Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii Book 3)
Page 29
Yup, she definitely liked this side of him. “Then stop turning me on,” she complained.
He smiled then, and she sighed in contentment when his free hand came up to her neck. “I love you,” he whispered. “So damn much.”
“I love you too,” she returned.
They were quiet for a long while, basking in contentment and love.
Marshall’s hand on her neck eventually relaxed as he fell asleep. Kenna wasn’t sure he’d really meant it when he’d suggested a nap. He must’ve been a bit stressed, telling her about moving.
She wasn’t tired in the least but loved lying on top of her man as he dozed. He’d wake up soon enough and do exactly as he promised. He was a man of his word, and it was one of a million things she loved about him. She’d stopped looking for his faults. He had them, there was no doubt, but she also knew they’d seem inconsequential compared to all his positive qualities.
Kenna stared out the window at the fluffy clouds and blue sky. The sun would set in thirty minutes or so…and she couldn’t help but think about how different the weather was two weeks ago. On that night. If there hadn’t been a storm raging, she didn’t want to think about how different the outcome might’ve been. While the rain and wind had been scary, it had also saved her life. And Marshall’s.
“Kenna. You aren’t napping,” Marshall muttered as his hand tightened once more on her nape.
“Sorry,” she whispered, not sorry in the least.
“You’re gonna need your sleep,” he warned.
“Okay, okay, I’m closing my eyes,” she told him.
He turned his head, kissed her temple, and almost immediately started snoring once more.
Kenna may have thought that she didn’t need a man, but she was wrong.
She needed this man.
She fell asleep with a smile on her face, knowing whatever might come in the future, she would always need Marshall, right by her side.
A month later, Pid and the rest of the team were tense as they flew in a helicopter toward the American Embassy in Algeria. The country was in the midst of an intense power struggle…the people versus the president, who’d been in power for over twenty years. An unprecedented ten percent of the population had taken to the streets in protest of his continued rule. At first, the protests had been peaceful. Over time, they’d turned more and more violent, and the United States had made the decision to evacuate their representatives until things were more stable.
The saddest part was the number of foreigners who’d made their way to the country to take advantage of the unstable infrastructure. Homes and business were broken into or burned down, and looting was rampant.
“Test, test, test,” Mustang said into his microphone, making sure their radios were working properly.
“Got ya.”
“Loud and clear.”
“Ten-four.”
The rest of the team chimed in, letting their team leader know they could hear him without any issues.
“We’re going to touch down in five. The families are desperate to escape, so we’re gonna have to do our best to keep order. Reassure them that everyone will be evacuated, but there will be several trips and a few different choppers coming and going,” Mustang said.
Pid nodded along with the rest of his team. He knew the plan, they’d gone over it several times, along with contingency scenarios. They were SEALs; having a backup plan for their backup plan was what they did. They’d all studied the maps of the area around the embassy and they knew where to meet up if they got separated.
Four minutes and forty-three seconds later, the chopper touched down on the landing pad on the roof of the embassy.
Pid and his teammates quickly exited the helo and made their way to the group of men, women, and children huddled near the stairwell.
Mustang took the lead and spoke to the group, explaining how many people would be going in this first trip. Pid and Midas checked IDs to make sure they were only taking American citizens. That was one of the hardest parts of the job; many times they’d had to turn away friends and loved ones of the Americans they were rescuing because there simply was no room for everyone, not to mention they didn’t have the proper paperwork to get them out of the country.
Ten people would be leaving on the first chopper. Pid checked the IDs of the middle-aged ambassador and his wife as they waited to board. She had two little boys huddled against her sides, and they all looked terrified. Pid did his best to smile reassuringly at the children, but he’d never been that great with kids, and they merely stared at him and hugged their mother tighter.
Pid turned toward the next person in line when he felt a tug on his belt. Looking down, he saw one of the little boys—the older one, he guessed—standing next to him.
Pid kneeled so he was eye-to-eye with the boy. “It’s going to be all right,” he said.
“Monica,” the boy said in a shaky, scared voice.
Pid frowned. “What?”
“Monica’s not here.”
“Who’s Monica?” Pid asked.
“Our nanny. Daddy said there wasn’t time to go back to the house but I don’t want to go without her. She’s waiting for us and probably scared!”
Pid patted the boy awkwardly on the shoulder. “We’ll find her.”
“Promise?”
He hesitated just a second before nodding. “Promise.”
The boy gave him a plaintive look just as his mom grabbed his hand, fast-walking him toward the chopper as if afraid someone would change their minds and they wouldn’t be able to leave.
Pid stood and turned to Slate. “You hear that?”
Slate nodded. “We’re not supposed to be running all over the city looking for stragglers. We have orders,” he reminded Pid.
“I know, but it sounds as if she thought they were coming back for her.”
“We don’t even know if she’s American,” Slate said reasonably.
Pid nodded, even as he frowned. He didn’t know why the boy had struck a chord in him. Maybe because even though the kid was scared, he’d loved his nanny enough to brave talking to Pid. “Once we get this chopper loaded, it’ll be a while before the next one arrives. I know from studying the maps that the ambassador’s house isn’t far from here…”
Slate stared at him for a beat, then nodded. “I’ll talk to Mustang and go with you.”
Pid mentally sighed in relief and he gave Slate a chin lift. They’d dash to the house, talk to the nanny. If she was American, they’d bring her back here for extraction. If not, they’d inform her that the family was safe and she should lay low. They could be there and back within twenty minutes. Thirty, tops.
Monica Collins paced anxiously back and forth. Where were they? The family should have been back by now.
Desmond Laws, the US ambassador to Algeria, and his wife had left with their two little boys two hours ago on an errand, and hadn’t returned. It was her morning off, so she’d stayed behind. It wasn’t exactly smart to go anywhere with the protests going on, but Desmond had told her not to worry and left anyway. And now they weren’t back, and the protestors were creeping closer and closer to the house.
She was scared to stay, but even more scared to leave. Growing up, her dad’s mantra was, Stay put. Protect what’s yours. But Monica didn’t think the house was the safest place to be right now.
The crowds had gotten more and more unruly as the protests continued. She’d watched on the news as people broke windows of businesses and homes, looted stores, even burned cars and buildings. The house the US government had provided for the Laws’ was in a neighborhood that was usually very safe. But nothing was as it had been when Monica had first arrived in the country.
A sound at the back door startled her—and she turned to see a man standing on the other side of the glass. He wore green camouflage pants and shirt, his sleeves rolled up. He had material over his mouth and nose, and black paint smeared on his face above the covering. He also had a rifle slung around his chest, and she
caught a glimpse of a black tattoo on his forearm.
They stared at each other for a moment before the man smiled. She knew he was smiling because she could see wrinkles form around his eyes. But something in their depths said he was trying to put her at ease…
More like he was excited about whatever he was planning to do next.
Military men weren’t her favorite people in the world. After her childhood, that was to be expected.
“It’s okay!” he shouted so he could be heard through the glass. “I’m a Navy SEAL and I’m here to rescue you. Open the door.”
When she didn’t move, the man frowned. “My friend is circling around to the front. We’re here to help you. Come on, open the door so I don’t have to break it.”
Instead of moving toward the glass sliding door, Monica spun and ran for the stairs.
Instinct and the years of conditioning as a child told her to hide. To get away from the military man.
Flashbacks of her dad in his camo uniform ran through her brain, making her even more desperate to get away.
Just as she reached the top of the stairs, the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the house, along with the sound of glass breaking.
A deep voice called out, “I’m a SEAL! You can trust me!”
Nope. Monica was the queen of hiding, and with the way her skin crawled at hearing the man’s voice, and remembering the look of interest in his eyes when their gazes met, she had a feeling her life depended on getting to her hiding spot and not making a sound. Navy SEAL or not, she didn’t trust him.
She didn’t trust anyone.
She’d been shown time and time again that most people were extremely untrustworthy and unpredictable. She only let her guard down fully with children. They were untainted by life. They were honest to a fault. They said what they were thinking, instead of hiding their disdain and disgust.
Just after she slipped into her hiding spot, she heard the familiar creaking of the floorboards on the landing.
She held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. She hadn’t heard the man coming up the stairs. He’d gone into stealth mode.
He was a hunter now—and she was his prey.
Closing her eyes, Monica did her best to slow her heartbeat. If he found her hiding spot, it wouldn’t go well for her. She knew that down to the tips of her toes.
As the SEAL entered the room, Monica prayed harder than she ever had before.
Don’t let him find me. Don’t let him find me.
Monica looks like she’s in big trouble…or is she? Pick up Finding Monica today!
Want to talk to other Susan Stoker fans? Join my reader group, Susan Stoker’s Stalkers, on Facebook!
Also by Susan Stoker
SEAL Team Hawaii Series
Finding Elodie
Finding Lexie
Finding Kenna
Finding Monica (May 2022)
Finding Carly (Oct 2022)
Finding Ashlyn (TBA)
Finding Jodelle (TBA)
Eagle Point Search & Rescue
Searching for Lilly (Mar 2022)
Searching for Elsie (Jun 2022)
Searching for Bristol (Nov 2022)
Searching for Caryn (TBA)
Searching for Finley (TBA)
Searching for Heather (TBA)
Searching for Khloe (TBA)
The Refuge Series
Deserving Alaska (Aug 2022)
Deserving Henley (Jan 2023)
Deserving Reese (TBA)
Deserving Cora (TBA)
Deserving Lara (TBA)
Deserving Maisy (TBA)
Deserving Ryleigh (TBA)
SEAL of Protection Series
Protecting Caroline
Protecting Alabama
Protecting Fiona
Marrying Caroline (novella)
Protecting Summer
Protecting Cheyenne
Protecting Jessyka
Protecting Julie (novella)
Protecting Melody
Protecting the Future
Protecting Kiera (novella)
Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)
Protecting Dakota
SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series
Securing Caite
Securing Brenae (novella)
Securing Sidney
Securing Piper
Securing Zoey
Securing Avery
Securing Kalee
Securing Jane
Delta Force Heroes Series
Rescuing Rayne
Rescuing Aimee (novella)
Rescuing Emily
Rescuing Harley
Marrying Emily (novella)
Rescuing Kassie
Rescuing Bryn
Rescuing Casey
Rescuing Sadie (novella)
Rescuing Wendy
Rescuing Mary
Rescuing Macie (novella)
Rescuing Annie (Feb 2022)
Delta Team Two Series
Shielding Gillian
Shielding Kinley
Shielding Aspen
Shielding Jayme (novella)
Shielding Riley
Shielding Devyn
Shielding Ember
Shielding Sierra (Jan 2022)
Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series
Justice for Mackenzie
Justice for Mickie
Justice for Corrie
Justice for Laine (novella)
Shelter for Elizabeth
Justice for Boone
Shelter for Adeline
Shelter for Sophie
Justice for Erin
Justice for Milena
Shelter for Blythe
Justice for Hope
Shelter for Quinn
Shelter for Koren
Shelter for Penelope
Ace Security Series
Claiming Grace
Claiming Alexis
Claiming Bailey
Claiming Felicity
Claiming Sarah
Mountain Mercenaries Series
Defending Allye
Defending Chloe
Defending Morgan
Defending Harlow
Defending Everly
Defending Zara
Defending Raven
Silverstone Series
Trusting Skylar
Trusting Taylor
Trusting Molly
Trusting Cassidy (Nov 2021)
Stand Alone
Falling for the Delta
The Guardian Mist
Nature’s Rift
A Princess for Cale
A Moment in Time- A Collection of Short Stories
Another Moment in Time- A Collection of Short Stories
Lambert’s Lady
Special Operations Fan Fiction
http://www.AcesPress.com
Beyond Reality Series
Outback Hearts
Flaming Hearts
Frozen Hearts
Writing as Annie George:
Stepbrother Virgin (erotic novella)
About the Author
New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.
She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.
If you enjoyed this book, or any book, please consider leaving a review. It’s appreciated by authors more than you’ll know.
www.stokeraces.com
www.AcesPress.com
susan@stokeraces.com