Hot SEALs: Revealing Love

by Maryann Jordan

  “I want to take Jack up on his offer to work with the Saints Protection and Investigations. But I’d need to move to somewhere near his base.”

  She leaned in for a gentle kiss and whispered against his lips, “Wherever you go, that’s where home will be. We just have to figure out our future…together.”

  Once more, thanking his lucky stars for finding a woman like Sabrina, he rolled her over and made love to her again. This time slow. Easy. Full of promises.

  * * *

  Cecil sat in his condo looking out over the Chesapeake Bay. The blue sky reflected on the diamond water, but the spectacular scene was lost on him. His mind was on the next day…channeling John Taggart for his gullible widow. Channeling? The snort escaped as he thought about the woman playing right into his hands. And the pretty granddaughter? Just as naive.

  Scribbling on a pad of paper, he quickly figured out how much he needed from each of them to pay off his debt to Krustas and have enough to start over somewhere else. Maybe Florida next time. There are tons of wealthy widows there.

  The phone rang and he was tempted to not answer it. Rubbing his hand over his unkempt hair, he sighed heavily, glancing at the number displayed. Got to answer…no choice.

  “Yes,” he answered brusquely.

  “Two days. That was the agreement and in two days, your time is up.”

  “I’ve got this, I tell you. Tomorrow I’ll be able to pay everything back. I’ll get the money tomorrow. Then I’ll deposit it and come straight there,” Cecil promised.

  “Mr. Krustas doesn’t care how you get it. Only that you are here with the money within two days.”

  “I don’t appreciate threats,” Cecil growled, his shaking voice belying his false bravado.

  “Krustas does not make threats,” came the smooth, unruffled reply. “Only promises.”

  Chapter 9

  The next afternoon Sabrina perched on the rose settee in her grandmother’s parlor. Across from her sat two of Arlene’s friends, and from their appearances they seemed to fit the wealthy widow mark that Mr. Nastelli was looking for. While the women smiled and chatted, Sabrina noticed a nervous anxiety among them. Wanting to please. Wanting to believe that a deceased husband would talk to Cecil and give them direction. Wanting to feel that connection once more. The realization of the type of prey he worked on angered her once more, but she continued to have a simplistic smile on her face, hoping to keep him in the dark as to her true intent.

  Sabrina noticed her grandmother was serving the tea instead of her housekeeper. “Nonnie? Where’s Alice today?”

  “Cecil said that we needed to have all possible unbelievers out of the house so I gave her the day off.”

  Perched delicately on another chair was Ruth Sewell, her eyes bright with anticipation, hands fluttering nervously, chatting with Arlene. And Cecil was sitting in a comfortable, winged back chair, lording over the proceedings. After tea had been served and the conversation died down, all eyes turned to him expectantly.

  Smiling benevolently, Cecil leaned forward, “My dears,” he began. “You know why we are here. It is time,” he said, drawing his words out dramatically, “to talk to John and discover what he wants to reveal to us.”

  He stood and moved to the heavy drapes in the room, closing them so that the afternoon sun was completely shut out. The only light in the room came from the few table lamps he left lit. Sabrina shifted nervously, hoping the video and audio recording device was working properly.

  “Oh, please let’s talk to John,” Arlene begged.

  “I think that’s a good plan,” Cecil agreed and moved to sit directly across from her. He crossed his feet and took her hands in his. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, indeed,” she replied.

  “Now, remember ladies. This is not like what you see on TV. There will be no voices coming at you, no ghosts walking around, no scary lights or sounds. I am a true medium and the deceased come to me. I can hear them and then I interpret what they are saying to you.”

  The ladies all leaned in anxiously, hanging on his every word. Sabrina found herself doing exactly what they did, her anxiety notching upward. Boy, he’s smooth, she thought as she realized she was also eagerly anticipating what would come.

  Cecil sat perfectly straight, his eyes closed as he lifted his hands, palms up. Humming softly, he began to chant as he swayed slowly back and forth.

  “John is with us, Arlene,” he said, his silky voice soothing. Nodding, his expression did not change for a moment as he appeared to be listening.

  Sabrina caught her grandmother’s gaze and smiled in encouragement. She hated pretending but knew it was the only way to prove him false.

  “He loved Christmas,” Cecil said. “He’s telling me how much he enjoyed spending money on his family.”

  “Oh, yes,” Arlene enthused.

  “Giving you the diamond brooch the first year he turned a profit in his business. The video games when the grandchildren were small. And…ah, the trip to the Bahamas for your twenty-fifth anniversary.”

  Sabrina noted the other women watched with rapt attention on both Cecil and Arlene’s obvious approval. Sabrina could not stop the pounding of her heart as her eyes darted to him, seeking the secret to his control.

  “You are talking to him. Oh, please tell him I miss him,” Arlene said, tears forming in her eyes.

  “He knows, my dear. He knows.”

  “Sabrina?” Cecil, with his eyes still closed, addressed her. “He says he is proud of you. Proud of wanting to start your own business, but he does not think it is wise to sink all of your money in a new business. You need to invest, so that your money grows.”

  Cecil continued to sway as he nodded for several more minutes. “Ladies, he has given me his recommendations for investments. He says this is the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot.”

  Ruth Sewell, eyes alight, nodded. “Oh, my husband always said that the beginning of the month was a good time to look at our money.”

  “Yes,” Cecil smiled. “John says that your husband was a good friend. He remembers the last time they played golf at the Seaside Golf Resort. Yes, he says you would do well to heed his advice.”

  “Tell me what to do,” Ruth demanded.

  Cecil lifted his hand to silence her as he continued to sway gently. Finally giving a nod, he leaned back in his chair and opened his eyes. Wiping his brow, he turned his gaze toward Arlene. “May I trouble you for a drink, dear Arlene? I find the process to be exhausting.”

  The elderly women immediately began to fuss over him, irritating Sabrina even more. She stayed very still, hoping the miniature camera she was wearing was capturing the scene. Please, just let us get enough to catch this rat.

  * * *

  Jude sat across the street from Arlene’s house, the video and audio feeding directly into his laptop, watching the proceedings. He wished he could see Sabrina, knowing it was impossible since she was wearing the surveillance equipment, but he had to admit she was doing brilliantly. Glancing at the computer, he knew that Jack’s business had the money and the contacts to take on cases like this that would either go by the wayside or get buried in red-tape. They also took on government contracts that would send him on missions where his SEAL rescue training would come in handy. Smiling to himself, he confirmed in his mind, this is it. This is my future. And with Sabrina with me—

  His attention was once more riveted to the monitor as it appeared the meeting was breaking up. Cecil walked back to the windows and opened the curtains, allowing the bright, afternoon sun to shine in. Jude watched as the women blinked their eyes, blinded by both the light and the idea of gaining financial insight from Arlene’s husband through Cecil.

  He listened as Sabrina asked about the investments. Come on, asshole. Give me something to nail you with. Luke was on standby, listening and watching the same feed as Jude, and as soon as Nastelli took money for phony companies, they would have the evidence needed to turn him over to the FBI.

 
; “Now ladies, I do not actually do the investing. But my associates are financial investors who will place your money in the companies that John has told me he believes will reap the greatest rewards.”

  “What are some of the companies that granddad recommends,” Sabrina asked with wide-eyed innocence, playing her part perfectly.

  Cecil rattled off the names of several companies as Sabrina and the other women nodded as though the names meant something to them.

  Jude quickly sent a note to the Saints, knowing that Luke would check the companies. Bet they’re phony set-ups with Nastelli as the sole proprietor, he thought.

  Jude watched as Sabrina kept her body aimed directly at Nastelli, so the video was perfect. The women all approached the table, checkbooks in hand.

  “Who do we make the checks out to?” Sabrina asked, her voice full of eager innocence.

  “The easiest thing to do is write them to me, and I will contact my investors immediately. I will turn the money over to them by this afternoon,” Cecil assured.

  Jude watched as the women began writing checks. Got him!

  Jack called him immediately. “Sabrina was great. We’ve got the evidence for Monty to feed to his FBI contact, who’s on alert right now. They’ll watch him and so will Luke. As soon as he deposits the money into his personal account, they’ll move in.”

  “Good, cause I want Sabrina out of this!”

  “Okay, once she’s out of the house, let us know. Bart should be reporting in, letting us know what he sees in Nastelli’s condo. Then we’ll stay in touch with the FBI and the Governor’s office.”

  * * *

  Bart moved stealthily through Cecil’s condo apartment, smiling at the ease with which he was able to break into the expensive, but lax security, building. His years as a Navy SEAL gave him the ability to move covertly and the confidence to know he was smarter than the asshole he was stalking. As his gaze swept the space, he noted the few pieces of basic furniture and lack of decoration. Looks like a man who’s not planning on putting down roots. His observations were confirmed when he moved to the bedroom, seeing Nastelli’s clothes already packed in a suitcase. Slick-shit is probably hoping to get checks today from the women and then hit the road.

  Seeing nothing else of interest there, he headed over to the table, covered in magazines and newspaper clippings. Scanning quickly, he saw they were prints of the local newspaper with old and recent articles about John and Arlene Taggart. One had a newspaper article of John and Ruth Sewell’s husband playing golf. Another showed his grandparents coming back from a cruise. One article was on a local jewelry store, picturing Arlene with a diamond brooch.

  A laptop was open and Bart deftly searched the history, once more finding searches concerning the Taggarts and Sewells. Sabrina’s name caught his eye and he recognized that Nastelli had been doing his homework on her as well. Not very original, he thought, but when dealing with lonely, naïve persons, I guess it doesn’t take much to convince them that someone still wants to take care of them.

  Doing a search with Sabrina’s name on the computer, Bart wanted to see what else Nastelli had tried to find on his cousin. Her name appeared on the email lists. Clicking, he scanned them, a red haze of anger blinding him. It seemed that Nastelli might have had other plans for his cousin than just fleecing her out of her trust.

  * * *

  Jude watched as Nastelli left in a taxi and the other women had their drivers pick them up. Sabrina walked over and hopped into his car.

  “How’d I do?” she asked, her hands nervously shaking.

  Leaning over, he kissed her deeply before moving back away. “Babe, you were phenomenal, but I want you out of this now! I’ve never been nervous about any SEAL mission, but you in there with that slime? Made me fuckin’ crazy!”

  She giggled and nodded. “I have to admit, this cloak and dagger is not for me. I was a wreck in there, trying to keep my camera pointed his way, wanting to focus on what he said so that I’d know how to respond, and not lose my cool and call him out!”

  “Well, this is it, baby. You’re done. Luke’s got the video feed and they’re already watching his bank accounts. Jack’s working with the Governor’s office and FBI. And Bart should be finished with Nastelli’s apartment.”

  Looking at his watch, he said, “I hate to do this, but I’ve got to get back to work. Only two more weeks of my severance contract and then I’ll be a free man.”

  Excitement filling her voice, she said, “And then we can look for a place near Jack and Bart?”

  “Absolutely,” he promised. “Do you want me to drop you off at your apartment?”

  “Nah. I think I’ll go back inside and sit with Nonnie for a while. I actually think that all of this has made her miss granddad more.”

  “Good idea. I’ll see you tonight, baby.”

  He watched her as she re-entered Arlene’s house before driving away, never seeing the return of the taxi from the road behind him.

  Chapter 10

  “Jack? Got a problem,” Bart growled. “I’m in Nastelli’s place and checked his computer. He’s definitely involved with organized crime here in the area. He’s been borrowing heavily from one of the local bosses in the Russian mafia and they want their money back so he’s getting antsy.”

  “Send me the sites and emails,” Luke demanded. “I can figure out who the hell we’re dealing with!”

  A moment passed while Bart quickly sent everything he could find to Luke’s secure computer. While Luke was beginning to work his magic, Jack commented, “There was a Russian mafia family that was busted about six years ago in Virginia Beach.”

  While Luke was still working on the information Bart had sent, Chad did a search on what Jack had just pronounced. “Yeah, it was all over the news. Twenty-six of them were arrested.”

  “Another family must have stepped in to take their place,” Bart surmised. “Jesus, there’s no shortage of criminals.”

  There was a pause while Luke continued his search. “Looks like the new kid on the block could be the Krustas family. Although, I will have to say that they’ve been around for a long time. Probably took advantage six years ago to take over the whole Hampton Road area.”

  “Well, they’re back in force again. I want protection for Sabrina. Nastelli’s emails indicate that if he doesn’t pay by the end of this week he’s a dead man and it seems as though he’s considering using Sabrina as collateral if needed. I called Jude and he’s heading back over to Nonnie’s house where they both are.”

  “Bingo,” Luke called out. “Looks like the Krustas family has had some problems of their own. Old man Krustas came out fine, but he had some family that are now enjoying a long stay at one of the state’s finest prisons.”

  “I’m calling the governor now,” Jack growled. “Monty’s working on getting the FBI to come search Nastelli’s place also. They’ll do it legally so let them do their job.”

  “Right. I’m heading over to Nonnie’s also, to finally talk some sense into her head about this shit. It’s gone on long enough.”

  “Got it. You need immediate assistance, get hold of Jon at GAPS. I’m alerting him as well.”

  Disconnecting, Bart hustled to his vehicle and headed to his grandmother’s house, thoughts of strangling Nastelli going through his head.

  * * *

  Jude had almost made it back to the Naval base when the call came in from Bart. The news that Nastelli was in debt to the Russian mob in the Hampton Roads area ratcheted his concern to an even higher level. Glancing down at the clock, he calculated he and Bart should reach Arlene’s house about the same time.

  He knew Arlene would hate hearing that her late husband had not really spoken to Cecil, but hopefully with Sabrina and Bart’s help, she would be all right.

  Trying to call Sabrina, it went straight to voicemail. He remembered Nastelli telling the ladies to make sure they silenced their phones. Damn – she must have forgotten to turn hers back on.

  * * *

 
; “Nonnie?” Sabrina called, as she walked back through the house toward the kitchen. It was her favorite room in the house, although she had to admit that she had wonderful memories of every room. Nonnie had always insisted that she wanted the house to feel warm and inviting, hating the pretentious homes of some of her friends.

  The large, airy kitchen was painted a sunny yellow, with green accents. The distressed, white painted cabinets were a perfect backdrop for the white and grey marble countertops. Ever since she had been a little girl, a cookie jar always sat on the counter, filled with treats.

  She walked around the kitchen counter, greeting Arlene with a kiss.

  “My dear, what brings you back? Did you forget something?”

  “No, no. I just thought I’d visit for a while. Are you…feeling okay after all of that?”

  “Of course. It was thrilling to know that John is still guiding us.”

  Sighing deeply as she held her grandmother in a strong embrace, she said, “Nonnie, you have to know that granddad is with us in our hearts all of the time. We don’t need someone like Cecil to tell us what granddad would want us to do.”

  Arlene pulled out of Sabrina’s arms, peering deeply into her face. “I know you, Sabrina. You’re holding back. What are you trying to say?”

  Licking her lips, she looked down at her grandmother’s hands clasped in her own before lifting her gaze back to Arlene’s face. “Bart and Jude have been investigating Cecil.” She felt her grandmother try to pull her hands away, but she held tight. “Please listen to me. They think he’s been working with organized crime here and he pretends to talk to the dead so that he can steal money from…um—”

  “Foolish old ladies? Is that what you were going to say?”

  “No, no! Just…maybe, lonely…vulnerable.”

  She watched carefully as her grandmother visibly grappled with the news Sabrina shared. “Nonnie, Cecil’s good at what he does. That’s how he was able to get away with this for so long.” Giving a little tug on her hands, she brought Arlene’s attention back to her. “But Jude and Bart are better at what they do. I…I was wired today.”