Page 20 of Nate Hayes

“She named one butt head. He headbutts everyone he meets.”

“Sounds like my kind of goat.”

I stared at the photo a second longer before replying.

Miss you like hell. The goat still alive?

Barely. He tried to kill me with a bucket this morning.

I grinned and slid my phone back into my jacket. Willa. That woman had cracked something open in me I didn’t know I had—a longing that went deeper than just lust. She made my world feel lighter. Simpler. Like maybe I didn’t have to always carry the weight of beingonall the damn time.

We landed without a hitch. The kids, Chloe and Ethan, walked between us. Chloe had her nose buried in her phone, headphones in. Ethan gave us a nod and a muttered, “Cool.”

They were teenagers—awkward, moody, trying not to care while clearly caring a whole lot. I remember being that age. The world felt like a punch in the gut every day.

We loaded them into the SUV, Axel up front, me in the back with the kids. The drive was smooth… for exactly twenty minutes.

That’s when we spotted the tail.

“I’ve got a black Audi four clicks behind,” Axel said quietly into the mic. “Holding steady.”

I glanced over at Ethan, who didn’t seem to notice anything yet. Chloe was still oblivious, scrolling through whatever dance challenge was popular this week.

“Keep steady. Let’s see if they follow us through the next turn.”

They did.

And that’s when everything clicked. This wasn’t just a precautionary escort job.

Someone was after them.

“Change of plans,” I said. “We’re not going to the estate. Find a secure location off-grid. Something quiet. Abandoned if possible.”

Axel didn’t ask questions. He just drove.

I looked back at the kids, suddenly a hell of a lot more serious.

“New plan. You stick with us. Don’t argue, don’t panic, and if I say move—you move.”

Chloe finally looked up. “Wait, what’s going on?”

“Trouble,” I said. “And I plan to make sure it never touches you.”

I pulled out my weapon from the secure case, checked the rounds, and glanced out the window. My gut was tight, every instinct on red alert.

I didn’t know who was following us yet.

But I was damn sure they picked the wrong kids to target.

And the wrong SEALs to mess with.

The Audi didn’t just follow us through the next turn—it sped up.

“Axel,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “we’ve got movement. They’re closing the distance.”

“I see ‘em. If they pull up any closer, I’m punching it.”

I twisted in my seat just as Chloe let out a quiet, “Is this for real?”

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