The Protective SEAL

by Knight, Katie

  The crunch of tires on gravel grew louder as the vehicle neared and Jack’s first instinct was to go after whoever the bastards were and take them out right now. But under the cover of darkness he had no idea how many people were in that car or what kind of firepower they had. Besides, his priority now needed to be keeping Sam and Glory safe. That meant running, as far and as fast as possible.

  Adrenaline sizzled through his system. At least they’d gotten the SUV packed up first and he’d been able to line up one of his neighbors to come by the farm to tend to his livestock for the next week or so. Now, he just needed to grab Sam and Glory and get the hell out of here.

  Sam reappeared a few seconds later, with Glory in her car seat. Jack directed them to get into the vehicle.

  The sedan was about two hundred yards away when Jack climbed behind the wheel of the SUV. They’d have to go without lights as well, to avoid tipping off whoever the new arrivals were. But once a SEAL, always a SEAL, and he was prepared.

  He reached into the glove compartment, fumbling for the goggles inside and cringing slightly as he started the engine. It would’ve been far stealthier to push the vehicle until they were a safe distance away, but there was no time—and he hadn’t been sure his bad knee could take it. No way would he ask Sam to get out and help him push either. That would leave her far too exposed for his comfort and she needed to stay inside the car anyway to watch over their daughter. So, engine it was. The motor roared to life and he grabbed the night vision goggles, slipping them on so the world went eerily green. For all he knew, those government goons had them too and wouldn’t hesitate to use them if the need arose. He glanced into the rearview mirror, holding Sam’s gaze. “Make sure Glory’s secured properly, then buckle your own seatbelt. Things are going to be bumpy for a while.”

  She nodded and did as he asked.

  After a last look back at his beloved house, and a silent prayer that all would be safe until he returned, Jack eased his foot down on the accelerator, easing away from the front of his home as quietly as possible. Chances were good that the intruders had spotted him as well, given the moonlight, but he didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself and their escape than necessary. Besides, the longer they kept things dark, the less chance the people they were evading would be able to get a clean shot, night vision goggles or not.

  The SUV bumped off the gravel drive and down into the fields surrounding his property. The cattle and other animals were all secured in the barn for the night, so there was no chance of hitting one and Jack knew this land better than anyone. Knew there was a broken section of fence out near the highway that would allow them an out that didn’t involve the driveway or the regular gate that everyone else used to get in. All they had to do was get there and they’d be home free.

  As he drove through the dips and slight hills of the field, he kept glancing back to the house in his rearview mirror. The sedan had stopped near the front porch and two men got out, stood for a moment, then got back inside. Jack guessed three, maybe four total, were in the group. Okay. He’d faced worse odds on his many missions over the years. And yes, he was older now, but he wasn’t ancient—no matter what his body might tell him some days. He had to protect Sam and his daughter. No other options were acceptable. So, he’d do what he could.

  He just prayed it would be enough.

  “Get down,” Jack said as they jumbled over another molehill and the suspension on the SUV squeaked loud. In the mirror, he saw the sedan flip its high beams on and his stomach sank. No more stealth now. They were in pursuit and Jack was the prey. He did his best to keep his voice calm, though this tone sounded tight to his own ears. “We’ve been spotted. Whatever happens, you stay down and keep Glory safe. Understand?”

  Sam nodded, her dark eyes huge in her pale face. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but there’d be time enough for that later, when they were safe. Glory cooed and gurgled in her car seat, content with playing with a toy, oblivious to the danger pursuing them. Jack intended to keep it that way.

  No way would those bastards get their hands in his kid or Sam. No way.

  He ripped off the night vision goggles and turned on his own high beams, racing through the wide-open countryside. It wasn’t ideal, with Nebraska so flat and no large hills to take cover behind, but he had no choice. In the distance, the highway beckoned, the occasional blip of light flashing as cars zipped by.

  Keep your head down, soldier. Head down, courage high, complete the mission.

  The words of his old SEAL captain rang through Jack’s head, zeroing his instincts on the task at hand even as the sedan raced after them and bullets pinged off the sides of the SUV. If he’d had backup, he’d have fired back, but with Sam huddled on the floor by the backseat and crooning to little Glory to keep her calm, he just raced on through the night, praying they’d reach the highway and he could get away before these goons caught up with them.

  Jack did have one ace up his sleeve though. There was a small ravine running alongside the highway, with only one spot shallow enough to cross it safely without bottoming out and stalling the vehicle’s engine. Months of living here and a few mishaps with his tractor meant Jack knew exactly where it was. The assholes following him didn’t. All he had to do was get them headed in the wrong direction, then boom. Not ideal, since they’d still be breathing when it was over, but hopefully it would buy Jack enough time to get out on the interstate and get away.

  “Hold tight,” he said, before swerving hard to the right. His tires kicked up mud and grass and sent it spraying toward the sedan that was closing fast on his tail. The other vehicle slowed slightly as muck covered the windshield, then picked up the pace again, the windshield wipers going double-time. Another swerve, left this time, and more gunk rained down. His fields would be a mess when he finally got back to them, but it was worth it to see these goons scrambling.

  They got nearer to the highway, mostly empty at this later hour except for some semitrucks. A bullet took out Jack’s drivers’ side mirror, but it didn’t matter. He had his destination firmly in his sights now. Just a couple hundred feet, a sharp right, and he’d be there. With the way the land looked, especially at night, you couldn’t really see the ravine until you were basically on top of it. Jack used that to his advantage, speeding straight for it. The sedan followed, closing the gap between the vehicles until they rammed Jack’s bumper. The SUV fishtailed before he got it back on track.

  Bullets shattered the back window and glass sprayed everywhere. Sam screamed and Glory howled. Fear like he’d never felt before seared through Jack’s veins. If anything happened to Sam or their daughter, he’d never forgive himself. “Everyone okay?”

  Please, God. Let them be okay.

  “We’re good,” Sam said, her voice shaking. “Just please get us the hell out of here.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” An unexpected grin spread across his face. Much as he loved his farm and his life here in Nebraska, Jack had missed this too. The charge to victory, the thrill of the chase. He gunned the engine and raced headlong for the ravine, the sedan in hot pursuit. In the rearview mirror he saw one guy leaning out the passenger side of the sedan, gun drawn, ready to fire again. It was now or never.

  Jack approached the edge of the ravine, then jammed the steering wheel hard to the right, his back tires skidding toward the edge of the six-foot drop-off before inching away from the precipice. They were safe, but the sedan wasn’t so lucky. Without knowledge of the area or Jack’s razor-sharp reflexes, the car careened over the side of the ravine and crashed into the water with a huge splash. Jack couldn’t help but cheer. His joy was short-lived, however, as the safe crossing quickly approached. He braked hard and barely managed to swerve the SUV across the ravine then up the incline on the other side to the interstate. A passing truck honked as he veered onto the roadway, covered in muck from the fields, chilly air blustering in through the shattered back window, but safe.

  He hazarded a glance back at Sam over his shoulder. �
�We’re good. They’re gone.”

  “For now,” she said, dusting off shards of glass from her arms and hair, then climbing up onto the seat to comfort poor Glory, who was still wailing and frantic but otherwise unharmed.

  “Yep,” Jack said, breathing a sigh of relief. “For now.”

  Eleven

  Jack signaled, then veered off onto an off-ramp for another two-lane backroad. They needed to get to the cabin, but he wanted to make sure they weren’t being followed first. The energy rush of the chase was wearing off, leaving him feeling a bit numb and shaken. He had the heater jacked up to maximum to counter the chilly air blowing in through the shattered back window, but even so, it was brisk. Just as well, considering he was still overheated from the chase through his farm fields and the kiss with Sam.

  Lord help him, that kiss had been one of the hottest things he’d ever experienced.

  Each time he licked his lips, he still tasted her there—all sweetness and light and forbidden seduction. He glanced in the mirror and saw her in the backseat, one hand resting on the car seat. The baby had been remarkably good in a crisis. She must’ve gotten that from him.

  An unexpected swell of pride ached in his chest.

  My daughter.

  Man, part of him was still trying to wrap his head around that. His kid. His to protect. His to provide for. His to love. For a guy who’d never really thought much about his emotions, it was a lot to process.

  “How far is it to the cabin?” Sam asked, her voice low to avoid waking Glory.

  “Maybe another hour or so. I’m taking the long way.” He leaned his elbow on the windowsill beside him and gazed out at the shadowed farm fields zipping by them. It was still a few hours until dawn, which gave them the advantage when it came to hiding. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” She sounded tired though and he felt an unaccountable urge to pull her into his arms and hold her while she slept against him. Not that he’d do that. Kissing her had been mistake enough. She needed his help, not sex. Plus, the power dynamics were screwy. She was depending on him for her safety—he never wanted her to feel like she had to keep him happy or he’d take away his protection. Still, the way she’d felt in his arms, all her soft curves pressed into his hard muscles, the fruity scent of his shampoo in her hair, the soft sounds she’d made…

  “How about you?” Sam asked, breaking him out of his torrid thoughts. “You all right?”

  He cleared his throat and slowed to make a right onto yet another road. No headlights behind them, no sign of another human anywhere around. Good. “I’m fine,” he said. “Ex-SEAL remember?”

  “Hmm.” She shifted slightly, sinking down to the floor and tucking her knees up against her chest to her arms around them, leaning her back against the bottom of the seat as she faced him. “Tell me about that.”

  “About what?” he frowned.

  “Why’d you leave the SEALs? Granted, I only knew you for that one night, but even then, I could tell you loved what you did.”

  “My knee gave out on me,” he said, pointing toward his right leg. “Blew out during a black ops mission in Qatar. Tore my meniscus all to hell, had to be airlifted out. Spent weeks in PT after the surgery, but the docs said I’d never be back to the way I was before.” He sighed, feeling the old familiar sense of disappointment and failure rush back. Still, he didn’t talk about this much and if it was nice to get it out. “So, I came home and started subbing and farming until a permanent teaching position opens up in the area.”

  “That must’ve been hard,” Sam said. “Leaving it all behind.”

  “It wasn’t easy, that’s true.” Jack checked the mirrors again, then made a left onto the road that would take him to his cousin’s hunting cabin. It was still about an hour away, but they’d get there in plenty of time to get unpacked and inside before sunrise. Then he’d hide the SUV to avoid detection. “But farming’s in my blood. My grandparents worked the land their whole lives.”

  “What made you join the SEALs in the first place?”

  “My dad.” Jack relaxed back into the seat, the zing of adrenaline from earlier dissipating, leaving bone-deep fatigue in its place. Years prior, when working with his SEAL team, it seemed he’d been able to go for days with minimal rest. Now, he’d be lucky to make it through the next four hours without sleep. Just one more sign he was getting too old for this shit. He chuckled at being able to use a line from one of his favorite movies, Lethal Weapon. It had been one of his dad’s favorites, too. Man, he missed his dad these days. “He was a Marine. Served in Vietnam. Great guy. Hero. Killed in the line of duty when I was only eight. He saved his whole freaking platoon by throwing himself atop a live grenade. I still remember him so well though. Funny, smart, always dependable. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.”

  “I think you are,” Sam said, her voice quiet in the darkness. “You’re all those things too, Jack.”

  A flood of warmth spread through him at her compliment and he was glad of the shadows, so she wouldn’t see him blush. “Thanks.” His words sounded rough to his own ears. The last thing he needed was to get choked up over his dad right now, but exhaustion did weird things to people. He swallowed hard around the unwanted lump in his throat and took a deep breath, safely sealing off his emotions before he continued. “I try do live up to his legacy. I take care of my mom.”

  “Does she live in Rally too?”

  “Yeah. Her name’s Jillian. She owns the local diner.” He smiled, thinking of the tiny dynamo that was his mother. His buddies used to kid him that she was sweet as apple pie and straight out of some 1950s sitcom. “She still treats me like I’m ten and makes me homemade fudge.”

  “Sounds nice. You’re lucky.” The wistfulness in Sam’s tone struck him right in the feels. “My family treats me like an outcast and the only thing my father makes are threats against my life.”

  He cringed. Yep. He was very lucky indeed, and he knew it. His existence had been blessed. He’d had a happy childhood—even after his dad had died, his mom had gone out of her way to make sure he was well-cared for and well-loved. Sam hadn’t been so lucky. Not at all. The thought that her father could treat his kid with such cruelty was infuriating. “What about your mom?”

  “She died of cancer when I was twelve.” Sam shrugged. “Her name was Gloria. I named the baby after her. I call her Glory for short.” Jack’s heart squeezed at that knowledge, but she continued. “So my father’s all I had. There were my brothers too, of course. Five of them. But two were killed in mob wars against my dad. One, Nick, the oldest, left and we don’t discuss him. Ever. He’s the black sheep. And then there’s the twins, Leo and Lucas. They still work for my dad. They don’t talk to me—never really did.”

  “I’m sorry.” His apology sounded woefully inadequate, but it was all he had at the moment. Jack couldn’t imagine how lonely and scary it must’ve been for her to grow up amidst all that violence and death.

  “Eh, it is what it is,” she said, clearly putting a kibosh on that topic, even though Jack had wanted to learn more about her. They shared a kid after all. She narrowed her gaze on him, the dashboard lights casting a greenish glow over her face. “You got any hobbies? What do you do for fun? Besides farm.”

  Jack laughed. “Farming isn’t fun. I mean, it is, sort of. But it’s a lot of hard work too. And hobbies? I don’t really have time for any.”

  “How about when you were a kid? What did you like to do?”

  “Hmm.” He scowled, remembering back. “I used to play the violin. Love music.”

  “Really? Were you any good?”

  “Not really. I mean I could play a mean Mozart, but that’s about it.” Jack laughed. “It’s why I got my teaching degree though, when I was in the military. In case the farming thing didn’t work out. Figured I could be a music teacher or something. Maybe a band director.”

  Sam snorted. “Mr. Williams’s Opus?”

  “Exactly.” He c
huckled again. “What about you? Any secret hobbies I should know about?”

  “Not really. I did like to go horseback riding when I was a kid. My dad kept a stable, mainly for his racehorses. But there were also a few older ones that just needed to be ridden once in a while, so I’d go out there and ride them around the track. It was fun. That’s probably where I got my love of animals from. Then, for my twelfth birthday, I got a tank full of beautiful tropical fish and that was it. It’s why I became a marine biologist. Well, that and I love nature.”

  “Me too.” Jack smiled at her in the mirror. “One day I’d love to raise a whole litter of Great Pyrenees, maybe train them to work the cattle in the fields or be service dogs for the community or something.”

  “That sounds awesome.” Sam yawned and Jack glanced at the clock. After 2 a.m. now.

  “Hey, why don’t you get some sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get to the cabin,” Jack said. “I’ll keep an eye on Glory. Don’t worry.”

  “You sure?” she said before yawning again. “Sorry. I am pretty beat.”

  “Absolutely. You’ll need your strength to help me unpack all this stuff anyway.” He winked at her over his shoulder. “Take a nap. You need it.”

  “Okay.” She gave him a sleepy smile, then closed her eyes.

  Jack faced front again, a rare peace settling inside him. He’d not talked about himself or his past with anyone in a long time, but Sam made it so easy to open up. That thought both energized and terrified him. He needed to keep his head in the game here, and his heart out of the equation. Sam and Glory needed him right now, but as soon as it was safe, they’d be going back into witness protection. He couldn’t let himself get attached, but the more time he spent with Sam, the harder that was proving to be.

  Twelve

  When Jack had mentioned them staying at his cousin’s hunting cabin in the woods, Sam had expected a small shed-type structure, basically little more than a lean-to. But now, as she stared at the tidy log cabin with the small front porch in front of her, she was grateful to be wrong.