SEAL Out of Water

by Abbie Zanders

  Gabriel

  Feeling a renewed sense of urgency, Gabe grabbed his go bag and Fred’s, then headed out to his SUV. It was too much of a coincidence to believe that two of Darius’s upper level minions had chosen now to come for a visit.

  He punched in Silas’s number and gave him a quick update, along with a change in plans. After a brief internal debate, he called Virginia Miller. She answered on the second ring.

  Gabe let out the breath he’d been holding. “Ms. Miller, it’s Gabriel Michaels.”

  “Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?” If she was still disappointed with him for turning down her dinner invite, it didn’t come through in her voice. In fact, she sounded glad to hear from him.

  “How is your schedule this afternoon?”

  “Pretty light. In fact, I was just about to go into town and do some shopping.”

  Perfect. “I’ve got some errands to run myself. Would you like to meet for coffee? There’s a little diner off the interstate that I’m told has good blue plate specials.”

  He winced, wondering if a woman like Virginia even knew what a blue plate special was. Then he reminded himself she hadn’t always lived in a multi-million-dollar estate.

  There was a brief moment of silence before she said, “Yes, I know it, and yes, they do.”

  “Great. See you in about thirty minutes?”

  “All right. See you then.”

  He pressed his foot down on the accelerator and made it to the diner early. He scoped the place inside and out, then selected a booth in the back corner near the emergency exit and with an excellent view of both the interior and the parking lot.

  Virginia arrived a short while later. Unlike the previous times he’d seen her, she was dressed more casually in jeans and a soft-looking sweater. Her hair wasn’t secured in a knot at the back of her head; it hung loose and flowed freely over her shoulders. His fingers itched with the desire to touch it, to see if it was as silky as it looked.

  More noticeable, however, were the dark circles under her eyes. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “Just had some trouble sleeping last night,” she said, nodding when he picked up the carafe of coffee and held it over her mug. “This waiting...the not knowing, it’s frustrating.” She added cream, stirred, then wrapped both hands around the mug and lifted it to her lips. She closed her eyes in bliss, opening them again when the server returned to take their order. “It’s affecting everyone.”

  “How so?”

  “Gregory wasn’t skulking around the halls this morning, and Maya barely glared at me when I went into the kitchen.”

  His lips quirked. At least she was able to find some humor in the situation.

  Gabe knew why the others were preoccupied, but it didn’t appear as if Virginia did. That answered one of his many questions, at least.

  “So . . .” she said, looking directly into his eyes after they were alone again, “I’m guessing this clandestine meeting is about more than just Rosie’s excellent meatloaf.”

  “Clandestine?” His lips curled at her use of the word, something they seemed to do easily in her presence. “We’re in a public place, ordering the house special.”

  She smiled back, her eyes challenging. “That’s not a denial.”

  No, it wasn’t. “Maybe Fred convinced me I was too hasty in turning down your generous offer of raiding the kitchen last night.”

  “Fred did, huh?” Her pretty eyes flared with feminine interest before she looked down at the hound who had moved from Gabe’s side of the booth over to hers, and was now shamelessly placing his big head in her lap.

  “Yes, I think he’s smitten with you. He pouted all night.”

  She reached down and stroked Fred’s head and ears. “Well, I’m pretty fond of him, too. But I still get the feeling it’s more than that.” She lowered her voice, hope lighting her tired eyes. “Did you find something?”

  Several things, in fact, but nothing he was willing to share with her just yet.

  “Ms. Miller, I’m going to ask you something and I want an honest answer.”

  “All right.”

  “Do you feel as if you’re in any danger at the estate?”

  Her eyes widened slightly before she looked back down at Fred. “Why would you ask me that?”

  “Please, just answer the question.”

  “Well, things haven’t been great with Chris gone. I’m sure you’ve picked up that Gregory and the others, well, they don’t care for me very much. They resent the fact that Chris has kept me around, regardless of their opinions. But no one has openly threatened me or anything, if that’s what you mean.”

  “But?” he prompted.

  She shook her head. “But nothing. I’m probably just being paranoid. This whole thing has me off-kilter.”

  Gabe didn’t think so, not after what he’d seen on the surveillance cameras. “Never discount your instincts. What is your gut telling you?”

  “That someone is watching me,” she whispered. “Sometimes I even think I see things in the shadows. Ridiculous, right?”

  “Considering your boss disappeared without a trace two weeks ago, no, I don’t think that’s ridiculous at all.”

  “But it doesn’t make sense. Sander may not care for me personally, but he does take the security of the estate very seriously. Besides, I’m just a PA. Why would anyone be watching me?”

  Gabe shrugged. “Maybe someone thinks you know or have access to information critical to the case.”

  “I wish I did. Don’t you think if I did know something important, I’d have told you by now?”

  “Maybe it’s something you don’t realize is important. Or maybe, they think Christos will try to contact you.”

  “Commander, why are you telling me all of this?”

  He considered telling her that two of Darius’s men had landed in Washington and were quite possibly already on the estate, then decided against it. She looked jumpy enough as it was. Yeah, she had shown spirit and backbone, but this wasn’t just a matter of holding her own against resentful staff. More importantly, he still hadn’t ruled her out as a possible suspect in Christos’s disappearance, though that seemed less and less likely the more time he spent in her presence.

  “Because I think there’s a lot more to this than you realize.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it and closed it again. She took a deep breath. “Okay, fair enough. I don’t suppose you can tell me everything, so I guess I’ll just have to trust your judgment. What do you propose we do?”

  His opinion of her rose another notch. She was being remarkably sensible about all of this, something which, in his experience, most women in her situation wouldn’t be.

  “You continue business as usual, just take extra precautions. Be more alert, keep your eyes and ears open, and don’t go anywhere alone after dark.”

  “I can do that. The only place I tend to go in the evenings is out into the gardens anyway. What are you going to do?”

  He sat back. “I’ll be continuing the investigation from within the estate.”

  Her eyes widened slightly. “I’m sorry, did you say from within the estate?”

  “Yes. A place as big as that has to have guest rooms, right?”

  “Yes, of course. And being on site will make it easier for you, won’t it?”

  He nodded.

  The corners of her mouth quirked, then grew slowly into a full-on grin. “Have you told Gregory yet?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Gabriel

  By the end of the next day, Gabe had a better understanding of what Virginia went through on a daily basis. The difference was, he didn’t give a shit what they thought of him. They could speak in clipped sentences and shoot him all the dirty looks they wanted; it wasn’t going to change anything. He was there to do a job, not win a popularity contest.

  Daskalakis hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of having him around, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Wi
th a forced smile resembling a grimace, he admitted that having Gabe on site could facilitate the investigation and get them to a resolution quicker.

  Virginia, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased. Whether it was because his presence made Daskalakis uncomfortable, because she didn’t feel so alone, or because she genuinely liked having him around, he didn’t know, but he’d take it.

  He hadn’t seen much of her since he’d arrived, other than occasional glimpses. She was busy in her office, and Gabe had spent the last few hours doing reconnaissance: looking around the grounds, making notes, and chatting up the staff. He found no indication that Darius’s men were staying on site, yet his gut told him they had to be.

  He hoped Mancini had more luck with his endeavors, doing basically the same thing Gabe was, but from the outside. The landscaping crew was out in full force on the grounds, trimming, raking, and sweeping. If there had been any tracks, he was quite sure there weren’t any longer.

  Gabe and Fred had been provided a guest suite. It was nice, nicer than some of the hotels he’d stayed in. Private bathroom, bedroom, and what he thought was called a sitting room. Located on the second floor, it had a balcony that looked out over the gardens he’d been walking through earlier.

  He’d set up some tech, wanting to know if anyone came snooping around while he was out and about. For the next several hours, it was a waiting game. Perhaps he and Fred would grab a bite to eat, then take a walk, see if they could put some faces to those skulking shadows.

  The urge to see Virginia was strong, and it wasn’t simply because of the investigation. He liked her smile. Liked hearing her voice. Liked the way her eyes softened when she doted on Fred.

  If he were honest with himself, he also liked the way he felt when he was around her.

  And that, right there, was exactly why he shouldn’t seek her out. His purpose was to find out what happened to Christos Kristikos and use it to his advantage, not to indulge in the pleasure of a woman’s company.

  Why can’t I do both?

  He was still contemplating that when a soft knock sounded at the door. Fred’s ears perked up. Gabe’s hopes rose, thinking that maybe fate was making the decision for him and bringing Virginia to him. When he opened the door, however, it wasn’t Virginia.

  “Commander Michaels.”

  He looked down into the face of a young woman, recognizing her as one of the kitchen staff. He’d asked her a few questions under Phyllis’s watchful eye, but she’d been off the evening of Christos’s private dinner and hadn’t had anything useful to contribute.

  “Althia, right?”

  “You remembered.” She beamed, a rosy blush splashing across her high cheekbones. “I’ve come to see about your dinner. Would you prefer to eat in the dining room? Or,” she lowered her lashes, “I could bring it to your room, if you’d like. You could . . . ask me more questions.”

  Warning bells tolled in the back of his head. He might have been out of the game for a while, but he wasn’t stupid. The woman was young, beautiful, and half his age. If he was going to ask her anything further, he would do so in a public area, not in the privacy of his guest room.

  He was just about to suggest that when another female voice spoke from beyond the doorway, one that had Fred’s tail wagging excitedly. “The Commander already has dinner plans.”

  Althia whipped around, her smile morphing into a scowl as she glared at Virginia. Considering the girl was the daughter of the head of housekeeping, Phyllis Calligaris, and the heads groundskeeper, Pearce, Gabe didn’t have to wonder where the attitude originated from.

  Virginia retained a pleasant smile, but he saw the steel in her eyes as the two women faced off. If it came down to it, Gabe was pretty sure he knew who would win.

  Althia’s smile returned as she looked back to him. “Perhaps another time, then.” With one last, haughty look at Virginia, she walked away.

  “Mind telling me what that was all about?” Gabe asked.

  Virginia raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I believe the correct phrase is, ‘I just saved your six,’ Commander. I thought SEALs were supposed to be alert and aware.”

  He was. In fact, his body was feeling pretty alert at that very moment, intrigued by the fact that Virginia felt the need to come to his rescue. Yes, Althia was beautiful in a dark and exotic way, and had clearly been offering something other than information, but she didn’t hold half the attraction of the woman now regarding him with equal parts irritation and amusement. He wondered if she knew that.

  Even more importantly, Althia’s motives were suspect. What if she’d been sent to set him up? Put him in a compromising position that could jeopardize his investigation? He said none of that to Virginia, however, choosing instead to appreciate her ready defense, and maybe, just maybe a touch of jealousy.

  “Maybe she wanted to impart important information relevant to the case.”

  Virginia made a soft, feminine sound of derision that skittered happily through his chest. “I doubt anything she hoped to impart was relevant to the case.”

  He couldn’t help it. He chuckled. Unfortunately, that seemed to piss her off. She stiffened, releasing her arms and squaring her shoulders. “You know what, Commander? It’s none of my business. My apologies.”

  She turned to go, but he couldn’t let her do that, not now.

  “Ms. Miller.”

  Fred, proving once again that he was a damn fine wingman, moved in front of her and blocked her path. She paused, but didn’t turn around.

  “Thank you. For the save, I mean. It wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it just the same.”

  She sniffed and scratched Fred’s head. “You’re welcome.”

  “So, where are you taking us for dinner?”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Virginia

  Virginia just looked at him, taking a moment to gather her wits. What had come over her? She’d only wanted to check in with him, make sure he had everything he needed. Then she’d seen Althia at his door offering “room service” and the claws had come out.

  Granted, Gabriel Michaels was a damn fine-looking man. Those slight hints of silver at his temples and the lines at the corners of his eyes only made him more attractive, in her opinion. It wasn’t surprising that Althia had set her sultry little sights on him.

  In fact, Virginia was pretty sure Althia had slept with just about everyone in the house, including Chris. Most of the time, Virginia couldn’t care less, but the thought of Althia with Gabriel rubbed her the wrong way.

  Now that it was just the two of them, however, she wished she’d just turned and walked away when she’d seen Althia at his door. How he chose to conduct his investigation was none of her business. He was an adult, capable of making his own choices, even bad ones.

  She needed to give him an out. “Don’t feel obligated, Commander.”

  “You’re not trying to back out now, are you, Ms. Miller? Because I have to tell you, Fred will be very disappointed.”

  “Fred will, huh?”

  “Absolutely. He’s very sensitive about that sort of thing, especially when food is involved.”

  “Well, we can’t have that, can we, Fred?” She ruffled his ears and looked up at his master, taking pleasure in the amusement she saw in his eyes. He was being a good sport, and if she was honest, she didn’t want to back out. “What’ll it be?”

  “There’s very little he doesn’t like. What are you hungry for?”

  She considered that. “I haven’t had pizza in ages.”

  He seemed pleasantly surprised. “Then pizza it is. Toppings?”

  “Anything but anchovies.”

  “Easy enough.” Gabriel pulled out his phone and placed the order. “Thirty minutes. That’ll give me enough time to walk Fred.”

  “Perfect. It’s a lovely night. Why don’t we meet in the gazebo and eat there?”

  ~ * ~

  Gabriel

  Virginia’s eyes closed in bliss as she chewed and savored each bite. He�
�d never seen a woman enjoy a slice of pizza quite so much. It was a pleasure to watch. A little too pleasurable, in fact. If she looked that rapturous eating cheese and pepperoni, what would she look like while experiencing other physical pleasures?

  “Been a while, huh?” he asked. In his mind, the question applied to more than just the last time she’d indulged in take-out. She was an attractive, desirable woman. Classy, with a friendly air and an easy confidence about her. Certainly, there was no shortage of men who’d like to spend time with her—himself included.

  “Oh, yeah. It’s not worth ordering one for myself, you know?”

  “Not really. Between me and Fred, not a lot goes to waste.”

  Fred’s ears perked up at the sound of his name, but his eyes remained fixed on the crust in Virginia’s hand. She laughed softly and fed it to him.

  They sat on padded bench seats in the large gazebo, enjoying the sunset off in the west. It was a peaceful, quiet spot, the murmured gurgle of a nearby fountain providing a calming background noise. Occasionally a bird would squawk or a squirrel would chatter.

  As assignments went, it was one of the better ones. For a few moments, he could almost believe they were simply two people enjoying dinner and each other’s company. Almost.

  “I’m sorry about before,” she said, wiping her mouth and sitting back. “I hope I didn’t complicate things for you.”

  Yes, she was making things difficult, but not . . . No, wait, she wasn’t talking about that. She was talking about her timely interruption earlier.

  “You didn’t.”

  Her expression was skeptical. “Just be careful, Commander. Althia can be, well, persistent.”

  Her concern bemused him. Was she simply looking out for him, or was there another reason Althia’s advances warranted yet another warning?

  “I thought you had my six, Ms. Miller.”

  “I do, but I can’t guard you twenty-four seven, you know.”

  He laughed at that, taking a moment to enjoy the thought of having her at his side for the duration. It wasn’t unpleasant. “She can’t be all that bad, can she?”