“But?”
“Well you didn’t respond to my message last night and then I didn’t know what to say.”
Everything she’d told him was the truth. The only problem was she still didn’t know what to say to him. For a brief second on the train she’d wanted to ask him for his help with Bryan. She’d helped him, he could help her. But could she ask that of him though?
“I was out last night, and didn’t see your message until I checked my phone this morning.”
“Uh huh. Well,” she looked at their connected hands and then at the crowd bustling around them. “I’ve got plans, so I’d better get going. Good seeing you, Carlos.”
She went to pull her hand out of his grip, but he tightened his hold on her.
“What’s going on, E? And don’t tell me nothing. I know you. I can see the tension in you.”
Anger rippled through her and she yanked her hand out of his grip. “You don’t know me at all now. You were the one who walked away from me. From us. And yes, I’m tense. After the shit day I had, you’d be tense as well. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ve got places to be. Real friends to catch up with. Goodbye, Carlos.”
With that, she tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and strode down the sidewalk, weaving in out of the crowd. She may have wanted to connect with him this morning, but he’d blown that out the window with his arrogant assumption that he knew her. He knew nothing about her now. He’d forfeited that right when he’d left her sixteen years ago. It would be better for them both if he stayed away.
Chapter Three
The rush-hour crowd swallowed Erin as Carlos stood there rooted to the spot as though the concrete had set around his feet.
She blew him off? She was angry at him? Okay so maybe he deserved her anger. Since 9/11, enlisting had been the only thing on his mind. It had fired him up to finish his final year of high school with the best grades possible, even while doing shitty things for the mob. He’d hit the local Navy office to enlist before the ink had dried on his graduation certificate. He’d known that, while the mob was a corrupt organization, they usually only killed those who betrayed them.
What Erin wasn’t aware of was, Carlos did know what was going on in her life at the moment. Whether she believed it or not, she was in danger. With asshole Bryan out on the streets, and the fact he’d already hurt Erin on more than one occasion, Carlos had no intention of letting that happen to her.
“Get out of the way, jerk.” A harried businessman brushed past him, forcing him into action.
Carlos walked in the direction Erin had departed. He pulled out his phone and typed in the name of the restaurant in his maps app. He studied the screen and continued on his way. His plan would be to watch, make sure nothing happened to her. No way would he encroach on her time with her girlfriends. With his skills, he planned to blend into the crowd without being noticed. Although, maybe hiding in plain sight of her was a better way to go.
He reached Frederico’s and opened the door. His stomach grumbled as the scents of tomatoes, garlic and pizza crust floated through the air. Yeah, he could totally go for a thick New York Crust works pizza.
He scanned the crowd and located Erin in a matter of seconds. She was with three other women. They were seated at a table in the middle of the room, laughing and clinking shot glasses together before downing them.
“Do you have a reservation, sir?”
Carlos turned his attention to the hostess and smiled. “No, I don’t.”
“How many in your party?”
He glanced again over to where Erin and her friends sat. If she looked in the direction of the front door she’d see him. “There’s only me.”
“Okay, let me see what I can do.” The young woman studied the computer screen in front of her for a few moments before looking back at him. “I’m afraid it will be a forty-minute wait for a table. If you would like to, you can sit at the bar. We offer full menu service there as well.”
Sitting at the bar with his back to room had his skin crawling. He hated being in a vulnerable position like that. Anyone could spring a surprise attack on him. As he wanted to keep an eye on Erin, he would have to suck it up. Maybe he could find a stool that gave him an optimum view of the room.
“The bar’s fine.”
“Excellent, Sam will show you the way.”
Five minutes later, Carlos had an ice-cold beer in front of him and had found a spot where he had views of the exit, the kitchen and Erin’s table. As he lifted his beer he observed Erin and her interaction with her friends. The brunette sitting next to her looked vaguely familiar. Their heads were close together and they appeared to be having a deep conversation. Not an easy thing to do in a loud restaurant. The other two women present were laughing at something and he spied the flash of diamonds on their left hands indicating they were married.
A waiter arrived at their table with a tray full of steaming food, Erin shifted back to allow him to place their dishes in front of her. She turned her head toward the bar. Carlos may have angled himself so he had an unobstructed view of her. He wasn’t sure the same could be said for her.
Her eyes widened and then narrowed. The luscious lips he’d devoured as a teenager firmed into a thin line.
Busted.
He wasn’t exactly disappointed that she’d spotted him. He raised his beer bottle in her direction before going back to appearing like he was relaxed. SEALs never fully relaxed. In their job, relaxing meant the difference between life and death.
He smelled her before he heard her. Even after a full day at work, he could still discern the scent of wildflowers coming from her in a crowded restaurant.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
He shrugged. “Having a beer and a pizza. I’ve missed New York pizzas.”
“Really? How convenient you happen to be at the same place I’m having dinner with my girlfriends.”
He quickly changed the way he sat so he trapped her between his legs. “A happy coincidence for sure.”
Her body stiffened at the contact of his thighs against hers. “That’s a bullshit line if I’ve ever heard one. How about you tell me the real reason why you’re here?”
He leaned forward and waited for her to copy his action. A breath huffed out of her as she closed the distance. He kept his voice low so only Erin could here what he was about to say. “I know everything’s not fine with you. So yeah, here I am keeping an eye on you.”
Anger highlighted the sparks of gold in her hazel eyes. He’d seen that look a few times when they’d been dating. She had a fiery Italian temper. Sometimes he’d deliberately made her mad just so he could see the fire and then kiss her senseless. Nothing like anger kisses to get the blood boiling. Even now his dick twitched against the seam of his jeans. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman. A long, long, time since he’d been with Erin. But he’d never forgotten their encounters. No woman got him off as quickly as Erin had done with her mouth.
“Ugh. You are so infuriating.” The words burst out of her, as though she’d read where his thoughts had been heading. Before he could respond, she’d whirled around and stomped back to the table. Her slim skirt cupped her ass nicely. As a teenager she’d been perfectly proportioned. Now as an adult, her curves had grown more luscious and he’d like nothing better than to let himself fall into her orbit again.
The arrival of his pizza pulled him from his lustful thoughts. While he ate, he kept up his surveillance of the room and Erin’s table. If Bryan walked in, he would know. He hadn’t had a chance to have a good look at the information Tex had sent him. He’d given it a cursory glance and had planned to study it further on the plane, but he’d taken a good look at the guy’s picture. Unfortunately, his head still pounded from the night before, so he’d slept most of the flight instead.
An hour later, Erin and her friends were hugging each other goodbye. He’d been the subject of many glares from the occupants of the table, so he wasn’t surprised when the girl who’d been sitting nex
t to Erin walked up to him.
“Carlos Porcelli, it’s been a while.”
No matter how casual or friendly her tone might seem to anyone watching them, Carlos knew it was the exact opposite. Up close, the woman seemed even more familiar to him. He racked his brain, flitting through the women he’d known over the years. It wasn’t a huge number, but he was able to cross off, with certainty, that she wasn’t on his taken-to-bed list.
He was about to admit defeat when her name popped into his head. Antonia. Erin’s best friend from high school. “Antonia Rocca. Damn, you’re right it has been a while. How are you?”
She crossed her arms, the action lifting her breasts. The sight of her cleavage didn’t get his blood racing like the thought of an angry Erin did. “I’m fine. But I’m not happy that you’re back in town.”
He sat up a little straighter. Okay, if he wanted to get out of here alive, it looked like he’d need to watch his words very carefully. “Why?”
She shook her head in disbelief, as if he should know why she was unhappy she was standing in front of him. “You’re bad news. I know all about your association with the Faloni Family. You may be a SEAL now, but you can’t change your past.”
If she knew about his time with the mob, did that mean he’d been naïve in thinking Erin didn’t? The mob was all around their neighborhood. Hell, they recruited kids at the local middle school to be part of their crew. That was how he’d gotten sucked into it. His family needed the money, and it was a sure fire way to earn good cash. When he’d taken the step back into his former life to get information for Ash, he’d been aware it had the potential to put him back on the radar with some of the old crew. The ones who hadn’t been happy with his decision to bail on them all those years ago, even if it was for a noble cause like joining the military. To them it was still a betrayal, leaving the family who had done so much for him. Hence why he’d jumped when Erin had said she could help him. He shouldn’t have jumped. He should’ve stuck to his guns. But if he hadn’t he wouldn’t be able to give Erin the protection she needed.
With the resolve that had gotten him through BUDS training, he pushed the memories to the farthest part of his mind. “My past is just that. The past. I’m not here to hurt Erin. I’m here to protect her.”
Antonia scoffed. “You’ve already hurt her once. I’m watching you so you don’t hurt her again.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, she turned on her heel and marched through the restaurant. Erin stood watching him. If she knew what Antonia had said to him, she gave no indication.
As the quartet walked out of the restaurant, Carlos let Antonia’s words sink into his consciousness.
You’ve already hurt her once.
Was she referring to when he’d left after graduation? Erin had known he was going to enlist. In fact, she’d encouraged him to do it. They’d spent the night before graduation together. He recalled their lovemaking. It had been sweet and sexy. It had also been their goodbye. They were following different career paths. He hadn’t made her any promises about a future together and she hadn’t made any to him. Had she been hoping he’d ask her to join him after he finished his basic training? No, the idea was ridiculous. He knew she’d wanted to get her degree. If she’d followed him around, that would never have happened.
They had emailed each other for a couple of months, in the beginning. Then he’d gotten busy with training and she with her college degree. He’d never forgotten her, though. She’d been his first love.
His only love.
Wolf’s team may have all found women to spend the rest of their lives with while they were still on active duty. He had no plans on putting a woman he loved through the pain of never knowing whether he would return from a mission alive, injured or in a pine box.
“Sir? Can I get you anything else?”
The bartender intruded his thoughts. Carlos looked up at the man. “Uh no.” He grabbed a wad of bills from his wallet and threw them on the bar. “Thanks.”
Getting caught up in his thoughts, he had no idea how long it had been since Erin and her friends had walked out the door. From the quick look he’d given Tex’s report, Carlos knew she lived in Queens. Would she have taken an Uber, or would she have caught the subway? Or maybe even a cab. He hoped she hadn’t decided to ride the subway. Shady characters rode the trains late in the evening. The type of characters that would do drug deals. Surely Antonia wouldn’t have let her do that?
Whichever way she got herself home, he planned to make sure she’d got there safely. Hailing a passing cab, he climbed in when it stopped and rattled off Erin’s address. As the car weaved through the night heading toward his destination, Carlos drummed his fingers on his thigh, giving the driver one syllable answers to the questions he asked.
All he wanted to do was to get to Erin to make sure she was safe in her apartment. He mentally cursed Antonia for pulling him from the present and tossing him into the past. What he and Erin had shared probably wouldn’t have lasted the distance, no matter how much they’d hoped it would. If he hadn’t gone into the Navy, he’d have been sucked further into the vortex of mob life. He’d resisted the temptation of drugs as a teenager, something a few of the other guys hadn’t been able to ignore. Who was to say that, eventually, he wouldn’t have succumbed to the power of the white powder the Forlani family was known for. Or been arrested and be incarcerated, right now. Dragging Erin into that sort of life wasn’t what he had wanted for her. She’d deserved so much better and with the job she had, he knew if they’d stayed together, she wouldn’t have the career she had now.
The cab pulled to a stop a couple houses down from Erin’s brownstone. He swiped his credit card and paid the fare. As the car took off into the night, the tail-lights disappearing around the corner, he contemplated the best way of finding out if Erin was safe inside.
He knew she lived on the third floor. The windows facing the street were dark, but that didn’t mean there weren’t lights on at the back half of the building. The street wasn’t a busy one. Then again it was almost midnight.
Carlos slipped into the shadows and tried to see if there was a way he could get to the back of her building. As the long, black shadows enveloped him into their dark embrace, another vehicle pulled to a stop.
The sound of feminine laughter reached his ears. Erin. “Night, Antonia. You have no idea how much I needed this tonight.”
He didn’t catch what Antonia’s response was but whatever she said, made Erin giggle again. A sound he hadn’t heard in a very long time. He was pleased she was happier now and his appearance at the restaurant hadn’t totally ruined her evening.
The door slammed shut and the car took off. The clip clop of her shoes echoed around the street. He would watch her enter the building, wait for the lights to go on and then leave, content with the knowledge she was safe for the night.
“Hey, bitch, where have you been? I’ve been waiting for fucking hours for you.” The words shattered the quiet. Carlos crouched down and crept toward the front of the brownstone, making sure he didn’t make a sound to alert the others of his presence.
“Bryan, what are you doing here?”
Shit. He hadn’t wanted to believe it could be the other man, but who else would be that rude to her?
“I told you I’d be back. And I want what’s mine.”
Coldness enveloped him at Bryan’s threat. No way was that fucker going to lay a hand on Erin. Not on his watch.
Stamping his feet on the pavement, he walked into the glow of the streetlight. “Okay, honey, you were right the subway is slower than the cab.” He walked quickly toward Erin and bound up the stairs where she appeared to be rooted to the spot.
He slipped his arm around her waist and moved Erin so he stood in front of her. He willed her not to give Bryan any indication that she didn’t welcome his touch.
“Who the fuck are you?” Bryan asked. “And where did you come from?”
From the buildings porch light, Carlos r
ecognized the glassiness in the other man’s eyes. He was so high he probably thought he could fly. He thanked God he had managed to beat Erin home. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t been there.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m Erin’s boyfriend.”
Erin sputtered behind him and he gave her waist a squeeze, a silent message to let him deal with this. Her breath hissed out, but she relaxed a fraction against him.
“That’s bullshit. I know she doesn’t have a boyfriend. This is the first time I’ve seen you around here. And I know you didn’t get out of the car with her.”
“What the hell, Bryan. You’ve been watching me?”
Bryan didn’t seem to care that Carlos was standing on the stoop with them. The other man leaned in. “Yeah, I’ve been watching you. I know you’ve got something of mine. And I plan to get it.”
Enough was enough. Carlos let go of Erin, and shifted her so she was fully behind him. He then pulled himself up straighter and eyeballed the son of a bitch. “Listen here, fucker. You come anywhere near Erin and you’ll answer to me. Capisce?”
They glared at each other. Oh man, how Carlos wished Bryan would come at him. He’d like nothing better than to teach the asshole a lesson. But like all bullies when confronted, Bryan was the first to look away.
He took one step backward, then another. “You don’t scare me. You’d better watch your back, cause I’ll be watching you, too.” He finished with giving them the bird before stomping down the stairs and weaved his way into the middle of the street.
“With any luck he’ll get hit by a random car,” Erin muttered.
Carlos laughed at her comment. “Bastard wouldn’t be so lucky. Now, let’s get you inside. I want to check your apartment.”
“I don’t think so. I’m still mad at you for turning up at the restaurant.”
“I told you that was a happy coincidence.”
Erin pushed him out of the way as she made her way to the door. “Oh please, do me the courtesy of not lying. Admit it, Carlos, you’re following me. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be standing here.”
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Guarding Erin (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 3