“You got me a phone?”
“I wanted you to have a way to get help if you needed it. I know that you’re frightened—hell, I don’t blame you. My involvement when we met in Miami didn’t exactly help matters either. I want you to trust me. My number is programmed in there, as is the rest of the team’s numbers. If you need anything, I want you to call me. No questions asked—I’m there.”
“I can’t accept this,” she said. Despite her protest, a strange warmth was spreading through her. She’d practically told the man that she hated him, and he’d gone out and gotten her a cell phone of all things.
Colton was worried about her. Wanted to keep her safe. Hunter had said himself that Colton was the one who’d insisted they find her.
Slowly she reached out, and he met her gaze, his eyes asking for forgiveness. “I want you to feel safe, kitten,” he said quietly. “Go ahead and take it.”
Tears smarted her eyes, and he reached out for her.
“Don’t,” she said, swatting his hand away.
“Keep the phone,” he said. “Even if you don’t need to use it, it’ll make me feel better knowing that you have it. Knowing that you have a way to reach me or the team if you need to.”
She nodded uncertainly, glancing up as Hunter walked back over. Colton reached into his pocket, pulling out the charger. “You’ll need this, too,” he said, his fingers brushing against hers as she took it from him. She tried not to tremble at his touch and took a step closer to Hunter.
Hunter had a girlfriend. He was safe. Not someone who’d try to use her just to get what he wanted.
He’d helped her without asking for anything. Stepped in when she’d made it clear she didn’t want Colton visiting her in the hospital.
“Ready to go?” Hunter asked, glancing between them. “Or do you two need a few minutes?”
Colton eyed her, waiting for her to respond.
“I’m ready to go,” she said hesitantly. “But I’ll take this.”
Colton nodded, stepping aside to let them out the door. Camila felt conflicted as they passed him, her gut twisting. She could never give a man like that her heart, she rationalized. Not when she couldn’t trust him. Not when he’d used her.
Why did her chest ache so much then when she walked out the door?
Chapter 17
Colton muttered a curse as Hunter and Camila left, leaving him standing alone in the front office. Hell of a way to welcome her to the U.S.—by sending her to live with his teammate.
What the hell did he expect?
It’s not like she’d fall into his arms and bed after she realized what had happened in Miami. Sure, he’d rescued her down in Bogota—he’d never regret that. If anything, it killed him that there were other women out there missing. Helpless.
But Camila?
Helpless was the last word he’d ever use to describe her. Maybe they’d get back on good terms—eventually. It was possible she wouldn’t even stay near Little Creek though. It was a damn big country. Maybe she wouldn’t move back to Colombia after everything that had happened, but Miami? The west coast? There were a hell of a lot of options that didn’t involve living anywhere near him.
He shoved open the door to the office and stalked down the hall to the locker room. Maybe an hour or so of lifting weights would help clear his head. At least give him something to focus on aside from her.
He jogged down a set of steps and turned the corner and spotted the Alpha SEAL team coming into the building, gear in hand, just back from their deployment to the Middle East. He nodded at Patrick, the leader of the Alpha SEALs, and Evan “Flip” Jenkins, who was walking beside him.
“Ice,” he said as the other team’s leader came to a stop in front of him. “Good to see you guys are back.”
“Heard you just made it back from Bogota,” Patrick said, dropping his heavy duffle bag to the ground. He looked tired but happy as hell to be home. And who wouldn’t be in his position? He had a wife, couple of kids, and new baby on the way any day now.
“Affirmative. We didn’t get Miguel but ended up with his daughter instead.”
Patrick’s cool blue eyes gazed at him. “I heard. Look, we’ve dealt with all kinds of crazy kidnapping situations between the men on our team and their girlfriends. If your woman needs anyone to talk to, let me know. I can connect her with one of the other wives or girlfriends.”
Colton resisted the urge to groan. “She’s not my woman. Hell, she’s staying with Hunter and Emma because she won’t even talk to me.”
“Been there, done that,” Patrick assured him with a chuckle. “Seriously. If Camila needs anything, give me a call. Rebecca and the others will be more than happy to chat with her. Well, maybe not Rebecca since the baby is due any minute. But Lexi, Ella,” he said, naming the girlfriends of some of his SEAL team members. “They’d be more than happy to help.”
Both women had been kidnapped in different situations. Lexi when she was tracking down hackers attempting to infiltrate Little Creek’s Top Secret databases, and Ella when she’d worked as a cocktail waitress down in Florida.
It was almost damn hard to believe the amount of trouble the Alpha team had been through if Colton hadn’t witnessed some of it with his own eyes. He hadn’t been here at Little Creek when Lexi was taken, but when Ella was still in Florida, Colton had been stationed in Pensacola. Some of the guys on the Alpha team had come down, and when it turned out that Brent “Cobra” Rollins had a thing for Ella, he’d come down to bring her back to Virginia with him, never knowing she’d been kidnapped by some men her sleazy boss had dealt with.
There was never a dull moment with either of the SEAL teams.
Evan cleared his throat. “Maybe you didn’t know, but Ali works at the hospital where Camila was taken when you arrived in the U.S. I only chatted with Ali briefly while we were gone, but she went to check in on Camila when she was there.”
Colton nodded. “I appreciate it. She’ll need some friends here to lean on if she decides to stay.” He eyed all the gear they were hauling in. “Get going. I’m sure you’re both ready to get home to your wives and kids. Girlfriend, I mean,” he said, glancing back at Evan.
“Fiancée,” Evan said with a grin.
“No way!” Colton said, clapping him on the back. “Congrats man. Another one bites the dust, huh?”
Patrick chuckled. “Hoorah. Some of the guys were giving Evan a tough time on the flight back, but hell, you know we wouldn’t have it any other way.” He said goodbye before turning and walking away, no doubt eager to get home. Evan grabbed his buzzing cell phone from his pocket, talking quietly to Alison as he also left, and Colton was left standing there alone in the hall as the other men moved on to go about their lives.
He pushed open the door and walked into the locker room, changing from his fatigues into his PT gear. An incoming text on his phone had him doing a double take.
Camila’s a mess. I give it 24 hours before she’s calling you.
Colton thumbed a response to Hunter.
Is she okay?
His phone beeped with Hunter’s reply a moment later.
She’s scared of her own shadow. Can’t say that I blame her after what she’s been through.
Colton muttered a curse. He pressed the “call” button beside Hunter’s name on his phone.
“Hell man, is she all right?” Colton asked. “What do you need me to do?”
Hunter cleared his throat. “It’s tough to say. She burst into tears as soon as Emma gave her some clothes. Maybe she’s overtired and overwhelmed from it all. I’m just saying—she’ll probably be more comfortable around you than Emma and myself.”
Colton felt his chest tighten. Damn it. Should he go to her? He was trying to give her space. She’d been mad as hell on the flight back to the States. The last thing she needed was another man pushing his way into her life—not that he hadn’t already done exactly that down in Miami.
“Call me if I should come over,” Colton instructed. “I’d li
ke to give her a little space, but hell. If she’s upset and needs someone, you know I’ll be on my way.”
“Roger that,” Hunter said.
The two men said their goodbyes, and Colton slammed his locker door shut before stalking off to lift. If she needed him, he could be there in minutes. There was no sense in upsetting her more than she already was though by showing up unannounced on her doorstep.
Making more of a mess of the situation
It was amazing how something so simple could be so fucking complicated at the same time.
***
Camila glanced around the spare bedroom, taking in the bags of clothes Emma had purchased for her. They were piled atop the floral bedspread, but aside from a dresser and nightstand, the room was relatively bare.
“I hope you’ll be able to use some of this,” Emma said in her British accent, brushing a strand of red hair back behind her ear. With her pale skin and green eyes, she was as opposite in looks from Camila as one could be. She moved around the room with practiced efficiency, sorting what she’d bought and carrying another bag into the bathroom.
“Toiletries are in there,” Emma said, pointing to the counter. “There are spare towels for you to use as well if you’d like a nice long bath.” Camila watched her mouth in fascination as she pronounced the word. Camila had an accent as well of course when she spoke English. It was amazing how the same language could sound so very different depending on who was talking.
“Thank you,” Camila said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.
She had literally nothing to her name at the moment. No clothes. No money she could access. No home.
“I’m used to traveling light for archeological digs,” Emma said. “I don’t do as much of that anymore of course. Hunter said you’re used to a quite different lifestyle. As soon as everything is sorted, I’m sure you’d like to purchase your own things. This is just to tide you over.”
“I don’t have anything right now, so this is perfect,” Camila assured her. “I need something to wear, no?”
“That’s absolutely right,” Emma said. “So, let me know if you need anything else. We can pick up some foods you like at the market—grocery store,” she amended. “But if you’d like a nice cup of tea now or biscuits, let me know.”
“Biscuits?” Camila asked in confusion.
“Cookies,” Hunter said from the door with a chuckle. He took a step into the room, taking a swig of the beer he was holding. For some reason it reminded her of Colton, and tears smarted her eyes. She was intruding on Hunter and Emma’s life—a stranger with nothing to her name at the moment. It seemed that they’d just gotten this house together. And now she was barging in because she had nowhere to go.
“Everything all right?” Hunter asked.
“I think she just needs a moment,” Emma assured him, walking over and taking his hand. Hunter towered above her petite frame, and Camila watched as they walked away. Hunter pulled out his phone to text someone, and Camila’s gaze fell on the phone sitting on the nightstand.
Colton was just a phone call away if she needed him. Not that she needed a man in her life, but despite her anger toward Colton, she still felt like he’d protect her if she needed him. He’d protect her life, she thought as she considered it. He didn’t seem to have any reservations about trampling right over her heart though.
Chapter 18
Emma dropped Camila off down by the beach a few days later before heading into work. “Are you sure you’ll be all right to walk around alone for a few hours?” she asked in her smooth British accent. “I can work from home again,” she assured her.
Camila glanced into the backseat at the pile of books and papers Emma had. The poor women had done enough over the past few days while Camila rested. She needed to get out and get some fresh air as much as Emma needed to get on with her own life.
“I’ll be fine,” Camila assured her.
“All right,” Emma finally said, looking over her from head to toe. “I’ll meet you here in a couple of hours on my lunch break and bring you back home. Call me if you need anything—anything at all,” she stressed. “Hunter and the guys are on base, but they could get here too if you’re in trouble.”
After saying goodbye, Camila’s heart pounded slightly more than she wanted to admit as she watched Emma’s car drive off down the block. It was silly of her to feel skittish to walk around the crowded boardwalk area. She’d traveled alone in the past. She’d loved her weekends away in Miami. Just because her father’s men had turned on her didn’t mean she was in danger wherever she went.
Not everyone in the world was after her.
She turned back toward the beach, gazing up the long boardwalk that ran up and down the strip. Although it was the beginning of spring in Colombia, it was a warm fall afternoon in the northern hemisphere. Odd how the world was so different depending on which part of it you were in, Camila mused. Virginia Beach was nothing like Bogota or even the fast-paced Miami, where she loved to visit. There was something oddly calming about the families and locals wandering around the beach though. Presumably the summer months were filled with tourists, but right now it was relatively quiet and serene.
She walked along the boardwalk, enjoying the views of the ocean and the feel of the salty air whipping through her hair. The long sundress Emma had bought for her blew gently in the ocean breeze. It wasn’t exactly her usual style of clothing. She preferred trendy, short, and sexy—high heels, make-up, the whole nine yards.
Camila had trashed the flirty little dress she’d been kidnapped in though, right along with her designer heeled sandals. Never seeing either of those items again would be too soon.
Her dark hair blew in the breeze, and she clutched the strong cup of coffee they’d picked up on the way over in her hand. Emma had a large assortment of teas at the house, but it wasn’t nearly strong enough for Camila given how little shut eye she’d gotten the past few nights.
Her sleep last night had been fitful, filled with tossing and turning and nightmares. She’d awoken more than once in a cold sweat, tempted to call Colton. Trembling as she tossed and turned under the covers wasn’t going to get her any rest.
She needed to stand up for herself though—survive on her own.
She didn’t doubt he would’ve come if she’d called him, but then what? She still had an entire new life to forge for herself. She didn’t exactly trust him enough to confide in him or ask him for help starting over. Not unless her situation was life or death.
Her cell phone buzzed with an incoming text, and she scanned Hunter’s message in surprise.
Sounds like you’ll be able to access your accounts soon. Luckily some of the guys on base have friends in high places.
Camila let out a sigh of relief. Even if she didn’t have a cent to her name at the moment, she knew that Hunter and his SEAL team could help her get it sorted. They’d stormed into Colombia and rescued her in the middle of a field, hadn’t they? The fact that she’d agreed to meet with Pentagon officials providing as much information as she could about her father’s operations certainly helped smooth things over, she was sure.
She didn’t know much, but they appeared interested in any small detail she could provide.
The hotels became fewer and farther between the more she walked down the boardwalk. The busy strip eventually gave way to beachfront homes when the boardwalk ended. She glanced around, slightly worried, and realized she should have been paying closer attention when Emma dropped her off earlier. It was blocks and blocks from where she was supposed to meet her for lunch. Even if she hurried back right now, she’d probably be late.
And there was no doubt Emma would be worried.
A cool breeze began to blow in from the ocean as she turned around, and she noticed some storm clouds rolling in from the distance.
Perfect.
She didn’t have a coat or umbrella and was nowhere close to where she was supposed to be.
She tossed her empty coffee cup into a trashcan ju
st as a few drops of rain began to fall. They sprinkled down on her cheeks and hair as she glanced skyward, and before long, fat water droplets were coming down. She looked around in disdain, realizing there was no way to avoid being completely soaked.
“Hey there!” a guy walking his dog called out as she passed a large hotel. “Can you give me directions to Seafare? I’m running late.”
She eyed him warily, shaking her head “no.”
He was just someone turned around like her, she reassured herself. A person asking her for directions didn’t mean anything was wrong. Or that someone was after her. The beach and boardwalk began to clear of people as the rain steadily fell, and she started walking faster, the cool rain beginning to chill her bare skin.
Panic began to set in as she saw two men in the distance jogging toward her. They were muscular and fit, seeming unfazed to be out running in the pouring rain. Her heart began to pound, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She was on a public beach with hotels and restaurants all around. She could run to any of them if she needed help. Her paranoia was only due to the events of the past week.
The cold rain began to soak through her sundress, and to her astonishment, she realized it had become nearly see-through now that it was wet. The pink lacy bra she’d put on showed right through the dress, and the two men jogging eyed her appreciatively as they approached.
Normally she relished attention of that sort, but right now?
She wished she could curl up into a little ball and disappear. There was nothing appealing about being vulnerable in a strange city—not after what had happened only days before.
“Hey there, beautiful!” one of the men who’d jogged by called out as he turned back around, heading over to her.
“I’m not interested,” she muttered, walking back toward the busier part of the strip.
“Do you need to get out of the rain?” he asked. “We’ve got a couple of hotel rooms a block over.” His gaze fell to her chest, and heated embarrassment washed over her.
Seduced by a SEAL (Alpha SEALs Book 10) Page 11