Dalton couldn’t get a read on this man who held such a huge knife.
“Everyone but Carmelita and her son and daughter,” Dalton answered.
“You kill them?” Another, younger man, asked.
“Who are you?” the first man asked as he looked over his shoulder toward the front door. “There’s a big mess in the courtyard. You do that?”
Griff looked at him too. “Yeah, did you?”
Dalton gave his friend and exasperated look.
“We’re Americans.” Dalton said answering the first man with the knife. “We’re with the United States Navy, and yeah, some of what happened out in the courtyard was my fault.”
The man’s blank expression finally turned fierce. “Those motherfuckers have killed many of my people. They should have died slow.” He easily stuck the knife into his belt and stuck out his hand for Dalton to shake it. He had a firm grip and looked him straight in the eye. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart and for all the people in my village, I thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Dalton said solemnly. “My teammate and I need to leave now. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes,” the man said firmly. The other three men around him nodded in agreement. “Thank you again.” He turned and shook Griff’s hand, then all four of them headed up the stairs as Griff and Dalton took the stairs two at a time so they could head toward their team.
“Bout’ time you got back.” Wyatt waved.
He was under a makeshift lean-to that someone had fashioned. Aiden O’Malley was underneath with him. Even through the rain, Dalton saw that he was grinning with Wyatt. Apparently, his big blonde friend only kept his shitty bed side manner for everyone else, for Wyatt he was all smiles.
Dalton also saw that Aiden was administering fluids and Wyatt was feeling no pain whatsoever. Hell, a tenth of whatever drug Aiden had administered to Wyatt would have Dalton on his ass drooling and moaning in his sleep for Aurora.
“Come ‘ere.” Wyatt motioned with his whole arm for Dalton to come to him. Aiden gave him a warning look.
Dalton wiped the rain from his eyes and slicked the hair off his face. He leaned in to smile at his wounded teammate. “So, you just had to find a way to get a little more attention from the ladies, huh?” Dalton teased.
“Always looking for an angle my man. You should try it. You need to get laid,” Wyatt waggled his eyebrows at him. “Come closer. Gonna tell you a secret.”
Dalton exchanged a worried look with Aiden as he ducked further under the tarp. He could see that that the huge bandage above Wyatt’s knee still had blood seeping through.
Please God no.
Dalton knew what this meant. He had seen this kind of thing before when a soldier’s limb was packed like this. He could lose it.
“Okay Wyatt, I’m game. What wise piece of advice to you have to offer me to succeed with the ladies?”
“Gotta whisper it to you.” Dalton crouched down beside the youngest member of Black Dawn.
“I’m listening,” he said gently.
“You gotta lead with your heart. I know everyone thinks I lead with my dick, but I really don’t. I wanna have what everyone else does. When the women know that I value them and I’m seriously considering them for the long-term, that’s why they stick around. Ya know? I just wish I could find the right one,” he slurred. He looked up at Dalton with big soulful hazel eyes, “I’m so lonely.”
Dalton felt like he’d been kicked in the chest. Thank God Wyatt took that moment to pass out. Hopefully he wouldn’t remember what he’d said. He turned to escape the lean-to and his eyes met Aiden’s. His friend had heard. He looked as torn-up as Dalton felt.
“I think the rain’s letting up,” Dalton said. “I’m going to check with Dex on the status of the Black Hawk. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Aiden gave a choppy nod. “You do that.”
Dalton looked around. Griff was talking to Gray, probably filling in their lieutenant as to what had transpired back at the compound. He saw Dex and Hunter engrossed in a conversation. He went over to them.
“Why are we staying here at the evac spot? Why not move to the coast?” Dalton asked. “You can’t tell me that anyone is going to approve the Black Hawk to come out in this weather.”
“Talked to the Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He and Gray go way back. He’s chomping at the bit to fly in, no matter what the weather is like. He said that he can make it,” Dex informed him.
“I’m sure his commander is all ready to sign off on that,” Dalton said sarcastically.
“His commander is Liam MacLure, so don’t be so sure,” Dex responded. “Hell, knowing MacLure, he just might fly the Black Hawk himself.”
Hunter’s low whistle could be heard even over the rain. “That man really doesn’t give a damn, does he?”
“I think after everything that went down, he’s about done. If he can make a difference for us, that’s what he’s going to do,” Dex answered.
That was the reason Gray had Dex on point for communications. Besides the fact that he had an unnatural relationship with his military grade laptop, Dex knew all the rumor, scandal and scuttlebutt in the Pacific Fleet. Dalton sure as hell hoped that the rumor was right, because Wyatt needed to be evac’d now. Logically he knew that his teammate could live a good life even if he lost his leg, but Dalton knew that having to leave the teams would gut him.
Dex didn’t say anything, he just took his baby into the lean-to, so he could fire it up. It might be rugged, but all its little electrical parts still didn’t like the rain.
Gray and Griff joined them.
“Sounds like everything went really well from what Griff said,” Gray said.
Dalton nodded. Then all four men looked over to where Wyatt lay passed out. Aiden was staring over Dex’s shoulder at his computer.
“You know the Black Hawk pilot?” Hunter asked Gray.
“Yep. Edge is a good man. He was the pilot for the first three years I was on the teams. We’re lucky he’s attached to the Roosevelt.”
“Edge?” Hunter asked.
“It’s a nickname. Never play poker with him,” Gray smiled. It was the first time Dalton had seen him smile since getting here. “I’m going to leave you ladies and see if I can do some final persuading along with Dex and Aiden.”
Griff and Hunter were looking too damn positive for Dalton’s taste as Gray walked off.
“Come on Dalton. You need to think happy thoughts,” Griff admonished.
Dalton gave his friend a world-weary stare.
“No, I’m serious. You’ve been in a shit place for months. Right now, Wyatt needs all of us pulling for him. Believing in him. And the fact that Liam MacLure is on the USS Roosevelt, and so is this pilot friend of Gray’s, I’d say things are shaping up pretty good.”
“He’s right you know,” Hunter said as he adjusted his hood and moved out of a mud puddle. “Even the rain has let up in the last two hours.”
What, were they expecting a rainbow and a unicorn to come prancing out of the jungle? He looked at the two men staring at him. Then he realized they were right, he needed to pull his head out of the dark depths of wherever and see some semblance of light. It was almost like he was in mourning again.
“Gray did it!” Dex shouted from the lean-to.
Hell, even Gray was grinning. Mr. Cool had done it.
“There you go, did it kill you?” Hunter bumped his shoulder.
“Huh?” Dalton didn’t understand what Hunter was saying.
“You’re smiling. I knew you had it in you.”
Well the smiles hadn’t lasted for long. Nor had the decent coffee. He’d been in dry clothes for a day in a half, but even that didn’t make him feel better. He and his team were here in San Juan, Costa Rica. They’d missed their flight home…again. As they waited for Wyatt’s surgery to be done. Gray was going to catch hell for allowing his team to stay in Costa Rica so long just to hang around a waiting room, but he didn’t give two shits.
So, an orthopedic surgeon from Walter Reed was flown down to Costa Rica. Liam and Gray were down in the cafeteria. That left the rest of the team in the waiting room. Dalton was standing away from the rest. He’d tried, he’d really fucking tried, to have more of a positive outlook. He wanted it for his friend. But Hunter was right, it was almost like he expected shit to go wrong these days. Which in a sense made him an Uber SEAL, he was seeing shadows behind the shadows, and the only thing he took for granted was that his teammates had his back. But Wyatt coming out of this whole? God, he so fucking wanted to believe. But instead he was building contingency plans in his head as to how he could help him build a life without a leg.
“Goddammit, stop it.” Dex glared at him as he plopped down in the chair next to him.
Where had he come from? Dalton hadn’t even noticed him move away from the group and cross the room.
“Stop what?” Dalton asked.
“You need to hire an exterminator and get them to kill that bug that crawled up your ass. It’s been months now, we might have to tent you.”
“I don’t need to listen to this. Don’t you need to go make love to your laptop, or have phone sex with Kenna?” Dalton pushed out of the chipped plastic chair and started to walk away.
“Quit deflecting. You’re in need of a personality transplant, and it’s due to Aurora Chance.”
Dalton winced with pain when he whipped his neck around to stare at his ex-friend. “Aurora is a closed subject. Finished. Done. Are we clear?”
From over Dex’s head, Dalton saw Hunter coming toward them.
“Did you hear something?” Dalton asked.
“Still nothing. Remember, they said this kind of surgery can last up to eight hours, it’s only been four,” Hunter answered.
Great, then he just came over to bust his balls.
Hunter’s eyes darted to Dex who shrugged his shoulders.
“Guys, it’s not that bad,” Dalton defended himself.
Hunter looked him dead in the eye. “Actually, it is. You don’t want to hear this, but it’s like you’ve lost Reagan all over again.”
Somehow, he managed to stay upright, even though he felt like a brother had just taken a battering ram to his chest. Dalton didn’t reply, he just stared at Hunter, willing his friend to take back his words.
Finally, Hunter rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I’m reading the situation wrong.”
“You are,” Dalton said grimly.
“But you are in mourning,” Hunter said as his hand fell to his side and he took a step forward. “Dammit Dalton, you’re one of my best friends, and your pain is palpable. There was nothing that could be done last time, but there is this time.”
“Stay out of this, Diaz,” Dalton warned Hunter as he took a step closer.
Dex was suddenly there pushing his way between the two men. “Okay, enough with the testosterone display. We get it. The nurse over there is sufficiently impressed.”
“Nurse? Does she have news?” Hunter asked.
“No, she was talking to another family. Who by the way, was also sufficiently scared. You both need to dial it back,” Dex admonished the two men. “I’ll help. Dalton, Hunter is right, suck it up.”
Dalton felt his head literally pound. It was a damn good thing he was in a hospital, because when he had a stroke they might be able to save him. “You two don’t understand shit.”
“Explain it to us.” Hunter sat down in the chair Dalton had vacated. He stretched out his legs and crossed his arms. “Tell me a story.”
Asshole.
“I met a woman. She’s up there with Kenna and Aliana.” Hunter sat up a little at the mention of his fiancé’s name. “You know me. Hunter, you of all people know me. I can’t do the whole relationship thing, and I sure as hell can never do the husband thing ever again. I’m a bad bet for a woman. Especially one like that. She deserves someone who’s whole.”
Dex snorted. “This from the man who likes romance novels.”
“What?” Hunter sat up even straighter in his chair.
“Yeah. Kenna told me that she and Dalton discussed books and he was even able to name one of her favorite romance novelists.”
“That’s bullshit,” Dalton protested. “The series she’s talking about is a female cop in the future and her rich husband. It’s a crime thriller series. She thinks it’s romance, but it’s categorized under thriller.”
“Nope, Kenna definitely said romance,” Dex rubbed his hands with glee. “Admit it Dalton, you want what Hunter and I have.”
For a second he flashed back to what Wyatt had said. But Dalton didn’t feel lonely, he felt like a part of his heart had been ripped out of his chest. But it was for the best. Aurora deserved better.
“Who is the woman?” Hunter asked.
“Aurora Chance, he met her in Tahoe. She’s the reason he’s been acting like a wounded bear for the last five months.”
Hunter slid his gaze over to Dalton and grinned slyly. “Finally, the pieces fall into place. Tell me more Dex.”
“No, how ‘bout you don’t.” Dalton clipped out.
“Silly me I thought you’d like to know when your girl was in trouble.”
“She’s not my girl-” Dalton started, then he realized what Dex had just said. “Trouble? What the fuck do you mean she’s in trouble?”
“Ah-ha, so you do care.”
“Cut the shit, Evans, and explain yourself.” Dalton used the three inches he had on Dex to tower over the man. Dex turned serious. “It’s about damn time you started using your head for something other than a butt plug.”
“I’m fucking serious, if you don’t fork over whatever information you have Dexter, I am going to wipe the floor with you.”
“I’ve been monitoring things up there. I wasn’t sure that it was anything. If I had actually been sure there was a problem, you know I would have told you, you know that.”
Dalton looked at Dex, really looked at him, and nodded. “Okay, so what happened?”
“First thing was that little fricking piece of shit that you had me do a check on? Ned Little? Well he was shanked in the little county lock-up where they had him. First murder they’d ever had there. Totally pinged with me.”
“When was that?” Dalton asked.
“Three months ago.”
“What about his cousin, Ricky?” Dalton asked.
“He demanded witness protection, which he didn’t get.”
“Why in the hell would he want that? What the hell kind of information would he have to give up?”
“Funnily enough, that was what the authorities asked. He said that Ned had been working with some people, and he knew too much. Ricky said that he needed protection, they had to explain to him if he didn’t have information to exchange, he wasn’t eligible.”
Dalton snorted. Yep, definitely dumbshiterest. “So, he had no idea who was pulling Ned’s strings?”
“Nope. That man would have sung like a canary if he had the slightest song,” Dex sighed.
“You said first thing, what else was there?” Dalton asked.
“The second thing seemed unrelated too. One of the horses that Aurora had rehabilitated was fatally injured on the way back to its owner.”
“Do you know what horse?”
“No, I didn’t pay any attention. The horse was on its way back to Sacramento. There was an article in the Sacramento Bee that mentioned Aurora Chance’s name. I have Google alerts on her.”
“Was it a stallion?” Dalton persevered.
Dex tilted his head. “I’m sorry man, I really don’t remember.”
Dalton pushed back his concern for Aladdin and focused. “How
did the horse die?”
“Somebody tampered with the brakes of the horse trailer, and the damn thing flipped on the freeway. An SUV crashed into it from behind killing the horse. It was a miracle that nobody was killed. After an investigation it was determined that the tampering had been done at a rest-stop in Placerville, which took Aurora and her folks off the hot seat.”
“They actually thought someone from Valhalla might have something to do with hurting a horse?” Dalton asked incredulously.
Dex nodded. “I dipped into the highway patrol report. But the couple who were hauling the horse vouched for Aurora and her grandfather, so they immediately started looking for other suspects.”
“Did they find one?”
“They got some footage of the man who did the tampering, but they still don’t have anyone in custody.”
“Those two things really seem suspicious,” Dalton admitted.
“Especially with what I saw on the aircraft carrier this morning.”
“There’s more?” Dalton practically came out of his skin. Dalton couldn’t respond fast enough. “It better be something minor.”
Dex winced, then put his hands on his shoulders. “She’s fine, that’s the important thing.”
The world stopped. He gripped Dex’s forearm. “What do you mean? What happened.”
“Her car was run off the road. But she wasn’t hurt, just shaken up.”
Black edged his vision. Dex’s face swam in front of him from a far-off tunnel. “How? How do you know that for sure?”
“I checked the EMT report. They didn’t even need to take her to the hospital or anything. There was just a little bit of paint exchanged.”
“Paint exchanged? You mean somebody hit her car? Where? Those mountain roads are treacherous.”
Dex’s eyes slid away from his. Dalton hit his friend’s hands off his shoulders and grabbed him by the front of his t-shirt. “Tell me how the hell you knew what happened. Then you tell me exactly what occurred. Don’t leave out one fucking detail.”
Dalton shook his head, it felt like a train was roaring through it, he needed to clear it to be able to hear anything that Dex would say.
“I got an e-mail from Brody in my personal account. He knew I was keeping tabs. He knows my relation to you. She’s good. She’s fine. No hospital. Not a scratch on her. As a matter of fact, Brody said she was pissed as hell.”
Her Guarded Hero Page 14