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"I have the subject in sight," Carter said. "He's on the move."

Shadows hid her as she rested against a back wall. Her eyes scanned the chaotic scene before her. The room thrummed with voices and pulsating music. Lights flashed and colors changed, distracting any unfocused person. But Carter was not thrown by any of it.

"Do you think he will make the play?" she asked.

"His previous MO gives me confidence he will," Donovan said. "But we should be at the ready if anything changes."

Carter switched her gaze to the other occupants of the packed room. The world seemed to be in constant motion as groups broke apart and reformed in different places. 

"I have a group of seven hostiles, ten o'clock," she said. "What is your read on the situation?"

Donovan followed her directions and studied the group of guys huddled in one corner, their backs towards the mayhem.

"I don't sense any threat but we'll keep them in sight."

"Roger that." An approaching form caught Carter's attention. "Heads up, we have activity at 12 o'clock. She's made you. Do you need back up?"

Donovan's mouth twitched. "Do you want to give me back up?"

"I say my involvement is the fastest course of action to neutralizing the threat."

"Then by all means I accept back up."

Carter turned to Donovan, wrapped one arm around his neck and kissed him.

Knowing what had been coming, Donovan reacted right away, holding her close, his hands on her waist. For a second the world stopped and Carter couldn't seem to remember why she had started kissing him, but knew she didn't want to stop.

The girl in the high heels and sparkly dress halted in her steps. With an awkward shuffle, she spun away. Reality returning to her, Carter smiled up at Donovan.

"Threat neutralized."

"I never suspected military tactics would come in handy for Prom."

"I never suspected I would come to Prom."

Donovan gave her a teasing look. "Didn't think anyone would ask you?"

"No, I saw no reason to come. I can't dance."

Crossing his arms, Donovan leaned his shoulder against the wall.

"Interesting, I would have thought, based on your mobility and physique, it wouldn't be that much of a challenge for you."

"Taking down a 200 pound man is a far easier task than moving seductively to a rhythm."

The edge of Donovan's mouth curled. "Who said anything about being seductive?"

"The scene I have been watching for the past forty minutes."

Donovan looked over as if he hadn't been aware of the way the girls, in varying lengths of dresses, had been dancing. The dance floor was crammed with students all moving in ways Carter didn't have a clue how to mimic. Off to the side Link and Maddy danced together. To her surprise, Link looked more capable than she had imagined he would be.

"You don't have to dance like that," Donovan said.

Unable to look at him, she asked, "Would you like it if I did?"

He reached out and took one of her hands. The contact sent a surge of warmth through Carter. She met his steady gaze.

"No. I like you right here. Right next to me."

Carter smiled. The look quickly slipped into something teasing. "Good, 'cause I had no intention of humiliating myself."

"Also, your father would shoot me on sight," Donovan said.

He glanced across the room. Steve was dressed in a black suit and surveying the scene with an impassive expression.

"He never did strike me as the chaperone type of father," he said.

"No, but when he heard I was going with you he quickly signed up."

"He still doesn't trust me."

"Trust is something you earn. And you're getting close. It just takes time."

"Good thing I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled at her then looked back to the mass of dancers, reassuring himself Link was safe. With his attention else where, Carter let eyes linger on him. The way his dress shirt and slacks fit him perfectly. It was hard not to admire the build of his arms and torso. When her gaze rose from his chest to his face, she found him looking at her, a smirk spreading across his lips. She struggled to control her expression, but his eyes only brightened with a teasing look at her embarrassment.

"Thanks," he said, making her scowl in annoyance. "You should know the thoughts are mutual."

Unlike her, his gaze never left her face, as if the intelligence he saw there was all he needed to find her attractive. She tried to fight the grin creeping to her mouth, but it eventually won out.

"I have to say your outfit looks far more comfortable than mine," she said.

She looked down at her simple v-neck black dress.

"Maggie picked it out," she said, lifting one edge of the thigh length skirt. "I only said yes because the other option had sequins. It could have been worse. What do you think?"

Donovan took this as an invitation to let himself admire the way the dress followed the curve of her body. Carter returned his smirk when he met her gaze again, satisfied with the look in his eye.

"You are the perfect combination of beautiful and dangerous."

She winked. "Good answer."

Donovan's attention jumped away as Carter's father left his post and moved towards one of the exits.

"Where is he going?"

"Checking the perimeter, is my guess. Make sure no students have snuck away to do things they shouldn't be."

"For their sakes, I hope they aren't. I can't imagine your father being very lenient with them."  

"No, but it will tough them up to do twenty push ups in formal attire."

Donovan chuckled at the image. The music switched tempos and the groups of grinding students scattered into pairs, arms falling around necks and wrapping around waists. Carter noticed as Maddy instantly rested her head on Link's shoulders and he rested his cheek on her hair. For some reason, she couldn't look away, watching as the couple was lost in their own world.

"I would say a thorough perimeter check takes about half an hour, wouldn't you agree?" Donovan asked.

Carter frowned in puzzlement at the question but nodded. "Roughly that, yes."

"Good."

He took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Dancing with you."

"I remember telling you that I can't dance."

"Fine." He pulled her close to him, one arm holding her waist while the other held her hand close to his chest. "We will not dance, we will merely sway in time to the music. Sound doable to you?"

Since Carter's body was already responding to Donovan's lead, she had no choice but to accept.

"Is this the part where you surprise me by telling me you're actually a phenomenal dancer?"

He laughed, the sound vibrating through Carter's chest. "I can assemble a Remington 700 rifle more easily than I can dance. No, I thought since this is your Prom you should have at least one dance."

"Are you assuming that if I didn't dance at least once I would be crushed for the remainder of my life?"

"No. But I figured it might be a memory you would want to share one day with your daughter. If she ever turned out differently than you."

"You mean she would be a normal teenage girl?"

"It's a possibility."

"One I have never given much thought to." Donovan was silent and she studied his calm expression. "Have you given it much thought?"

In answer, he merely pulled her closer and said nothing. A smile tugged at Carter's lips as she turned over the implications of his silence.

The smile froze when a masked figure emerged from a dim hallway.

The blood in Carter's veins turned cold as the figure was followed by six others. All of them were masked and fit. They wore tuxes as if they were trying blend in.

Carter's hand tightened around Donovan's and he instantly stopped moving.

"Hallway. Six o'clock."

As if continuing to dance, Donovan rotated them.

"I counted seven hostiles," she said, her voice calm though her heart was pounding. "I think they are concealing guns beneath their jackets."

"It's too dark to tell, but I think you're right. We can't bring attention to them or we will cause a panic." Donovan's words came quickly but his voice was even, as if keeping it that way could control the situation. "They haven't made a move to anyone specific yet, so we have time. We split up." His arm reflexively tightened around her as if he hated the thought of leaving her. "We'll take them from either side. I'll take the right."

"Okay."

Donovan kissed her deeply and was gone, cutting through the crowd.

Carter carved her way through the dense mass as the music switched to something upbeat. Couples let out cheers as they loosened their holds on each other.

Slipping into the shadows, Carter used the cover to creep along the wall. The group of masked guys had divided and four of them were heading her way. The music pounded against Carter's ears and spiked her heartbeat. Every cell in her body was shot with adrenaline.

The group was so focused on the dancing mob of students, that they didn't notice Carter's presence.

Before they knew what was happening, she was attacking. She slammed her fist into one attacker's face, breaking his nose, and kicked another in the stomach, winding him. The attackers staggered back in shock while she turned to the other two guys. She laid one out with a fast 1-2 sequence to the face and stomach. Spinning around, she clipped the final guy with the heel of her shoe, sending him crumpling to the ground.

The battle was over so quickly that no one noticed what had happened. A second later, Donovan found her with all her opponents moaning on the ground around her. She met his gaze.

"You take care of your men?" she asked.

He gave her a nod and raised a handgun.

"I got their weapons as well."

He pointed it at one of the moaning bodies. Before Carter could stop him he fired.

"Donovan!" The exclamation was ripped from her.

But nothing happened. On the floor the guy twitched at the cold water that soaked his shirt.

"All of them are water guns," Donovan said.

Carter knelt down and pulled off the guy's mask. Lucas was scowling back at her.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, still trying to regain his breath.

"Are you behind this prank?" she asked.

"Owens, you can be a real b-"

Carter punched him, knocking him out.

When she stood up, Donovan was smiling at her.

"What?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, except there's something amusing but completely normal about you surrounded by beaten guys."

She smiled and waved her hands to the helpless pranksters.

"So, do you think this is one of those Prom memories you were talking about?" 

"Definitely. Our daughter will love it."

Before Carter could process his choice of words, the door opened and her father walked in. He eyed the scene and then pointed to them.

"That's it," he said. "I'm banning you from the training courses for a month."

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CRAZY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!!!!

Why am I yelling?

Oh I know why!!! Cause this is the beginning of something epic! A story with apparently no end whatsoever despite what I thought! A whole freaking book full of these little chapter treasures!

I love that you're here and that you want to continue on this journey with this band of bada**es!

Now that I have calmed down let me start yelling about something else...what was I excited about before this...Carter...Donovan...our daughter...oh that's right!

JUMPING JELLYBEANS!! Donovan basically announced he wanted to marry Carter and have a family! Excuse me while I proceed to faint. *faints*

(If you want to see if that dream come true just jump to the end of this book! ☺️)

Anyways tell me something you're flipping out about? Happy things!

Because we would crash Wattpad if everyone commented about the annoying person they interacted with today.

Random fact! Donovan and Carter's song is Tear in My Heart by Twenty-One Pilots. (murphnturf look I spelled it right!) If you heard the song then you will get why this is the case!

Vote for the love of moose everywhere! Comment on the nature of nature! Follow the way of the deer!
(What does that mean? Like I even know! But I'm sure it's awesome)