The target waved his gun and smirked and didn’t seem to realize they were slowing down, because Bella, no doubt, took out the pilot. “My old friend Walter says different. You only postponed the inevitable today. This city knows that the second time is much worse. I only used a handful of people. Think what I can do with a dozen or two loyalists.”
His stomach roiled at the thought.
“Who were you blackmailing at DHS?” Sandy asked from behind his back.
The bastard chuckled. “Ah, you are smart. You guessed correctly. Poor...Amy Women are such easy victims. They’d do anything to keep their child from having an unfortunate accident on her way home from school.”
He felt Sandy’s gasp but watched the target’s mouth drop open while Bella stuck a blade in his back.
“You should never underestimate a woman,” she said, knocking the gun from the man before plunging her other knife into the right side of his chest. “Especially a Banshee.” Then she removed her blades, wiping them off on the guy’s shoulders before sheathing them at her sides. When she stood back, he dropped to his knees, face still stuck in that shocked expression as he slowly bled out.
Archer glanced at his wrist communicator to check for any other signs of life on the yacht, but only saw their three. Certain it was safe, he tugged Sandy past the dead bastard to the stern, which was free from bodies, then pulled her into his arms and just held her while she started to shake.
“It’s okay,” he murmured against her temple, so damn glad to hold her safely in his arms.
She slid her arms around him and held him just as tight. “God...I thought he was going to shoot you. If Bella hadn’t...”
“Shh...” He ran a hand up and down her back. “I knew she was there.”
She nodded, then drew back. “And I knew you’d come for me.”
“Always,” he said, kissing her temple, her nose, then very lightly on her bruised cheek. “Did he hit you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It was his bodyguard. He didn’t take too kindly to my knee to his crotch.”
“Oorah,” Bella, the former Marine, called from behind. “I’m going to take us in now.”
“Is Matteo okay?” Sandy asked, concern darkening her gaze.
Archer nodded. “Yes. He stayed back. He was our EXFIL if we needed it.” He pulled her in close, buried his face in her neck, and breathed.
Christ. It was the first real breath he’d taken since hearing that bastard’s voice through the com line. “When I heard him in your link...”
Her arms slid around to his chest and she drew back to look at him. “I’m fine. No...I’m better than fine, when I’m with you.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Sandy, because I don’t want to stop seeing you. I’m willing to drive in whenever you’ll have me. And I hope you’ll come to the shore and stay however long you want.”
She smiled up at him. “I’d like all of it. And anything I can have from you. Anything I can get. Whatever you’re willing to give.”
“How about all of me?” He cupped her face. “Because you already do.”
Her eyes were full of a tenderness that caught at his heart, melting thru each layer of steel he’d erected around it after losing first his unborn child, then his father and his brother. With her in his life, his chest felt lighter, unrestricted, free from barriers...free to feel, and staring into her open, fathomless gaze, he felt the one emotion that had eluded him for decades...hope.
Epilogue
One year later...
If someone would’ve told Archer a year ago, he’d be enjoying retirement from the teams and happily married to his former froglet’s mother, he would’ve accused them of being drunk.
But he was enjoying being stateside and spending his time with the woman he loved instead of hunkered down in some third world country with his SEAL brothers. As for marrying Sandy? Best damn day of his life was seven months ago, on a warm September Saturday, when Brian walked his gorgeous mother down the beach behind their home and allowed him the privilege to pledge his heart to the woman he loved with everything inside him.
They’d united their lives together in front of family and friends. Gus, his mother—Jameson had been his best man, and Barb had been Sandy’s maid of honor...the two seemed to hit it off pretty well, although, his buddy would never give anything away. Bella and Matteo stood up with them too, and, Silas and his family were there. The little baby had been a big hit with his mother. The day had been perfect. The only thing that would’ve made it better would’ve been to have his father and brother there to celebrate with him.
He gained a wife, and he’d like to think a son, that day. And it was nice to have guests at the old homestead, laughing and enjoying the place like his father had wanted. It felt warm and like a home again. Even his mother visited him now at least once a month, and Archer attributed all of it to the woman walking by his side now, holding his hand, warmth and encouragement in her eyes.
“Hard to believe it was a year ago, right here on this spot, one of my favorites in all of New York, because of you.” She smiled up at him. “You kissed me to keep up our ruse right on this very corner. Remember?”
Remember?
“How could I forget?” He slid his arms around Sandy’s waist and turned them until his back was against the building...just as it had been on the first day of their assignment together. “You rocked my world that day.”
Everything about that assignment had been crazy. A bald guy with an eye tattoo on the back of his head. Threats to her. Threats to the Reserve. Ghosts from the past. Plastic surgeries done off the books. TJ had been able to track down the actual identity of the bomber they had been forced to call Roger, who was actually William Fennel.
Raised by an abusive mother, Willy grew up in a criminal environment but with a high IQ. He started as a hacker-for-hire, eventually moving up to bomber-for-hire. Then he kept expanding, and started changing his identities, always choosing someone rich with similar body-types and continued to amass his wealth on top of what terror organizations began to pay him, until he became a global threat.
Willy’d had an aptitude for electronics and computers, and managed to hack into whatever he wanted. Archer was just lucky the man hadn’t known about the wrist communicators. And luckily the guy hadn’t had a large crew...or more bombs. Matteo had watched over them while he and Bella had gone after Willy/Roger. Later, they’d turned them over to Silas, who’d also confirmed that the life of the seven-year-old daughter of Amy Spencer, the fourteenth-floor receptionist, had been threatened. DHS had found no other moles and he was inclined to believe it had been just the desperate mother.
“Roger that,” she said leaning against him. “There was nothing fake about the way I felt then or now, Archer. I love you.”
He skimmed his fingers along her jawline, completely drawn in and owned by this woman. “I love you, too.”
She pressed feather-light kisses to his lips...and those where the ones that reset his soul.
“Ready?” she asked quietly.
He swallowed past a dry throat and straightened from the wall. “Yes.” And together they walked hand-in-hand, silently closer to the one place in New York City he’d avoided for over a decade.
The memorial.
It’d always been too difficult. His heart hadn’t been ready. He’d had the shattered pieces buried underneath layers of indifference, anger, denial...all things that held him back from really opening up and giving everything to the woman who irrevocably gave him her all. Archer wanted to reciprocate...to give her what she deserved—all of him. He’d do anything for her. But he also knew he was doing this for him, too.
He was ready. Ready to stand at the last place his father and brother had been alive. Ready to read their names on the wall. Ready to find a way to move forward.
The closer they got, the harder it was to drag air into his lungs. Sandy squeezed his hand but waited with him every time he stopped. Finally, though...finally he made it a
ll the way and stood there staring at the beautiful, peaceful place.
He touched the wall, ran his finger over their names, and he felt as if a light breeze blew through him, removing some of the darkness he hadn’t realized he still harbored. Sandy never left his side. Never offered empty words, just offered her touch, and her understanding, for she, too, ran her finger over a name—Rhonda Vickers—and a tear escaped down her cheek.
“My mother-in-law,” she said quietly. “She was a secretary for an insurance company. I was on the phone with her, talking about Brian’s preschool photos when the first plane hit.” She swallowed. “I stayed on the phone with her until the line went dead.”
Her resilience never ceased to amaze Archer. She’d been through so much, taken so many hits, and yet, she kept looking forward. God, he loved her.
Bending down, he kissed her softly, and stood there enjoying the connection while the light breeze blew...and her phone rang.
Anticipation lit her face when she glanced at the caller ID. “Hello? Yes, this is she.” Her blue eyes held his and she inhaled and swallowed. “Okay, I will. Thank you.”
“Good news?” He raised a brow, trying to figure out what was going on in her head, because she had a knowing look in her eyes that was driving him wild.
“Depends.” She bit her lower lip while holding his gaze.
Had she applied for another job at DHS? For the past three months she’d strictly worked for the Knight Agency in AC as an analyst when needed, and he helped them out too, when needed. They were both semi-retired and enjoying life.
So, was she getting bored?
He cleared his throat. “Depends on what?”
“On whether you’re okay with being a daddy,” she said, the last part coming out a little soft as she seemed to hold her breath.
His breath was gone. It’d disappeared with his ability to think. “A dad?” He blinked when she nodded. “You’re pregnant?” She nodded again.
He was going to be a father...
A surge of happiness burst through him. “Hooyah!” He picked her up and twirled her around into a big hug. “Are you okay?” He halted and set her feet gently on the ground. “I didn’t make you sick, did I?”
She chuckled. “No, that’s around the corner, though.” A grimace wrinkled her face. “But, I’m sure you’ll be great at back rubs.”
“You already know I am.” He set his forehead to hers and ran his hands down her arms. “Are you okay with this? I know we’re not in our twenties, but I think we still have a lot to offer.”
“Absolutely.” She grabbed his hand and set his palm on her still flat belly. “You are going to make a wonderful father. This baby is already so very blessed.”
He was the one who blessed.
Blessed the day this mother of a SEAL walked into his life and loved a bonefrog bum like him.
***
If you enjoyed SEAL IN CHARGE, please consider leaving a review. Thank you.
The danger all started in Lisa’s story, Knight’s SEAL, and continues in Nikki’s story LOCKE and Load, Gina’s story, A Daye with a SEAL, Tarah’s story, Cowboy LAWE,
a connection to Kat’s story in, Elite Protector, a connection to Isabelle’s story in, Grinch Reaper, and a connection to Archer’s story in SEAL in Charge, with more stories, connected stories and crossovers to come in the
Dangerous Curves Series!
If you love Navy SEAL Romance, you can find twelve fresh, new books, by some of your favorite military and romantic suspense authors in the new 2019 multi author, Silver SEALs Series, by the Suspense Sisters. New books in the series release every three weeks.
The next release is on 4/30/19. Preorder, SEAL in a Storm, by KaLyn Cooper today. You can read the first chapter below.
Silver SEALs Series
1/15/19 SEAL Strong - Cat Johnson -Series Prequel
2/05/19 SEAL Love’s Legacy - Sharon Hamilton
2/26/19 SEAL Together - Maryann Jordan
3/19/19 SEAL of Fortune - Becky McGraw – *POSTPONED DUE TO ILLNESS*
4/09/19 SEAL in Charge - Donna Michaels
4/30/19 SEAL in a Storm - KaLyn Cooper
5/21/19 SEAL Forever - Kris Michaels
6/11/19 SEAL Out of Water - Abbie Zanders
6/25/19 Sign, SEAL and Deliver - Geri Foster
7/16/18 SEAL Hard - J.m. Madden
8/06/19 SEAL Undercover - Desiree Holt
8/27/19 SEAL for Hire - Trish Loye
9/17/19 SEAL at Sunrise - Caitlyn O'Leary
• Goodreads SILVER SEALS SERIES LINK https://www.goodreads.com/series/244226-silver-seals
If you’ve enjoyed reading SEAL in Charge by Donna Michaels, please consider reading the next book in the Silver SEALS series, SEAL in a Storm by KaLyn Cooper.
Enjoy Chapter 1 FREE!
SEAL in a Storm
Chapter 1
Dex Carson eased the throttle forward, taking his pride and joy slowly away from the dock. He glanced back at his pickup and boat trailer sitting in the parking lot with a dozen others.
It will be fine. Deep down he knew it was secure, but after twenty-two years active duty, most of them as a Navy SEAL, he had very little trust and confidence in his fellow man. Or woman, for that matter.
As soon as he cleared the marina, he shoved the stick forward, giving Reel Peace, his nearly new bass boat, lots of gas. The bow came up on plane and Dex adjusted the trim, so it rode smoothly over Smith Mountain Lake. The wind in his face was clean and crisp, so different from the naval ships he had been on so many times throughout his career. No matter where you went on an aircraft carrier, it smelled like hot asphalt or burning tires. On the destroyers and cruisers, he couldn’t take a deep breath without inhaling diesel fumes. Unless the submarine had recently surfaced, the recycled air smelled of cooking food, sweaty men, and stinky socks.
Personally, Dex had always preferred riding in the Zodiacs. He might be old-school, but those little boats could flat out run, and had saved his life more than once.
Nudging the stick forward another inch, he grinned as the powerful outboard motor growled, pushing his nineteen-foot bass boat faster through the sparkling fresh water.
As he zipped down the lake, he watched the muddy purple sky turn lilac before strands of pink pushed away the darkness to allow the golden rays of the sun to announce the day.
Shifting the map to orient himself, Dex hoped the extended conversation he had with the salty old Navy chief at the bait store would prove promising. Catching a couple three- or four-pound largemouth bass to freeze and take home with him would be wonderful, but fighting a forty-inch striped bass would definitely make his day. Hell, maybe his month. Who was he kidding? It could be a lifetime event.
He glanced down at the map before turning into a cove and pulled up on the throttle, idling the boat. He was sure this was the place the retired Senior Chief Petty Officer had indicated.
Dex flipped on his electronic fishfinder. Holy fuck, there were a lot of fish down there. His anticipation grew. After covering the cove in a grid pattern, he picked a spot and turned off the engine. Dropping the trolling motor over the gunwale, he tamped down his excitement. Everything felt right. The chill of the October morning, the quiet cove on the peaceful lake, the curve of the sun peeking above the mountains to the east, nothing but him and the fish in the water below his beautiful boat. This was how Dex had always envisioned his retirement.
Within minutes he was casting.
He sat down in the raised seat in the bow and let out a deep breath.
This was his little slice of heaven. His reward for serving his country. He could now do exactly what he wanted, when he wanted. There was no one who outranked him, ordering him on one more mission. Or worse, forcing him to order good young men to put their lives at risk. And damn it, they were all good, and too fucking young.
That was the great thing about working for Guardian Security. He got to pick and choose his assignments. The decision was his, and his alone. The Guardian E
lite men who went on those missions were all volunteers and well-seasoned operators. They too had the choice of go or no go.
Dex had loved coordinating the support for the mission in Venezuela last month. Alex Wolf, the owner of the company, had allowed him flexible hours out of the Miami Center rather than his usual office in DC. Every night, Dex would talk to Remi Steel as they figured out what was needed and by noon the next day, Dex would have it on its way to Caracas.
Then, he would take the afternoon off and spend a couple hours enjoying the company perks, such as their own personal indoor shooting range, a world-class gym, sparring arena, or chilling in the apartment assigned to him. Sometimes he’d just go to the beach and swim for hours in the warm Gulf Stream.
Several of the younger men, all former special operators, invited him to join them at the nightclubs. Loud pounding music, scantily clad girls young enough to be his daughters, and watered-down drinks, wasn’t Dex’s idea of a good time. Twenty years ago, he would’ve been right there with them, but at forty-four years old, he wasn’t looking for a quick fuck with some little girl with a daddy complex.
He wasn’t looking for a woman in any way, shape, or form. He’d been married, twice, and was not about to test the theory that third time was a charm.
Dex peered at the fishfinder, then cast toward the large fish meandering close to the shore.
He stared at the water and started to calculate the ages of Jan’s kids. They had to be ten and twelve years old. No. They were older than that.
He married her right out of college and dragged her to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. She was not happy to get packed up twelve weeks later and moved to San Diego for SEAL training where he was seldom home. Even though she had a bachelor’s degree in economics, it was impossible to find a job using her education. To make matters worse, there were very few officers in BUD/S and only a couple were married. She was alone much of the time and unhappy all the time. Dex didn’t need that kind of stress at home. He had plenty in SEAL training. They were divorced before he ever pinned on his Trident.
SEAL in Charge Page 18