I sat down on the bed, feeling numbness spreading all throughout my body.
I understood exactly what he meant by that. The Network was making its move, and they were making it tonight. They were taking my dad with them and they were doing something horrible. They were going to try to melt down a nuclear reactor, and if that happened, then the whole Michigan area was going to be a nuclear wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of people would die.
And we were all that stood between the terrorists and that happening.
“I’ll prep the gear,” Travis said, standing. He left the room, shutting the door softly behind him.
Emory sat down on the bed next to me. “Listen to me, Tara,” he said. “You have to stay behind.”
“No,” I said. “I can’t. I’ve come so far. My parents are so close.”
“Listen to me,” he said, taking my face in his hands. “I’m going to leave you some money. Go buy a room here in this hotel. If we’re not back in two hours, or if you hear something in the direction of the nuclear plant, you get in that car and you don’t stop driving until you hit Mexico.”
“Emory,” I said, and it came out half a whisper.
“Stop, Tara,” he said firmly. “You have to do this. You said you’d follow orders, right?”
“I can’t lose you.”
He looked at me, and for the first time I felt like he was really seeing me.
His expression softened. His lips came near and brushed my cheek, stopping against my lips. I pressed myself into his kiss, grabbing his strong body, pushing myself against him.
We kissed like that for what felt like fifteen minutes. Slowly he pulled away, and I was left panting, gasping for air, desperate to feel him just a little bit longer.
“You won’t lose me,” he said. “I’m not going to let that happen.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Listen to me, Tara.” He took me by the hair and pulled me toward him, his lips brushing against my ear. “I fucking love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”
He gently let me go, but I pulled myself against him again.
I held him like that until he finally moved back and stood.
“Emory—” I said, but he stopped me.
“Tell me when I get back.”
I bit my lip. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you soon. And remember, two hours unless you hear or see something.” He left a small wad of money on the television stand and then disappeared out the door.
I sat there staring after him for a few minutes. I tried to move, willed myself to go after him, but I knew I was doing the right thing. He was going somewhere I couldn’t follow, about to do something I couldn’t help with.
This last part was completely up to him.
And he loved me. The idea of that flowed through my body, giving me some of his strength. He loved, and I loved him too. That was the truth, always had been, from the second I saw him back at my door.
He’d come back to me. He was Emory Rush, SEAL captain.
He’d make things right and come back for me.
Chapter 30
Emory
As Travis tore fast through the back streets, angling toward the power plant, I held the phone up to my ear.
“Blackfire,” he said.
“Sir, it’s Emory. We have reason to believe that The Network is attacking the power plant tonight.”
“Shit,” he said.
“Any ETA on that backup?”
“Your team is en route now, about three hours out. I have a gear specialist in the area.”
“Send him to us. Have him meet us on Highway Thirty, right next to exit twelve.”
“Got it,” he said.
“We can’t wait for the backup, sir. We’re going in.”
“Roger that, soldier. Good fucking luck to you both.”
“Thanks, sir.”
“Give them fucking hell.”
I hung the phone up and looked at Travis. “Hear that?”
“Exit twelve, got it. What’s there?”
“Weapons guy. We’ll gear up quick and then hit the plant.”
“Got it.” He paused. “Really think they’re hitting it tonight? They could have just left that spot.”
“It’s tonight,” I said. “I’m sure of it. My gut is screaming about it.”
“I know I always trust your gut.”
I grinned. “Never been wrong.”
We drove on, moving fast. Every second we wasted was a second closer Omar Hooth got to blowing up a nuclear power plant, and I couldn’t let that happen.
My mind drifted back to Tara as Travis passed exit six. I couldn’t stop thinking about the look on her face, the serious and intense worry. When I told her that I loved her, I wasn’t saying it to hear her say it back. I was saying it because I needed her to understand that I was coming back no matter what.