Trusting the SEAL (Saving the SEALs Series Book 3)

by Leslie North

  Spencer straightened and gave Gage a death glare. “What the hell, man?”

  “Calm down,” Scotty managed to say between bouts of laughter. “Just because your woman left your sorry ass doesn’t mean—”

  “She didn’t leave me. It was a business relationship and my services were no longer needed.”

  “Your services?” More snorting laughter from Scotty. Spencer wanted to demolish something. Namely his best bud’s face. “That’s the biggest pussy excuse I’ve ever heard, dude.”

  Instead he squeezed his beer bottle so tight, it shattered in his hand. Glass sliced into his palm, but Spencer didn’t care. In fact, he was glad. At least it was a nice distraction from the gaping, raw hole left where his heart used to be.

  He yanked a few napkins from the dispenser in the center of the table and wrapped them tight around his hand.

  “Jesus, man,” Gage said as he and Anna returned to the table. “Psycho much? No wonder Toni cut and ran when she did.”

  That. Was. It.

  Spencer snarled and headed around the table, armed and loaded for destruction, only to be halted by Kyle’s hand on the back of his neck.

  “Sit. Down.” His team leader growled then shoved Spencer back several steps. “And you two.” Kyle pointed to Gage and Scotty. “Get your shit together and keep your goddamned pants zipped. This is a place of business and we have serious matters to discuss.”

  His granite-tough tone brooked no argument and the guys snapped to attention immediately. Spencer took his seat once more and stared at the graffiti-covered tabletop, his palm throbbing now from numerous small cuts. He was in a bad way and he knew it. Only trouble was, the cure for what ailed him was so far out of his orbit he’d need a spaceship to reach her.

  “I got a call from Commander Brighton. He thinks we can use this new deal with Williams to find Arrieta and Nick’s real killer.” Kyle sniffed. “Not sure about that myself, but at least with Coran in custody, we’ve got one more piece of the puzzle solved.”

  “Still can’t believe Williams was SHEEPSKIN all along. To think that geezer could create a world-wide secret network to track terror cells and that he was the one using Natalie’s stories as part of the scheme. Never thought that guy had the balls for it,” Scotty said.

  “Looks can be deceiving.” Kyle scowled. “Just think about Natalie. All along we trusted her. Hell, my brother thought heaven and earth revolved around her, and then…” He cursed under his breath and took a long swig of beer before continuing. “Anyway, Williams is denying ordering the hit on Nick, but I’d bet a fortune he knows who did and why. Brighton said the FBIs kept the guy in twenty-four hour lock down with only closed-door interrogations since they brought him back to the States. According to the agents in charge, he’s hemorrhaging information about all kinds of stuff. Still claims what he did with SHEEPSKIN and the attack on that village makes him some kind of patriot or something.”

  “How are we going to find out what he knows though?” Gage asked. “The Bureau isn’t really into sharing intel.”

  “He’s right,” Hayley said. “They’ll have that information under the highest security clearance. I might be able to hack in, but it’ll take me a while.”

  “Don’t bother,” Kyle said. “Brighton’s sending someone over with some new data. Someone on the inside, he said.”

  “Really?” Spencer perked up a little. Another tussle with some federal agents might be just the ticket to blow off some of his excess steam today. “Want me to handle them for you?”

  The bell above the entrance jangled again, and Scotty glanced over at the door. “Oh, man.”

  “What?” Spencer turned to see the woman who’d haunted his dreams for weeks. He did his best not to gape. “Toni?”

  Her dark eyes were unreadable as she walked up to their table, her gaze never leaving his. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” Spencer said. Okay, not exactly genius-level conversation, but damn. His brain felt like pudding at the moment. He’d imagined seeing her again a million times, imagined what he’d say, what he’d do, what she’d be wearing.

  Spencer looked her up and down—from the toes of her plain white sneakers, up her long, jeans-covered legs, over the purple T-shirt that clung to all of her luscious curves beneath her black leather jacket, and finally to her pretty face.

  Nothing in his imagination could ever live up to the real thing.

  “Uh, can I sit down?” Toni asked and Spencer felt like an ass all over again.

  “Oh, yeah. Sure.” He stood and grabbed her a chair amidst snorts and snickers from his fellow teammates. He kicked Scotty’s shin hard to get him to move back, then pulled up a seat for Toni right beside his. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” She gave him a polite smile.

  He slumped back into his own chair and did his best not to stare at her like some besotted baboon, whatever game he might’ve had where she was concerned completely gone. “Would you like something to drink?” he managed to say, his throat tight with adrenaline.

  “Uh, sure.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

  “Cool.” Spencer hailed the bartender. Once the guy brought her drink, he all but fell out of his chair, rushing to pay for it. Not good. Not good at all.

  “So, Toni,” Kyle said, giving Spencer a get-it-together-man look. “Commander Brighton said you had new information we might find useful?”

  “Yes.” She pulled a folder out from her designer bag and slid it across to Kyle, before folding her hands on the table and frowning down at them. “I’m not sure what you all think of me these days, and I realize my father’s actions most likely caused more harm than good, but I do believe he was trying to fight terrorism and do the right thing, in his own misguided way.”

  Kyle flipped open the file and began poring through the contents.

  “Anyway,” Toni continued. “You guys probably don’t care, but I’ve decided to use the money from the sale of my dad’s books to help the victims of the bombing in the Jubail village and other victims of terrorism around the world. It seems only fitting, given what my father was involved in, no matter his motives.”

  “Nice,” Scotty said, raising his beer bottle. “Cheers to that.”

  “Yep. Cheers.” Gage clinked his own bottle against Scotty’s then did the same to everyone else’s as they all joined in. Everyone but Kyle, who was too busy going through Toni’s file.

  “Looks like your father had another meeting set up two weeks from now in Tennessee?” Kyle said, finally looking up from the paperwork.

  “Yes. That’s why I volunteered to bring this over here personally today. This madness needs to end. I thought you guys would be the best ones to stop it, once and for all.” She gave a quick glance in Spencer’s direction before dropping her gaze to the pockmarked tabletop again.

  The other couples soon drifted off to the dance floor as a sappy slow song came on, leaving only Spencer, Toni, and Kyle.

  “So, you made it home okay,” Spencer said, finally, keeping his voice low to afford them some privacy, though—if his team leader’s laser-like attention on that file was any indication—he shouldn’t have bothered.

  “Obviously,” Toni said, giving him some serious side eye. “That other bodyguard you sent was really nice. I decided to keep him on permanently, as a matter of fact.” She cocked her head toward the entrance and Spencer glanced over to see the hulking silhouette of a super-sized man outside the pub. “Bob makes a good deterrent.”

  “Bob would make a good building,” Spencer said and smiled.

  “That too.” Toni gave him a little wink and his insides went warm. “It’s good to see you again, Spencer.”

  “You too, Toni.”

  “Aw, so sweet you guys are giving me a toothache,” Scotty crooned, complete with kissy noises, as he and Hayley made their way back to the table.

  “A busted jaw would give you a toothache too,” Spencer growled.

  “Enough!” Kyle
said. “Are you sure this information is accurate, Toni?”

  “Should be, it came directly off my father’s computer at Williams Publishing. I stopped there right before I came here and copied over what files I could. Why?”

  “Because this lists the location of someone who shouldn’t be found.”

  Spencer frowned. “Natalie?”

  “Yep.”

  Gage resumed his seat and pulled Anna down onto his lap. “She’s in Witness Protection, right?”

  “According to these files, Coran was able to track her somehow. There’s a trail of receipts here that leads all the way to Nashville.” He flipped through a few more pages, his scowl deepening. “And there’s surveillance shots of her too. Near the Grand Old Opry.”

  “But Natalie hated country music,” Scotty said, his nose wrinkled.

  “Yeah, I’m guessing she loves her freedom though.” Spencer leaned back and downed the rest of his beer, his arm brushing against Toni’s. “Anything else in that file?”

  “Oh, yeah. Looks like Natalie wasn’t the only person Coran was tracking.”

  “Who else?” Hayley asked.

  “Well, there’s Arrieta, of course. Plus, a couple of ISIS bigwigs too. In fact, there’s five pages of intercepted radio communications between SHEEPSKIN and several of these various terror cells.” Kyle shook his head and pulled out another photo then squinted at the corner of it. “Whatever system your father was using, Toni, it was pretty goddamned effective. There’s something else on here too. With the reprinting, I can’t tell if it’s something important or just a watermark.”

  “Let me see,” Anna said, snatching it from Kyle’s hand. Being a professional photographer would give her an advantage, Spencer supposed. “No. That’s no watermark.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small magnifying lens. “Looks like Arrieta’s symbol again.”

  She handed the picture and lens to Kyle, who took a look then passed it to Spencer. “Is that the same as what you saw on Toni’s letter that day?”

  Spencer squinted at the tiny image and saw the circle with the letter A in the middle, the same rifle and machete and crossbow. “Yep. You think Arrieta’s using it as a secret code or something?”

  “Maybe.” Kyle rubbed his eyes then signaled the bartender to bring them all another round. “I’ll have to do some more digging to be sure. The only thing I know for certain is there’s going to be a trip to Nashville in my future.”

  “What about the rest of us, man?” Scotty said, waggling his brows at Hayley. “Maybe I’d like to do some Boot Scoot Boogie myself.”

  Spencer chuckled. “Way to date yourself, man. How about something from this century?”

  “Shut up. I like that song.”

  “And now I’ve got it stuck in my frigging head. Thanks, douchecanoe.” Gage pushed to his feet once more and took Anna’s hand. “C’mon, baby. Time for a new ear worm.”

  He and Anna headed back to the jukebox while Spencer eyed Toni through his lashes.

  “I need to call Brighton again.” Kyle walked back outside, phone in hand.

  The low, sweet strains of an old Boz Scaggs song filtered through the air, the bittersweet lyrics asking love to look at what it had done to him.

  The irony wasn’t lost on Spencer.

  Scotty stood and held out his hand to Hayley. “It’s no Boot Scoot Boogie, but it’ll do.”

  She laughed and followed him out onto the dance floor, where Gage and Anna were already swaying to the music, locked in a tight embrace.

  That left him and Toni at the table, alone. He exhaled slow, started to say something then hesitated. This was harder than hitting a Taliban gunner at a thousand feet. He dug the toe of his combat boot into the sticky wooden floor and sighed.

  “Listen, Spencer. I—” she said.

  “Toni, I owe you an apolo—” he started to say, at the same time.

  They both gave a small chuckle. Uncomfortable heat clawed its way up beneath the collar of his olive green T-shirt. “Sorry,” he said. “Ladies first.”

  “No, no. You go ahead.” Toni tucked a lock of silky brown hair behind her ear. “Please.”

  “Um, well. I was, uh…” C’mon, dumbass. Spit it out. “I just wanted to say I was sorry. You know, for how things went down there at the end.”

  “I’m sorry too.” She gave a little shrug, her soft cheeks flushed with pink. “I was overwhelmed, I guess. I had a lot on my mind after what happened with my father.” She shook her head, her dark brows drawing together. “It’s funny. I’ve spent my whole life so focused on trying to get him to love me that I never realized there were so many great opportunities I was missing. So many great people.”

  “Yeah?” he moved a little closer. No way would he ever smell roses again and not think of her. “Like who?”

  She sat back, bringing their bodies within inches of each other. “Like Sheik Saaed and your team and… you.”

  His pulse quickened.

  “Me, huh?” the words squeaked out past his tight vocal cords.

  “Yeah.” Slowly, she reached over and took his hand in hers. “After that day in the oasis, I knew I cared for you, Spencer. But these past few weeks have shown me just how much I want to be with you. Not a day’s gone by I haven’t wanted to hunt you down and tell you how I feel.”

  He laced his fingers through hers then brought her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “I tried to get a hold of you too, sweetheart. Why didn’t you return my calls?”

  “I don’t know. Fear, I guess.”

  “You’re afraid of me?” He said, shocked.

  “No. Not you. What I feel for you.” She gave a sad little smile. “I’ve spent my whole life loving one man who never loved me back. I don’t think I could bear to go through that again.”

  Spencer turned her hand over and kissed her palm, then the inside of her wrist, right over her thudding pulse point, before bringing her hand to his cheek and smiling. “No worries there. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the night I walked out of that damned suite, Toni. I love you so much it hurts.”

  “You do?” Tears glittered in her gorgeous eyes and he kissed her, soft and slow and deep, loving the minty taste of her lips, the silky softness of her skin, everything about her.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Thank God!” Gage yelled from the dance floor. “He’s been a royal pain in our asses since we got home. Maybe you can cheer him up, eh Toni?”

  “I’ll do my best,” she giggled then kissed him again. “Want to dance?”

  “I’m supposed to be the one to ask that, right?” He stood and held out his hand to her as his favorite sappy song started—In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. Yeah, it was old too, but so much better than Scotty’s countrified crap. He pulled Toni into his arms and they swayed to the beat, her front pressed against him and driving his need for her to new heights.

  “You did okay for yourself there, buddy,” Gage said, as he and Anna drifted past. “Toni, welcome to the team.”

  “Um, thanks,” she said, then glanced at Anna. “Do I want to be on the team?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Anna laughed. “Right, Hayley?”

  “What?” Hayley steered her and Scotty closer.

  “Toni asked me if she wanted to be part of our team and I said yes.”

  “Definitely.” Hayley grinned. “Forget the guys, we girls know how to party.”

  “What do you mean, forget the guys?” Scotty said, looking totally affronted. “We’re the center of your existence, right?”

  “In your dreams.” Hayley smacked him on the back of the head. “Don’t forget who begged me to come back, who said he couldn’t live without me, who wanted to—”

  Scotty silenced her with a kiss and Spencer snorted.

  “Hope they don’t scare you off,” he said to Toni.

  “Nah.” She grinned. “I’ve been shot at twice, received all kinds of threatening messages, and been mobbed by the press more times than I can count. I can ha
ndle you. Easy.”

  “Yeah?” he pulled her closer and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. “Is that right?”

  “Yep. That’s right.” She pulled him in for a kiss and neither one of them did any more talking until the music ended.

  “You want another beer?” Spencer asked her as they returned to the table.

  “No, thanks. I’m good. I have to get back to my office soon anyway.”

  “More charity functions?” he asked, holding her chair for her before taking his seat beside her once more.

  “Always.” She pulled Spencer’s arm around her shoulders and snuggled up against him as Kyle returned from outside, his expression a bit less dark than before.

  “So.” Spencer asked his team leader while doing his best not to get too distracted by the feel of Toni’s lush curves pressed tight to his side. “What did Brighton say?”

  “He said we need to catch the next plane to Tennessee. Kyle took a deep breath and looked around the table at each of them, smiling. “Who’s ready to catch some homegrown terrorists?”

  Epilogue

  “Sir, I believe you’ll want to see this.”

  Miles Arrieta gazed dispassionately out over the Pacific Ocean as his butler dropped a newspaper onto the small wicker table beside him. Unfortunately, he didn’t need to see the headline to know what it said. His contacts in the States had already informed him that Coran Williams had been taken into FBI custody.

  The man would turn on him in a heartbeat. He’d known that from the start of this debacle and yet he’d still allowed the arrogant billionaire to think he’d outsmarted him. It had been worth it in the end, in order to gain access to his huge supply of funds. He snorted. Outsmart him? Honestly. The day Coran Williams or any of those SEAL idiots outsmarted him would be the day he died.

  And Miles didn’t plan on kicking it any time soon.

  “Thank you, Rogers,” he said, waiting until the butler departed before finally leaning over and picking up the paper.