J.J. agreed with the request.
They spent the rest of the day working out details and making lists of things they’d be submitting to Lambert. J.J. was going home to spend one last night with the family. If the apartment wasn’t forthcoming, he’d bunk with Morgan temporarily.
But right away, there was going to be one major fork in the road. That concerned Halley’s help. Morgan thought it was a toss-up whether or not she’d agree to cooperate. She was wicked smart, he admitted, but she didn’t always take the smart path. So it was incumbent on him to speak with her in the only way he knew how to: honestly and without any sugarcoating.
Morgan felt like the old days, when he’d be preparing with his Teammates for some mission. They didn’t have the time to rehearse every scenario, and they were without the rest of the squad they usually used, a twelve-man unit, but it was still thrilling to be in the fight once again. His government was counting on him. J.J. would be counting on him. Halley would be counting on him.
He worried for Halley’s safety, but he worried more for what her reaction would be when she saw him for the first time in nearly ten years. He was determined to complete the mission successfully, no matter what she said or did. He knew he could handle anything she could dish out.
Chapter 8
Crystal Cortez reported for work on Monday morning at eight. Halley was already at her desk. She brought in a large bouquet of red roses that had been left outside the second gate. Halley was shocked.
The long-stemmed beauties had a note attached. Halley’s fingers fumbled with the little envelope until she pulled out the card. Crystal set the bouquet on her desk and waited for further instruction.
Thank you for yesterday. -Gibril.
“I think I know who those are from, unless you’ve picked up another admirer,” teased Crystal.
“You’d be right.”
“He’s such a gentleman, and he’s not difficult to look at, either.”
Halley sighed and sat back down at her desk. “I think we should put these in the living room on the coffee table. Add some water, too. I’ve got so much paperwork here, I’m afraid I’ll upend them.”
“You got it, boss.” Crystal removed the lovely roses and came back seconds later. “I got your numbers this morning online. I need to confirm it with the staff at the Grand Fordham when they open, but I think we’re sold out! Congratulations!”
“Seriously? We’ve got two thousand four hundred ticket sales?”
“That many entries at least. Assuming all their credit cards go through. The Fordham staff said that nearly thirty percent of the sales for these things happen the last two to three days of the event, so you’re way ahead of the game. I think, at this rate, you’ll be wanting to do another Hero Summit in Hawaii later in the year next year.”
“Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
The two women had a brief meeting. Halley asked her to get the link to the television interview from the Santa Monica station. They went down their list of things for the Summit event in three weeks. Halley still had to redo some of her material from last year’s event and she crossed out two days this week for her total emersion into those notes.
There was a buzz at the front gate, and Crystal went to go answer it. Visitors rarely dropped by unannounced, so Halley was curious. She checked her phone and hadn’t gotten a message from Gibril, so she texted him, bending her rules somewhat. The roses were beautiful, after all, and the perfect way to start her work week.
The roses are stunning. You shouldn’t have.
Gibril answered back immediately. As stunning as you are. I love your honesty. Just wanted you to know I’m still here.
Halley was pleased Gibril had taken her comments yesterday so well. They’d cut short their little romantic picnic, and it was an awkward drive home, but she realized it would be better to talk about it later, after they both had had time to think. Otherwise, she could find herself saying things she might regret. But standing her ground and letting him know where she was about the whole marriage and children scenario was important. If they ever could develop into something longer-lasting, it had to be based on trust and truth.
The roses were a nice way of telling her she was still valued. Indeed, he’d said as much when they parted. This underscored it.
Halley answered him back. You know how I love to be spoiled. Thank you for cheering up my Monday. I, too, enjoyed our talk. I’m glad my—“ She erased the last part, because it would have been a lie to say she worried he’d take it the wrong way. She replaced that phrase with, Nice that our friendship can withstand honest talk.
Indeed. I’ll call you later tonight?
Sure.
Crystal entered the office looking perplexed. “You aren’t going to believe this, but your ex-husband is at the gate wanting to talk to you. Did you know about this?”
“Of course not!” Halley’s pulse soared, and she felt her chest go blotchy with a genuine flush. All of a sudden, she couldn’t think straight. She stood. Then she sat. Then she looked up to Crystal and asked, “What does he want?”
Crystal shrugged. “He just says he has some important things to discuss with you. He said it was personal. Sorry.”
Halley tried to recall if he’d left her an email or message stating he needed to get together, but came up blank. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him, of course, but it was so unexpected, clear out of the blue after over ten years, that she didn’t know how to trust it.
“Let’s buzz him in. I don’t think he’s been here before, so be sure to give him instructions to the second gate.”
“You got it.”
Halley found herself dashing to the bathroom to check on her appearance. She was casual when she worked from home, wearing a warm cashmere sweater and some wool slacks. Thank God today wasn’t one of those where she worked in her sweats all day. She combed her hair and applied more lip gloss.
She removed her wool slippers and replaced them with her heels, tucked discretely under her desk. Then she walked to the foyer to await his entrance.
She saw the massive shadow cross the stained glass side panels of her front door before she heard the knock. Crystal had retired to the office and closed the door to give them privacy, so now Halley found herself gripping the antique brass door handle as if it was keeping her on her feet. Suddenly, she was standing in front of Morgan’s warrior body. His shoulders were even bigger than when they’d been married, and his waist was narrower. He was in the best shape of his life. His bright blue eyes saw right through the cool façade she was desperately trying to display.
It was when he looked her body down and then back up very slowly without expression that got to her. She felt naked and began to shake. That old familiar tingle traveled down her spine, the little needles extending up the back of her neck, making the skin super tender there. She inhaled, held her stomach in, and greeted him.
“Welcome, Morgan. I don’t think you’ve been here before.”
She stepped aside, giving him a wide berth to enter. Closing the oak door behind him, Halley placed both hands on the grained wood and turned, her back smashed against the oak, bracing for what he’d say next.
“No. This is nice. You’ve done well, Halley. Very impressive.” Morgan was once again examining her white cashmere sweater and she suspected he’d grown a hard-on, because that always happened when he was excited about something. She was not going to allow herself to check, no matter how curious she was.
Her business persona showed up just in time to rescue her unexpected jitters. “Can I offer you something? Water, coffee, or tea?”
“You drink coffee?”
She smiled. “I still have a cup or two every morning. The one habit I couldn’t shake.”
His eyes roamed over the fuzzy sweater again, and then he adjusted quickly, all business. “I’ll have coffee. Cream if you have it.”
“I have half and half.”
“Perfect.”
He followed her into the kitchen, exam
ining the cabinet detail and admiring the tall ceilings and granite countertops.
Halley brewed them both a specialty grind she imported from Hawaii, stopping by the refrigerator to put a teaspoon of cream in her own cup and a tablespoon in Morgan’s. “I think I got it right, but you let me know,” she said as she handed him the mug. “Now, what’s this all about? Should we sit at the table or would you prefer the living room?”
He opted for the living room, settling behind the bouquet of roses so she took the loveseat to his right. She placed two coasters beside him so they could both share the little side table in the corner.
“First, I have to tell you this isn’t a social call. I really should have been in touch over the years, but, well, things were so nasty, I decided to just let us both retire permanently to our corners. But I have come across some information I think you need to know about.” He squirmed, leaning forward, his mug balanced between his scarred and thick fingers. He was the only person she knew who could make a huge Coffee Company mug look small.
Halley soon noticed he appeared uncomfortable in a pair of slacks and a button-down long sleeved shirt, instead of the canvas slip-ons and cargo pants with some politically irreverent tee shirt he was used to. The collar was open, revealing a clean white tee shirt beneath. The button-down was freshly laundered, perhaps new, but the pants weren’t. And he’d made a point of polishing a pair of brown shoes he owned when they were married.
Morgan never wore aftershave, but his manscent was pleasant and easy to inhale.
“Go ahead, Morgan. I’m not a China doll. I can take whatever you have to tell me.”
He took another sip from his coffee, carefully placed it on the coaster provided, and asked, “Can your friend hear us? I have to be sure this conversation is private.”
She stared at the closed office door. “She wouldn’t—”
“Then turn on some music, something in the background so she can’t. You have any listening devices in here?”
Halley was shocked. Wrinkling up her nose, she answered him, “No! Most certainly not!”
He was composed, drew more coffee from the steaming cup, and waited until she had turned on her satellite radio to a New Age station and returned to the love seat.
Morgan looked her straight in the eyes. “Halley, you’re in danger. Grave danger. I know you want the straight truth, so I’m going to give it to you without embellishment. We’ve uncovered a terrorist plot against you, and we think it’s going to happen at your Success Summit in a couple of weeks.”
Halley blinked nearly a dozen times before Morgan’s words sunk in.
“Terrorist plot? How did you find out about this?”
“I’ve been tasked to work on this, to give you protection. What we actually want to do is catch these guys, but we mainly want to stop the tragedy from happening.”
“I didn’t know you were still in the Navy. I thought—”
“I’m doing something different. This is a one-project thing. You remember Jay Johnson? Former Teammate? We’re working on this together.”
“But how did they find out—who is in charge of this-this investigation?” She was having trouble grasping why anyone would want to sabotage her event, attack women who were trying to improve their lives.
“Now that they’ve lost their caliphate, they are turning up the heat on their assets here in the U.S. They’re looking for ways to make a big, showy statement. Like 9/11.”
Halley saw in his eyes the hurt and pain she’d never seen before. “You mean Al-Queda? Is that who you’re speaking of? And, Morgan, do you have proof of this?”
“Yes, and I’m afraid we do.”
“Show me.”
“Well, hon—” He stopped himself, and she saw the brief shade of red that covered his face and then was gone in a flash. “Halley, I didn’t bring all that with me, but I can arrange to show you in a safe place. What we’re doing is strictly top secret, and to be effective, it has to remain that way. That’s why we need your support, your agreement to cooperate fully with our team. I know it’s damn awkward, me just showing up out of the blue, but this thing’s for real, Halley. If you can, I’d like you to trust me.”
He looked uncomfortable, all dressed up, and she knew it was for her benefit. The awkwardness of the polite chit-chat, white furniture, and the big bouquet of roses that were hard to miss were truly things outside his comfort zone. There was a sadness about him. The bravado and edge to his personality he had when he was on the Teams, that stubborn automatic-fire anger that she hated was not evident today. She knew enough about him to understand, though, all those things were still there, just under the surface. His calmness didn’t fool her one bit. She wasn’t sure she could trust him at all.
She’d been studying him rubbing his big, callused hands together nervously, fiddling with his socks, and adjusting his shoes like they were just as uncomfortable as he was sitting in her living room. Then he looked up at her, and for just a second, there was no filter to his blue eyes. A part of him was permanently damaged. At the same time, Halley understood full well she was not the healer. She was not what he needed.
But he wanted to defend something. Right now, that something was her.
“I never expected to have a calm conversation with you again. I was so filled with rage—” she began.
“Why do you think I stayed away all those years?” This time, Morgan didn’t allow his eyes to wander down her chest.
“I’m not saying I’m willing to have my life overturned by some witch hunt, and likewise, I don’t want to play a part in a disaster movie. I did all the screaming I wanted to when we were married.”
His crooked grin was very attractive and, for a second, caught her off guard.
“I did watch one of your movies. I have to be honest with you, Halley. The movie was terrible, but your scream was very realistic, and I should know.”
She flinched at first with his backhanded compliment, but quickly got hold of herself, as it was something everyone agreed on.
“Whomever got you to the theater, I supposed you punished them severely?”
He rolled his shoulders. “I was drunk.”
There it was, the excuse he always clung to. She used to think his drinking was to make her mad, but after studying more about alcoholism, she understood the addictive nature of it and that it had started from him dosing himself to oblivion so he could forget some of the aspects of his job. She wondered if that still worked for him, because it hadn’t worked back then.
“Are you saying that this threat, if you can demonstrate it’s real, might require that I cancel my Success Summit?”
“It’s a possibility. If all else fails and we can’t stop it any other way, then that would be our only option. We can’t let the attack happen, regardless of whether or not you feel the threat is real enough. We can’t have your innocent worshipers caught in the middle of something we could stop from occurring.”
Halley reared back and felt her stomach rumble. Her jaw set tight. Her reaction to the look in his eyes when he said “worshipers” was a small measure of that sarcastic asshole she’d had enough of. It didn’t take him long before he showed her.
“That’s offensive. I don’t have worshipers any more than you did with your bimbos at the bars in Coronado.”
“Those weren’t worshipers. You’re right. They were Frog Hogs. But I wouldn’t want to see any innocent loss of life—”
“And if I didn’t agree, you’d shut the event down? That could ruin me. I’m going to need more than a hunch. Or are you going to go all commando and interfere with my life like the wrecking ball you were ten years ago? I mean, do I even have a choice?”
She knew she’d hit a nerve when Morgan stood, his hands made into fists. “I can’t believe you’d want to even consider giving these terrorists a chance to make that kind of a statement. And under the guise of a financial loss? Do you even care for any of those people? Don’t you feel responsible, that you could keep them safe? Wouldn�
��t that in itself be worth it?”
The veins at the side of his neck stuck out, and his nostrils flared. He was getting dangerous. Halley carefully stood, hating the feeling he was more powerful physically and that he’d always be so. If he wanted to hurt her, he could. Trust? Was he asking her to trust him? With this kind of display?
“I think you should go.”
Morgan walked around the coffee table, accidentally hitting his lower leg on the corner. Water spilled from the wide-mouth vase the roses were housed in. The container wobbled back and forth a few times, but settled without tipping over. For a second, it had stopped his forward movement. Then he resumed his beeline path to the front door.
He put his hand on the brass fixture and turned. “Just out of curiosity, if J.J. had had this little talk with you, would it have made any difference?”
“No a speck.”
“I thought so.” He opened the door and began to step outside.
“Morgan,” she called out, not sure he could hear her.
He faced her again, leaving the doorway clear for a speedy exit.
“I know it took a lot to come here today. I am not questioning your motives. Please understand those are not the issue. But I’m wondering if you’re the right person to handle this scenario, this news of death and destruction. Perhaps there’s too much history between us and it could fog everything, affect those important decisions.”
Morgan’s smirk showed how much pain he was in. Tilting his body so that his weight came over to one hip, probably his good one, he asked her something that she’d think about all night long. “Do you honestly think I’d ever let anything hurt you if I was alive to stop it? Do you think anyone else—your rich boyfriend or your helpers—would do the same for you?”
Just before he closed the door behind him, Morgan added, “I’ll have Jay Johnson call you later on. Until then, please don’t discuss any of this with anyone else or it will complicate the situation. And, Halley, if you absolutely never want to see me again, I can make that happen. Not to worry.”
Bachelor SEAL (Sleeper SEALs Book 5) Page 7