Page 2 of Reclaiming Izabel

“Where you are is not important,” he replied.

“Fuck you…” I swallowed, throat parched. “Tell me…fuck…”

Each breath was excruciating.

“Your back’s broken. Your right leg is fractured in three places. Your right hand is a mess. I could go on…hopefully, you’re not half-blind. If so, you’re useless to me.”

What. The. Fuck.

“Start making sense?—”

“If you’d stop interrupting?—”

“My team…”

A flicker of sympathy flashed through Viktor’s face. “Dead.”

“My commander…”

The last thing I remembered was shielding Commander Harrelson when we realized all our attackers wore suicide vests.

“He’s the lone survivor,” Viktor acknowledged. “Both of you were lucky to be caught in an air pocket among the rubble. He’son his way back to the U.S.” He paused. “Although he’d prefer it if he’d died.”

My eyes narrowed.

“We just received word that his wife and sons were killed in a car accident.”

Foreboding settled in my gut and, even under the influence of painkillers, my brain refused to believe in coincidences.

Viktor’s next words confirmed my fears. “Your team was targeted.”

My wife. “Izabel…does she know I’m here?”

“She’ll be informed of your death.”

No.

“Get out,” I rasped.

“Listen, Lieutenant.”

“Get the fuck out of here!” My chest was caving in as I tried to drag air into my lungs. It fucking hurt.

“The men responsible for your team’s massacre will only leave Izabel alone if you’re dead,” Viktor gritted through his teeth. “Harrelson’s survival hasn’t been made public yet, but intel is buzzing that Fire Team families are in danger. Can’t explain. We’re outta time. Delaying the release of the KIA list will put SEAL families in danger. Do you understand, Maddox?”

“Izabel—”

“My people are keeping her safe.”

“I want to talk to her.”

“Listen, Maddox.” Viktor stepped closer to my bed. “Make a decision. Or let the DoD give you and Izabel new identities. You’ve got months of recovery ahead of you. You can’t protect her. You can’t shoot for shit. You’re a liability. Do you think Uncle Sam’s gonna foot the bill and hire you security? You know that’s bullshit and, if you don’t act now, it’ll be too late.”

My brain was squeezing out of my skull at the enormity of the decision facing me. I couldn’t be dead to Izabel. It’d kill her. Itwouldkill me.

“I want you on my task force,” Viktor pressed on. “We’ll give you time to heal. The doc said your spine will heal in two months. Full recovery in six. You’ll be back in fighting form, but Drake Maddox needs to be dead for this to happen.”

Rage burned through me, and I cursed my physical helplessness.

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