Her Fierce SEAL: Midnight Delta Book 6

by Caitlyn O'Leary

“The next time Brad calls, I’ll tell him you secretly want to get back together with him, and you’re just playing hard to get.”

  “Sarah!”

  Sarah gave her an evil smile.

  “You wouldn’t actually do that, would you?” Now Angie was curious.

  “No, I wouldn’t. The man is dumb as rocks and needs to go back to his wife and daughter. The two of you were over years ago. He’s just run into a hiccup in his marriage and thinks that he can call you up. He’s a dumbass.”

  “I don’t get it. He wasn’t always. He was so sweet when we were engaged.”

  “You didn’t dump him for being stupid?”

  “God no.” Angie bit the end of her pen. “Well, maybe a little. I don’t know. There just wasn’t that spark. Pops loved him. When Pops went to buy a new computer, Brad helped him install all the software that he wanted.”

  “I remember. Your grandfather would snap his fingers, and he’d come running,” Sarah said as she snapped her fingers.

  “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “Yes, it was. He did it on purpose, he wanted you to realize that he wasn’t the guy for you. He had jellyfish tendencies.”

  “What?”

  “He was spineless.”

  “Stop. I was engaged to the man for two years. He was funny, nice, and way back when he was loyal to a fault. Yes, he was and always has been, a follower. That doesn’t mean he’s spineless.”

  “Bullshit, one of the reasons you fit so well together was that he was looking for someone to make his decisions for him.”

  Angie dropped the food container on her desk, the spoon clattered.

  “Well, I hated it! It wouldn’t have been so bad if he had just once in a while asked about my day and been there for me when I needed him. Instead, it was always about his needs.”

  “How’d you end up breaking up with him?”

  “I told him we weren’t ready for the same things. Apparently, I left a window open.”

  “A window he keeps trying to crawl through.”

  “He’s married for God’s sake!” Angie cried.

  “His wife kicked him out of her window.”

  Angie looked at the dessert. The peach cobbler had lost its appeal. “I can’t eat anymore. Thanks for bringing it in, though.”

  “Angie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring you down. I was just teasing about Brad.”

  “I know, but I screwed up with Finn too. Do you realize it’s been almost a year since I’ve been on a date, and I can’t even get the man to call me back? And, and, and...”

  “And what?”

  “And, I sound like a junior high school girl. For God’s sake, we agreed to talk in two days. It’s been three. Here I am stressed about it. I’m a dumb shit.” Angie sighed. “Okay. That’s what was really bothering me. Not so much that Finn didn’t call, but that I was bothered by it.”

  “So you like him. There’s no harm in that. Like you said, you haven’t gone on a date in over a year. I’ve watched you, Angie Donatelli, since Brad, you’ve been really picky.”

  “I’m not picky. Nobody has been interested.”

  Sarah snorted. “Seriously? You’re seriously going to say that to the woman who has to field your phone calls?”

  “Okay, nobody suitable has asked me out.”

  “So we’re back to picky.”

  “Anyway,” Angie interrupted and tried to change the direction of the conversation. “I’m just saying, I’m an idiot for getting so twisted up about not getting a call.”

  “I don’t blame you for you feeling a little rejected that he hasn’t called. But your instincts are right, it’s no big deal.”

  “Okay. Thanks, I still feel dumb for needing reassurance.”

  “I’m just excited you like him. So tell me about the date.”

  “Well first we kind of agreed it wasn’t a date, but then he kissed me.”

  “If there was a kiss, then it was a date. Tell me more.” Sarah pushed some of the papers out of her way and propped her elbows on the desk.

  “We went to Ray’s Steakhouse. When I tried to pay for the meal, he said he’d pay because he’d checked out my cleavage.”

  Sarah laughed. “So our boy Finn has class.” Angie rolled her eyes.

  “Anyway, he told me later that checking out cleavage constitutes a date, so he kissed me.”

  “You already told me that, and we’ll circle back to it. I want to hear more about what went on during dinner.”

  “We talked about the case.”

  “Not that kind of stuff. Tell me about the date part.”

  “He’s young.” Angie looked down to where she was biting the tip of her thumb again. She shoved her hand under her desk.

  “He looked over the age of consent to me.”

  “That’s not funny.” And it wasn’t. Five years was a big deal. Not if the guy was older than the girl, but it sure as hell was a big deal if the girl was older than the guy.

  “I’m sorry, honey. Okay, how much older are you?”

  “He’s twenty-nine.”

  “You have to know that’s really not a big deal. You mentioned he was a Navy SEAL. That’s not some small time career. That is someone who has been through the fire. It ages you. I’m not sure you can really just say he’s twenty-nine. Because, honey, you’re not just thirty-four either. He needs a grown-up, and you need a grown-up.”

  She looked at her friend and saw the sincerity on Sarah’s face. It settled her down. The woman had a point.

  “What else?”

  “I invited him inside.”

  “Going right for it, were you?” There was no judgement, just a friendly smile. God she loved Sarah.

  “But he asked if I was really ready, and I told him I probably wasn’t. He said we should wait until I was.” Sarah cupped her chin and sighed.

  “I think I’m in love for you.”

  “I know, right?” Angie’s eyes glowed. “But now the jerk hasn’t returned my phone call. He said we would talk yesterday, so I called yesterday. I still haven’t heard from him.”

  “Now I understand who pissed in your Wheaties.”

  “Exactly.”

  ***

  Finn’s first instinct that morning had been to work out to the point of exhaustion as he had for the last three days. But instead, when he woke up he heard the birds, and rather than grating on his nerves like a jackhammer, it sounded kind of pleasant. He got up and found he didn’t have to choke down breakfast. He actually enjoyed the toast—especially the strawberry jam.

  He closed his eyes and gave thanks. He hated it when he had these dark episodes. It had been the Angie kiss. But now he remembered it with something that felt like pleasure. As soon as he thought about it, he decided he needed a shower and a shave, and then he would call her.

  Freshly clothed, sitting on the apartment’s small balcony, he sipped his coffee and made the call.

  “Finn,” she cried in welcome. “I was beginning to think I dreamed you up,” she teased. Any sense of dread he had felt for taking so long to call was immediately wiped away.

  “Hey, sorry I took so long.”

  “You’re totally fine. The reason I left the message is twofold.” Shit, he hadn’t even checked his messages. She’d called?

  “What are they?” he asked.

  “One, I wanted us to visit Dasha. Then we can discuss my findings.”

  “What time?”

  “Noon. Do you want to meet at my office first?”

  “I’ll meet you at the park.” There was a long pause.

  “Okay,” she finally said.

  “Did you want me to meet at your office?”

  “No, the park is fine,” she said brightly. Dammit, what was he missing? “I’ll see you then.” She cut the connection. Somehow he knew he had hurt her feelings. Well, he’d just have to fix it when he saw her.

  Next, Finn dialed a familiar number. It was picked up on the first ring. He relaxed as soon as he heard his mother’s voice.
/>   “Hello, Mom.”

  “It’s about damn time.” Tears, love and righteous indignation. God, he loved Evie Crandall. The woman wouldn’t put up with any man’s shit, even her son’s.

  “Finn? Are you there?”

  “I’m here, Mom,” he assured her.

  “Dammit, Finn. Come home. I thought you would be doing better if you went away for a little bit, but you don’t sound better.”

  “I went out on a date,” he said, trying to put some animation into his voice.

  “You wouldn’t lie to an old lady, now would you?” He listened to more than just her words, he listened to her voice. She was working hard to sound upbeat. He hated it.

  “I don’t know any old ladies to lie to.”

  “I’m fifty-two.”

  “Mom, you still have the guys in the grocery store hitting on you.” He heard a small laugh. It made him feel good.

  “Were you really out on a date?” she asked.

  “We were talking about a case. It probably wasn’t really a date.”

  “A case? What? Are you a lawyer? Tell me about the woman. Is she smart? Is she pretty? Is she good enough for you?” Ah, now that was the Evie Crandall he was used to.

  “Mom, I’m trying to help this young girl. It’s complicated. I’m working with a private investigator. She’s the one I went out with. It was just a one-time thing. We won’t be going on a date again.” Wasn’t that a depressing thought? No more strawberry lip gloss for him.

  “You won’t see her again?” Evie asked.

  “No, I’ll see her. I’m seeing her today as a matter of fact. I just won’t go on another date with her.” Finn could practically hear his mother thinking.

  “Finn honey, can I get a promise from you?”

  “Is it important?”

  “It is to me,” she said with determination.

  “I’ll try, Mom.”

  “Don’t hang up for five minutes. Give me five minutes. Okay, sweetie?” Fuck, this was going to be painful.

  “All right.”

  “I’ve put some things together. I think I know where your head is at.” God, he sure as hell hoped not.

  “First, there was that bitch Ginger you dated while you were taking those college courses.” Finn had to work hard not to crush the phone he was holding. “She made you think that it was your fault she lost the baby.”

  “You know the truth.”

  “Did I say you could talk yet?” Her voice was sharp. He shut up. “Dammit, Finn. She was drinking. How many times had you begged her to stop drinking while she was pregnant? It was her fault, not yours!”

  “I should have been able to get her to stop–”

  “She was a party girl. She had been looking for someone to sink her claws into, and force them to marry her. She got pregnant on purpose!”

  He had never heard his Mom so vehement. Yeah, she had always told him that he wasn’t to blame for Ginger losing the baby. But this was the first time she told him exactly how she felt about her.

  “Mom, I get what you’re saying. But that was still my son who died.”

  “And he was my grandson,” Evie said quietly. “I mourn for him, and say prayers for him every single day. But I refuse to let my living son bury himself with him. Dammit, you did nothing wrong.”

  “Your time is almost up.”

  “Then there is your latest mission. I know it was bad because I have had every member of your team come over to my house. Hell, even Drake is walking on eggshells. But he’s the easiest.”

  “What do you mean?” Drake damn well better have kept his mouth shut.

  “I mean he’s like a mother hen. He’s so worried about you. He said you take too much to heart and that if there were such a thing as guilt pie, you would eat the whole thing. The man really understands you.”

  “I understand what I am, and am not, responsible for.”

  “No, you really don’t, Finn. You’ve always thought you were responsible for the Western Hemisphere, and you’re not. You need to be more like Declan. Now that boy will try to fix the Western Hemisphere, but he knows he’s not responsible for it, and if it’s fucked up, it wasn’t his fault.”

  In his almost thirty years of life, he had never heard his mom drop the F-Bomb.

  “So to sum things up Finn, because I’ve been keeping track of time, you are a good man. There has been some crap that has been shoved your way, but I need you to stop feeling like you were responsible for it. You weren’t. You are a good man. You are a good man.” Oh God, she was crying.

  “Mom.”

  “I’ve got to go, honey. Please think about what I’ve said. I’m begging you.”

  “I will, Mom.”

  Chapter Five

  Finn strode across the grass towards the picnic benches. The others hadn’t noticed his arrival, which amazed Angie. How could they not? Finn’s presence was so formidable, she fantasized that the oak trees swayed toward him as he walked by.

  “He’s got your motor running, doesn’t he girly?” her grandfather’s tone was kind and loving.

  “He does. But he has some demons he has to work through.”

  “I’ve seen it before,” Pops agreed. She looked into his dark knowing eyes.

  “What? What have you seen?”

  “His kind of wounds.” Then Finn was standing in front of her, and all of her attention was on him. He was wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. He gave a small tilt of his head, and she followed him away from the table.

  “Is everything okay? Anything I need to know?” he asked.

  “I wanted to run something past you. If my suspicions are correct, we need to question Dasha because something is wrong.”

  She could tell she had his full attention. “Okay, what is it?”

  “I hate how this sounds. But I hate even more that I’m probably right. This particular auction house they had going on in British Columbia was high-end, wasn’t it?”

  Finn thought back to the mansion and the endless stream of exotic sports cars. “Definitely.”

  “Then I think I might be right about what was going on up in Canada. I think the girls they used to breed weren’t as attractive as the ones they sold as sex slaves. I went through the pictures, and there was a trend. I feel like a vicious bitch for noticing it. But I’m pretty sure I’m right.”

  Finn didn’t flinch, she could see him mulling over what she said. “You’re right.”

  “Except for Dasha. She’s the one fly in the ointment.” Angie said.

  Finn’s gaze flickered over to the girl sitting next to her uncle.

  “Albert would have sold her to a client, not used her to breed.” His face looked like it was carved from granite.

  “Can you help me out a little?” Angie stroked her hand down his arm. His flinch was barely perceptible, but then he relaxed.

  “What can I do?”

  “Rylie’s notes were really vague on how the girls were impregnated.” She let her voice drift off.

  “They were artificially inseminated. They were trying to produce specific types of babies, blue-eyed blondes, etc.”

  “So why would they have chosen to breed Dasha instead of selling her at the auction?” Angie asked.

  “Oh God, she must have been raped, and gotten pregnant,” he answered quickly. Angie could see how the whole conversation ate at him. But it was important. She smoothed her hand along his arm until she could twine her fingers with his and squeezed. He looked into her eyes and she saw a moment of relief.

  “I read Rylie’s reports. Every one of those girls who was getting ready to be sold was given a birth control injection.” His shoulders sagged. “Dasha must have been pregnant before the Liu’s ever got ahold of her.”

  “So what are you saying?” he asked in a whisper, again glancing over at the girl.

  “There is one more piece of information I got from Pops. It’s not the US government Dasha is hiding from. She’s trying to avoid anybody attached to the Ukrainian Embassy.”
/>   Finn tugged her hand. “Walk with me.”

  Holding this man’s hand, and walking in one of her favorite places made this conversation easier. He let go of her hand, and before she could quell her disappointment, he put his arm around her shoulders and brought her in close to his body. She rested her head against his shoulder.

  “You always smell like strawberries.”

  “I love strawberries. If there is a strawberry shampoo, lotion, or lip gloss, I use it.” His fingers trailed along her shoulder.

  “I’m beginning to love strawberries, too. I’m sorry I was M.I.A. Sometimes, I need time to get my head together.”

  “I think I understand.”

  He looked up into the trees that provided a lacy silhouette against the blue sky. “So Dasha was pregnant before she left the Ukraine. She probably fell for one of those ‘Be a Model’ or ‘Be a Nanny’ scams. She must be running from someone. Someone with clout with the Ukrainian government.”

  “Probably the father of her baby,” Angie guessed.

  “Probably.”

  “Hell, how do we get her to confide in us?” Angie blew out a frustrated breath making her hair fly up. He watched as it drifted back into place.

  “If she hasn’t told you so far, I’m not sure she’s going to. Hell, she hasn’t even told her uncle. Maybe I can get it out of her.”

  “I don’t see how.” She scowled.

  “Unfortunately, working with less than cooperative witnesses is part of the job.”

  “It’s mine too. Let me do this.” Something told her that he didn’t need any more scars on his soul.

  “If my way doesn’t work, you can bat clean-up.” He rubbed a circle on her shoulder trying to soothe, trying to coax.

  She turned and looked at him. “Seriously, let me try first.”

  “No.” His tone brooked no argument. Looking at him, Angie had no doubt that one day he would be leading a whole contingent of men.

  “Okay,” she acquiesced.

  ***

  They walked back to the picnic table, and Pops looked up from his chess game and grinned from ear-to-ear. It took Finn a split second to figure out what the hell was going on, then it dawned on him, the man thought that he and his granddaughter were an item. Dammit. He was going to have to set him straight, and quickly.