The administration hall is silent, not surprising with the hour of the day, the evening meal is well under way. The desk where his assistant sits is empty, but his door is open and I can hear him laughing. Gripping the thumb drive in my fist, I round the desk and poise my hand to knock on his door. Protocol dictates I wait for him to conclude his call, but my anger overrides my better judgment. Rapping my knuckles against the wood of the door, ripping into the silence in the room and capturing the attention of the CO. His eyes flash to mine, motioning with two fingers for me to come in his office and have a seat.
Captain Jim Sloan, as his desk plate reads, was more of a placeholder for his position than someone who knew what they were doing. According to the reports I have on him, he accepted this deployment to gain a skill set and make him a shoo-in for a spot in the White House as an adviser. He’s spent more time on his knees, sucking the dick of any man who could help him climb the ladder and get to where he wanted to be, than learning the fucking job.
Ending his call, he turns to me, “Your ears must have been burning, Lieutenant.” Tenting his arms on the single file on his desk, the chair squealing in protest from the movement his chuckling creates.
Captain Sloan couldn’t be a day over forty, but the fat rings along his midsection begged to differ. I’d question how he passed his physical exams, but I didn’t really give two shits about him.
“That call was from personnel, regarding the remaining months on your enlistment.” Excitement danced in his eyes, giving me all I need to know about where my future is headed. Captain Sloan has never hidden his desire for me stay here and work for him, my hard-core work ethic makes his numbers look better, ensuring his selection for adviser.
Knocking at the door behind me steals his attention, reviving the anger seething in my veins. There is no need to turn and see who stands in the doorway, I can smell his fear from here. I would never label Oxford an intelligent man, and attempting to shove his balls in my business, confirms my assessment of him.
“Can I help you with something, Oxford?”
“Yes, Captain. I believe I can shed some light on the accusations Doc is harboring against—” Standing to my full height, Oxford makes the mistake of capturing my full attention, something a countless number of men have taken their last breath after doing. His words falter as I turn my body in his direction, crossing my arms over my chest, showing force by not saying a single word. From his hard swallow and widening of his eyes, my message is heard loud and clear.
“What accusations?”
Oxford jerks his head in Captain’s direction, “Um—”
I almost feel bad for him, but the memory of hearing Harper refer to me as a friend slaps me back into the highway of determination, fueling my inner fire for action.
“I don’t have accusations.” Tossing the thumb drive on his desk, the plastic and metal toppling end over end, skidding to a stop against Captain's elbow.
“Indisputable proof is what I have.” Drifting my eyes from the face of the Captain to Oxford’s impression of a flopping fish searching for a pool of water. Pulling the chair I just vacated to the side, “Have a seat Oxford. You need to see what your girlfriend was doing while she waited for your Viagra to kick in.”
Captain pushes the thumb drive into the USB port on the side of his laptop, his brow puckers as his eyes flash back and forth over the screen. His right hand comes to rest under his chin, seconds later, his eyes flash wide and I assume it’s a result of Goodman’s tit filling the screen. My heart aches as I hear Harper’s voice, the braveness and disbelief wrapping itself around her words. This girl owns me, and I’ll be goddamned if I allow some bitch in heat to ruin this before it becomes something wonderful.
Captain’s eyes jump from the screen to Oxford’s face. “Have you seen this, Lieutenant?” Unmoving, he waits for the quivering man to respond, a fragment of fire growing in his eyes. This isn’t something he needs going on around his base, investigations are never good, no matter who you are.
“No, Sir.” Oxford sits up straighter, his lame ass attempt to shake off the fear he has pouring off of him. “I’ve considered the source and know the allegations to be unfounded.” I give him credit for at least attempting to defend his fuck buddy, justifying her attempt at slithering her way into my bed.
“Then perhaps you should.” Captain turns the screen to face the two of us. Harper's downcast face frozen on the screen, as she reaches over to end the session. I want to reach through the screen, tip her face back up and kiss the hurt off her lips.
“No thank you, Captain.”
“It wasn’t a suggestion,” the room is deathly silent from the cold and hard words Captain tossed at Oxford, rocking my stance slightly as I never really thought he had a decent set of balls on him.
Oxford, nods his head, his shoulders slumping as Captain plays the clip for him. I can smell the despair seeping out of his soul, his actions with Goodman have all but guaranteed the pair of them an automatic discharge.
As the clip ends, and Harper is once again frozen on the screen, Oxford clears his throat, lowering his head in defeat.
“I never thought I could capture the attention of a beautiful girl like Goodman.”
I’m skeptical of the emotion in his voice, the defeated look in his posture. I’ve met far too many evil men who have cried crocodile tears and then tried to shove a knife in your heart. “I take full responsibility for this.”
Captain leans back in his chair, his silence is unnerving and I question if he has the same suspicions as I do as to the validity of Oxford’s statement.
“I can appreciate your willingness to take the blame for this. Don’t think for a moment I’m not going to begin an investigation into the relationship between you and Goodman. Furthermore, I will have her in the chair you presently occupy as soon as I’ve finished my conversation with Doc. She can explain why she felt the need to visit the male barracks in the first place, not to mention naked.”
Oxford recognized defeat when he saw it, asking the Captain if he could be excused if there was nothing further. Closing the door behind him as his fate and dignity was about to take a hit.
“Take a seat, Doc.”
The man who sat behind the desk now was not the same as when I originally came in. This man, is the seasoned and hard faced leader who had been on the giving end of more life-altering punishment than he cared for.
“Goodman is no stranger to questionable activity. Her last command didn’t have the courage to ignore the fact she was a woman and charge her for her misdeeds. She came here thinking she was bulletproof. Thanks to you, and this beautiful girl of yours, her time in the military has come to an end.”
I would enjoy sharing this tidbit of information with Harper, seeing how big I can make her smile or watch as she attempts to hide her enthusiasm.
“I do have something else I need to talk to you about.” Removing his elbows from his desk, opening the lone folder on the middle of his desk.
“I had an interesting call from your detailer. He and I agree, based on your current position and our need for a skilled physician, you are most needed here. You will remain here until your current time is up.”
Walking back to my room, Captain’s words echoing inside my head like lines from a horror movie. Frustration replaces the anger I felt an hour ago, disgusted with my inability to toss my sense of honor out the window and get the fuck out of here. I needed to call Ross and find out if Harper knew the truth or if she was still blinded by Goodman’s bullshit. But my head wasn’t in it, I wasn’t ready to listen if the latter was true.
With the final rays of sunlight wishing the world a pleasant goodnight, I turned away from the barracks and headed to the track, determined to clear my head of all of this fuckery.
Chapter Fourteen
Harper
“Who sent this to you?” Unable to remove my eyes from my brother’s cell screen, the events playing out take my breath away, leaving me with an unyielding intrigue
to find out what the problem is.
“The guy who sleeps across the hall from me.” Ross had called me down from my apartment upstairs, teasing me for my inability to work a simple remote. He and I watched as the conversation I had with the naked girl transpired on the big screen again. Ross didn’t bother hiding his feelings about this girl, Goodman, from me.
“We’ve been waiting for something like this to go down. Hoping to catch her in the act so she can’t lie her way out of it.”
“Why was she in Logan’s room? I mean, perhaps he was taking advantage of having a girl with him.”
Ross drops the phone to his lap, wrapping his left hand around my neck, forcing my face to align with his.
“She was in his room because she is a sneaky bitch.” Dark eyes, bordered by serious features convey much more than any words, leaving not a sliver of space for any doubt in the truth.
“My buddy came back from chow and saw her sneak down the hall, from Oxford’s room to Logan’s. He managed to pull out his phone and catch her as she stripped naked before entering Logan’s room.” Softness filled the once angry eyes of my brother.
“Listen, Goodman is an opportunist, looking under every grain of sand for her next victim.” Squeezing my free hand tightly, an assuring smile growing from the corners of his lips.
“Believe me, Logan isn’t the kind of guy to get mixed up with a predator like Goodman.”
Something in me wanted to believe in what he said, trust he knew Logan well enough to make a judgment call and for it to ring true.
“Tell me, Harper, why were you calling Logan?”
Letting my body relax back into the cushions of the couch, I release a puff of air, which tosses a strand of my hair into the center of my face.
“Partly because I wanted to tell him about signing with his mother. And—” Feeling foolish for my skittishness in telling my brother the truth, not having any real basis for the butterflies bouncing around in my stomach.
“And?” He prodded me, playfully shoving his shoulder into mine. His warm smile, always something I found comforting and on occasion annoying, has taken over his face.
“And I decided to give this a try. To let my guard down and see what a real relationship feels like.”
His eyes search mine, blue orbs on a mission to peer into my soul, see for himself the truth that lies there. Ross has always looked out for me, taking his role as protector past the limits. In this moment, I’ve never been more grateful for his love.
“You know,” shifting his eyes to the entertainment center, and then back to me, picking up the remote from the coffee table.
“If I was Logan, and I had a day like he did, one where I had to go sit in my boss's office, sharing the bullshit story he has been handed. I would be sitting behind my computer, needing to hear from the girl who was hurt the most from all of this.”
Ross motions to the television, as he presses the power on and the screen changes from black to blue, pressing far fewer buttons than I did earlier. Although, my ignorance of how to properly use the program proved to be a blessing and not a curse.
“Are you sure it isn’t too late? I hate to wake him.” I’m too overwhelmed with everything I’ve learned in the past few hours to do the conversions of the time difference. Not to mention I am slightly intrigued with the way his body moved as he tore down the hall and verbally throttled the half naked woman. I knew his arms were covered in muscle from the brief time I spoke with him, but to see how he towered over the men around him, commanded attention and didn’t let anyone interrupt what he had to say did something to me. Men who carried themselves with authority have always been a turn on for me. Having not been close to one in a long time, seeing Logan has woken the need in me.
Ross chuckles to himself as we wait for the call to connect, “Guy rule number two, it’s never too late for a call from a beautiful girl.” Relaxing back into the couch beside me, taking my hands in his, squeezing gently several times, a warm smile across his lips.
“What’s guy rule number one?”
“If your girl is crying, no matter whose fault it is, you need to fix it.” The deep, husky voice stealing my attention back to the screen, too enamored with the handsome face to question why I didn’t hear the signature tones of the program.
Two sets of eyes, thousands of miles apart, take advantage of technology, allowing the invisible cords of a blossoming relationship weave their way to one another, connecting in a silent but solid bond.
“Logan.”
“Harper.”
Words so soft they could have been carried on the backs of Angel wings, sighs of relief their traveling partner. Locked eyes never waver as twin smiles come to life.
“I’m sorry you were exposed to the lunacy of a deranged woman.”
Logan runs his hand against the back of his neck, the edges of a tattoo look out from his t-shirt, ribbons of dark ink, their pattern swirling so severe it's impossible to tell what it is.
“I swear you will never have to deal with her again.” His words are the truth, stamped and sealed by the code he lives by, the same set of rules I’ve known from my brother my whole life.
“I saw you in the hall.” I blurt out, needing him to know I never believed the lies of a desperate woman, a fantasy cast in deception, her goal to distance our affections lost to the truth.
“It scared me a little,” I admit, unable to forget the passion he displayed or how it started a fire in my core, one no amount of water would ever extinguish.
“Collins showed me the clip, told me he sent it to you, Kincaid.” My heart jumps a little, so lost in this bubble we have created I forgot my brother was sitting beside me. “Captain is including it in the charges he is bringing against Goodman and Oxford.”
“Charges?” I question, confused as to what illegal misdoing this couple stood accused of. “How can she be charged for telling a lie?”
Logan licked his lips, something everyone does subconsciously, yet when he did it, my breath hitched and my pulse reacted, my heart hammering against my chest. His mouth composed of two equally soft and supple pillows, separated by genetics and so unbelievably sexy.
“She broke into my room, touched my computer and stole an article of clothing from me. All fairly minor in the scope of things, a verbal reprimand at best.”
Leaning his upper body on his crossed forearms, the muscles in his arms expanding behind his already tight t-shirt. Ripples of testosterone causes a shaking of my core and my mouth to go dry, my eyes devour the cut of his chin, follow the sharp line so rigid he could cut glass.
“But she was sleeping with someone in her direct chain of command, a violation of the UCMJ, conduct unbecoming an officer. Her actions warrant immediate discharge from the military.”
Ross props his feet on the coffee table, placing one ankle over the other.
“Oxford is finally getting what’s coming to him. That cheese-dick motherfucker walks around like he is the poster child for the Naval Academy.” Tucking his hands behind his head, a new glint in his eye.
“The bastard had the nerve to come knocking on CO’s door while I was in there.”
“Seriously? What a pussy.”
“Yeah, he tried to pull some martyr bullshit.” Logan’s brow bent creating a deep crevice between his eyes, waving his hand around in a circle.
“But I don’t give a shit about Oxford and his lack of courage, I care about what you said earlier, how something you saw me do scared you, Harper.”
“Maybe scared isn’t the right word,” I confess hurriedly, not comfortable with how my earlier statement affects him. “More like—”
“Hold on, babe.” Logan interrupts, sending me a wink to make my heart race. “Ross, you and I can talk about all of this when you get back here. How about you give Harper and I some privacy?”
Ross extracts his feet from the table, smacking me upside the head as he brings his arms down.
“Oh sorry, Sis.” He laughs, rubbing the side of my head as he
sends my hair flying.
“I know when I’m not wanted.” Grasping my head between his massive hands and placing a kiss to the middle of my forehead. “I’ll talk with you later, after the two of you iron out your wrinkles.”
I wait and watch as Ross leaves my shop, waving one last time as he goes out the side door to his wife’s store. Turning back to the handsome man on my screen, his focus seems to have never left my face. Grabbing one of the throw pillows, cradling it against my chest.
“I missed those beautiful eyes of yours. I had a few moments where I didn’t think I would see them again.”
“I wouldn’t have done that to you. I made you a promise and I would have kept sending you packages every month.”
Logan leans forward, tenting his hands together and tilting his head to the side, “I know you would have, but it wouldn’t have been the same. I don’t —” The dip between his brows is back, his face contorted in what I fear is anger.
“Logan, what is it? What’s wrong?’
He shakes his head several times, a war within himself evident in his actions. I wish I could reach out and touch him, erasing the tension pulsing in his twitching jaw. Finally, he raises his face, “I heard you tell Goodman I was a friend from back home.”
“Yeah,” I answered cautiously, not understanding why this was upsetting him. I’m trying to push down the anxiety I feel reaching through my chest and wrapping around my throat.
“I didn’t like it,” he snaps, not in a hateful or spiteful way, his eyes filling with sadness as he cringes from the sound of his own words.
“I’m scaring you again, and it's not my intention. Harper you have to understand when someone comes after the people I care about, I will do everything I have to in order to protect them. Goodman made the mistake of putting doubt in your mind, I saw it in your eyes when you ended the call. Oxford had every intention of trying to discredit you to my CO, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
Hugging the pillow closer to me, a warm feeling filling my body, chasing away the anxiety and returning the smile to my face.
Operation SEAL: Book Two Trident Brotherhood Series Page 15