Читать книгу Navy SEAL Surrender - Angi Morgan - Страница 13

Chapter Seven

The dilapidated barn stall still held the smell of manure after years of nonuse. Alicia was hot, sticky and had no intention of lying under the cover of the sleeping bag, until Johnny reminded her rat snakes loved barns. The horrible creatures could actually climb into the rafters and wait. So, of course, she couldn’t close her eyes and was stuck searching the decaying wooden beams.

“You just had to mention snakes,” she complained, hearing him actually laugh.

“You ever going to sleep?”

She noticed the flick of an LED watch from his direction.

“What time is it?”

“Twenty-three minutes after the last time you asked,” he mumbled.

He sounded muffled, maybe facedown with his mouth pushed into his muscles. Johnny wasn’t worried about the nasty snakes that bit when they were provoked. He’d never been afraid and had constantly irritated the cold-blooded things when they were younger.

“Are you sure we can’t sleep outside? It’s sweltering in here.” She tossed the bag off her, keeping the zippered end only over her bare feet. “There’s absolutely no breeze.”

“I was only teasing about the snakes, you know.” His clear, rich voice came from slightly higher, like he was raised on his elbows.

He was bare chested, just like he’d been when she’d arrived at the Double Bar earlier that afternoon. The memory of his sculpted muscles sent her thoughts in a wild direction. She chased her thoughts back to slithering, long things hanging above her.

Snakes were a safer subject to concentrate on. The cold eating machines weren’t nearly as likeable as a man who had promised to find Lauren.

“The thought of snakes isn’t really what’s bothering me. I’m letting my mind fixate on it so I don’t think about other things.” Lots of other things.

“Like?” he asked, sounding resigned they were talking in the dark instead of sleeping.

“Lauren’s been gone less than a week and I feel so alone. Every part of me aches.”

“I’d be worried if it didn’t. You’ve taken an emotional beating. Hurting’s a lot better than feeling nothing at all,” he said softly.

“Is that what you feel? Nothing?”

“Me? Negative. I’m confused more than anything.”

She heard the slick of the nylon rustling, gave up and looked at him. The crescent moon still spilled enough light to see a few old wounds on his shoulder. He sat, one arm wrapped around a knee that he’d brought close to his chest.

“Confused? I don’t understand. You were very decisive ordering me what to pack and what to do. I witnessed exactly what your dad is always telling me. How you’re such an in-charge leader and all.”

“My dad?” He drew his brows together, a permanent crease between them now that hadn’t been there in his teens.

“Yeah. I mean, he’d tell me before the stroke.”

He stretched his back by raising his arms above his head.

Goodness, he had muscles on top of muscle. There couldn’t be an inch of fat on him anywhere. She couldn’t watch and looked out the door to the star-studded sky.

“Did you spend a lot of time with Dad?” he asked, settling back against the stall post.

She sat, leaning on the wall opposite him. “Sure. J.W. and Brian checked on me after Dwayne’s dad died and I was alone with Lauren.”

“I didn’t know.”

“There are a lot of things you don’t know.”

“I get the picture. I missed quite a bit around here. Hey, we should get some shut-eye. It might be the last sound sleep we get for a while.”

“I don’t think I can sleep. There’s just too much going on in here.” She pointed a finger to her head. “The thoughts are so random. Mixed with a desire to be held. When we hugged out on the drive, I realized just how long it had been since I’ve been in a man’s arms.”

“Alicia.”

“But the guilt mixed throughout all those thoughts makes me want to cry. Lauren’s gone and...and...there’s nobody. I can’t do this alone.” She covered her face with her hands, drawing her knees to her body, suddenly chilled at the prospect of never seeing her daughter again.

“Alicia. Come here.”

John gently tugged her hands into his. He’d moved next to her and wrapped her in his arms, kissing the top of her head as it dropped to his chest. His gentleness warmed her heart. He smoothed her hair and she felt his breath close to her ear.

“Go ahead and cry, just let it go. I’ve got your six.”

* * *

THE WOMAN IN his arms had cried herself to sleep. She’d forgotten about snakes, only to replace one worry with several more—fright, attraction, the unknown. Fatigue had finally claimed her around two in the morning. Earlier, he could have been out like a flipped switch. His life in the navy had taught him the importance of sleeping upon command.

So why couldn’t he sleep?

He was wound tighter than a coil of wire, that’s why. Alicia was more than just a beautiful girl who needed help changing a tire. He was her only chance at finding her daughter. Not to mention freeing his brother.

If his guess was correct, he was the only chance she had at staying alive. It was logical that her enemies wouldn’t want her around to continue fighting them. If caught, she’d conveniently meet with a fatal accident or suicide, leaving behind a note clearing the Webers. Telling her about the danger wasn’t a current option, but he’d need to sooner or later.

A plan of action was what they needed. Maybe that was what his brain had been searching for before it could rest. What did he have to work with?

Weapons. Just the revolver his dad owned.

Stealth. One thing on their side was that no one knew he was in town. He hadn’t shared with the police department he’d been headed home. Alicia had commented that her friends thought they’d seen Brian drive through town. They could assume Alicia had an accomplice, but they wouldn’t know who. And Mabel had sworn herself to secrecy without being asked.

Communication. He could call his team for information. No one would be monitoring his cell. No. He couldn’t involve the team. He was the lieutenant who’d come up through the ranks. Not only an officer, but a friend. They’d feel obligated to help. This op had to stay off book and had dire consequences if he was caught. It was the end of his career.

Alicia shifted and he let her slide down his ribs, cradling her head in the crook of his arm until she rested on his lap. It was still warm in the barn, but he draped his sleeping bag over her legs anyway. She turned her head and shifted to her side, drawing her hands under her chin.

He could remember another night they’d spent under the stars. Having fallen asleep at the lake, they woke up with the sun and tried to sneak back to their respective homes. Man, oh, man. They’d received a tongue-lashing up one side and down the other from his mom. It was all about how they needed to be responsible. And what if anyone else had seen them?

His mother’s voice was in his head as clear as if she were standing in front of him. You’ve got to take care of the ones you love, Joy-o. How many times had she said that? Boy-o and Joy-o, her nicknames for them. B for Brian and J for John.

How quickly he’d forgotten. Put out of his thoughts to avoid the hurt as soon as she’d been gone.

Was that what Alicia wanted to do? No. She cared too much. But why was she facing this on her own? Where were her brother and dad? What had happened to their property?

More questions that somehow he knew would cause her pain if asked. He couldn’t do that yet.

Alicia was family, according to his mom. She had been since the first time she’d come over for cookies. He hooked her long waves around her ear and stared at her nose, at the freckles that had been there as long as he’d known her. Is she worth losing your career?

“Absolutely.”

His whisper caused Alicia to stir again. He gently placed her head on the sleeping bag and eased away. If he was going to be awake, he might as well make good use of the time. Pulling his phone from his pack, he walked into the field.

He’d debated since leaving the ranch whether to call for assistance. He knew his limitations. There was no doubt he could protect Alicia. And he would find her daughter. But finding the proof to clear his brother of the accusations meant finding the proof that would convict the actual kidnappers.

He owed Brian after everything he’d sacrificed. He’d been mad all this time, and for what? He dialed a number on his way from the barn, walking toward a familiar tree where he, his brother and Dwayne had attempted to build a tree house.

Devlin McClain picked up on the fourth ring. “This had better be good, Sloane. Do you know what time it is?”

“I’ve got a problem, Dev.”

“What’s her name?” His bunkmate laughed.

“Cut the crap. Do you know any former SEALs or specialists in Texas?”