Free Surrendered (Heart of a Warrior Series Book 3) by Kariss Lynch Page B

will weaken his trade options and draw him out of hiding.”
    X took over and began to go over op specifics. They would leave first thing in the morning and travel with a Marine unit to a town about an hour away. Janus and Jake would accompany them.
    Nick listened carefully, at the same time taking a personal inventory. To his relief he found that the more time he spent in the room with Janus, the greater his power to ignore her. She was a captive, incapable of hurting him or Kaylan.
    Kaylan. A pang of regret sliced through him, more potent than any injury he had ever sustained.
    Micah jabbed Nick in the side, and Nick snapped to attention, avoiding Micah’s glare. He pulled another piece of gum out and popped it into his mouth. Enough of the distractions. Enough thinking about Kaylan, or Janus for that matter. Women complicated his life, and he didn’t need to think about either one of them on this op. His life and the lives of his teammates depended on it. Out here in the middle of the desert, it was team and teammates over everything.
    And for now, Nick liked it that way.
     

 
    Chapter Nine
    Wednesday arrived without Kaylan’s bidding and with it, the memories of Haiti and Sarah Beth. A year had passed, but Kaylan knew she would feel every January 12 with extra weightiness for the rest of her life. Everything had changed—for Haiti, for Sarah Beth, for herself. 
    Now, with Nick deployed and their fight still lingering, she felt his absence weigh heavier by the hour. The grief of the day increased her fear that she would never see him again. She fought the ache, but it was tough to keep it at bay.
    Her only distractions came in the form of her patients as she planned meals and focused on the diet of each individual. Back home after work, she cleaned the house and whipped up a meal. By the time Megan walked in the door smelling like the ocean, dinner was ready and the house sparkled. She’d lugged her tired body to bed shortly after, praying for dreamless sleep.
    Thursday dawned bright, and with the new day, Kaylan’s spirits rose. For the past couple of months, she’d taken to going over to the Carpenters house to give them a date night while she played with the kids. They brought her joy unlike anything else. Tonight was no different. With these kids, she surrounded herself with laughter and chaos. The living room looked like a tornado of toys and dishes had swept through, but she didn’t care.
    “Aunt Kaylan, I want you to play with my dolls now. Please?” Molly looked up from her spot on the floor surrounded by dolls, a tea set, and stuffed animals.
    “Just one second, ladybug.” Kaylan’s tongue hung out of her mouth as her little car raced around the track. Playing Mario Cart with Tanner and Conner reminded her of years playing with David, Micah, and Seth. Only those games usually ended in a fight over who cheated and who really won until Mom took away the controller and sent them all outside to play. “Almost there  . . .”
    “Kaylan, you bumped me. No fair.”
    “You bump people all the time, Conner. Don’t use that on me when you are losing.”
    “Ha. She told you.” Tanner taunted Conner.
    “Shut up.”
    “Yes!” Kaylan threw her hands in the air and stood, doing a happy dance in front of the boys. “Victory for me. And that was not nice to say, Conner.” She pointed at him. “Your parents don’t let you talk to one another like that, and you aren’t going to do it on my watch.”
    Conner mumbled a “sorry” to his older brother while Kaylan smothered her smile.
    “Close enough.” Too much like the Richards’ kids growing up. She couldn’t wait to be an aunt for real, but in the meantime, she loved these kids with her whole heart.
    “Aunt Kaylan,” Molly called again.
    “All right, ladybug. It’s your turn.” The boys resumed their game with just two players while Kaylan sat down on the floor with Molly. The four-year-old had spread out several dolls in various stages of