Hot SEALs: SEAL's Ultimate Challenge

Text copyright ©2015 by the Author.

This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Cat Johnson. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Hot SEALs remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Cat Johnson, or their affiliates or licensors.

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SEAL’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

A TAKE NO PRISONERS / HOT SEALS

CROSSOVER NOVELLA

ELLE JAMES

New York Times
&
USA Today
Bestselling Author

Dedication

I dedicate this story to the fallen marines and sailor of the senseless slayings at the Tennessee recruiting center. My heart goes out to them and the families they left behind. May they be forever remembered for their selfless dedication to protecting our country.

Elle James

About this Book

Injured on a mission gone wrong, Cory “Reaper” Nipton’s Navy SEAL career is over. With only one arm, he can’t join his fellow teammates, or even his fiancé, the Special Ops helicopter pilot who flew him in and out of harm’s way. Relegated to life as a civilian, and angry at his lack of choices, Reaper goes through rehab with a petite, soft-spoken physical therapist with two iron fists. He’s forced to face an uncertain future and learn how to live without the use of his right arm.

Ex-cop, Leigha Fields, lost her career due to a gunshot wound that destroyed her knee. Retrained and refitted with different skills, she has reimagined her world, dedicating her life to helping wounded warriors find their way. Until someone from her past seeks revenge. Leigha and Reaper join forces to untangle the mystery and free her from the web of crosshairs aimed squarely at her. In their struggle to find and neutralize the culprit, they realize their own capabilities and how they will fit in their future together.

Author’s Note

SEAL’s Ultimate Challenge
is Cory’s story picking up where
SEAL’s Honor
left off. This book parallels SEAL’s Honor and should be book #1.5. The following are all the books in the
Take No Prisoners Series
:

Take No Prisoners Series

SEAL’s Honor
 (#1)

SEAL’s Desire
 (#2)

SEAL’s Embrace
 (#3)

SEAL’s Obsession
 (#4)

SEAL’s Proposal
 (#5)

SEAL’s Seduction
 (#6)

SEAL’s Defiance
 (#7)

HOT SEALS Kindle World: SEAL’s Ultimate Challenge

Visit
ellejames.com
for more titles and release dates

Also visit her alter-ego Myla Jackson at
mylajackson.com

and join Elle James and Myla Jackson’s Newsletter at
Newsletter

Chapter One

NINETY-ONE, NINETY-TWO, NINETY-THREE. Sweat dripped from every pore of Cory “Reaper” Nipton’s body as he did what he could to stay in shape while deployed in Afghanistan and waiting for mission assignment. In his quarters, with his feet hooked beneath the legs of his cot, he counted out six more sit-ups.

The door opened, and Reed Tucker—his teammate, roommate and best friend—stomped inside, scowling.

Reaper completed one more sit-up. One hundred. Pausing in the upright position, he asked, “Have a good run?”

“Hell no,” Tuck bit out and pointed to the wadded T-shirt on the floor between the two cots. “Can’t you pick up after yourself?”

Reaper crunched a few more sit-ups and stopped. He rose, retrieved the shirt, and stuffed it into his dirty laundry bag hanging from a tent pole.

Tuck was on a tear.

Reaper shrugged and asked, “What bug crawled up your ass?”

“Who said I had a bug up my ass?” Tuck clenched his fists and paced the length of the tent and back, his nostrils flaring, his eyes wild and angry.

The guy looked like he wanted to hit someone. Since Reaper was the closest to him, he backed a step and raised his brows. “Well, if you’re not mad about some
thing
, you’re mad at some
one
. Let me guess. Is it the commander? Did he ask you to clean the head?”

Tuck snorted and shot a glare at Reaper. “I’m not mad at the commander.”

“Then who
are
you mad at? I’m not into twenty questions right now. I have to get to the mess tent before O’Connell.” He’d been working on his campaign to win the heart of Captain Delaney O’Connell, the only female helicopter pilot in the 160
^th
Night Stalkers, the bravest, most experienced helicopter unit in the U.S. Army. They had the dangerous task of delivering and recovering Special Operations teams to hostile territory.

Before they’d deployed from Little Creek, Virginia, to Afghanistan, Reaper had asked O’Connell to marry him in a bar, in front of his entire team. She’d put him off, saying she wanted time to think about it. Since then, he’d done everything in his power to sway her thoughts in his direction. “I want to leave a candy bar for the cook to give her as a special treat.”

“That’s it.” Tuck rounded on Reaper, his fists clenched. “That’s the reason I’m so jacked up.”

Reaper’s jaw dropped. “Because of a candy bar? I have another, if you want it.”

“No, I don’t want your goddamn candy bar. I want you to leave Delaney alone.”

Reaper’s brows dipped toward the bridge of his nose. “O’Connell? Why? Did the commander find out I was courting her?”

“No. The commander doesn’t know anything. But I do, and I want you to stop seeing Delaney.”

Reaper had never seen his buddy this wound up before. Especially over a woman.

Ever since BUD/s training, Tuck had been adamant about staying single. A SEAL had no right shackling himself to a woman.

Completely confused by now, Reaper stared at his friend, trying to understand. “Why?”

Tuck shoved a hand through his hair and turned away, mumbling, “Just because I asked you to.”

Reaper had a plan. He wanted to be married to O’Connell before he turned thirty. The campaign to win her was in full swing, and he was almost positive he was making headway. He couldn’t give up just because Tuck said so. “Sorry, Tuck. That answer isn’t good enough.”

His friend stood with his back to Reaper. “You’re not the right man for her.”

Anger flared in his belly, and Reaper clenched his own fists. Now Tuck had pissed him off. “I’m not?” Reaper grabbed Tuck’s arm and jerked him around. “Are you saying I’m not good enough? Just because I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth doesn’t make me inferior. I’m a good SEAL, I make a decent living, and I care about her more than I’ve cared about anyone else in my life.”

The muscle in the side of Tuck’s jaw ticked. “That’s not enough.”

“Why?” Reaper crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze. “Give me one good reason why.”

“Because…” A red stain rose up Tuck’s neck, filling his cheeks. “Just because, damn it! You’re not right for her.”

“And what made you qualified to be the judge? You’ve been around her as much as I have. The three of us have been hanging out for the past six months.” He jerked a hand toward the door. “I care about her, and I think she cares about me.”

Tuck poked a finger into Reaper’s chest. “You’ve never been serious about a woman before.”

The poke made the anger flare even hotter inside Reaper.

“You flirt with every female you come in contact with.” Tuck went to poke him again.

This time, Reaper grabbed his finger. “I’m done with flirting,” he said. “O’Connell is the only one for me.”

Tuck snatched away his hand from Reaper. “How do you know? Another woman could come along and off you’d go, panting after her. Where would that leave Delaney?”

What kind of question is that?
Reaper shook his head. “I’m not going after another woman. I only want O’Connell.”

“Damn it, Reaper. What if she doesn’t want you?” Tuck stood with his feet planted wide apart, his eyes narrowed, his fists raised and ready.

Tired of the argument and the crazed look in his roommate’s eyes, Reaper pulled himself up straight, his chin lifting. “I told you. I’m out to convince her.” He poked a finger into his buddy’s chest. “Either you’re with me, or…” With a shoulder bump, Reaper shoved Tuck. “Stay the fuck out of my way.” Moving fast, he left the tent and headed for the mess hall. O’Connell would get her candy bar, and Reaper would be one step closer to sealing the deal with the woman who would be the mother of his children.

“Reaper!” Fish called out from across the dirt road. “Grab Tuck. The Skipper wants us in Ops ASAP.”

With a sigh, Reaper turned back to his quarters and stuck his head inside. “Time to rock and roll.”

LATER THAT NIGHT, two Black Hawk helicopters flew to their destination. Reaper’s only consolation to not having dinner with O’Connell was knowing she was the pilot who would fly them to and from their landing zone outside of the small Afghan village where they’d secure their target and get the hell out.

A hill over from the village, the helicopters hovered above the ground. The SEALs fast-roped to the ground one at a time.

Tuck took point. Reaper had his six, the rest of the team hit the ground and hustled toward the village. This was the same maneuver they’d practiced over and over back in Virginia before being deployed. They could perform this mission with one hand tied behind their backs.

Before they reached the outer walls of the village, gunfire sounded. Tuck and the rest of the team hit the dirt and spent a few tense moments locating the source of the rounds. Reaper glanced through the night vision scope with one eye, the other open to watch for tracer rounds.

A rumbling burst of machine gun fire rippled in the night. After two more tracer rounds, Reaper had his man in his sights and picked him off with a single shot.

Tuck gave a hand signal, and the team was on the move again.

Shouts filled the night air. The people inside the walls were on the alert. Those who were armed would be setting up positions on the rooftops and at the corners of buildings. The SEAL team’s job was to neutralize threats and push on to their target. Tuck arrived first, crouched and cupped his hand. Reaper stepped into it and flung himself and his heavy array of weapons to the top of the wall. Lying as flat as he could, he scanned the ground and the rooftops nearest him. So far, the area was clear. He dropped to the ground on the other side and provided cover as, one after the other, his teammates cleared the wall and landed on the ground nearby. The fourth man over stopped at the top, reached back and hauled Tuck up the wall, and they both dropped to the ground on the inside.

Once again, Tuck took point, leading the team through the narrow streets. Reaper hung back, his gaze shooting to the tops of buildings and the rims of the outer walls of mud and stone surrounding the dwellings. The intelligence guys had briefed them on their target, their information gathered from a captured Taliban leader. Tuck would be counting doors to the right location.

At the same time, Team Bravo circled the village to the rear of the building to block anyone attempting to sneak out the back when Team Alpha struck.

A burst of machinegun fire kicked up dust near their feet and halted their progress. Team Alpha pressed their backs to the walls, hugging the shadows, giving the gunner as small a target as possible. The gunfire stopped, and a metal-on-metal clinking sound indicated either the gun had jammed or the shooter was reloading.

Tuck pointed to Reaper then motioned for Big Bird, Fish and Gator to follow. The three men moved past, leaving Reaper to do what he did best.

Inching out into the open, Reaper peered through his night vision goggles and picked up the heat signature of the shooter. He raised his NVGs, leveled his rifle, lined up his target in his scope, and held his breath.

The shooter unjammed his gun and prepared to fire.

Before he could, Reaper caressed his trigger. A single round launched from his rifle, hitting the man between the eyes.

The man expelled air from his lungs in a soft grunt and slumped over his machine gun.

After a deep breath, Reaper hurried to catch up to Tuck and the others.

A couple of yards ahead, Tuck held up a hand. They’d arrived at their target.

The team hunkered low. Reaper took up a position on the corner of a building, scanning the rooftops and the path from which they’d just come. He had the team’s six while Tuck got busy with explosives.

Reaper waited, pushing his earlier argument with Tuck out of his mind. No matter how mad he got at Tuck, or Tuck got with him, they would take a bullet for each other. They were part of a team.