Robot studied him and nodded his agreement after a few seconds. “What do you need from us?” he asked.
“I’ll know when we get to the store. Let’s go.”
They set off at a fast pace and made it to the store in double quick time. His breath sawed in and out of him as he reached the front door. He took a couple of seconds to get his erratic breathing under control, noticing Robot and Italy doing the same. They hung back waiting for his instructions. Problem was he had no idea what to tell them. Hell, he didn’t know what he was going to find when he walked into the store.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you and this woman, T-Rex, but it’s clear something is. Just go with your gut. Trust it. You know it’s never led you astray before.” Robot’s words were exactly what he needed to hear.
A hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to see it was Italy. “We’ve got your six.”
Tim nodded and pushed the door open. A brunette rushed up to them. “Are you the guys someone called Tex told me about? You’re here to help the girl?” Her anxiety was palpable, and Tim could only imagine if she’d approached Brielle like this it would have set his girl further into her catatonic place.
Robot stepped forward. “Yes, ma’am, we are. How about you tell us where she is and let us do our job.”
Always taking charge, it was what made Robot a good team lead. He had the ability to calm someone with a few words. The sale assistant nodded and pointed to the back-left corner of the store. “She’s down there.”
Tim hesitated, his palms sweaty. Intuition was telling him what Brielle was experiencing now, was ten times worse than what he’d witnessed in San Diego. He’d managed to draw her out of her panic easily then because she hadn’t fallen far into a stupor. Today was different.
“Go.” Encouraged Italy. “You’ve got this T-Rex.”
The confidence from his teammate was all he needed. With long strides, Tim ate up the distance from the front of the store to where the assistant had pointed to Brielle’s location. Huddled on the ground, arms locked around her knees was Brielle. His heart skipped a beat, when he saw her.
He approached her slowly, like a vet approaching a skittish dog. “Bri?” He kept his voice low and gentle. “Honey, it’s me Tim.”
It pleased him when she didn’t try and shy away from him as he got closer to her. He pushed the clothes hanging on the low shelf away, so he was able to squeeze onto the ground next to her. He made sure no part of his body touched hers. Again, unsure what her reaction to his closeness would be.
“Brielle. It’s okay. You’re safe.”
“No. Not safe,” she mumbled.
Tim closed his eyes, fighting the urge to gather her in his arms and hold her tight. “Yes, honey, you are safe. We’re in a store in Virginia. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She looked up at him, fear mixed in with desolation dulled the gold flecks in her eyes, her face as white as a sheet of paper, lips pulled into a thin line. “I’ll never be safe, again. Ever.”
Brielle lowered her head from him again and pulled herself into an even tighter ball.
A breath whooshed out of him and defeat rested on his shoulders. It was almost like Brielle had retreated so far into herself that pulling her back was going to be an impossible task. But he wouldn’t give up.
Brielle floated in a bubble where nothing touched her. She was numb to everything around her. Yet part of her was fighting it. Attempting to stop her from sinking fully into the pit of despair engulfing her.
A voice kept reassuring her she was safe. A gentle masculine voice. But she couldn’t trust it. She couldn’t trust anyone. She wasn’t safe at all.
A memory lurked in the back of her mind. A memory of a man with his face painted black, holding her close. She’d felt safe in those arms, but she didn’t feel safe now. Not even in the little cocoon she’d created.
“Honey, I’m going to stay here however long you need. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Liar,” she blurted out, even though the voice didn’t sound scary. “You’re going to hurt me. I know you are.”
She wanted to go home. She wanted her bed. She was safe in her bed. It was soft, and the blankets warmed her. She was so cold.
“Do you want us to call her doctor or an ambulance.” Another male voice entered her nightmare. The voice didn’t sound so scary, but she didn’t trust her judgment.
“Give me a few more minutes. I’m not sure who her doctor is. But her father is Denis Wilson of Wilson Diamonds see if Tex can get a number for him.”
Panic welled inside Brielle’s belly. They knew who her father was. She couldn’t let them hurt him. She would do anything for her dad. “No, I won’t let you hurt my father. Do whatever you have to do to me but leave my dad alone.”
“Shhh, Brielle, no one is going to hurt your dad. I promise. I told you, you’re safe. I’m going to protect you.” An arm landed around her shoulder and she flinched before the panic subsided and a trickle of safety wended its way through her.
She’d experienced this once before. No, maybe twice. A memory assailed her mind, picking its way through the blackness she’d sunk into until it formed fully. She was dressed in an evening dress and she was smiling up at a handsome man in a suit. His answering smile melted her knees and then his lips touched hers. A soft, light touch, but it filled her heart with joy.
Brielle reached out to grasp that joy and connected with air. She went to pull her hand away when it was engulfed by a warm one.
“I’m here, honey. I won’t let go. Come back to me. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Safe?” she repeated.
“Yes, come on Brielle. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Brielle lifted her head and opened her eyes. Her gaze connected with a pair of warm brown eyes. Slowly everything around her faded from blackness and formed solid shapes.
“Tim?”
He smiled. The same smile she’d seen only moments ago in her mind. It hadn’t been a dream. It had been real. He’d smiled at her like that at Gemima’s wedding, right before he’d kissed her.
“I’m not imaging this am I?” she asked. Her fingers were squeezed, and she looked down at their clasped hands. Moments from her attack pierced her mind. The hand, like the dream, had been real. Tim had come for her. He’d pulled her back from the brink again.
“This is real and you’re okay, honey,” he said gently to her.
“I’m not really. Where am I?” She took in her surroundings and saw the racks of clothes. She didn’t remember walking into the clothes store. The last thing she remembered was her and Tim sitting at a scarred wooden table in a coffee shop. Fear assailed her again as snippets of their conversation came back to her.
“Brielle, look at me.” Tim commanded as he hooked a finger under her chin and lifted it. She met his reassuring gaze again. “You need to trust me. Okay?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
“I understand you’re frightened after Commander Black told you the threat against you hasn’t gone. But, trust me, when I say this, I will do everything I can to make sure you’re safe.” He waved a hand behind him and that’s when she noticed two beefy looking men watching over them. She guessed they were also SEALs and were probably friends of Tim’s. “We will make sure you’re safe.” The two men nodded.
“Okay.” Embarrassment at having a meltdown in public began to wash over her. “Can we go now?” she asked, needing to get as far away from the clothes shop as possible.
“Yes. Come on. Do you think you can walk?”
God, wouldn’t that just be the cherry on the top of this embarrassing event, her being carried out in Tim’s arms. Not that the prospect wasn’t tempting, but it wasn’t one she was going to let happen. “No, I should be fine.”
When Tim let go of her hand and stood, she missed the warmth from his touch. Taking a few seconds to center herself, she pushed up off the ground and stood. She wavered for half a beat bef
ore locking her knees tight.
She took one step, then another, all the while aware of Tim standing beside her, matching her movements. They got to the front of the store when a brunette touched her lightly on the arm. “Are you okay, miss? I was so worried. I didn’t know what to do.”
Brielle really wanted to get the hell out of there, but she couldn’t be rude, and it was clear her concern wasn’t faked. “I’m fine, thank you for being so understanding. I’m sorry I caused you distress.”
“Oh please, I’m just glad your boyfriend came along and got you.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “You’re very lucky. Hang on to him, he’s a keeper.”
Tim wasn’t even close to being her boyfriend, even if the thought was a pleasant one she wouldn’t mind exploring later on. But telling the woman she was wrong wouldn’t be nice. She smiled up at Tim, noticing the tinge of pink burning his cheeks, letting her know he’d heard every word she’d said. “I know, and I plan to.”
Chapter Six
Brielle’s fingers shook as she attempted to insert the key into her front door. Tim stood behind her and jammed his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching over and helping her unlock the door.
With a snick, she finally managed it, and opened the door. Before she stepped over the threshold he touched her softly on the shoulder. “Let me check everything’s okay before you go in.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, my building has very good security.”
Yes, her building had a doorman and a security guard posted downstairs in the lobby, but the guys who’d threatened her weren’t amateurs. They had known when and where she was going to be on her holiday. It wouldn’t be difficult for the organization to infiltrate the building without anyone knowing.
“You’re right, but I need to do this. Okay?” He kept his tone even. She may have suffered an intense attack, but when they’d been having coffee he’d had a glimpse of the woman she may have been before her kidnapping. She’d been confident and happy then, now she resembled the woman he’d spent time with in San Diego. He hated that he’d been partly to blame for her spiral into her black tunnel.
“Fine, but I don’t think it’s necessary,” she huffed out.
Giving into temptation he leaned over and pressed his lips against her cheek. “Thank you.”
He crossed into her apartment and liked how open and welcoming it was. The entrance was tiled with a cream tile and there was a hall table with a vase full of flowers to the right of the door. A ceramic bowl sat on the table and he assumed it was where she placed her keys. Tim continued down the short hallway to where it opened up into a massive open plan room. Brielle’s apartment was on the top floor of the building. She had panoramic views of the city. The furniture had been arranged to take advantage of the outlook as well as the large, flat screen television affixed to the wall. The living room lead into a decent sized kitchen. A lone coffee cup rested on the bench.
The open plan layout made it extremely difficult for someone to hide, that didn’t mean someone couldn’t. He walked through the rest of the apartment, opening and closing doors to two guest bedrooms, another bedroom that was set up as an office, a hall closet and a bathroom before he reached the room he assumed was the master.
When he opened the door, the aroma of vanilla assailed his senses. From now on he’d always associate that smell with Brielle. A king bed took up the center of the room. It was covered in a bright yellow bedspread with black decorative pillows resting against the headboard. It was simple yet classy, exactly like Brielle. There would be plenty of room for him in that bed.
Whoa, what the hell are you thinking? The girl just had a major PTSD attack and you’re thinking with your dick? Classy, dude, real classy.
Okay, so the little voice in his head was spot on, problem was, now that the thought had formed in his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Yes, he was attracted to Brielle, but he wouldn’t take advantage of her when she was in such a vulnerable position. Besides, they’d only reconnected today after not seeing each other for two months.
Tim about faced and strode out of the room and made his way back to where Brielle still waited at the front door.
“You know I don’t see the point of that?” she started. “While you were taking your time and checking out my place, if there was someone after me, they could’ve taken me, and you wouldn’t have known.”
Tim stopped a few feet away from her. “Huh, hmm, I should’ve thought of that.”
Brielle tossed her keys in the bowl and closed her door. “Yeah, soldier boy, you should’ve.”
She strolled past him and disappeared into the living room. He ran a hand through is hair, exhaustion tagging his heels. It had been a tiring day and the last time he’d slept had been a long time ago. He really should leave. Only he couldn’t quite make himself go to the room where Brielle and disappeared into to tell her he should be going.
Part of his reluctance was because he wanted to make sure she truly was over her episode. Her sassiness a few moments ago would suggest that she was, but he didn’t want to assume everything was fine with her.
“Can I get you a drink?” Her voice floated down the hallway to him, giving him the nudge he needed to make his feet move and follow her.
“Sure, that would be great,” he said as he sat on a stool and rested his elbows on the counter of her island bench.
With her facing away from him, he could appreciate the straight lines of her back. The way her skirt cupped her ass and showcased her lightly tanned legs.
She turned and placed a can of soda on the quartz counter top. “I’m sorry I don’t have any beer, this is all I’ve got.”
“It’s fine, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to have a beer.” He couldn’t hold back a yawn. Now that Brielle was safe in her home, the adrenaline he’d been running on was disappearing at a fast pace.
“Do you want a coffee instead?” Brielle asked as she pointed to a fancy machine situated on the opposite counter next. “I can make you whatever flavor you want.”
Tim lifted the soda can and popped the tab. “This will be fine.”
“Okay.” That one word had his head popping up and his eyes narrowing on her face. There were no signs of the hollow look he’d seen on her face in the dress shop, but the sass that had been present a few minutes ago was gone.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as he moved off the stool and strode around the counter until he was standing next to her.
“Yes.” Her hesitation was slight, most people wouldn’t have picked up on it. But he wasn’t most people and he was beginning to know this woman and her tells.
“Liar,” he said with a smile, taking the sting out of his reply. “Talk to me, Brielle. What’s going on in your mind?”
Again, she hesitated, wringing her hands together and then resting them on the counter top. “I just feel so lost.”
This wasn’t a conversation they should have in the kitchen. Tim picked up his can and the glass of juice she’d poured herself. “Why don’t we go sit somewhere more comfortable?”
“Shouldn’t I be the one suggesting that?”
He laughed. “Sorry, yes, you probably should, but it’s out there now, so what do you say?”
Brielle shook her head and smile wryly at him, before walking into her living room. He took a couple of seconds before he followed. He resisted the urge to take the seat next to her on her pale pink couch, he still wanted to give her space after her ordeal that afternoon. He sat in an arm chair opposite her.
He took a long swallow of his drink. “Why are you feeling lost?”
She clasped her fingers together and rested her linked hands on her knees. A very prim and proper pose. “I thought I was doing better. I hadn’t had an attack in a month. I believed I’d turned a corner and was on the road back to being myself again. Then I get called to the base and see you and fall into a hole so deep I feared I’d never come out of it.”
Her words were
like darts to his heart. Was it his fault she’d had the attack? Was he a trigger for her? Was being around her the worst thing he could do for her?
Tim got up and went to sat next to Brielle, knowing what he needed to do, but hating that it had come to this. Sometimes the right thing to do was the hardest. “I think it would be best if I leave.”
“What? Why?” The corners of her lips turned down. “You only just got here.”
Needing to touch her one last time he picked up her hands and cradled them in his own. “Think about what you just told me. You said you hadn’t had an attack in a month. Yet you had one today while we were spending time together. Seeing me reminds you of your horrible experience, and I won’t be the cause of any more pain in your life.”
Brielle stared at him, her mouth opening but closing again quickly.
He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. He lingered to cement the memory of her taste in his mind. “Goodbye, Bri. Take care. I hope you find your happiness again.”
He stood and headed toward her front door. Walking away was a hard thing to do, but the right one.
The click of the front door registered. Tim had walked out. She recalled his last words to her. He thought he triggered her attacks?
“No.” She blurted out, finally finding her voice and jumped up from the crouch. She ran toward her front door and yanked it open.
“Dammit.”
The hallway was empty, and she heard the distance chime of the elevator, she raced back inside and lifted the internal phone, tapping her foot when it seemed to take forever to be answered. “Hello, Jon?” she said when the call connected.
“Good evening, Ms. Wilson how can I help you.”
“I would like you to stop the man that’s about to come out of the elevator from leaving. He, uh, he forgot something so can you please re-direct him to come upstairs.”
“Certainly, Ma’am, what’s his name so I can confirm his identity.”
Guarding Brielle (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Guardian SEALs Book 5) Page 6