Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Saving Sarah (Kindle Worlds Novella) (New Orleans Connection Series Book 7) Read Online Free
the info, but he'd rather hear it firsthand. Sometimes people were easier to read than scribbled facts on a page.
"Tell me more about your sister." He patted the spot beside him on the bed, and she hesitated for a heartbeat before leaving the doorway and easing down beside him on the corner of the mattress, her body held rigidly upright. The scent of her skin with its light citrusy fragrance shot straight to his groin, and he took a deep breath.
Get your head out of your ass, idiot. Focus on the facts. Wolf needs you to work her case, not get in her pants.
"Anna is like a breath of fresh air. Natural and free-spirited. She's never met a stranger. People open up when she's around, feel like they can tell her anything. I've never seen anything like it. Complete strangers, people who've never met her, within minutes are telling her their life stories."
Ranger knew the kind of person she described. He'd lived with somebody exactly like that—his baby sister, Gabi. His gut clenched at the thought of his sister in Anna's place and was swamped with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
"Did you talk to her after she arrived in New Orleans?"
Sarah nodded while her fingers peeled at the label on the water bottle. "She called Saturday afternoon, once they'd made it. All the girls were excited. Once they checked into their room, they'd planned on hitting Jackson Square and seeing some of the local artists, because one of the girls is an art major."
He liked the way her eyes lit up when she talked about her sister. The love she felt shone through with every word, every action. He understood. Though they'd never been all touchy-feely, he'd never felt unloved around his family. Hell, his father still pulled them all together every time the boys were in New Orleans. Though it happened less and less since they'd all joined the military. Even Gabi wasn't around much anymore, away attending college. If they were lucky, she'd make it home for a long weekend. He made a mental reminder to give his sister a call and check on her in the morning.
"Did Anna mention anything untoward happening? Maybe notice somebody paying them a little too much attention?"
Sarah sighed, her hands clasped around the water bottle until it made a crumpling sound. "Not at first. She was having fun, exploring the city and partying with her friends. Although she's not legally old enough to drink, I'm sure they figured out how to get around the whole underage drinking thing. Not that she's a big drinker or anything, but an occasional beer or glass of wine, sure." She set the water bottle on the floor before standing, and paced a few steps away, toying with the end of her ponytail. He remembered her doing that in the bar. Probably a nervous habit, but he thought it was cute.
"You said not at first. What changed?"
Before she could answer, his phone rang. He picked it up from where he'd laid it beside him on the mattress and glanced at the caller ID. "Gotta take this, it's Wolf." His finger slid across the answer call button. "Hey, man, what's up?"
"Did Sarah get there?"
Ranger heard the whomp, whomp, whomp sound, the hollow noise instantly recognizable. Helicopter rotors spinning. The familiar backdrop of boots scrambling along concrete told him Wolf was at the base, though he wasn't sure if he was in Coronado or Virginia.
"Yeah, she made it." He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry at the sounds, so familiar, yet they dredged up a slew of memories and instincts that had his stomach cramping.
Gunfire.
Screams.
Blood.
He gave his head a rough shake, focusing instead on Wolf's voice.
"Hear her out, buddy. She needs help and I'm not going to be around to give it to her. Got called up on an emergency evac; otherwise, I'd be there myself, watching her six."
Ranger rubbed a hand against his forehead, shut his eyes and tried to block out everything except
"Tell me more about your sister." He patted the spot beside him on the bed, and she hesitated for a heartbeat before leaving the doorway and easing down beside him on the corner of the mattress, her body held rigidly upright. The scent of her skin with its light citrusy fragrance shot straight to his groin, and he took a deep breath.
Get your head out of your ass, idiot. Focus on the facts. Wolf needs you to work her case, not get in her pants.
"Anna is like a breath of fresh air. Natural and free-spirited. She's never met a stranger. People open up when she's around, feel like they can tell her anything. I've never seen anything like it. Complete strangers, people who've never met her, within minutes are telling her their life stories."
Ranger knew the kind of person she described. He'd lived with somebody exactly like that—his baby sister, Gabi. His gut clenched at the thought of his sister in Anna's place and was swamped with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
"Did you talk to her after she arrived in New Orleans?"
Sarah nodded while her fingers peeled at the label on the water bottle. "She called Saturday afternoon, once they'd made it. All the girls were excited. Once they checked into their room, they'd planned on hitting Jackson Square and seeing some of the local artists, because one of the girls is an art major."
He liked the way her eyes lit up when she talked about her sister. The love she felt shone through with every word, every action. He understood. Though they'd never been all touchy-feely, he'd never felt unloved around his family. Hell, his father still pulled them all together every time the boys were in New Orleans. Though it happened less and less since they'd all joined the military. Even Gabi wasn't around much anymore, away attending college. If they were lucky, she'd make it home for a long weekend. He made a mental reminder to give his sister a call and check on her in the morning.
"Did Anna mention anything untoward happening? Maybe notice somebody paying them a little too much attention?"
Sarah sighed, her hands clasped around the water bottle until it made a crumpling sound. "Not at first. She was having fun, exploring the city and partying with her friends. Although she's not legally old enough to drink, I'm sure they figured out how to get around the whole underage drinking thing. Not that she's a big drinker or anything, but an occasional beer or glass of wine, sure." She set the water bottle on the floor before standing, and paced a few steps away, toying with the end of her ponytail. He remembered her doing that in the bar. Probably a nervous habit, but he thought it was cute.
"You said not at first. What changed?"
Before she could answer, his phone rang. He picked it up from where he'd laid it beside him on the mattress and glanced at the caller ID. "Gotta take this, it's Wolf." His finger slid across the answer call button. "Hey, man, what's up?"
"Did Sarah get there?"
Ranger heard the whomp, whomp, whomp sound, the hollow noise instantly recognizable. Helicopter rotors spinning. The familiar backdrop of boots scrambling along concrete told him Wolf was at the base, though he wasn't sure if he was in Coronado or Virginia.
"Yeah, she made it." He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry at the sounds, so familiar, yet they dredged up a slew of memories and instincts that had his stomach cramping.
Gunfire.
Screams.
Blood.
He gave his head a rough shake, focusing instead on Wolf's voice.
"Hear her out, buddy. She needs help and I'm not going to be around to give it to her. Got called up on an emergency evac; otherwise, I'd be there myself, watching her six."
Ranger rubbed a hand against his forehead, shut his eyes and tried to block out everything except
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