Her unflinching warrior, p.1
Her Unflinching Warrior, page 1
Her Unflinching Warrior
Omega Sky, Book Two
Caitlyn O’Leary
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Caitlyn O’Leary
© Copyright 2022 Caitlyn O’Leary
All rights reserved.
All cover art and logo © Copyright 2022
By Passionately Kind Publishing Inc.
Cover by Lori Jackson Design
Edited by Rebecca Hodgkins
Diversity Edited by Belinda Jackson Hercule
Diversity Edited by Shira E. Schneider
Content Edited by Trenda Lundin
Cover Photo by: James Critchley Photography
* * *
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, and places portrayed in this book are entirely products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
If you find any eBooks being sold or shared illegally, please contact the author at Caitlyn@CaitlynOLeary.com.
This book is dedicated to those who have, and continue to face, personal adversity with grace, with bravery, and with strength.
Synopsis
She is the only woman he wants, but the one woman he knows he shouldn’t have.
* * *
When Navy SEAL Gideon Smith gets a frantic call from Jada Harlow he drops everything to help her.
As a software designer, Jada often dug deeper into systems and issues than most people, but she never expected to find herself immersed in this much trouble.
Even though she had once loved and lost Gideon, she knew he was the only man who could save her. But would she be able to handle having him so close, with his heart so far away?
This is an action, adventure, romantic, stand-alone novel.
Prologue
“What do you think you’re doing?” his father gasped from his wheelchair. This was not the man who’d raised him, through his dad’s worn gray t-shirt, only shoulder bones stuck out where muscles used to bulge.
Gideon looked down at this shell of a man and swallowed hard. He couldn’t show any emotion, not when the powerful Kendall Douglas was blackmailing him.
No weakness. I can’t show any weakness.
Gideon turned away and started prowling around the small kitchen of the house he’d grown up in. His parents were sitting at the tiny kitchen table where their little family had eaten most of their meals, and he was doing everything in his power to avoid looking at them again.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mother holding his father’s hand. How often had he seen that unity?
Every day.
He’d seen his parents’ solidarity almost every single day of his life, until his father’s accident. Then Pops was plugged into too many machines, and there wasn’t a way for Sela Smith to hold onto Henry Smith’s hand. Now that his father was home, and not plugged into the machines, they could finally show their solidarity again. But Gideon knew it killed his father to not have the strength to squeeze the hand of the woman he loved.
“I’m packing,” he quietly answered his father’s question. “I’ve got a bus to catch.”
“Well, stop,” his mother said. “I’ll report you as a runaway, and you’ll be back by dinnertime.” She was using her calm Sunday school teacher voice.
Gideon continued to roll up his phone charger he’d just unplugged from the wall and pushed it into his backpack. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and walked over to his parents. Two sets of brown eyes, so like his own, stared up at him. He set the papers on the table in front of them.
“What’s this?” his father asked. He picked up the papers with a shaking hand. He tried to unfold them, but his wife had to help. They both started reading, and Gideon’s mother finished first. It killed Gideon. Since his Pop’s accident, even his mental acuity had gone downhill.
“This isn’t legal,” she burst out. “You’re only fourteen, you can’t be an emancipated minor. That’s not possible.”
“It’s legal. Pops signed the paperwork, and it was notarized in front of him. Remember?” he asked as he turned to his dad.
He watched his father’s typically mahogany skin tone turn to ash. “I was signing papers about my doctor bills and disability claims,” his dad protested weakly. “It was when your mom was at work. You were helping me, Son.”
Bile rose in his gorge and Gideon swallowed twice, forcing himself not to vomit on the kitchen floor.
“Is that true, Gideon? Did you trick your father into signing papers to make you an emancipated minor?” His mom gasped out the question. She was holding the side of her face as if she’d been slapped.
Gideon couldn’t verbally respond, knowing he might bawl. He nodded his head instead.
“Why? Why would you do this to us?” Gideon had never seen his father look so bewildered, not even when he’d first woken up in the hospital. “Why would you want to leave us? Your brother?” His father shook his head. It was like he was trying to get the idea of Gideon wanting to abandon his family to roll around in his brain until it would finally click into place.
“I gotta go. It’s time.” All of his planned speeches had disappeared under the weight of his dad’s pain.
“Son, you know things are tough right now, but these are the times when families need to cleave together the most.” His father gripped the arm of his wheelchair. “Gideon, we raised you better than this, in my heart I know this. Talk to me. Explain this to me, because I know this isn’t you.” His father was right. That was exactly how Gideon felt.
“You’re wrong. It is me.” Gideon kept his answer short, he needed them to believe him. He had to sell this story because lives depended on it, namely theirs. He couldn’t let them guess how he really felt—if they got suspicious, it would be the end.
He knew his Ma and Pops, they’d keep at him until they found out the truth, and they’d try to take on Mr. Douglas themselves. They’d try to fight for Gideon, but it’d be no use. Gideon would end up in jail and his family would end up homeless.
His mother released her husband’s hands and stood up. She had the bearing of the choir director that she was. She lifted one hand and pointed at him. “I will go to court and make this right. You’re only fourteen, this can’t be legal, there is no way that any judge would allow this to stand. You deceived a sick man, and I will make sure the notary who did this will lose their license.”
Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Mr. Douglas’ lawyers at Streetgamezzz were too slick for that. His mother would never find that notary.
“Ma, it’s legal. What’s more, you missed the court date. It’s done.”
She sucked down a deep breath until her ample bosom threatened to burst through the buttons of her housecoat. “What do you mean, it’s done? What court date?” she demanded to know.
“There was a registered letter. It was sent to the house with the date and time of the hearing to protest my emancipation. You guys didn’t show, so it went through. It’s finished.”
She wilted before his eyes. “The boy I raised would never scheme like that. He would not sign for a registered letter to his parents and keep it from us.”
His father struggled to sit straighter in his chair, but it was no use. He ended up slumped forward against the strap around his chest. “Gideon, Son, tell me you didn’t do this.” Henry Smith lifted his head so his rheumy gaze could catch Gideon’s.
Once again, Gideon thought he might lose it.
“Well, both of you thought wrong.” He bit out the words and glared at his parents.
He turned around and picked up his backpack.
“Don’t you dare turn your back on your mother,” his father wheezed.
“I’ll fight this,” she whispered.
Gideon slowly turned around. He was tired. It was so hopeless. He’d looked for some kind of different answer, a way out, but there wasn’t any. This was the only way, he was stuck.
“How will you fight it, Ma? With what money? Pretty soon, we’re going to be living in Sister Ella’s back bedroom, with Pops on the couch and you on a blow-up mattress. Maybe there’ll be eno
“And you leaving is the answer?” his mother asked. She sounded like she was going to cry.
“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”
“I don’t understand, why would we live at Ella’s?” his dad asked.
Ahh shit, Ma hasn’t told him.
His mother looked heartsick. She looked over at her husband, her mouth opened, then closed. She took a deep breath. Gideon decided to rip off the bandage. He hated this for his mother, she’d worked so hard trying to keep things together. He needed to help her. It was his job while his dad was sick, he was the man of the family. He needed to rip the bandage off and make it easier for Ma.
“We’re going to lose the house, Pops. There wasn’t enough money to pay the taxes, even though Reverend Knowles took up a collection. And we’re months late on the mortgage.”
“What about Al Fortney?” His Pops asked, referring to his old boss at the body shop. “I know the accident was my fault, but you told me he was helping out,” he said, staring at his wife.
“He did, Honey.” His mother answered. “The money he gave us for three months helped augment my salary from the church and covered the mortgage before we got the donation from the church.”
“How did I not know all this?” His dad sounded lost.
“Doctor Turner said your memory would be good as new in no time, Honey. As soon as we get you to a good rehab facility, things will be fine.”
Yeah, with what money? I have to go work with Streetgamezzz, like yesterday.
“And our savings? Is it gone too?” his dad asked. “Everything we had to move out of North Highland to get Mikey away from the Crips, is it all down the toilet?”
His mother nodded.
For long moments his dad stared at her until finally, a tear rolled down his father’s face. “Are those fuckers still trying to recruit Mikey?”
“Henry, language,” his mother scolded.
“Sorry, Sela. But our boy is only twelve. We both were taking double shifts to get out of Highland so Mikey would be safe, and I screwed it all up by being careless. I still can’t believe that you’ve forgiven me for fucking up so badly.”
Gideon watched as his mother brushed a kiss on his father’s cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive. You’re the best man I know, Henry Smith. You’ve done everything possible for this family. I love you so much.”
Gideon turned away, not able to stand watching his father cry or the beauty of his parents’ love when he had to be so cruel. He took a deep breath to force back his own tears.
“Ma, I gotta go, or I’ll miss my bus.”
His mother grabbed the edge of the tablecloth and wiped tears from her eyes. “Don’t do this, Gideon. How can you break up our family? Now, more than ever we need to stick together.”
“I need to leave.” He zipped up his backpack, knowing that Mr. Douglas expected him by four o’clock.
“Where will you go?” His mother’s voice was uneven, as she stuttered out the question. “When will I see you? Will you call?”
“I can’t, Ma.”
“Boy, if you do this. If you hurt your mother like this, I’ll never forgive you.” His father’s voice was the strongest it had been in months. Maybe the rehabilitation center Gideon would be able to pay for could help him.
“I’ve got to go,” Gideon said as he hefted his backpack over his shoulder.
“Please don’t,” his mother whispered. “Please don’t go, Baby.”
Gideon staggered, he thought his knees would give out.
“I’ve got to go.”
His mother jumped up and ran to him. She threw her arms around him and pulled him into the strongest hug he could ever remember. “You be safe. If anything ever happened to you, I would die.”
He dropped his backpack and crushed her to him. “I love you, Ma. So much.” He shuddered, forcing back a sob, but a tear escaped. He laid his head against her braided bun, breathing in her honey scent.
“Go hug your father,” she whispered.
Gideon looked over her shoulder. His father was watching them both. She released Gideon and pushed him toward her husband. “Go.”
“Pops?”
“Get out.” His father slowly raised his arm and pointed to the door. “If you’re so determined to leave, get the hell out.”
Gideon stood frozen.
“Henry. You don’t mean that,” his mother said, aghast.
“I mean it.” He moved his arm, then pointed his finger at Gideon and jabbed his finger at him. “You want to leave, you want to hurt your mother? Then, you get the hell out of my house. You’re dead to me, Boy.” He started to cough, and Sela Smith rushed to his side.
“Henry—”
“What are you waiting for?” Henry asked when he got his breath back. “I don’t ever want to see you again. Anyone who would turn his back on his mother at a time like this is a boy I don’t want to know. Get the fuck outta my house.”
His father meant every word. Gideon saw it in his eyes. This man he’d revered all of his life hated him. His knees wobbled. He thought he’d fall to the floor and howl with pain and grief, but he didn’t.
Gideon picked up his backpack and walked out the kitchen door. Walked to a new future with a man who was blackmailing him. But it was worth it if it could help his family.
He made it down two of the last three steps, stopping on the third where he and Mikey had carved their names. Wet hit his eyes. How could he do this? How?
He turned back to the front door, desperately wanting to go back inside.
Ma.
Pops.
He looked up into the sky. Please God, keep them safe. I’m begging you. Keep them safe.
Gideon turned around and walked away.
1
Navy SEAL Gideon Smith doubled down on his speed as he entered his neighborhood. Sweat dripped down his forehead and back as he ran flat out up the long private drive to his house on James Lake in Virginia Beach.
He hit the brick of his house with both hands as he came to a stop, his grin huge. Then he began his cool down by jogging, then walking around his circular drive. He could hear Lucy at the mudroom door, wanting a chance to come and play. Gideon pulled out the smart lock that he’d modified and clicked it. The mudroom door opened and Lucy bounded out.
“Miss me, Girl?”
The Chornyi Terrier almost knocked him down in her enthusiasm at his return.
“It’s only been two hours,” he laughed as he wrestled with the big dog. Lucy was one hundred and thirty pounds of muscle who loved playing with her human. Whenever Gideon went on a mission, he had to have the Ellis family next door watch her. When he’d made the decision to adopt Lucy four years ago, he’d not-so-innocently suggested to Felix Ellis that he might want to meet the breeder too, since Chornyi were known for their intelligence, playfulness, protectiveness, and how kid-friendly they were.
Gideon knew that both of Felix’s pre-teen girls ran track and played soccer, so there would be no problem with them giving the pup enough exercise. Plus, she would be great with their toddler, if she were socialized with the child early enough. He also knew that Pam Ellis was still having problems with her fucknut ex-husband, even though he hadn’t been in the picture since before she’d met, married, and had kids with Felix. So having a guard dog along with the security system would be a nice addition to the family. The fact that the sibling puppies would be growing up next door to one another, and Gideon would have access to dog watchers while he was on missions, didn’t play into it at all.
Sure it didn’t. Gideon grinned to himself.
