No, what he believed was that the US government needed violent overthrow, that women were second class citizens who owed their bodies to men first, and that everyone should worship the same as he did. Not that he worshiped at all. He gave lip service to God and church, but his principles were so far removed from do unto others that it wasn’t even funny.
Chloe shook herself. It wasn’t Travis who’d texted her. It couldn’t be Travis. He wasn’t subtle. If he knew her phone number, he wouldn’t send a text. He’d call her. And he’d scream at her for being disobedient.
Worse, if he knew where she was, he’d come for her. He wouldn’t be subtle about that either. He’d roll up in his big truck and drag her out of here by the hair if that’s what it took.
Chloe shuddered. She set the phone down by her leg and waited, but nothing more came from any other numbers. She started her program again, but she couldn’t quite get into it. So she pulled up her browser and Googled the phone number. All she got was a pitch to buy a report about the number and who owned it.
She closed her laptop and stood. It had to be the guy from today. He was pissed at her. She went over to the windows and peered out the blinds, thankful there were blinds. There was no one on the street, no movement at all. Ryan’s truck sat in the drive, but Neo’s Camaro was gone.
She thought about messaging Ryan. But what would she say? Somebody sent me a text and it scared me? Then what?
Chloe bit her lip. Did it matter what happened next? At least she could tell him, and he could tell her something soothing like send me the number or must have been a wrong number. Maybe he’d even tell her he could come over, if she liked.
Her heart thumped. Did she like that idea? He was huge, male, and she didn’t know him. What if he was no better than Travis?
He is better than Travis.
How do you know that?
I just do.
Chloe shook her head. What the heck was the matter with her? She didn’t know Ryan from Adam and she didn’t actually know he was any better than Travis. There was no way she could.
She couldn’t trust her own instincts. Not after the mess she’d made when she’d listened to Travis’s bullshit in the first place. She’d thought he was such a good catch. Instead, he was a paranoid, controlling, violent asshole who got off on the adoration of the men who looked to him as their leader. She’d thought he just had a bunch of buddies he liked to hunt and fish with. Nope, not exactly. Turned out they were stockpiling weapons and ammo like they were anticipating a protracted war. When she’d pointed out that the US government had tanks and planes and missiles, and they weren’t going to fare well against those with an arsenal of AR-15s, shotguns, and hunting rifles—well, she’d gotten a backhand across the face for her trouble.
Chloe hugged herself as she turned from the window. She checked all the locks, then went to get ready for bed, taking her computer so she could watch the rest of the show. She queued it up and sat in bed trying to concentrate on the mystery.
But it wasn’t working. She slapped the lid closed and lay back on the pillows. She’d worried for six months that Travis would find her. She’d locked down her Facebook profile, but she’d kept it so she could check on him. He’d posted a video of himself target practicing at the range just a couple of days ago. He’d had a girl with him, someone she didn’t know, but that wasn’t unusual really. Cedarville was a small town, but it wasn’t isolated and people came from surrounding towns all the time. Chloe hoped like hell he’d met someone else. She also hoped he didn’t treat that woman the way he’d treated her.
The first time he’d slapped her, she’d been shocked. He’d sworn it would never happen again. Begged her to forgive him. She had, but she felt so stupid now for doing so. Travis had all the hallmarks of an abuser, but she’d rationalized them away. She’d always believed she was strong and independent and no way in hell would a man ever hit her because she’d walk out the second he did.
Reality was a bit different, unfortunately. Abusers like Travis were subtle as hell. Her mother had loved him. When Mama was in hospice care at the end, Travis had visited her every day, taking flowers and candy. He’d prayed with her. Promised to take care of her baby girl, all the while knowing he didn’t mean a word of it. He’d promise to cherish her to her mama’s face and then he’d knock her around when he got angry with her for random things like his dinner not being hot enough or her cutting a man’s hair at work that day.
The day Mama died was the day Chloe decided enough was enough. She was either leaving or she was going to murder Travis in his sleep and go to prison for the rest of her life.
Murdering him would have been more satisfying, but ultimately she just wanted to live her life free of him, so she’d opted for escape.
A scratching sound came from the living room. Chloe bolted from the bed. She fumbled for the pistol she’d placed in the night table and ran to the bedroom door, pushing it shut and twisting the lock. Then she put her ear to the door and listened. But the blood pounded in her ears too loudly and she couldn’t hear anything from the other room.
She glanced at her phone lying on the bed. Then she made a decision.
Ryan was watching a movie when his phone lit up.
Chloe: Sorry to bother you, but I heard a noise in my living room and I don’t know if anyone is there or if it’s just new house jitters.
Ryan pulled his Sig from the table and holstered it as he stood. Be right there, he texted back. Put your ringer on silent. I’m going to call you in a few moments.
Okay.
He grabbed his keys and a flashlight, then headed across the street, keeping on eye on his surroundings. A quick check of the perimeter didn’t show anything. He dialed her number.
“Hello?” she whispered into the phone.
“There’s nothing outside. I’m going to try the locks. Don’t panic, okay?”
“Okay.”
The front door was secure. Ryan had to enter a screened porch to check the rear door. A sweep of the flashlight revealed the trouble before he even got onto the porch.
A raccoon sat on a table, eating birdseed it had unearthed from a covered pail that was no longer covered.
“It’s a raccoon,” he said. “On your back porch.”
“Oh! Oh my God, I’m so sorry I bothered you.”
“You didn’t bother me. I told you to text if you needed anything.”
“Still, I shouldn’t have panicked. I’m sorry.”
Ryan sighed. “Chloe, it’s not a problem. Do you want me to check the interior?”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment and he thought he’d probably overreached. But then she spoke. “Yes, please. I think I’ll sleep better if you do.”
“Unlock the back door then.”
He shooed the raccoon off the porch, covered the pail with the lid that was sitting on the floor, and hefted the whole thing by the handle. The door opened and Chloe stood there in a long Crimson Tide T-shirt, her legs bare. She wasn’t wearing a bra and her nipples were little peaks in the front of the shirt. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi.” His dick was busy reacting to her nipples, swelling and throbbing to life. His brain was about to short circuit. Ryan gritted his teeth and forced the reaction to subside. Then he lifted the pail so she could see it. “Better set this inside for the night.”
“Sneaky bugger. I should have known. But I guess I thought this was city enough for the raccoons to go elsewhere.”
She drawled her words. He liked it.
“Nope, you’re in suburbia. We have just enough trees and cover to make them comfortable. And we have snacks.”
She stepped back so he could enter the house. She’d flicked on the light switch and it illuminated her boxes. She’d unpacked some of them, but she still had several to go.
He set the pail beside the wall. “I’m going to start in the kitchen and check all your windows and doors. I’ll look inside closets, too.”
She put her hands on her cheeks. “O
h God you must think I’m a nut. It was a raccoon. If anybody was inside, they wouldn’t be hiding in the bathroom.”
He couldn’t help but grin, if for no other reason than to put her at ease. “Probably not, but we’re gonna make sure. Then you can sleep.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s not a problem, Chloe. Promise.” He didn’t pull his weapon, but he lifted his shirt to make it easier in case he needed to. Chloe sucked in a breath but didn’t say anything. Ryan moved through the house, checking windows and closets and bathrooms until he was absolutely positive no one was inside or had been inside.
When he returned to Chloe, she was sitting on a chair in the living room, hands on her knees, feet bouncing up and down. He covered the Sig.
“You’re clear. Not a soul inside but you and me. Locks are all good, too. But you know, if you’re worried, you can get an alarm system put in.”
She shook her head. “I can’t afford it right now. Not after this move.”
He got that, but he wanted her to be protected. “I’ll check into some options for you, let you know prices. At least you’ll have an idea if you want to move forward when you can afford it. But you could also get a dog if your landlord will let you have one. Great alarm system and great company, too.”
She smiled and his chest tightened. She was pretty when she smiled. She was pretty when she didn’t, but the smile lit her up in a way he couldn’t ignore. “She might. I’ll have to ask. Do you have a dog?”
“Unfortunately, no. We’re gone a lot. Work.”
“Oh, well, I guess that would be a problem.”
“Yeah. Someday, though.”
“So you’re a dog person?”
“I am. You?”
“Well, I’m kinda partial to cats—but I don’t guess they’re good alarms really.”
“Not typically, no.”
“But I love dogs too. They just require more attention than a cat.” She pulled in a breath and smiled even bigger. She dazzled him. “Thank you so much for everything. I feel like I’ve already been a pretty shitty neighbor to you and we haven’t even known each other for a full day yet.”
He shook his head. “I don’t feel that way at all. Just so you know.”
In fact, he’d needed the distraction today. Hard work had been good for him, in spite of his hangover earlier.
“I’m glad, but I still feel badly for abusing your generosity. I’m not helpless, I swear.”
“I didn’t think you were. But I’m a SEAL, Chloe. I do a lot of things in my job, but one of the most important is that I help people who need it. But even more than that, my aunt raised me and she’s probably the kindest person you’ll ever meet. If I didn’t help someone who needed it, especially when I had the power to do so, I’d be ashamed of myself—because she’d be ashamed of me.”
“She sounds like a lovely lady.”
“She is.”
“Okay, I’m going to try not to apologize anymore for inconveniencing you. I promise I’ll be a better neighbor once I’m settled. I’ll even check your mail and water your flowers if you’re out of town.”
“I’ll remember that,” he said. Not that they had any flowers to water, but they did have mail. They usually stopped the mail, but there were times when it didn’t happen. He studied her for a moment. There was something about her that intrigued him. She was pretty, and he liked pretty women, but she had a vein of suspicion that he sensed flowing beneath her surface. As if she was waiting for something bad to happen. “Is there something else? Something you aren’t telling me?”
She blinked. He didn’t miss the look of shock that crossed her face. “I, uh, it’s nothing.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Her tongue darted over her lower lip. His dick started throbbing again. Down, boy.
“I got a text message. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was just one word. Bitch.”
“Can I see it?”
“I deleted it and blocked the number.”
“Can you tell me the number?”
“Yes, it’s in the block list. But why? All I got when I put it into Google was some report I had to pay for.”
“I can find out the information for free.”
She gaped at him. “How can you do that?”
He didn’t tell her about HOT or their resources. That wasn’t permitted. “I’m a SEAL. I can find stuff out.”
She scrolled through her phone, then read off the number. He typed it in and saved it.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“Know what?”
“That I wasn’t telling you something else. I honestly didn’t think the text had anything to do with the noise—or once you told me it was a raccoon, I mean.”
He studied her face, the curve of her cheek, her nose. The wide-set eyes that were a smoky brown. Chloe Cooper was beautiful, but she was also reserved in a way that told him she was cautious because she’d learned to be. But why?
“It’s what I’m trained to do, Chloe. You’re a strong woman who can handle a raccoon on the porch. But you spooked enough to call me, and you wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t had a reason.”
“I don’t like asking for help. And definitely not from people I don’t know.”
He grinned. “You saw me naked. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we should just skip past the awkward stage and consider ourselves friends. And friends can call on each other when they need it, right?”
She smiled shyly. “Yes, that’s true.”
He held out a hand. “Friends?”
She put her hand in his. Her skin was warm, electric. She squeezed in that polite way Southern women had. “Friends.”
“Good. Now I have two suggestions for you, friend. One, you let me out and lock the door and I’ll go home and get to work on this number. You call me if anything else happens. Or two, I’ll go home and grab my pillow, a couple of blankets and a computer, then I’ll get to work on the number over here before I sack out on your couch for the night. If anything else happens, you don’t have to call. I’ll be right here.”
She seemed to hesitate. “I can’t inconvenience you like that.”
“You can. We’re friends. And trust me, I’ve slept on jungle floors, in fox holes, and a bunch of shitty places you don’t even care to think about. Your couch will be heaven.”
She stared at him for a long moment with those warm eyes. He could see her warring with herself. He didn’t say anything because he wanted her to come to her own decision.
“Okay.”
“Which one, Chloe?”
“Option two.”
Four
What on earth was she doing? Chloe’s heart pounded crazily, but relief swept through her as she uttered those words. She was scared to be alone tonight. And Ryan made her feel safe.
He could rape you. Abuse you. Murder you.
Chloe pushed the thoughts away, but Ryan seemed to notice that she was struggling.
“Hey,” he said.
She met his gaze evenly, forcing herself to smile like she was normal and this was no big deal.
“You don’t have to say yes,” he told her. “If you’d be more comfortable if I left, I’ll go. I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you into this.”
“It’s not that.” She hesitated. “I want to trust you, Ryan. I feel like I can trust you. But I’ve made bad choices before, and I can’t help but second-guess myself. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.”
He was watching her carefully. She flushed. What on earth must he be thinking? She was talking like they were about to enter a relationship when all he was doing was telling her he was a good guy who wouldn’t cross any lines. If he went home and didn’t come back, she wouldn’t blame him.
“I feel like you’re saying someone abused your trust by doing things to you when you said no. Not gonna lie, Chloe—that makes me angry as hell. But I promise you I understand the meaning of no. Not that I intend to put you in a position to u
se the word. We just met, and yeah I wasn’t wearing clothes, which I regret—but my aunt didn’t raise an asshole who treats women with anything less than respect. I’m offering to hang out here tonight so you don’t have to worry about whoever sent you that text, but I intend to keep my hands to myself.”
His speech sent her heart fluttering anew. Travis had never said anything like that to her, and he’d bullshitted her plenty when they’d first started dating. But he’d never said a thing about respect. Not even as a lie.
Ryan was genuine. She believed it with a conviction that surprised her. She felt as if the bands constricting her chest loosened a bit with that realization. “I am curious about something…” she began.
“What’s that?”
“How were you unaware you didn’t have any pants on today? And is that something you do often?” She’d jerked her gaze away fast when he’d answered the door, but she wasn’t likely to forget the sight of him nude for quite some time. In fact, if she was honest with herself, she’d tucked it away in her personal file of images to call up when she needed a little personal relief. Because with a body like that, and a half-hard cock that was larger than some fully erect ones she’d seen—not that she’d seen many in person—there was nothing about Ryan Callahan that was a turnoff.
Ryan chuckled. “Not something I do often, no. And all I was focused on was stopping you from ringing the doorbell. It was splitting my head in two.”
“Sorry. But it was necessary.”
He held up a hand. “Nope, totally get it. You had to get the moving truck into the driveway.”
“I hope your head is better now.”
“Much. Thanks.” He hooked his thumb toward the door. “I’d better run over and grab what I need.”
Chloe went to the door with him, then shut the storm door behind him and watched him walk across the street. She glanced up and down the dark street, but there was nothing that looked out of place or unusual. She took a step back, keeping to the shadows of the living room. A few minutes later, there was movement across the street as the door opened and shut. Then she saw him, striding back to her with an easy grace that made him beautiful to watch.
HOT SEAL Hero: HOT SEAL Team - Book 7 Page 3