Dixie Under Siege (A Warrior's Passion Book 2)

by Natasza Waters

Dixie’s eyes slammed shut for a second and images of a night long ago rampaged through her mind, freed for an instant from the dark place she kept them hidden. When she opened her eyes, the admiral’s piercing blue glare at Chandler was nothing less than lethal.

  “I’ll take your word for it, buddy. Now, can I get my coffee?”

  Chandler leaned over her shoulder as she filled the cardboard cup. In her ear he whispered, “Dixie, you’re special to me. You know that. Let me show you how much.”

  Goosebumps rippled across her skin when his warm breath caressed her neck. She leaned away, the scent of his aftershave distinct. A trigger. He’d done this on purpose. “Mr. Kallis, would you like a coffee to go?”

  He smiled briefly. “No, thanks. I just wanted to look in your eyes and see the truth.” The smile disintegrated. “Now that you know.”

  Her throat closed and her breath stuttered. The front door crashed open and although she couldn’t see over the expresso machine, she knew who had entered the store.

  The admiral shifted his position to behind Chandler, blocking the work area behind the counter. His voice held a timbre so deadly, it made Dixie shake. “Strongly suggest you leave the premises, Kallis.”

  Chandler didn’t even flinch. Josh roared up behind the admiral, his eyes filled with fire. The admiral shifted backward a step, acting as a barrier.

  Her stalker’s brows arched as if this was all a misunderstanding and he was Mother Theresa. “This a public establishment. Dixie is an old friend. Nothing to concern yourselves with.” He gave Josh a two finger salute. “As you were, SEAL.” He chuckled and swept past Josh and the admiral, toward the door.

  Dix ran after him and saw Austen had Josh by the arm to hold him in place.

  “Why? Why all the notes? Following me from state to state.” She shook her head. “You need help.”

  Chandler smiled over his shoulder. “No. You need me, Dix.” He faced her. “The knuckle-dragging sailor over there doesn’t have what I have, does he?” He opened the door, then paused and lowered his voice. “For now, our secret is safe. If you get my meaning.”

  Dixie’s legs suddenly felt as heavy as anchors. “Don’t hurt Josh,” she said quietly.

  A quirk of a smile lifted his mouth. “I won’t, if you follow my orders.” She swallowed, then nodded.

  Kayla appeared on her left side. “I think you better get the fuck out of this shop and never come back.” She stepped in front of Dix. “Put all that psychopathic intelligence to good use and stop. If you insist on playing this sick game, I guarantee you’re gonna pay the price. Your family’s pedigree isn’t going to save you this time.”

  Chandler’s eyes narrowed and for the first time, the cocky smile melted from his lips. “Why, Sheila, it seems you’ve lost your accent.” He winked. “Be careful, you have a lot more to lose.” Then he left the shop.

  Dixie palmed her chest as Josh’s thick arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind.

  “It’s okay, babe.”

  She turned and rested her cheek against his firm pecs as Lumin joined them.

  Kayla glared at Chandler’s quick retreat down the sidewalk, then she turned toward them. “He came in here to confirm whether or not Dixie knew the truth. What happened last night?” She glared at her husband. “Out with it, because I know you lied to me.”

  Ghost straightened his line-backer shoulders. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t detail the events.”

  “Thane, sometimes I want to—”

  The admiral raised his hand to stop his wife from sprinting into a tirade.

  “I shot a flare through his back window,” Josh admitted.

  Dix stepped from his embrace. “Why?” Angry as hell at Josh for doing something so stupid. “Why provoke him?”

  “A distraction,” he answered.

  Kayla wasn’t satisfied, by the scowl on her expression. “From what?”

  Dix wondered the same thing. “You said he was having sex with a prostitute.”

  Josh glanced at the admiral.

  “That’s true,” the admiral stated.

  Dixie wasn’t following at all. “Then why would you do that? He has the right to screw whoever he wants.”

  Kayla tipped her head to the side, her gaze arcing like a welding torch at her husband. “There’s something missing here.”

  The admiral’s wife definitely had the ability to shred her husband with a piercing look of her own.

  Admiral Austen sighed. “Is there a good reason why you cannot be a wife and a mother and leave it at that?”

  Watching Thane and Kayla spar certainly took Dixie’s mind off her own troubles, even if the subject matter was her problem.

  “Spit it out, Thane. Right now.” Kayla pointed at the floor between them. “What did you see?”

  Josh shook his head as if defending a secret, or didn’t want the admiral to reveal what they hid.

  Thane palmed his wife’s slender arms. “Kayla, it’s too close, okay? I know how you’re going to react. For once, will you just back the hell down?” the admiral implored.

  Lumin interrupted. “Dixie, I want you to file a restraining order. I’ll help you with the paperwork and I know a judge who will sign off on this. I’ve worked with him many times on abuse cases. We have the notes and we have the video and the witnesses here today. It will be enough.”

  Dixie nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do it.”

  They’d raised enough fuss to attract the attention of the few customers that were in the store. They’d kept the decibels down but just from the vibes, people kept darting glances their way.

  “I’ll talk to you tonight, Dixie,” Kayla said.

  “Sure.”

  “Thane! We’re going home.”

  The admiral squinted and his rugged jaw set into a hard angle. “We’re not discussing this.”

  “Oh, yes we are,” she said, following him out the door.

  Lumin shrugged her shoulders, her pretty features whimsical. “Don’t worry about them. They can get a little intense sometimes. I remember when I first saw them spar, I thought all hell was breaking loose. Tony informed me they hadn’t even begun to argue. You’ll get used to it. In the meantime, I texted you my office address downtown. I’d like to see you tomorrow at three o’clock. Is that a good time for you?”

  Dix sighed and nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Lumin gave her a one-armed hug. “Don’t worry. You’re going to put this behind you very soon.”

  “I don’t know what to say. You’ve only known me for less than a day.”

  The blonde grinned. “Just the way we operate.”

  Marg and Rayne joined their circle.

  “You have a team behind you, Dixie,” Marg said. “I’m going to drive Rayne home, but please, I think everyone would feel better if you came and stayed with me for a while.”

  She hugged Marg. “Thank you. You’ve been more than gracious.” Dixie’s pulse ticked faster. “I just don’t understand why Chandler seems so sure I would involve myself with him. It’s crazy.”

  Lying to Josh didn’t feel right. She had a very good idea what Chandler meant. When he’d texted her last night and asked if she would trade her life to save another, she’d answered ‘yes’. Chandler probably wanted to keep playing his games, which meant he wanted Josh out of the picture.

  “That’s because he’s crazy,” Josh said, stepping up, now that the women had dispersed.

  Sabrina sauntered in the door with a spring in her step. “Hey, boss.”

  “Afternoon, Sabrina.” She glanced at her watch. Three o’clock. “I need to get some work done in my office.”

  Josh gripped her hand. “Sweetheart, you need to clear your head.”

  Instead of fighting, she nodded. “Sure, why not.”

  Sabrina’s eyes darted back and forth. “Did I miss something?”

  Josh scanned the coffeehouse, then nodded. “Yup, thankfully, you did. I’m going to…I mean, if Dix is okay with it, I think she should call it a da
y.”

  Sabrina bobbed her head. “For sure. I’m here till closing. Anything special I need to do? I can check the inventory and have an order ready for tomorrow.”

  “I started one earlier. It’s on my desk. No rush if things get busy in the shop tonight.”

  She counted her blessings that Sabrina had walked in her door for a job. Diligent. Trustworthy. She needed a raise. Dix would look over the books tonight and see what she could do to sweeten the pot, because the woman had definitely earned it.

  ****

  Dix collected her purse and joined Josh out on the sidewalk. “I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to think. I just want to go home. I need to regroup and get some sleep.”

  “I agree, you need all that. But first, we’re heading that way,” he pointed.

  “What’s down there?”

  “An early dinner at Breakers. It’s Sunday. The place is quiet and the view from the outdoor patio has a rehabilitative quality.”

  She liked the sound of that. “Lead the way.”

  Walking down the sidewalk, the sun warmed her cheeks, but did nothing to ease her fears. She kept darting glances at the people wandering along Orange Avenue.

  “Relax. He’s gone.” Josh brushed his fingers across the face of his cell.

  “How do you know?”

  He winked at her. “Pretty easy when you put a tracking device on a man’s car. While we were inside, Ditz and Tex located his vehicle and tagged him. “We can monitor his movements. Right now, he’s headed back to Ramona on the I-15.”

  Impressed, she said, “That’s pretty cool.”

  “Yeah, not bad for a knuckle-dragging sailor, huh?”

  They reached Breakers and Josh hauled open the thick oak door with an anchor carved into the wood. There weren’t a lot of customers in the bar. He led her toward the back patio and they emerged onto a large deck overlooking the water. They chose a seat next to the wrought iron railing and he lifted the umbrella to shade the table.

  She plopped down in the sturdy wood chair. “SEAL hangout, I bet.”

  “This place has a lot of benefits. Good food. Nice view.”

  A young woman with a half-apron tied around her waist appeared at their table. “What can I get you to drink? Oh, Commander! How are you?”

  “Excellent,” he said, smiling at the pretty brunette. “Dix, what do you want to drink?”

  The server laid two plasticized menus on the table.

  “Sangria, please.” She yawned and covered her mouth. Her adrenaline receded and a wave of fatigue lulled her into wanting to close her eyes.

  Josh grinned. “I’ll have whatever’s on tap.”

  “Great, I’ll get your drinks.”

  He covered Dix’s hand with his big paw. “That yawn tells me you’re not going to last long.”

  She yawned again. “I could sleep right here.”

  He sat back in his chair and eyed her. “We can get something to go and head back to my place.”

  “Not sleeping at your stud-pad,” she said. He’d never revealed where he lived. “Is your place close by?”

  “Townhouse on A Street. Across from Balboa Golf course. Doesn’t take me long to get to the base.”

  Dix grinned. “Bachelor pad?”

  “Pretty much. Comfortable. Two bedroom. Two and half baths. Cost me an arm and a leg, but it’s a good investment.”

  The server returned with their drinks in record time. “Here you are. Ready to order?”

  “Not yet. Give us a minute,” Josh said.

  She winked at him and headed to another table where two young men in camo sat down.

  The fresh ocean breeze brushed the cobwebs from Dix’s mind. Her feet ached like hell and so did the headache thumping in her temples. “I’ve never owned my own place. Maybe I should make a deal with Chandler. He can keep sending me morbid notes if he buys me a swanky house.”

  Josh shook his head. “Not funny, Dix.”

  She lifted the dewy glass and took a long sip of the ice-cold drink then sighed. “He’s lost his thunder. I know who he is. Kinda mellows the ominous out of his scheme.”

  She gazed over Josh’s broad shoulders and saw Mace, Tinman, Fox, and Ditz headed their way. The grim expression on their mouths was disconcerting.

  “Sir,” Tinman said when they reached their table.

  “Have a seat, men.”

  “No, sir.” Tinman shot a glance at Dix, then jerked his head to the right. “SITREP on the QT.”

  Josh pursed his lips. “If this is about Chandler, Dix should be involved.”

  Fox scratched his beard then pulled a chair. The other SEALs did the same.

  Ditz folded his hands and leaned forward. “We have a problem.” He darted a wary glance at Dixie.

  “Put it on the table.” Josh ordered.

  Even with Josh’s direction, Ditz paused. “I identified the cell that Kallis used to call you last night. The number is registered to a Gethsemane Reynolds. Navy issue.”

  Josh slammed his eyes shut.

  Dixie’s stomach tied in a knot. “Does that mean he stole her phone, or something worse?” Chandler’s text had just taken on a new meaning. Had he meant a trade? Her life for Gesem’s?

  The server returned to the table and Mace wavered her off. “We’re good, thanks.”

  She took the hint and quickly moved to another table.

  Josh remained silent. Dix figured he was weighing the options. The men waited. “I need to get hold of Gesem’s OIC. Find out where she is.”

  “Got the number here.” Ditz turned the tablet he carried in his hands.

  Josh shot a look toward her. “It’s Sunday, highly unlikely anyone will answer. They’re a nine to five office. We have to find the duty officer at Little Creek and get her CO’s home number.

  Mace nodded. “It was Gesem’s phone but it doesn’t mean he has her. He could have scooped it out of her pocket.”

  Josh shifted in his seat and sighed. “Dix, I have to make sure she’s safe. I owe her that.”

  Dix smiled and laid a hand over his. “Sounds like your friend is in trouble, and I hate the thought that it’s because of me. She’s an innocent victim. This is the reason I kept moving and didn’t share my problem with anyone. Find Gesem.”

  Tinman turned a look over his shoulder. “We shouldn’t do this here.”

  “Agreed,” Josh said.

  The other customers, including the guys in camo, weren’t interested in their presence. No one looked their way.

  She didn’t really have anything to add. At least not yet. The hierarchy between the men very apparent, Josh was in charge and called the shots.

  Mace reminded Dix of a Hollywood leading man, rather than a hardened warrior. In fact, she found it difficult to believe any of the men sitting at the table in their civilian clothing were able to kill anyone.

  Nina’s husband said, “The admiral suggested we meet him at Marg’s and to bring Dixie.”

  She shook her head. “I’m going home.”

  Josh shot a look across the table to Ditz. “Where’s Kallis?”

  He touched the screen of his tablet. “Still on his way to Ramona.”

  “Okay. Dix, order us something. To-go or stay, whatever you want. We’ll drop by your place to pick-up some clothes, then I’m taking you to Marg’s. I know that’s not what you want but until we know what happened to Gesem, I need eyes on you all the time.” He turned his attention on the SEALs. “Head over to Marg’s. We’ll meet you there.”

  When the server returned, Dix ordered a salad for herself and Josh ordered a Beef Dip sandwich and greens.

  Before guzzling the rest of her sangria, Dixie asked, “Do you think she’s dead?”

  Josh fiddled with the napkin for a moment then his head tilted backward. He stared into the orange umbrella over their table. “I hope not.”

  “I’m sure you regret bumping into me. I don’t blame you for that.”

  He swiveled in his seat and gripped both her hands. “The bl
ame sits with one person. It’s not you, me or Gesem.”

  “Not so sure about that,” she uttered quietly. A pang of guilt followed as Dix replayed the conversation she had with Kayla last night.

  His cell vibrated on the table. Josh answered, putting it on speaker. “CDR Hunter.”

  When Dix heard Det. Dean on the other end, she leaned closer.

  “Commander, I ran the VIN Petty Officer Callahan gave me for the Nissan Versa. It’s a rental from the airport. I dropped by the company. They told me it was rented to a Gethsemane Reynolds.”

  Dix watched Josh’s expression collapse. His brows knit together in concern. “When did she rent the vehicle?”

  “Two days ago. Petty Officer Callahan said you know this woman. The rental company wants to know where their vehicle is because it’s overdue. I didn’t ask questions last night, but I’m asking now. Where did you find it?”

  Dix listened as Josh explained that Chandler had mentioned talking with Gesem and the SEALs had trespassed on the Kallis estate. Her guts soured when he described finding two mounds of dirt on the property that they didn’t disturb and the vehicle had been tarped, the plates missing.

  A long pause ensued from the detective. “I’d need a warrant to search the property, but I won’t get one with evidence based on trespassing. I’ll try to track down Gethsemane’s employer.”

  “Got that covered,” Josh stated. “It’s my next move. I’ll have more success because of my position. I’ll let you know what I learn.”

  “How’s Dixie?” Dean asked.

  “I’m right here, Detective. I’m fine. Josh has me under lock and key. Chandler just came into my shop an hour ago. He’s figured out that I know it’s him, but doesn’t seem concerned.”

  “At this point, he has nothing to be concerned about, but that’s not going to last. CDR Hunter, I’m going to try and get the warrant based on confirmation that Gethsemane was in San Diego, due to the rental car, and link it with Kallis’s phone call to you as a credible threat. It might be enough.”

  “I hope so,” Josh answered. “Now that the bastard knows we’re onto him, he’s going to get rid of the evidence.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  The detective hung up.

  “Doesn’t look good, does it?” Dix said. “Graves. Abandoned cars.” She shook her head in disgust. “I’m like a plague.” Staring hypnotically at the top of the wood table, lost in the numerous scratches from years of use, she combed both hands through her hair. “Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut? It might be Chandler’s fault, but I brought him here.”