Securing avery, p.23
Securing Avery, page 23
But he knew it was only a matter of time.
He couldn’t wait to get to California and find out what she’d been up to since she’d been back stateside. He didn’t think she would just let it go. She’d looked right into his eyes and had witnessed him meeting with his contact in the village.
Scott had been shocked but pleased to learn that when his Afghani contact had been surrounded by the Delta Force team sent to investigate what had happened with the weapons convoy, he’d shot himself in the head. He obviously thought killing himself would be better than giving the Americans a chance to interrogate him, choosing to die instead of giving up information on the insurgents and where the weapons were.
For Scott, it meant the man couldn’t give up his name and his role in the attack either.
It was a lucky break. What did worry him was that he was now running low on pills as a result of the man’s easy way out. Scott wasn’t sure he’d have enough to last him until he got back to California. He’d have to stretch them carefully. When he landed, he could hook back up with his regular dealer, but until then, he’d have to suffer through some withdrawal symptoms from scaling back.
As the general droned on and on, Scott’s attention waned. He fantasized about seeing the lieutenant again, how he’d shut her up. He knew, as a nurse who worked in the base hospital, she would be easy to get to, but he had to time everything exactly right. If she caught even a glimpse of him on base before he was ready, everything would be ruined. She’d turn him in without a second thought.
He had to figure out how to set things up so they’d meet face-to-face at just the right time. Then he could finish what the incompetent Afghanis hadn’t been able to do. Namely, make sure the lieutenant couldn’t ever identify him to the authorities.
Keeping his face blank, Scott internally grinned and plotted.
Chapter Eighteen
Rex looked out at Avery and had to physically restrain himself from walking outside and pulling her into his arms and kissing the shit out of her.
Everything he’d told her that morning had been dead-on accurate. He dreamed about kissing her again. About tasting every inch of her body, then fucking her until they were both a sweaty, boneless mess. But he couldn’t. Not until he was sure she wouldn’t decide he wasn’t what she wanted. If she did, he wasn’t sure he could come back from that.
They were at Gumby’s beach house and she was sitting on the back porch with Phantom and Caite. They were watching Piper and Ace’s kids play on the sand with the other women and Gumby and Rocco.
Rex was inside with Ace and Bubba, cleaning up after the meal.
“You’ve got a goofy look on your face, bro,” Bubba teased.
Rex turned his attention back to the dish he was drying.
Ace slapped him on his back and chuckled. “Another one bites the dust, huh?”
Rex chuckled back but didn’t comment.
“It’s about fucking time,” Bubba said. “I mean, we all know you’ve had your eye on her for-fucking-ever. Hate that it took her being kidnapped for you to be able to connect, but we’re happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Rex told his friends. He put the now-dried plate in the cabinet and tossed the towel down. “Can I ask you guys something?”
“Of course.”
“Anything.”
“How did you…when did you…” Rex’s voice trailed off.
“Spit it out,” Ace said with a grin.
“How did you figure out that Piper was with you because she wanted to be with you, and not because of the kids?” Rex asked Ace.
Any humor that had been on his friend’s face was wiped clean with Rex’s serious question.
“Honestly? I used to struggle with that same question. Not that I don’t think she loves me,” Ace said quickly. “But every now and then, I look at our kids, and at the baby that’s growin’ in her stomach, and I find myself wondering how in the hell I got to where I am today. I’ve always wanted kids but never in a million years thought I’ve have three, going on four, so soon after meeting Piper. But knowing she loves me for me and not the kids isn’t something I can explain. It’s just a feeling, here.” Ace put his fist over his heart.
“I would do anything for my kids,” Ace went on. “But if they weren’t here, and Piper wasn’t pregnant, I know down to the marrow of my bones that we’d still be together. We might’ve gotten married because of the kids, but it was much more than that, even before we said ‘I do.’ I’m not an idiot, there were plenty of ways Tex could’ve gotten those girls out of Timor-Leste, but getting married tied me to Piper, and her to me, in a way neither of us could easily get out of. We were both unsure of the other, but in the end, it came down to us just knowing.”
“Zoey and I went through a lot of shit in the week we spent in the Alaskan wilderness,” Bubba chimed in. “We got to know each other very well in a short amount of time. It helped that we already knew each other from high school, but still. If you’re second-guessing why Avery is with you, stop.”
Rex shrugged. “Can’t help it. She’s having a hard time getting over being buried in the dark in that mountain.”
“And you’re helping her, and now you’re thinking that’s the only reason she’s tolerating your ugly mug?” Ace asked with a smirk.
Rex wasn’t in the mood to joke about this. “Fuck off,” he muttered.
Ace got serious and put a hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Women are hard to understand sometimes, but if she didn’t have feelings for you, there’s no way you’d be sleeping in her bed every night.”
“She’s scared of the dark,” Rex admitted. “She called me in the middle of the night and was completely freaked out even though she had every light on in her apartment. She hadn’t slept in a week and was at the end of her rope.”
“Fine, so maybe she was using you that night, but the ones after that? No,” Ace said firmly. “I’m not saying you aren’t helping her, because I’m sure you are, but she’s a grown woman. And a nurse at that. She knows there are other ways to get over her fears. Psychotherapy, drugs…whatever. If she didn’t have feelings for you, you wouldn’t still be in her bed, Rex.”
Rex wasn’t entirely convinced.
“She can’t take her eyes off you for more than few minutes at a time,” Bubba said. “She’s sitting out there with Phantom and Caite, but turns her head to check to see where you are constantly…just as you do to her.”
“I’m scared,” Rex admitted to his friends. It wasn’t something he’d ever say to anyone he didn’t trust one hundred percent, but the men in front of him had been through hell together.
“I’m terrified every single day that Zoey will come to her senses and decide she can’t live with my quirks anymore,” Bubba admitted.
“And even though Piper’s carrying my child, I’ll always worry that one day she’ll wake up and decide being married to a SEAL isn’t for her,” Ace added.
“You know as well as we do that our futures aren’t set in stone,” Bubba told Rex. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take hold of what we want. Embrace it, man. If you’re looking for guarantees that she’ll never leave you, or that life will always be a bed of roses, you’re not going to get it. Life is messy. It’s hard as fuck. There’ll be times you’ll fight and she might think she regrets choosing the life she did. But that just means you have to work harder to show her that she made the right decision after all. That you’re worth it, even when you feel fucked up inside and out. Just as she’ll do the same when you’re pissed at her for some stupid shit she did.
“Life’s a risk, Rex. You know that as well as any of us. So what the hell are you waiting for? The time will never be ‘right.’ You might think you want to wait until she’s out of danger, but what if she never IDs the terrorist? Are you going to be merely a friend to her for the rest of your life? That’s not fair to either of you.
“Either you’re in or you’re out,” Bubba continued. “You could be killed on our next mission. Or have a leg blown off. Or one of her patients could lose their mind in the hospital and kill her. You just don’t know. But one thing’s certain, if you wait for the perfect time to make your relationship work, you’ll be waiting forever.”
Rex looked back out to the porch and caught Avery studying him with a worried look on her face. She mouthed, “Are you all right?”
He realized he’d been frowning while Bubba had been lecturing him, so he smoothed his facial expression and nodded at Avery. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, then she turned back to the conversation she’d been having with the others on the porch.
When Rex turned back to Ace and Bubba, they were both grinning like idiots.
“Point made,” Rex said with a smile.
“Good. Now, how about we go outside so I can make sure my wife doesn’t overdo it on the beach, and you can reassure your woman that you’re all right,” Ace suggested.
Rex followed his friends out the door and laughed when they barely said anything to Caite, Phantom, and Avery, and instead made a beeline for their women on the beach.
“Did you guys get everything taken care of?” Avery asked. “I’m happy to go in and help.”
“We’re good,” Rex told her. He nudged her to scoot down one step, and when she did, he sat behind her and pulled her back into his arms. It was after dinner, but the sun was still up. They had at least another hour and a half before it got dark. Rex made a mental note to stay no longer than an hour so they could be back at her apartment before it got dark. “Anything interesting going on out here?” he asked.
“Rani and Sinta are playing keep-away from Kemala, except Rani keeps dropping the ball. Kemala could’ve easily snatched it up several times, but she’s been pretending to trip, just to keep the game going, and probably so Rani doesn’t feel bad for not keeping the ball from her sister,” Caite said with a smile.
“Sounds like something she’d do,” Rex said with a nod, then leaned over and put his chin on Avery’s shoulder. He felt her relax and tilt her head to rest against him. He felt…content.
“Avery said she’s never been to Aces Bar and Grill,” Caite announced.
Rex stiffened. Aces was a cool bar, but it was also known as a pick-up joint. He and the other guys on the team had been there many times in the past, back when they’d been trolling for women. It had been quite a while since he’d had any desire to go to a bar, especially to pick up women.
Though, Aces was owned by Jessyka Sawyer, the wife of one of the SEALs on Wolf’s team. Word was it was less of a pick-up joint now…but that didn’t mean he wanted Avery hanging out there.
“So I said I’d take her one night.”
“Seriously?” Rex asked. He turned to glare at Caite, and saw she was grinning from ear to ear. “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” he asked.
She giggled. “Sort of. But I thought she might like to go for a girls’ night with me, Sidney, Piper, and Zoey.”
“Lunch,” Rex said without thinking.
He only realized what he’d said when Avery gave him a look.
Shit, he hadn’t meant to say anything that would let her fear of the dark out of the bag.
But bless Caite, she didn’t question him, just went with it.
“True. That would be better. Piper said she falls asleep around seven at night because of the baby. And we all like to be home when you guys get off work. Lunch works for me. Avery?”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
“Cool. I’ll arrange it and be in touch,” Caite said.
“Give it a few weeks,” Rex told her.
Caite frowned in confusion, but Phantom knew exactly what Rex meant. “No luck with the pictures today?” he asked Avery.
She sighed, and Rex felt the tension return to her muscles.
“No. And it pisses me off. I must’ve missed him. I’m going to start back at the beginning again, but I know I won’t finish before the first unit arrives stateside,” Avery told Phantom.
Caite, who’d probably been filled in with what Avery was doing by Rocco, frowned. “That sucks. I’m sorry, Avery.”
“It’s okay. I just…it’s probably best I stick close to home for a while. Until we figure out what comes next. The last thing I want is to put you or the others in danger simply by being around me.”
“Screw that,” Caite said fiercely. “I’d like to see that asshole try something when we’re at Aces. We’d stomp him into the floor.”
Avery chuckled, and Rex was glad to see her smile. “We are pretty amazing, aren’t we?” she asked.
“Damn straight. I saved the lives of three badass Navy SEALs, don’t you know,” Caite said with a smirk. “And Sidney faced down dognappers, Piper kept herself and her three kids safe for three days from rebels, and Zoey proved herself to be an expert at wilderness survival, saving Bubba’s life when he decided to take a swim in Alaskan waters. And you…I don’t need to tell you what badassery you’ve accomplished. Between the five of us, we’re unstoppable.”
Rex rolled his eyes at the same time Phantom said, “Wonder Women, you all aren’t.”
“Whatever,” Caite told him, then turned and winked at Avery. “Seriously, if Aces won’t work in the short term, we’ll come to your place. We can have our wine there just as easily as we can at Aces. Although we’ll miss the eye candy.”
“We could have our guys come and serve us without their shirts on,” Avery suggested.
Rex nearly choked as Caite burst out laughing. “Yes! Perfect!”
“I’m out,” Phantom said with a huff, leaning back in his chair.
Both women giggled.
When they’d gotten themselves under control, Rex asked, “How’s the leg, Phantom?”
“Good,” the other man said, but didn’t elaborate.
“What he means is that he’s got his range of motion back, but he’s still a bit stiff. The physical therapist thinks it’ll be another week or two before he’s completely cleared to go back in action. He’s grumpy as hell about it, but knows it’s for the best,” Avery said.
“Thanks, Mom,” Phantom muttered.
“Glad to hear it,” Rex told his teammate.
Eventually the crew on the beach wandered back over to the porch and soon it was full of laughter and chatter.
Rex leaned over and spoke into Avery’s ear. “You good?”
She nodded and turned her head to look back at him. “Yeah. This was good. Thanks for inviting me. I like your friends’ women. They’re all really nice.”
“Did you expect them not to be?” Rex asked, genuinely curious as to her answer.
“Not really, but it’s hard being the newcomer. They’ve all known each other for a while and I’m the new girl. That doesn’t always work out.”
“They aren’t like that.”
“I know that now, but I wasn’t sure,” she said.
“I’m sorry you weren’t able to ID the traitor today,” he said softly.
He felt her tense up again, but she immediately forced herself to relax against him. “Yeah, me too. And it’s really bothering me. I was so sure I’d recognize him when I saw him, but…maybe all that stuff I said to the general over in Afghanistan was crap. I’m sure he thinks I’m a complete idiot, after going on and on about how observant I am and how I couldn’t describe the traitor, but I’d know him when I saw him.”
“He doesn’t think you’re an idiot,” Rex said, hating how discouraged she sounded.
“I guess it doesn’t matter one way or another what he thinks, but I hate doubting myself. I’ve examined each picture and I’m no closer to identifying the man who wanted me dead than I was when I’d started.”
Rex sighed in frustration. He wished he could help her, but she was the one who had to ID the American she’d seen. He couldn’t do it for her.
They both knew it meant that her life could seriously be in danger if the traitor was in the unit that was returning the following week. But without her identification, there wasn’t much more they could do. Rex hated that for her. For them.
“You about ready to go?” he asked.
She nodded. “And for the record, I’d be okay staying later. The dark doesn’t seem to bother me when you’re at my side…as you well know.”
“I know, but I’d feel better with us both back at your apartment when the sun sets. I’d like to see about getting an alarm for your place too…if you’re agreeable.”
He felt her sigh. “I know I should probably get all upset and tell you that I don’t need it and you’re being overprotective, but honestly? I’d feel much safer with one. I should’ve gotten one before now, but I was so confident I’d be able to ID this guy and things would go back to normal. I know having an alarm isn’t foolproof, and the traitor could still get to me, but at least it would make him have to try harder, right?”
Rex wanted to kill that motherfucker. Tear him from limb to limb for doing this to Avery. But he forced himself to stay calm. “We’ll make sure if it gets triggered, it not only notifies the local PD, but also myself and the rest of the team. Okay?”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You aren’t a bother,” Rex told her firmly. “I already talked to the guys and it was their idea, not mine.”
She looked back at him. “Really?”
“Really.”
“You’re lucky to have such good friends,” she told him.
“No, we’re lucky,” he countered. “They’re your friends too. Come on, let’s get going. It’s going to take half an hour to say goodbye to everyone anyway.”
He loved the quiet chuckle that left her lips. He stood and helped her to her feet.
As he guessed, it took quite a while for them to say their goodbyes. Rani, who was now talking up a storm, had to tell Avery all about the four hundred and thirty-three shells she’d found on the beach that night, and Sinta wanted to invite her to her house to play sometime. The other women echoed Caite’s invitation to have a girls’ night in soon, and each of the guys had to hug her and order her to call them anytime if she felt uneasy.
