Ranger’s Protection: SEAL and Veteran Series: Book Three

by North, Leslie

  His jaw ticked and he gazed at both sides of the street, studying everything and everyone but her for so long, she realized he wasn’t going to answer. Disappointed, but respecting his privacy, she had started to rise when he began speaking again in that low voice. “As the unit’s dedicated sniper, it was my responsibility to protect my brothers-in-arms as they worked to rescue the hostages we were tasked with saving.” He shoved the sunglasses on top of his head and stared at her, but she didn’t think he saw her at all. “I had set up a hide on the roof of a building overseeing my unit as they infiltrated the terrorist cell across the street. I never saw the men carrying the pipe bomb filled with scrap.”

  She sucked in air and grasped his forearm.

  “They threw it up on the roof,” he continued, his voice even lower. “Shrapnel tore apart my hide, destroyed my beloved rifle, and bits burrowed into my right eye.” He pointed and she studied the beautiful irises that looked completely normal. “It’s my dominant eye. The one I rely on to target the enemy, but it no longer has perfect vision so it no longer meets the standards to maintain my sniper status with the Rangers.”

  He shrugged and seemed to come out of the trance. His voice lightened and he resituated his sunglasses back in place. “I didn’t want to learn any other specialty, so I medically retired and Boom gave me a job as a bodyguard.”

  He stood and she rose with him. Respect and a new level of understanding filled her.

  “Did your unit succeed?” Her fingers tingled to touch him but she managed to keep them to herself. “Did you rescue the hostages?”

  A wide grin spread across his gorgeous face. “Yes, ma’am. A Ranger never fails his comrades. That’s in the creed and everything.”

  She laughed as she figured he wanted her to. With every passing minute, he became more and more fascinating.

  “We should head back.”

  “Not yet.” She didn’t want this magical time in No-Name Town to end. Holding up her entwined hands, she pantomimed begging to ease the mood. “Please.”

  He chuckled. “You look good begging.”

  She playfully slapped his arm and his grin widened.

  The sunglasses on his face prevented her from seeing his eyes, but she knew he studied her as much as their surroundings. Plucking his phone out of his back pocket, he tapped on the face. “Mike says we’re still waiting on the copilot.” He twisted to peer up and down the street, then sighed. “I’m not sure what else there is to do here.”

  Yes! “What about the theater?” she asked, pointing toward the old-fashioned building down the street. “We could see a movie.”

  His attention shifted to the movie palace that looked like something from the 1930s.

  “I’ve always wanted to go to one of those.” She tacked on another layer to convince him.

  Reluctance poured from him, but he surprised her. “Fine. We can take a look, but it could be closed down.”

  Uncharacteristically, Viktoria wanted to clap like a little girl when she spied a teenager inside the ticket booth and start times beside the titles.

  “I haven’t heard of any of these,” Lee murmured, staring at the list of three old movies and hooking his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt.

  “Neither have I,” she answered, stopping her hands from tucking around his arm again. “But I still want to go in.”

  Lee paid for the movie that started a few minutes ago since the next one didn’t begin for another half hour. Opening the door to the third auditorium, they found themselves alone. Viktoria adjusted her weight to keep from tripping on the floor veering sharply downward as they tromped down the left aisle. A black and white advertisement played on the large screen for an old product she’d never heard of, ratcheting up her excitement.

  Following Lee to the center of a random row, she plopped onto the navy cushioned seat and leaned against the armrest separating them. His soap-bar fragrance hit her hard and she couldn’t stop the confession from popping out, “When I was a teen, I daydreamed about making out with a boy during a movie.”

  A sinful chuckle rumbled against the side of Viktoria’s bicep, tightening her nipples.

  Loud dramatic music filled the speakers mounted high on the walls, and the movie began to play.

  Lee shifted in the seat, but his hands remained stubbornly on his side.

  Viktoria peeked out of the corner of her eye at his thick forearm resting on his thigh. Should she entwine her hand with his? Would that be enough of a hint her statement was an invitation?

  He widened his legs, his knee bumping against hers in the process. She waited for him to snatch it away, but he didn’t. He left his leg there, and she soaked in the heat at the contact.

  Since when have you been subtle when you want something? Viktoria twisted and curled a hand against his cheek. Soft stubble bit into her palms as she exerted enough pressure to make him face her.

  “Viktoria,” he growled, placing a hot hand on top of hers. “I’m on a razor’s edge here. I’m not supposed to touch you, and I for damn sure am not allowed to kiss you.”

  “I promise not to tell.” Leaning on the armrest, she closed the distance and placed a soft kiss on the side of his neck. His skin shivered beneath her lips and his fingers spasmed over hers. Emboldened, she parted her lips and traced the tip of her tongue up the column. Unshaven hair tickled her tongue as tangy salt coated her taste buds.

  “Jesus,” he whispered, his muscles turning to granite against her.

  “Kiss me, Lee,” she ordered, practically climbing onto his lap. “Or I will kiss you.”

  Masculine fingers clamped onto her ponytail and forced her head to tilt back. His mouth latched onto the space where her neck met her shoulder and he gently bit. Exquisite bliss blacked her vision as he followed up the animalistic bite with the flat of his tongue.

  “More,” she moaned, riding the waves of electricity pulsing inside her.

  Winding her ponytail around his palm, he shifted her head as if proving he was in control. She’d allow it for now to see what he did next. He didn’t disappoint.

  Leaning into her space, he maneuvered her to face him, then claimed her mouth. She couldn’t describe it any other way than claimed. Oh God, she wanted him. Opening beneath the onslaught, he grunted as his tongue drove inside and claimed that space too. He masterfully stroked and dueled, coiling the tension inside her higher.

  A fistful of his shirt found its way into her hand and she didn’t want that. Flattening her palm, she clamped onto his muscular pec and flicked his hard nipple.

  He groaned. “Keep that up,” he muttered hoarsely against her lips, “and I’ll flick you back.”

  She did it again.

  His throaty chuckle made her squirm and flick him a third time.

  Something ceramic broke on the big screen just as a flash of bright white light caught the corner of her eye.

  Lee stiffened and yanked his hands off her, looking toward the back of the theater. The bright light flashed again, and she saw it had come from the doors opening.

  Two men strolled down the aisles, one on the right, the other on the left. They plopped into seats and Viktoria shifted to face the screen.

  Her heart slammed against her ribcage and she had the urge to giggle. What a rush! They’d almost been caught.

  Wait. They’d almost been caught. A cold dose of reality drove out the fire of Lee’s kiss. Her whole life, she’d always behaved properly and never did anything to cause any kind of scandal. If those men had come in a few seconds earlier, they could have gotten pictures of her and Lee in a compromising position—

  Lee invaded her space and nuzzled her ear.

  Every muscle she owned stiffened, and she lifted her hand to push him away. Cold metal hit her palm and she froze, needing an extra second to realize he’d just given her his gun. What the—

  “Don’t pull the trigger,” he murmured, “unless you absolutely have to.” His breath pulsed against her lobe, shooting electricity to her wet channel
on top of the adrenalized fear heightening her senses.

  “A bullet’s already in the chamber,” he gruffly stated. “Point and shoot only as a last resort.”

  Panic washed out the lust. Shifting to peek at the theater, she realized the two men had positioned themselves to cover the exits.

  10

  Fury pulsed through Lee’s veins. Its origin was a contradiction. He wanted to kill the men for interrupting the most mind-blowing kiss he’d ever experienced while at the same time he wanted to kick his own ass for allowing her to distract him enough to not sense the threat until it was almost too late.

  Pretending to nibble on her neck, his mind whipped through scenarios. If they had a shootout in this place, it would attract the police. He and Viktoria would be stuck in this town, and the media would descend like a pack of wolves, which would be in direct violation of his mandate to ensure that Viktoria’s location remained confidential. He doubted this town could provide much in the way of security, making them prime targets until they were finally cleared to leave.

  He had to handle this quickly and quietly, then bolt before the police could stop them. “I doubt these guys are looking for a shootout,” he whispered against her skin, hating how hard her pulse thundered against him. “They probably need you alive.”

  She stiffened and he cursed at his blunt delivery. He had to remember he wasn’t talking to one of his old Ranger teammates.

  Explaining in hopes that having more information would calm her, he kept going. “Having a firefight in the dark would be dangerous and bring the police.” Most likely they’d use knives or knuckles. “And I can’t imagine they want that kind of attention.”

  Her chest steadily rose and fell but she wasn’t hyperventilating. Warrior woman. With every passing minute, she slayed another defense around his heart.

  She pressed her check against his and whispered, “What’s the plan?”

  The overwhelming need to kiss her struck. Her capitulating control and letting him know she’d follow orders without arguing filled him with determination to show her she could trust him.

  “It’s not far to either exit, but the men have positioned themselves to block both.” Lee peeked up at the screen but didn’t pay attention to the action unfolding. He wanted to be gone long before the movie ended. “Follow me.”

  Standing, he used his body to help Viktoria hide his gun. Her cotton stretch pants weren’t strong enough to stuff the Sig Sauer into her waist and she recognized that. She smartly kept her arm tight to her side and the Sig resting against her thigh.

  Sure enough, the second they got to the aisle and moved toward the exit near the screen, the man sitting in the front row stood. He adjusted his suit coat and pretended to look innocent, but Lee wasn’t fooled.

  The other man rose and began strolling up the aisle, toward the back exit.

  Trapped, but not for long.

  Grazing Viktoria’s earlobe, he whispered, “When I say go, run to the ticket booth. Get down and stay down.” Pulling back just enough, he spied the light from the screen playing across her frightened but resolute eyes. “Do whatever you have to, but keep the teenager down, too. I’m counting on you to protect him.”

  Cold purposefulness stole over her and her shoulders snapped back. Giving her someone else to focus on should ease the nerves and adrenaline bound to be making her nauseous and jittery, but it also happened to be a real and important task. He needed to make sure that kid didn’t try to play the hero at the wrong time.

  Casually turning, Lee loosely held Viktoria’s elbow as they meandered toward the exit at the back. She shifted the Sig to the front of her thigh and kept pace with him beautifully.

  With every step up the incline, the man behind them eased closer. Lee waited until the last possible minute, then whirled. Flattening his hand, he connected with the bastard’s larynx with the section between his thumb and forefinger, effectively silencing him. The guy jerked back, his hands flying to his abused throat as he gagged. Not allowing the man to rally, Lee kicked him in the balls so hard, the man’s eyes rolled back. Lee shoved him into the seats and grabbed Viktoria, pulling her through the exit door behind him.

  A fist flew toward Lee’s face and he blocked it. “Run, Viktoria.”

  She raced around him without hesitation, barreling through the empty lobby for the ticket booth. Second Attacker lunged toward her, but Lee shoved him back. The guy fell against the lighted glass snack counter and he grabbed a huge bucket of lollipops, throwing it at Lee. Lee ducked, tossing his arms up to stop the sticks from gouging his eyes.

  Second Attacker took advantage and ran toward the ticket booth. Two faces competed in the small ticket window to watch the drama unfold. Viktoria and the teenager both stared wide-eyed. The concession stand had no one behind it, thankfully, probably due to the low mid-week matinee attendance.

  Lee leapt, tackling the man from behind. They landed hard on the unpadded, stained carpeting and Second Attacker flipped to his back. He punched upward, and Lee ducked to the side, throwing his own punch but it didn’t connect hard enough. Second Attacker hoisted his hips and tossed Lee off him. Lee went with the motion and rolled, finding his feet instantly.

  A third man ran in from outside and uttered something in a foreign language. Second Attacker jolted, frustration reddening his skin. He gave a battle cry and ran toward Lee like a linebacker. Lee barely had enough time to tighten his abs when the guy’s shoulder rammed into his stomach and drove him back. Wham. He lost the air in his lungs when his shoulder blades slammed into one of the framed movie posters lining the wall.

  Enough! Lee wailed on the man’s face, one punch after another. Viktoria thrummed in his veins, making him desperate. He had to protect her from the new threat.

  Second Attacker drew back and Lee jabbed him in the throat with two fingers, cutting off the man’s air. The guy’s eyes bugged and he clutched his neck, gasping. With all his strength, Lee nailed the sweet spot on the skull, knocking the man out.

  CLANG!

  Jerking his head up, Lee’s jaw dropped open. Viktoria stood with her legs spread shoulder-width apart, awkwardly holding a stanchion still connected to a navy velvet rope. Her hair had lost its ponytail and now flowed wildly around her head. The third attacker dropped to the floor in an unconscious heap.

  The teenager stumbled out of the booth, tripping over his Converse shoes.

  Viktoria’s chest heaved as she set the stanchion down.

  Not caring who saw, Lee marched across the lobby and grabbed Viktoria’s face. He claimed her mouth with a vengeance, but couldn’t linger.

  Growling at having to cut it short, he pulled away and fished in his pocket for the last bit of cash he had left, then slapped it into the teenager’s hand. “Sorry about the mess.”

  The kid reflexively cradled the money against his stomach, but he couldn’t stop bobbing his eyes between Viktoria and a movie poster.

  Lee followed the kid’s line of sight and laughed. With her hair flowing free and the stanchion once held in her hands like a club, Viktoria resembled the Valkyrie heroine on one of the posters.

  “Come on, my Valkyrie Warrior.” Lee entwined his fingers with Viktoria’s. “We have to go.” He collected his gun off the ticket booth’s counter and they moved to the car as fast as they could without attracting too much attention. It didn’t take long to get back to the airport.

  “Copilot’s ten minutes out,” Mike greeted them, the second they boarded.

  “Thank God,” Lee answered, clapping the man’s shoulder. “Have the pilot do as much as he can to get this plane ready to go, and stay alert. We might have unwanted company, but I think the bastards are with the police by now.”

  “Something happen?” Mike’s frown deepened.

  “Yes.” Lee moved passed him, spying the new security guard Boom had sent. “I’m Lee McCallister.” He held out his hand to the early thirties man who looked like he’d lost a fight with a wall.

  “Andrew Smith.” The new
comer shook Lee’s hand with a respectable tightness, then his eyes widened on a spot over Lee’s shoulder.

  Wildflowers suddenly permeated the air. Yeah. He knew exactly what the guy was gawking at. “Viktoria Jonsdottir,” Lee shifted to include her, “meet Andrew.”

  She shook Andrew’s hand. “I’m just going to go change.” She headed toward the bedroom with the plastic bag from the secondhand store.

  “Good idea.” Lee pointed at Andrew, then toward the stairs still leading to the tarmac. “Guard that door.” His eyes slid to Viktoria’s amazing ass encased in those stretch pants he’d dream about tonight. “Only the copilot’s allowed to board. I’ll fill you and Mike in when I talk to Boom.”

  Striding to the bedroom, he didn’t bother knocking. Letting himself in, he found Viktoria standing in the middle. Closing the door, he crossed the distance. “You were amazing.”

  Her pupils were huge, taking up almost all her beautiful blue irises. “I can’t stop shaking,” she uttered, the corners of her lips pulling down. “It’s infuriating.”

  “Adrenaline,” he answered, rubbing her biceps. “Coming down from it is a bitch.” Swiping a lock of hair off her shoulders, he curled his other palm against her cheek. “You are so impressive. You protected the kid and handled the third man without firing a single shot. Just like I asked. Thank you.”

  She blinked and her gaze drifted to his lips.

  Don’t do it, Lee. Back away. You can’t cross this line again—

  He swooped in and kissed her, picking back up where he’d left off in the theater lobby. Her hands slid around his neck and she melted into him, parting her lips. He took possession of her mouth and traced his hands down her back to grab her ass that drove him crazy.

  Knock. Knock. “Lee,” Mike called through the wood, “copilot’s here. We’re taking off in a minute.”

  Ending the kiss, Lee rested his forehead against hers. “What do you need to calm down? Sleep? A drink? Your laptop to work?” He tapped his thumbs on her lower back. “I’ll be tied up for a while with my boss, Mike, and Andrew, so I can’t help.”