Protector: A Navy SEAL Romantic Suspense (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 15)

by Flora Ferrari

  The first afternoon was light. We didn’t get far from the drop point, but that was okay. We set up our tent by the stream and watched deer come down for a drink. It was relaxing to watch nature work her wonders as we just enjoyed it all as silent observers.

  At the warmest point of the afternoon I suggested we skinny dip.

  “It’s like we’re teenagers.”

  “I know, doesn’t it feel great?”

  “It feels more than great. It feels amazing.”

  “So you accept?”

  “I’d love to.”

  I was out of my shorts and T-shirt in about one second flat. I looked over at Kate and she was laughing.

  “Somebody in a hurry?”

  “No stall tactics, young lady!”

  “I’m not stalling. Believe me.”

  She slowly lifted her shirt over her head. She stopped and lowered it partly back down so she could see through the neck hole. She looked at me and smiled, sticking out her tongue for added emphasis.

  “Are you teasing me?”

  “Moi? Never. OK, maybe just a little, little, little bit.”

  “I think the U.S. government would classify this as torture.”

  Kate looked at my groin area. “Well I can see that’s how you seem to be interpreting it.”

  “No more playing around, missy.” I ran to the bank after Kate. She put up a pretend struggle to get away. We both laughed. I ripped off her clothes, literally, and walked into the river.

  “Don’t throw me in! It’s cold.”

  “It’s not cold. Ready?”

  “No!”

  “One…two…three!”

  I carefully shot her up and over my back into the refreshing stream. She emerged about three seconds later. “Oh my gosh. This feels so wonderful.”

  “You know what else feels wonderful,” I teased.

  She looked at me sideways, “Hmmm, what would that be?”

  “You.”

  I pulled her in close and stared into her eyes. I pushed away her wet hair with my right hand and kissed her lips. Our bodies pressed together in the stream. Our faces pressed together in the warm, summer air. It was as perfect a moment as I had ever experienced in my life. I only knew one way to make it better.

  “I hear this steam used to have precious gemstones.”

  “Really, I didn’t know that.”

  “Yeah, it’s true. We can try and look for some. The water’s clear so we can take a look.”

  “Maybe we should take a look a little later? After we finish what we…ummm…started?”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to forget.”

  “First one to find a gem stone wins.”

  “And what do they win?”

  “They get to do whatever they want to the other.”

  “Whatever?”

  “Whatever.”

  Kate pushed my head underwater playfully and then dove down herself to look.

  I dove down under the water and pretended to look as well. We both came up out of breath. We kissed.

  “Did you find anything, sweetheart?”

  “Nothing yet? You?”

  “Just this.”

  I lifted my hands from the water and held them together in front of Kate.

  “Oh my. Oh my, Jax. I can’t breathe!”

  Kate began crying and jumped into my arms. I closed my fist quickly and caught her.

  “Oh sorry. I’m so excited I’m losing my mind. Did you drop it?”

  “Never.”

  I returned Kate to her feet.

  “Kate, my best friend, my lover, my life. Will you do me the honor making me the happiest man to ever walk the face of this earth? Will you marry me?”

  “Yes! Yes a thousand times! Yes a million times! Yes a thousand million times!”

  I slid the three-carat ring onto her finger.

  “It’s perfect. It’s beautiful. It’s so big I’m going to always be thinking about it. And you. Us.”

  “Perfect thoughts to have.”

  We kissed under the afternoon sun. Still naked. Still in the stream. Still and forever in love.

  “Where did you get such a ring?”

  “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

  “It’s incredible. Thank you. It has such a sparkle”

  “Just like you. The sparkle in your smile. The sparkle you put in my eye.”

  “Awww, Jax. That’s so sweet.”

  Kate hugged me as tight as she ever had. Then we kissed and picked up where we left off. I never knew romance underwater could feel so amazing. I guess you never know what to believe until you put a little trust in the process, and in others.

  We spent the rest of the vacation nude. It became our running joke. First one that puts on clothes becomes the sex slave.

  “Wait a minute. If I put on my clothes and I lose then I become your sex slave, right?”

  “Yes. Exactly.”

  “And the first thing you would order me to do would be…”

  “To remove your clothes.”

  We laughed and embraced. I loved the freedom and the naturalness of being nude with Kate. Of course I also loved admiring her beautiful, feminine curves. Even the mosquitos couldn’t ruin my view. We would just retire early to the camp for what we started calling Bite Night. Instead of the mosquitos biting us, we much preferred to nibble each other, and kiss, and cuddle, and remain joined at the hip. I was glad I invested in the heavy duty tent with all the rolling around we were doing.

  CHAPTER 22

  A fter our romantic getaway we returned home. We were still riding the high from such a perfect weekend together and being engaged. The city was still buzzing in excitement about our story. We were mini celebrities everywhere we went. Some people even came up and told us they felt safer now, knowing that there were two SEALs and an FBI agent in our town.

  Things were never better between Kate and I. We were in love. Everyone could see it. Kate told me that people were coming up to her and telling her she had that special sparkle in her eye. That sparkle of a girl in love. My friends teased me about zoning out all the time. It was true. I was thinking of Kate, constantly. My memory was coming back slowly, but surely as well. My mind alternated between Kate and retracing my steps. Putting the puzzle pieces together. Unfortunately some of those questions took me back to my trust issues with women. I had some serious questions I needed answered.

  I asked Cole to take the kids to a movie, to which he happily accepted. It was funny seeing how well Cole took to kids, and how well they seemed to enjoy spending time with him. I think that gym really gave him a big sense of purpose. Not only in his life, but in the lives of those kids.

  While Cole was out with the kids I took Kate for a walk. It was a beautiful evening, but I almost thought we might have to cancel. Kate had been waking up feeling a little ill the past few days. I though she might have come down with something. Jasmine and Jerry had a lot of friends coming in and out of the house so it would be easy to pick up something.

  We walked along the river just outside of town. The sun would be setting soon. It was beautiful. Kate was beautiful. Our life together was beautiful, except for those nagging questions.

  “Kate, we’ve really come a long way.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “I’m ready to take our journey to the next step, but every time I’m ready to do that something pulls me back.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “There are some questions I have that just don’t make sense. I don’t want to sound like I’m attacking you, or interrogating you, but as my memory has started to come back I’m remembering things, and I can’t for the life of me understand why they happened. I just can’t get things to line up.”

  “I’ve noticed something was bothering you lately. It seemed like you’d drift off, but you always came back quickly and with smile. I thought maybe you were having flashbacks.”

  “I’m having those too. It’s kind of like the first time
, shoot I guess every time, you’re in combat. Once the combat is over you mind still takes you back later, whether in your sleep, or daydreams, or some other way. It’s just so intense that it’s hard to let go. Sometimes you keep certain thoughts with you forever.”

  “I can imagine.”

  I squeezed Kate’s hand harder and looked in her eyes. The sun was setting behind her. It was beautiful. Her brown hair had a very distinct amberish or orangish tint in this light. It was the definition of romance. I wanted to marry her at that instant. At that moment. Just the two of us along that stream, promising to be together forever. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

  “I have to ask you something.”

  “Jax, by all means. I want a totally open and transparent line of communication. No secrets, no regrets, no doubts.”

  We continued walking. I looked ahead on the path and saw a fork. If ever there was an appropriate metaphor. I felt my body tense. I had goose bumps. I felt Kate’s answer would determine which fork we took. The right one, or the one that takes you to a dark place. A place you wish you never had to see. It seems like such a small decision at the time, but it is anything but. Just like this moment with Kate. It could define our relationship, or possibly end it right there, on the bank of that beautiful stream at sunset. Picture perfect or the broken glass and twisted frame which had held the photographic evidence of that once picture perfect relationship.

  “You called me to tell me Jerry had been kidnapped. At that moment you were close to the Target store. That’s right?”

  “Yes, of course. I was terrified.”

  “I told you to go to the Target and I’d be there very quickly. I think I said four minutes. Does that sound familiar?”

  “No. You said wait right there by the pay phone.”

  “I said to wait by the pay phone?”

  Kate went silent. I saw a tear stream down her face.

  “Kate, I need to know.”

  She began sobbing uncontrollably. “Yes. I was scared and didn’t understand why you left me out there like that,” she managed to get out in between sobs.

  “Kate, what happened?”

  “As soon as I hung up the phone. The second I hung up the phone, I felt a hand from behind come around and cover my mouth. The hand had a rag covered in a substance that caused me to pass out. I remember waking up in the back of a van sitting next to Jerry.”

  Kate started crying uncontrollably. I pulled her in closely and she hugged me tight. She began again.

  “He was propped up in a chair. They had a cloth bag over his head. We hit a bump and the chair fell over sideways. Jerry didn’t move when he hit the floorboard of the van. I couldn’t see the bag going in and out. I thought he wasn’t breathing.”

  Kate stopped and wiped her eyes on the shoulders of her shirt. “I started yelling hysterically to check on him. I really thought he was dead. He hit the floorboard hard and I didn’t know what they might have already done to him. After at least twenty or thirty seconds, which seemed like an eternity in that situation, the men set him up and took the bag from off his head. He was bleeding, but he was still alive.”

  “And the blood was coming from his head?”

  “At the time I thought so, but after I read the report and his statements I’m not sure. It may have been blood from the struggle. He bit one of the guys pretty hard. He said he tasted blood and that the guy had bled on him after Jerry got a small jab in on the guy’s nose. He was definitely dazed, but he seemed like he was still conscious and without major injuries. At the time I was sure it was worse.”

  “A mother’s worst nightmare.”

  “Yes, my worst nightmare happening right in front of my face.” Kate slowly stopped crying. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I understand. You have every right to feel the way you do. You almost lost your son.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t. And everything is okay now. Time to move forward. Learn the lesson, but no more victim mentality thoughts.”

  “Kate, just one last question. One thing to verify. I never told or asked you to go to the Target?”

  “No, which was strange. I thought for sure you’d tell me to go inside a crowded place. I didn’t know why you wanted me out there like that. Only thing I could think was you wanted me out there as bait and maybe you’d arrive at the same time and save the day for everyone.”

  I put my head down and stared at the ground. “You thought I’d use you as bait?”

  “I’m sorry, Jax. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “You said what you felt. I’m not going to argue. You’re right. Leaving you out there would put you in a position to be bait…a wading pool of blood for a great white shark. I’d never do that, and more importantly I’m sure I didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry, but you did. I had a hard time forgiving you for that. I still think about it sometimes.”

  “I know this sounds crazy, but I’m sure I didn’t do that.”

  I thought for a second. “Kate, where was Jerry taken?”

  “What do you mean, he was taken right from where I called you.”

  “I know, but where specifically? Where was he? What was he wearing? What was he doing? Where were you at the exact moment you realized he was gone?”

  “Don’t you dare think of blaming this on me.”

  “No, no, no. It’s not like that at all. Please, just tell me. I think we may have been played against each other.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Someone had your mobile number, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Right, because they were sending those messages. All along we thought it was Hrytsenko, until we realized it was Kong. Then I thought about it more and it made sense that it was Hrytsenko. If Hrytsenko found out Kong was after Jerry he might try and warn you, in order to keep Jerry safe. I checked some of those messages. They are exact translations of Ukrainian sayings. It would make sense that Hrytsenko would send them as he thought you’d recognize them because you’re both Ukrainian. Sending those messages makes it look like he had someone on the inside who knew when Kong was planning on taking Jerry out. That person was tipping him off and in turn he’d warn you. He had to send something a bit encrypted, but scary enough that it would get your attention.”

  “I’m not sure what to say about that.”

  “Kong said Hrytsenko was a pawn. Right?”

  “So? To Kong, everyone’s a pawn.”

  “I know, but he said double agent and pawn. What if Kong was sending you those texts in order to set up Hrytsenko? If he takes out the double agent he wins even more favors with the Russians. And if he has a popular high ranking guy on the inside of his team that he needs to take out because he’s becoming too popular or powerful he can claim he was leaking info to Hrytsenko. He eliminates that guy without upsetting the rest of his team and also showing he can sniff out snitches and of course deals with them accordingly.”

  “But why would he need to frame Hrytsenko? He could just take me out and be done with it.”

  “Because he wins the favors with the Russians. And by framing Hrytsenko, it keeps the Americans off his back for a minute, allowing him to prepare for his U.S. military sting.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not sure.”

  “And then I go and take a look and I’m framed for the murder and I’m put away without him having to lift a finger.”

  “True, but he started all this before we were together and also wouldn’t he want to get revenge face-to-face?”

  “True, but at some point his surveillance spotted me, and that’s when he had the opportunity to let me do his dirty work. Remember how he kept saying I couldn’t finish?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well he was referring to Korea to antagonize me, but he kept repeating it because it was even more recent in his mind. I didn’t finish Hrytsenko so he had to have someone else do it. There wasn’t enough evidence for the Feds to tie me to it. There was a lot, but apparently not enough or if there was they hadn’t offici
ally come after me yet which was a small thorn in Kong’s plans.”

  “Small thorn.”

  “Small thorn that became a big thorn.”