Rogue (SEAL Team: Disavowed Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

entitled to talk about a private, painful part of my life I’d rather lock in a vault.”
    “You don’t mean that.”
    “That’s another thing—” his renewed slashing took on a desperate feel “—I’m sick of folks telling me what I mean. How I should feel. Get it through your head, what happened to Hope and our unborn son is something I can’t even begin to process—don’t want to. They meant everything to me, and . . .” He froze.
    “What?” she whispered, fearing another snake.
    “Listen . . .”
    From an impossible to judge distance came unmistakable baying. Dogs. “Think they’re out here for us?”
    “Can’t say for sure, but if I were a bad guy, tracking my pregnant woman through an impassable swamp, seems like a reasonable way to go.”
     

7

     
     
    JUST WHEN NASH thought his day couldn’t get worse . . .
    With hounds baying from what couldn’t be more than a mile away, he surveyed the bullet-riddled aluminum jon boat. Stomach fisted, he eyed Maisey who barely had strength to stand. With Vicente having ruined their last best hope of a quick escape, this supposedly simple in-and-out mission had become infinitely more complex.
    “Y-you have another backup plan, right?” Her complexion had turned unnaturally pale.
    “Sure.” Of course, he had a plan, he just hadn’t voiced it yet—or, even thought of it. But for sure it was germinating. He hoped.
    Removing his helmet, he used his forearm to wipe sweat from his brow. The day’s heat and humidity were brutal. Had he known they’d face this dilemma, he’d have taken the day to rest, opting to travel by night.
    “Mind sharing?”
    He glanced her way. “What?”
    “The plan? Those dogs sound awfully close.”
    True. “Sorry, but to mask our scent, we’re gonna have to hit the water.”
    Nose wrinkled, she asked, “The black, mossy, foul-smelling water we’ve counted six hungry gators eyeballing us from?”
    “One and the same.”
    The dog’s barks grew more frantic.
    Nash took the camo netting from the useless boat, then stood alongside Maisey, wrapping it around them both. “Let’s go.”
    Spying a clump of alligator weed, he broke two lengths of the hollow stems.
    Handing one to Maisey, Nash said, “If I give you the signal, as quietly as possible, duck underwater. Use this as a snorkel.”
    She folded her arms and scowled. “I can’t put my head under water. You know that. Remember Allysa Franklin’s thirteenth birthday? She had a pool party and Johnny Preston dunked me? I almost drowned.”
    “Stop the histrionics. And for the record, I saved you.” Judging by the frantic baying, the hounds couldn’t have been more than a quarter mile away. Nash considered himself unflappable, but his usual companions were SEALs. Without question, they did what needed to be done. Maisey was a delicate unknown. He not only had her to worry about, but her baby. The closer the dogs came, the more he feared he might not be up for this challenge. Palms sweating, pulse racing, he shook off his nerves. This was no time to fold. “When I say, you will put that stem in your mouth and duck. Not only your life, but your baby’s depends on you following my instructions to the letter. Understand?”
    Her doe-eyed stare left him regretting his rough demeanor.
    Hand on the small of her back, he led her slowly into the water. When he’d initially covered the boat, he’d laced the camo netting with reeds and grasses. Honestly, he was surprised Vicente hadn’t assigned hired guns to wait for them at each boat. It would have been a logical move. The fact that he hadn’t made Nash wonder just how adept his team was at hunting human targets. “This waterway looks like it has a slight current. We’re going to ride it with this mini-island over our heads. You’ll be able to breathe, but I'm not gonna lie—it won’t be pleasant. To Vicente’s men, we’ll look like debris.”
    The barking and baying was near enough to raise the hair on the back of