"I'm sorry." My eyes fill with tears, and the adrenaline that's been with me since I woke to the sounds of fighting flatlines. My teeth begin to chatter as my body trembles uncontrollably.

Zane reaches over and pulls me into his lap. I rest my head against his chest, the steady beat of his heart easing the panic in mine. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I don't understand why this is happening. I don't know what I did to deserve this."

"You didn't do anything. And we'll figure it out."

"Before or after we're killed?"

Zane cups my cheek and tilts my face up to look into his eyes. "What about this morning made you think it's going to be easy to kill me?"

"Nothing," I reply without hesitation. "But that doesn't make you bulletproof. Or immune to bleeding out."

His smile falters. "I was terrified tonight. I don't think I've ever been that scared."

I snort. "I find that hard to believe."

"Don't." He strokes my cheek with his thumb. "You could have died."

My breath catches.

"When I saw him grab you—there was a moment there where I wondered if that was it. If you were going to be taken from me again."

Again.

"I won't leave without saying goodbye this time around." It's meant to be a light-hearted comment, but the weight behind it wipes the emotion from Zane's face.

Keep reading in SEAL of Honor…

"Run!" I roar, ripping her to her feet and shoving her in front of me.

Another shot fires, hitting the sand. The gun must be muzzled because I can barely hear it.

"Go, Eliza!"

Another bullet barely misses me. I try to discern the location of our shooter but see nothing but tall grass. I run, sprinting through the sand. A bullet slams into my shoulder, tearing through my flesh as it sears me. I stumble forward, barely staying on my feet as I cover the wound with my hand and bite back a groan. Any noise would draw Eliza's attention back to me, and those mere seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

Heart racing, I barely manage to make it around the corner before another bullet whizzes past me. Finally, the shooting stops, and I sprint through my open door. Eliza slams and locks the door then turns to me, eyes wide.

"You're bleeding!"

I ignore her, pushing to my feet and rushing for the firearm I keep hidden in the kitchen. I grab it with my good arm, grateful that I am a great shot, no matter which hand is holding the gun. "Grab the phone, and call Michael."

She doesn't hesitate.

"Put it on speaker."

Again, she does as she's told, and seconds later, I can hear the ringing. I check the windows, keeping out of view as I peek out to make sure we weren't followed.

Michael answers, "What's up?"

"Sniper," I tell him. "On the ridge by the lighthouse. I've been hit, send Doc."

Keep reading in Pages of Promise…

"As soon as I knew they were onto me, I took off, not wanting to risk Cillian's life. I moved every two weeks after that. Never staying in one place long enough for them to find me."

"Until you came to my ranch."

She nods. "I never meant to put you or your family at risk. It was Cillian who told me about Pine Creek. I never thought they'd track me down there. It's too small, too off the map. I was so tired of running." She closes her eyes, and more tears slip free. "It was the first place I felt safe. Like I could breathe."

"Because of who we are?"

"That's part of it," she admits. "I didn't find out until I was in town that you and your brothers were prior service—or that you ran your own company. Once I knew that, I assumed the security would be top-notch, and if someone came—"

"We could defend ourselves."

Her gaze darkens. "It's horrible. I know. I shouldn't have stayed. I shouldn't have risked it."

"It's not far off," I reply coldly. "Except for the fact that we have other employees with no training, as well as my mother, who has never even held a gun."

Her expression is full of remorse. "I'm so sorry, Bradyn. I was so angry at Olivia for dragging me into this. I imagine you hate me for doing the same to you. But please know I never meant to bring any danger to your door. Please know that."

"What's done is done. But we need to get back to the ranch."

She goes rigid. "I can't go back."

"We have to."

"I can't. He's already looked for me there. He'll come back. You need to go now. Leave me here, and I can disappear. You don't need to be involved."

"I'm already involved," I tell her.

Keep reading in Bravo…