It pissed him off. In a situation where he needed to be in absolute and complete control of his judgment and emotions, he was decidedly . . . not.
He went back into the living room, where he’d already placed blankets and pillows on the sofa. He eased Sophie onto the cushions and arranged her arm so nothing would press on it. Before he was tempted to linger, he turned away, refusing to look at her any longer.
Donovan met him a few steps away.
“Ethan’s not happy. He wanted to hop on the next plane home. But at the same time he didn’t want to drag Rachel into the middle of something we don’t yet understand.”
“He’s not stupid. He’ll do what it takes to protect Rachel.”
“Sean’s heading to Mom and Dad’s now.”
Garrett’s voice came in low and serious over the radio. Donovan and Sam both froze as they listened.
“Sam, I’ve got someone. Two o’clock. West. He’s surrounded by camo netting. He’s damn near invisible. He’s clearly on observation duty. He’s it. Rest of the perimeter is clear.”
“Son of a bitch,” Sam muttered. “You have a clear shot?”
“Negative. Tree’s in my way.”
Sam’s nostrils flared. No one hunted him on his own turf. “Maintain your position. I’m going after him.”
“I’m locked. He moves and I got him. Be careful, Sam. This guy looks to be a professional.”
Donovan met Sam’s gaze with hard eyes. “You should stay here, Sam. Let me go after him. If Sophie wakes, she’ll need you.”
“She’ll need you more,” Sam said shortly. “You’re the medic.”
Donovan nodded, not arguing though Sam knew he wasn’t happy with the decision.
Sam suited up, his mind focused on the fact that there was a threat out there to his family.
Stalking his prey was what Sam did best. He was patient and cunning. He’d once spent six hours closing in on a sniper and took him out without the enemy, positioned a mere fifteen yards away, ever knowing.
This was more important. This man posed a threat to everything Sam held most dear in the world. His brothers. His family. And now his child.
And Sophie.
The voice whispered in his ear, a reminder he didn’t want.
When he finally got the intruder in his sights, he merely watched, gauging the man’s intent. He was a soldier or a mercenary, and he too was patient.
His movements were measured. He watched the house through binoculars and occasionally he’d scout the area around the house. Looking for anyone watching him.
Sam smiled to himself. The ass**le would never see Garrett unless Garrett wanted him to.
Without a sound, Sam unsheathed his knife and crept forward, pausing when the wind stopped or his target moved. He was three feet away and the man still hadn’t detected his presence. Then the wind shifted, blowing from the west. The man turned up his head, nostrils expanding as he scented Sam like a wild animal.
Before he could turn, Sam was on him. The blade pressed into the neck smeared with camo paint, and Sam hissed his demand close to the man’s ear.
“Who sent you?”
“Fuck you.”
The intruder twisted and tried to ram his gun between him and Sam. Sam sliced, cutting the man’s throat in one quick motion.
The hiss of escaping air and the slight gurgle of blood were the only sounds denting the breeze.
“Good work,” Garrett said into Sam’s earpiece.
Sam held up the okay sign and then signaled that he’d take care of the body. He’d have left it there to rot, but one, it was too damn close to his house and he didn’t want to smell the bastard, and two, it would be a headache for Sean when the body was discovered.
Better it disappear for good.
An hour later, he returned to the house to find Garrett and Donovan both waiting.
“I’ve set a secure perimeter around the house,” Garrett said. “No one will be able to so much as piss in the direction of this house without us knowing.”
“We need to call Steele and Rio in,” Sam said as he glanced toward the couch where Sophie still slept. “Mouton made the mistake of stepping onto our turf. We’ll take the fight to him. This time he goes down.”
Both Garrett and Donovan nodded their heads in agreement.
“Until Rio and Steele get here with their teams, we stay put. I don’t want to get Sean or Mom and Dad involved in any way. We’ll put big shiny targets on our asses and dare the bastards to come and get us.”
“Fuckin’ A,” Garrett snarled.
“And Sophie?” Donovan asked.
Again Sam glanced over to her curled up body on the couch.
“She stays with me. She doesn’t get out of our sight.”
SOPHIE struggled in her dreams. The thing was she was aware enough to know she was only dreaming, but she couldn’t shake out of the hazy world of sleep. Exhaustion held her too firmly in its grasp.
The assassin was holding her while he slowly carved a line into her belly. She felt the skin give way. Horror overcame her. She screamed, a giant, silent scream. She couldn’t get her lips to work, and her mouth was as dry as sawdust.
Whimpers tore from her mouth, and she shoved invisible arms away from her. But still, she felt that blade, cutting closer to her womb.
“Sophie. Sophie!”
The gruff voice startled her to wakefulness. Panic shrieked through her spine. God, she wasn’t dreaming. He was here. He was standing over her ready to kill her.