The Reckless Warrior (Navy SEAL Romance)

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “Yep,” Delaney mumbled, her focus on the package. A sense of foreboding trickled over Delaney as she looked at it. She was about to say that she needed to get Corbin when Gina reached for it.

  “Look at you … all shy about a secret admirer.” She rumbled out a deviant chuckle. “I’ll open it. It’s probably the closest I’ll ever come to a secret admirer. Also, we’re running out of time. I’ll need at least thirty minutes to do your hair justice.”

  Delaney held her breath as Gina untied the bow. She lifted the lid, smiling. “It’s a rose,” she announced. Then her expression grew perplexed. “A black rose.” Her features tightened, her lips going down in a frown. “There’s a note, with red splotches on the edges.”

  Red splotches of blood. Somehow Delaney managed to speak. “What does it say?”

  Gina’s voice trembled. “Blood always remembers.”

  At the sound of Delaney’s shrill cry, Corbin sprang from his seat and ran full speed into the room. His hand went to his Glock as he scoured the room. “What’s wrong?”

  Terror ringed Delaney’s eyes as she pointed to the box on the bed. The hairstylist was standing beside Delaney shaking her head back and forth. She also looked petrified.

  Corbin’s pulse raced as he peered into the box. A single black rose.

  The stylist pointed to the square of white paper on the bed. Corbin only had to glance to discern the blood splatters. He read the note, then looked at Delaney.

  “Where did this come from?” He’d done a sweep of the dressing room before Delaney entered.

  “Someone gave it to Gina on her way into the mansion.”

  “A delivery man,” Gina added.

  “Why didn’t you come and get me?” He glared at Delaney, not trying to hide the frustration in his voice.

  “I was going to—”

  “But I grabbed it and opened it,” Gina finished. She spread her hands. “I had no idea what was inside. I assumed it was from a secret admirer.” Her voice dribbled off to silence.

  The thought of what could’ve happened rolled over Corbin like a semi-truck. “This could’ve been a bomb!” He raked a hand through his hair, exhaling loudly. He’d been sitting outside the door, assuming everything was fine. Then the stylist waltzed in with a package. He looked at the middle-aged, heavy-set woman with the ruddy complexion. She seemed harmless enough, but one could never be sure.

  Delaney’s face drained as she bit down on her lower lip. “I’m sorry. Everything happened so fast.”

  “Who was the delivery man?” Corbin demanded.

  Gina drew back. “I—I don’t know.”

  “What did he look like?”

  “Muscular … young … closely-cropped, brown hair.”

  “What was he wearing?”

  “Gray delivery clothes.”

  “Anything else you can tell me?”

  Gina looked at the door like she wanted to dart out of it. “Um, he had a tattoo on his wrist.”

  “What kind?”

  “Some type of line.” She hugged her arms, looking at Delaney as an explanation gushed out. “I was in a hurry and didn’t pay much attention.”

  He glared at the woman. Her lower lip trembled like she might break into tears, but he wasn’t about to cut her any slack. Not if it meant putting Delaney at risk. He surveyed Delaney. “How well do you know her?”

  Delaney’s eyes bugged. “Gina?”

  “Yes.”

  “Very well.” Delaney flashed Gina an apologetic look as she touched the woman’s arm. “She didn’t have anything to do with this, Corbin.”

  “You’re darn tootin’ I didn’t,” Gina retorted, her face going red. She rolled her eyes. “I appreciate him wanting to keep you safe, but Captain America needs to take it down a notch.”

  Corbin made a face. “What?” When Delaney’s cheeks turned pink, he realized they’d been discussing him. He didn’t know if he should be flattered or insulted. At any rate, they had more pressing matters to deal with right now.

  Delaney started trembling, tears pooling in her eyes. “He’s coming for me.”

  A wild look came into Gina’s eyes. “Who?”

  “Tuck’s brother Hugh. He said if Tuck died,” her voice choked, “he’d kill me.” Hysteria coated Delaney’s voice, and Corbin could tell she was on the verge of losing it.

  Gina’s jaw dropped, fear creeping into her eyes. “What’s going on here?”

  Corbin wasn’t about to explain himself to this woman. “Could you please step outside? I need to talk to Delaney alone.”

  Gina turned to Delaney. “Really? He’s ordering me out? I don’t want to leave you alone with him.” She glared at Corbin.

  “It’s okay.” Delaney flashed a wan smile. “Really.”

  Gina straightened her shoulders, giving Corbin a look that said, Go jump in a lake. “I’ll be right outside,” she clipped as she marched out, closing the door behind her.

  “Are you all right?” Corbin asked, going to Delaney’s side.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. A self-deprecating laugh crackled through her throat as she swiped her tears with her palms. “I don’t know.” The haunted look in her eyes cut Corbin to the quick. “Do you think Hugh’s here?” she asked hoarsely.

  He let out a breath. “It’s a possibility.” He sat down on the edge of the bed facing her. He leaned forward so they’d be eye-to-eye. “We knew this could happen, which is why we requested extra security.”

  She nodded, biting down on her lower lip. “You’re right,” she finally said. “I knew this was coming.” Her voice caught. “But the rose … and the note … it makes it a thousand times worse.” She clenched her hands, her lips vanishing into a tight line.

  Corbin wanted to gather Delaney in his arms and whisk her away from the danger. “You don’t have to go through with the concert tonight.” He saw her hesitation, could tell she wanted to flee. But then she tightened her jaw. “No, I’m done running. Cancelling this show wouldn’t bode well for my reputation.” Her voice gathered confidence as she continued. “I’m doing the show.”

  “You sure?” While he applauded her courage, he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Protecting her while she was on stage in front of hundreds of people wouldn’t be easy. His mind ran through the protocols which were in place. Senator Fleming had his own security team, and they were supposedly checking the credentials of every guest prior to entry. Also, Sutton’s guys were here, along with Anton. Still, there was a large margin for error. There would be no way to guarantee Delaney’s safety. She seemed to be reading his thoughts.

  “It’s okay. I know the risks.”

  He searched her face. “You sure?”

  She lifted her chin. “Yes.”

  He touched her arm. “I promise, I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

  A strained smile stretched over her lips. “For better or worse, huh?”

  “For better or worse,” he repeated.

  9

  Corbin positioned himself off to the side of the stage, near the front of the ballroom. It was hard to concentrate on keeping Delaney safe when she was so dang intoxicating—fire and dynamite. Her voice had a rich, full sound with a hint of the huskiness he found so alluring. The lyrics flowed out of her effortlessly as she leaned into the microphone stand to sing. It wasn’t just that she had an incredible voice, but also a compelling presence that captured the attention of everyone present. She was gorgeous, her long blonde hair shimmering against the lights. Her outfit accentuated her curves as she swayed to the music. Every time she leaned her head back, he caught a glimpse of her dangling earrings. He let his gaze linger on her shapely legs and fire-engine red, cowboy boots. Finally, he pulled his eyes away from her and back to the crowd. No wonder Delaney was on the cusp of stardom. No one could resist her.

  His eyes moved over the guests, mostly high-class, smooth-talking politician types with beautiful women adorning their arms like trophies. Senator Fleming and his wife were seated in the cen
ter of the front row. Corbin recognized at least two security personnel sitting nearby, dressed in tuxedos to blend in with the guests.

  At least, most everyone was seated. It made it easier to keep track of people. A wait staff dressed in black and white uniforms threaded through the rows, serving drinks and appetizers. Delaney would perform for thirty minutes, then end with Happy Birthday, at which time an enormous cake lit with sparklers would be wheeled out.

  Corbin spotted Milo, Delaney’s manager, three rows back. Milo caught his gaze and offered a slight nod. The man was understandably tense. They’d spoken earlier outside Delaney’s door. Milo expressed his appreciation and relief that Sutton had agreed to represent Delaney. Then he questioned if Corbin could really keep Delaney safe here tonight. Corbin had answered honestly that he’d do his best, but couldn’t guarantee anything. There were too many aspects beyond his control. Then again, no matter how thoroughly you planned for a situation or how skilled you were, things could always go wrong. He knew that better than anyone.

  No group was more prepared than SEAL Team 7 to go into that Filipino village to rescue the diplomat and his family. And yet, they didn’t count on one of their informants betraying them. By the time they realized it was an ambush, it was too late. And Doug was killed.

  Goosebumps prickled over Corbin’s skin. Would that happen here? Would Hugh Allen get to Delaney? He squared his jaw, pushing aside the fears, knowing they weren’t helping. The only way he could keep Delaney safe was to remain vigilant. He scoped the crowd with a practiced eye, glancing across the room at Anton, who was doing the same. Corbin picked out the security team, sitting in strategic locations around the room. Security had checked the I.D.s of every guest in attendance. Everything should be fine.

  And yet, it didn’t feel fine. The air reeked of impending doom. Something was about to happen. Corbin could feel it.

  Funny that with all these people here Delaney would be so tuned in to Corbin. His jaw was stone, his eyes perpetually scanning the crowd. He exuded such a magnetic energy that she was surprised all eyes in the room weren’t drawn to him instead of her. No wonder she’d noticed him last night at the party. He was a walking poster in jeans, a white-collar shirt, and dark gray sports coat. Corbin Spencer was the kind of guy who could step on heads and make things happen. She could tell he took his job seriously and felt safer with him here. She jerked when she fumbled slightly over the last few lines of her song. Time to shift her focus from Corbin to the performance.

  She flashed a bright smile taking hold of the microphone. “How y’all doing tonight, folks?” she boomed.

  The crowd roared in response. Normally, she felt invigorated when she was performing, plugged into the energy of the crowd. But tonight, she was too tense to completely lose herself.

  Keep the energy going, Delaney. “This next one’s a favorite. It’s called Blue Skies and Rolling Hills, written about my home state Alabama, the beautiful.” Applause sounded throughout the room. She reached for her guitar leaning close by, then placed the strap over her shoulder. She’d done a few fast songs. This was slower, allowing her a chance to catch her breath. After this, she’d do one more fast song, then sing Happy Birthday. It was almost over. She just had to soldier on to the finish line.

  The song about Alabama evoked a twinge of nostalgia, reminding Corbin of the fondness he felt for Colorado. Especially Birchwood Springs where he’d grown up. He thought of his grandfather Wallace, the most stubborn man on the planet. His heart clutched as he thought of his beloved grandmother Lou Ella who was in a care center being treated for Alzheimer’s. She’d been more of a mother than grandmother to Corbin, and it tore him up inside that she didn’t recognize anyone, didn’t even know her own identity. She was a prisoner inside her own mind.

  His thoughts went to his sister Adelaide, or Addie. Two years younger, Addie was feisty, outspoken and mad as a trapped wasp that he’d left Birchwood Springs. Addie somewhat forgave him for joining the Navy. But when he left again, only a few weeks after retiring from the SEALs, Addie went on a rampage, accusing him of deserting the family and leaving her holding the bag to look after their grandparents. Addie was right. He should’ve stayed, but he couldn’t stand being back there—not with Gram in a care center and his conscience railing about all the things he should’ve done differently. He had to get away, lose himself in the commotion of a bigger city. Unfortunately, there was no place far enough or big enough to escape from himself.

  Working for Sutton gave him a new lease on life. And the fact that he was intensely attracted to Delaney added another layer. Whether that layer was good or bad he didn’t know. At any rate, Corbin had a second chance to prove he wasn’t a total screw-up, and he was going to do his best to step up to the task.

  He looked at Anton whose eyes were fixed on a female server a few rows back. Something about the woman was off. What was it? He took an assessment. She seemed tense like she was about to spring into action. An older man waved to get the server’s attention, but she ignored him, keeping her gaze trained on Delaney. Anton must’ve noticed it too, which is why he was watching her so intently

  Alarm bells trilled through Corbin. He turned his head and spoke into the tiny microphone on his coat collar, which patched him into the network of security guards. “Female server in the center, three rows back,” was all he had time to say before the woman tossed aside the tray to reveal a gun.

  Corbin acted reflexively, drawing his pistol and firing. Before joining the SEALs, Corbin had been a good marksman, but with the added training, he rarely missed. The bullet hit the woman square in the chest. The force jerked her back as she let out a strangled cry, her hand going to her chest, a circle of blood spilling out from the wound. It raced through Corbin’s mind that the woman had gotten off a shot before she went down. He looked at the stage, relieved to see that Delaney was okay. Murmurs rustled through the group as people scattered like frightened sheep. The senator’s security detail surrounded him and his wife, huddling them out of the room.

  Corbin heard another shot. Delaney went to the floor. His heart dropped. Had she been shot or was she taking cover? This shot was fired from a male server in the back. Before the man could shoot again, Anton fired, but missed. Another security guard shot, dropping the man to his knees. Amidst the chaos of the frantic guests, several members of Sutton’s security team moved in to apprehend the shooters. Corbin pushed his way to the stage, his only thought to get to Delaney.

  It took him less than a minute to reach her, but it felt like an eternity. He was relieved that she hadn’t been hit. He helped her up, and pushed her behind him, using his body as a shield. “We’ll exit through the back,” he said gruffly. “Stay back,” he ordered the band members. They looked puzzled that Corbin was treating them with suspicion, but nodded, stepping back.

  When they got off the stage, he took her hand. “Let’s go.” They ran for the back exit where the SUV was parked. All the while, Corbin looked around them, ready to fire should anyone attack.

  They’d gone through the plan beforehand. In the event of an incident, Corbin would get to Delaney and they would go out through the kitchen while Anton got the SUV. There were a handful of female servers in the kitchen. When they realized Corbin had a gun, they held up their hands and backed away, faces chalky. “Over there,” Corbin ordered, using the gun to motion to the corner. These women didn’t look threatening, but he couldn’t be sure they weren’t in collusion with the other servers. “Keep your hands up,” he barked.

  When they reached the back door, Delaney was about to push it open and run through, but Corbin caught her collar, pulling her back. “Not yet.” For all they knew, the shooters could’ve been a distraction to send them fleeing out the back into an ambush.

  “Do you think Hugh’s out there?” The naked fear in her deep brown eyes ignited a fury in Corbin that burned acid through his veins. Everything in him wanted to come face-to-face with Hugh Allen so he could pummel the monster, then bury him. He suck
ed in a breath, trying to control the anger. He didn’t want to lose his head and have a repeat of what happened the night Doug was killed. He had to remain cool, alert. He eased open the door and peered out, noting two things simultaneously. The rain had stopped and the SUV was parked just outside.

  “Anton, are you there?” He held his breath, waiting for a response, his mind going through alternate options. Senator Fleming and his wife had been taken to his study, at least that had been the plan. If all else failed, he could take Delaney there until more help arrived.

  “I’m here,” Anton said.

  Relief washed over him. They just had to make it to the SUV, a few steps away. “I’ve got Delaney. Is the coast clear?”

  “Yeah, man, from what I can tell.”

  “Are you sure? You’ve got to be right about this. Look around the area. Is there anyone out there?”

  “I don’t see anybody. It’s clear.”

  Corbin wished again for his former SEAL team members. If they assured him the coast was clear, he could bank on it. “Okay.” He’d go with Anton’s assessment and pray it was correct. He locked gazes with Delaney whose face was rigid. “You all right?”

  She nodded, her lips vanishing into a thin line. His heart bled a little when he saw her clenched fists. She was petrified, but she was a fighter.

  “The SUV’s right outside. Anton’s waiting for us. I’ll cover you. Just stay next to me. Be careful though. I’m sure the pavement’s slick.”

  They made it only a couple of steps before a bullet whizzed by Corbin’s right ear. “Get down,” he yelled, pushing Delaney to the ground. The shot had been fired from across the yard. He crouched down beside Delaney, then saw the shooter partially hidden behind a tree. He aimed and fired a single shot. “Gotcha,” he muttered as the man went down. He looked around. There were more of them out there. He spotted one at two o’clock. Another at four o’clock. He fired. Shots came from behind them. He glanced back over his shoulder. Sutton’s security guards were returning fire. They had to move now while the snipers were distracted. “Let’s go!” They sprinted to the SUV. Corbin yanked open the door and pushed Delaney forward, diving in behind her. “Go!” he yelled as Anton stepped on the gas. The tires squealed, bullets pinging the windows, as they drove off. Corbin had never been so grateful for bullet-proof glass. He made a mental note to thank Sutton for the SUV.