“Do you have underground assignments?” he asked.
Sutton quirked an eyebrow.
“I want to be in the dark to anything that happens in America.”
Sutton nodded his understanding. “I’ll give you the darkest assignments I can find and make sure everyone knows you want no reports on American social media.”
Darkness, tough assignments, and a world where Kiera and Milo didn’t exist sounded like the best option available to him. “When do I start?” he muttered.
Sutton gave him half a smile. “I thought you would never ask. Welcome aboard, young chap.”
Chapter Three
The ride to the airport, waiting until after midnight to pay an exorbitant amount to get on a plane, being in the air on a red-eye flight for six hours and forty-two minutes, none of it could wipe the perma-grin off Kiera’s face. Even though time passed excruciatingly slowly and she got some strange looks in her stage costume and makeup—until the people recognized her and interrupted her daydreams of Creed asking for autographs—her happiness didn’t evaporate as her mind kept repeating over and over again “Creed’s alive. Creed’s alive!”
She couldn’t wait to be in his arms. They’d fallen in love in high school. He and his brothers were all superhero athletes, handsome and sought after by every girl whose hormones worked properly. Creed had been the quarterback for Paul D. Schreiber High School, and his brother Emmett was their wide receiver. The two broke every record at the school then went on to play college ball together at Cornell. Emmett went on to play professionally for the Titans, but Creed enrolled in Navy training during college, like they all knew he would. He was determined to make a difference, and he would rather be below the water than on land.
When Kiera had first seen Creed, she’d been a sophomore and he was a senior. His family was from the unreal expensive area of Sands Point, whereas her parents were middle class and had a condo in Manorhaven, which was considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Port Washington, Long Island. Kiera smiled. Dangerous was a relative term. She loved all of Long Island and had always felt safe. The fact that the billionaire hunk Creed Hawk had noticed her still shocked her. His friends and brothers gave him a hard time about robbing the cradle, but Creed didn’t care. He only had eyes for Kiera, and she’d been enamored with him from day one as well.
So much history together and so much love. Then he’d died. She shuddered. All that awful emptiness and sadness was behind her now. Creed was alive.
She finally made it onto land, through the airport, and into her mama’s arms. When her mama could see through the tears, they jumped into her Volvo, and her mama drove like a crazy woman through the morning rush hour toward Creed’s parents’ colonial mansion on Sands Point. When Kiera stumbled out of her mama’s old car at the Hawk mansion gate, she knew she was a mess—wearing her costume outfit and makeup, some of her makeup smeared from the tears of happiness she couldn’t stop crying. She wanted to yell to everyone—Creed’s alive!
“Ma’am?” the guard said respectfully but warily.
“Creed.” She gushed out. “I’m here for Creed.” She clasped her hands together and couldn’t stop grinning. “Kiera Richins. I’m his girlfriend.”
The guard glanced over her sequined white dress with the high thigh slit so she could move easily. His glance said he wondered if she was a crazed Hawk brothers’ fan. She prayed he wouldn’t call the cops on her. Dredging up every bit of training, she tilted her chin and gave him a challenging look.
Recognition flared in his eyes. “You’re the Just Dance lady,” he murmured.
At least he’d recognized her and probably wouldn’t throw her out. “I need to see Creed … please.”
He nodded. “Just a moment, ma’am.” He paced away from her and pulled out his phone, conferring for far too long. Finally, he pushed open the walking gate and ushered her through. “Do you need assistance to the house?” he asked, glancing down at her high-heeled dancing shoes.
She laughed. “I can sprint in these things.” And sprint she did, feeling so carefree and happy. She was here. Creed was here. Life was beautiful and wonderful. Running along the wooded path that paralleled the tree-lined drive, Kiera finally spotted the huge Colonial mansion. Kiera had always loved this spacious house with the wide planks, black shutters, huge porch, and the views over the sweeping lawn, pool area, and the ocean beyond. But it was the love that filled the house that made her so happy. Creed’s mom was an angel, and his brothers were very similar in dark good looks but very different in personality, talents, and temperament. Despite that, they were all good men who could tease her like a sister.
The front door sprang open as she crossed the circle drive and raced past the water features. Caroline ran out with her arms wide. She was a few inches shorter than Kiera’s five six and was always done up to the nines with her dark hair perfectly coiffed and in a different color of business suit and skirt every day. Yet she’d bake cookies and cuddle and wrestle with her boys as if she was in holey sweats. Kiera loved her almost as much as she loved her own mama.
“Beautiful girl, you’re here!”
Kiera pumped her way up the stairs as Caroline descended them. They slammed so hard into each other Kiera would’ve lost her balance if she hadn’t been born with the ability to teeter on her toes for hours. Caroline held her tight. Tears ran unchecked down Kiera’s face. A small part of her wished she could clean off her stage makeup that had to be smeared to kingdom come and get all beautiful for Creed, but most of her couldn’t care less. She just wanted his arms around her and knew he would feel the same, no matter what his letter said about her moving on with her life, no matter how many horrors he must’ve gone through being imprisoned for three months. They were meant to be together and heal each other’s hurts. Creed would want her even with the makeup smears.
“He’s alive.” Caroline kept repeating it. “I’m just so happy.”
“I want him!” It came out as an anguished wail, and the words sounded completely inappropriate to say to Creed’s mother, but she knew Caroline would understand. Kiera had distanced herself from the Hawks because of how hard it had been to see each other and be reminded of losing Creed all over again, ripping the unhealed wound open over and over again. Still, she knew the Hawks loved her, and she loved them. Her heart was bursting with happiness. They could all be one big happy family again. Creed would come soon—hold her, kiss her. They could start making plans for when they would get married. She knew he’d support her in her career, but that was the last thing on her mind right now. She needed Creed more than water, food, or air. More than dancing. Okay, she was getting a little dramatic, but she loved him so much.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Caroline pulled back and daintily swiped her tears away with her first finger. “You just missed him. He … had to leave.”
“Leave? Where?” Surely, she’d heard wrong. Creed would never leave. He’d know Kiera would come. In fact, if he had the time, the Creed she missed and loved would’ve flown straight to find her. She knew it.
“Packed up his stuff and left with some charming English man an hour ago.”
Caroline’s words screeched all of Kiera’s dreams to a halt. Caroline studied her like she might break apart. With good cause. Creed had left?
“Did he go looking for me?” She clenched her hands together, terrified of the answer. She never thought she’d be terrified of anything Creed would do. What was happening?
“Earlier I thought he was going to.” Caroline seemed as confused as Kiera felt. “You didn’t see him in Vegas?”
Kiera shook her head.
“I was so certain he was going to find you, but now he’s headed to California.”
California? If Creed really went to Vegas, why didn’t he find her? In the hallway, after Milo kissed her, she thought she’d heard Creed’s voice call her name. If that had been Creed he wouldn’t have left without finding her. She was so confused.
“When’s he coming back?” she a
sked in a small, unsteady voice. She would wait. Though it hurt that he hadn’t been able to wait for her, what was a few more days when they were going to be together forever? He must’ve had to go on an essential assignment. Surely there was someone dying who needed Creed’s skills and help. That was the only reason he’d leave before he saw her. She had to believe that or she would crumble.
“I don’t know exactly how long, sweetheart.”
“Can we call him?”
Caroline wrapped her hand around Kiera’s arm as if in a show of support. “He … he said there’s no way for us to get a hold of him. Said he’ll be ‘underground’ for”—Caroline swallowed—“months.” She looked down as if she couldn’t meet Kiera’s gaze. “He asked me to send his things to California.”
Kiera stared, not even blinking. Most of all not comprehending. Was Caroline trying to say that Creed had been brought back from the dead, only to leave her again?
“The job is undercover and very important. Somebody needs him. You know Creed.” Caroline smiled, but it fell away quickly.
Kiera did know Creed. Knew and loved him completely. He’d been her world. She’d been proud and thought it was very honorable when he’d enlisted in the Navy then worked his way into being a SEAL and then on a special elite task force. Her stomach rolled. All of Creed’s accomplishments made her suddenly ill. She’d assumed he’d done everything because of his love for America which he’d claimed was deeper because of his love for Kiera. It had been hard when he’d missed the entire season of America’s Got Talent: Just Dance. Especially when she won and he couldn’t be there to pick her off her feet and kiss her in that joyful moment. She had expected to make sacrifices as the loved one of a Navy SEAL, and she’d never begrudged him serving his country. Yet now, when he should have returned to her, he’d chosen an undercover job over her? He was so noble and good, and of course, someone needed him, but why couldn’t that someone be her?
She was numb. Creed hadn’t cared enough to even come find her before he left again? He’d been resurrected from death, and he couldn’t even send her a text? Maybe she could understand if he would’ve at least made an effort. Would it have killed him to call? Explain why he had to leave?
“Come inside, sweetheart. You look exhausted.”
Kiera pulled back and shook her head. She wasn’t exhausted. She was heartbroken and shattered, and as the depth of Creed’s rejection and betrayal sunk in, she was royally ticked off. She focused in on Caroline. Creed’s mom didn’t deserve Kiera’s wrath. Creed did. “I … I’d better go be with my mama and”—she gestured to her ridiculous outfit—“change out of this.”
Caroline nodded, pretending she understood, pretending they didn’t both know that Creed apparently didn’t love Kiera enough to make any effort to contact her. Ditched. She’d been ditched by the man who was her world. What kind of man did that to the woman he claimed to love? Not her Creed. Had his imprisonment changed him, stripped him of his ability to love her? In his letter he’d asked her repeatedly to move on, to find happiness and love. Had he planned even then to never come back to her? Maybe, before he’d been imprisoned, he’d already doubted their relationship? Doubted their love? The bottom fell out of her stomach. She was on an emotional roller coaster more vicious than any ride at Six Flags.
“I’ll tell Creed I saw you when he calls.”
“No!” Kiera shook her head fiercely. “Please don’t, Caroline.”
“But Kiera—”
“Please.” Kiera swallowed hard so she wouldn’t cry again. Before, the tears she’d been crying were due to happiness and anticipation and joy. Now, they would be bitter and selfish and pitiful. Kiera touched Caroline’s arm. “If he didn’t want to see me …” She swallowed again and shook her head then bit her lip before taking a quick breath. Nothing helped, the tears spilled out.
“Oh, sweetheart, of course he wanted to see you!” Caroline crossed the distance between them and hugged her tight. “He’s always loved you. It’s always been you for Creed.”
“Then why wouldn’t he come for me? Why wouldn’t he wait?” The anguished words rushed out, and Kiera wished she could call them back. She didn’t want to do this with Creed’s mom. It wasn’t fair of her. This sweet woman had been through more than enough. Creed had left her too. How could he just leave his mom for some job, days after returning to her? This job must be singularly important. Unfortunately, that thought didn’t help ease the pain at all.
“I don’t know. But I know how much he loved you.”
Kiera pulled back and studied Caroline’s beautiful face. She had some laugh wrinkles around her mouth and eyes, which made her even more lovely. “Loved.” She sniffed and nodded. “Something must have changed. He doesn’t want me anymore.” Was it possible that letter that she’d clung to and used as motivation to work hard and be successful was really Creed dumping her? He’d never planned to come back to her, even if he survived the imprisonment? He’d told her goodbye in that final letter, and she’d taken it as encouragement and love.
The world was crashing around her, and she could hardly stand up straight from the weight of it.
“No. I can’t believe that,” Caroline said. “He loves you.”
“Then why would he leave without finding me? Not even a phone call, a text, an email. Nothing!”
Caroline blinked up at her. She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “There has to be some explanation.”
Kiera didn’t want to ask but she had to. “Did he even say anything? Did he even care?”
“Well of course he cared! He flew to Vegas.”
“To find me?” She challenged. He sure hadn’t found her. Even if that had been him in the hallway, he hadn’t come for her. He’d flown back home and went straight to California. Why?
“Of course! At least, we all assumed so. I mean it was a whirlwind with hugging him and all of us asking so many questions, and then he hadn’t met Emmett’s fiancée, Cambree, so he wanted to get to know her. Anyway, late the first night he was home, he came and told us he was going to rush to Vegas the next morning and then he would be back. Of course that meant to find you.”
“Did it?” She shook her head. “I never saw him. What did he say when he came back? He never said he was coming for me, did he?”
Caroline couldn’t meet her gaze. “He didn’t say anything. Just came late last night with that beautiful man with the English accent. Tom and the man chatted while I helped Creed pack. Creed was pretty somber, but I talked enough for the both of us, and then he was gone.”
“He said nothing about seeing me?”
“I tried to ask him about you, if he saw you. He wouldn’t talk about it. He seemed broken.”
Kiera felt broken. The thought of Creed hurting and her not being able to fix him, be there for him, seared even more wounds open inside of her. She felt pain that he wouldn’t let her fix him and hurt that she would never get the chance. She hadn’t let herself think about his imprisonment too much, but did it break him, break their love or had his love for her disappeared before that?
There were so many questions and no answers. The only person who had those answers hadn’t found her, if he’d even tried. It didn’t seem like he’d made much of an effort, and now, she couldn’t even call him and tell him off and then tell him she loved him. Tell him their love could surpass any pain, if only he would allow it to.
She backed away. One-sided love wouldn’t be enough to fix anything, especially a man as strong and brave as Creed. If he didn’t need her, she refused to be the wilting flower begging for a sip of water from him.
“Please don’t tell him I came.”
“But sweetheart …” Caroline began.
“Please!” Kiera wasn’t above begging. “I can’t imagine what he’s gone through, how hard it’s been. Please don’t burden him with this as well. It’s obvious he doesn’t want me anymore.” Her voice broke. “Please promise me.”
Caroline finally nodded, and she didn’t reach for her
this time. Right now, Kiera really needed that hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“Not your fault.” Kiera tried to be brave. “Thank you for always being so wonderful to me.”
Caroline did hug her then. “It’s going to work out. He’ll find you,” she whispered in her ear.
Kiera wished she could believe that. Creed was an impressive and stealthy tracker, but he couldn’t find her if he didn’t look.
She forced a smile and turned, walking slowly past the lovely fountains and cobblestone circle drive, along the path that she’d run down with such joyful abandon not long ago. Creed had come back. He was alive. She loved him desperately. And he didn’t care enough to even call her.
Crazily, there were no tears left. Her heart was cold and empty. The pain that wracked her body made her want to vomit. It was like he’d died all over again. No, it was worse. At least when he’d died last time, others had shared in her grief, and she had that letter, so full of his love and his wishes for her to be happy. At least, she had thought that’s what the letter meant.
She was horribly selfish to even have these thoughts. His mother and family had Creed back in their lives, and that was wonderful for them. But Kiera had nothing.
Chapter Four
Kiera spent the day with her mom and the evening with both of her parents, but she couldn’t handle being in Long Island, so close to all those memories of Creed and unable to accept that it was truly over between them. That he’d moved on, dumping her and their love that easily.
She did the walk, or rather flight, of shame back to Las Vegas and her career. A quick text sent, and Milo met her at the airport with open arms. She heard some clicks and looked around to see they’d been recognized and several teenage girls were taking pictures. She couldn’t even force a smile. Milo tried to start a conversation as they left the airport, but she wasn’t quite ready to face him yet.
The Stealth Warrior: Navy SEAL Romance 2.0 Page 3