut him off. “Thought isn't good enough. Quinn almost died because your team got sloppy. That doesn’t fly here.”

Dagger swallowed back his rage, forcing himself to remain still as Langford looked desperately to Tex for support, finding none. Tex remained stone-faced, his intense gaze never wavering. "You're dismissed, Langford. Wait outside."

Langford stiffened, his eyes flashing with irritation. He looked ready to argue, lips parting like he was about to throw back some weak defense, but Tex’s expression turned ice-cold,and whatever half-baked excuse was about to leave his mouth died in his throat.

He turned sharply on his heel, but as he reached the door, he hesitated just long enough to let his disdain show.

"TypicalSEALs,"he muttered, voice dripping with mockery."Always acting like you're the only real warriors in the room."

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