Protecting Dakota (Sleeper SEALs Book 1)

by Susan Stoker

  “Yes, please. If it’s not too much trouble,” Slade said with a smile.

  “Of course not. It’s my job,” Dakota told him, glad to have a reason to go into the back room for a moment. There were a few cans under the bar, but she wanted to get him a cold drink from the refrigerator in the back.

  She used the few moments alone to give herself a stern talk. He’s just passing through, Dakota. The last thing you need right now is to get involved with a guy, even if it’s only for the night. No matter how sexy he is and how badly you want him. Get ahold of yourself.

  Satisfied that she had her head on straight, Dakota went back into the bar area with a smile on her face and held up the can. “Got it!” Instead of drooling over the fine specimen of a man who was sitting at the bar, she got busy grabbing a glass and filling it with ice. She poured the cola into the glass, concentrating so hard on what she was doing, she jumped when Doug pounded on the bar top down by the cash register.

  “We’re gonna get out of your hair, Dallas.”

  Dakota looked up and nodded, putting down the half-empty can because her hands were shaking too hard to finish. She glanced around and met Slade’s concerned eyes.

  “You okay?” he asked quietly.

  Dakota nodded quickly and pushed the glass and can of soda over to him. “Here ya go. Excuse me.”

  He nodded and she took the few steps to the register. She made small talk with Doug and Alex while she rang up their drinks. After they left, the room seemed to shrink. Being alone with Slade made her extremely nervous for some reason. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and smiled awkwardly at him.

  “You worked here long?” he asked.

  Dakota shrugged. She’d learned to keep her answers vague. “Not really.”

  “It’s a long way from civilization, isn’t it?”

  She shrugged again. “It is what it is. I’ve met some of the nicest people around. You on your way north or south?”

  It was his turn to shrug. “I came up from Crystal Springs, but I’m not sure if I’m going to go back that way or carry on. Anything worth looking at if I go up to Tonopah?”

  “Depends on what you like to look at,” Dakota told him. “I’ve heard Goldfield is really interesting, with the history of being haunted and all, but there’s not much out here in either direction, if I’m being honest.”

  “Hmmm. Any place to stay the night around here?” Slade asked.

  Dakota swallowed hard. Damn. There went her bed for the night. But she smiled brightly and told him the truth. “You’re in luck. There was a cancelation tonight so there’s a room available. It’s not fancy, you actually share a trailer with another couple, but they checked in about an hour ago and I think they’re planning on being up early, so they won’t be a bother. The middle is a common space, and the two bedrooms are on either side and have locking doors. It really is private.”

  Dakota knew she was babbling, but couldn’t stop. “It’s only forty-five bucks for the night, which is a really great deal. There’s hot water and you can use the wi-fi here at the restaurant for free. Breakfast is included. Nothing gourmet, just cinnamon rolls and juice, but again, it’s safer to stay than to try to make it all the way up to Tonopah in the dark.”

  Slade chuckled, and Dakota’s womanly parts spasmed at the sound. Jesus, he was beautiful.

  “I’ll take it. How could I not after that wonderful sales pitch?”

  “Sorry. People just tend to turn up their noses because it’s a trailer and they have to share it, but I promise it’s clean, safe, and totally worth the money.”

  Slade tipped his head back and chugged the rest of the Coke in the glass. He pulled out a five-dollar bill and slid it over to her. “Sounds good. I’m beat.”

  “Let me get your change.”

  Slade waved her off. “Keep it.”

  “Oh, okay, thanks. If you’re ready, I can walk you over to your room.”

  He looked at his watch. “You’re closing?”

  Dakota nodded. “Yeah, we’re not expecting anyone else tonight and it’s dark. The locals know we close up around now.”

  “Don’t want any aliens to wander in when the sun goes down, huh?” Slade joked.

  Dakota chuckled even though she’d heard it before. “Yeah, something like that. If you want, I’ll meet you outside in five minutes or so? I need to finish up in here.” Actually, she needed to give herself another talking to, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “Sure. I’ll be out by my bike.”

  Dakota nodded. Her eyes were glued to his ass as he walked out the door. He was definitely a fine specimen of a man. And it figured he’d have a motorcycle, just to amp up the sexiness. She’d never ridden on one, but once upon a time, before she’d gotten old enough to have given up on many of her dreams, she’d imagined what it would be like to sit behind a man, her arms wrapped around him, her chin on his shoulder as the wind blew in her hair and they flew down the highway.

  Shaking her head in disgust at herself, she mumbled, “Get ahold of yourself. Jesus, you’d think you weren’t on the run from a psycho crazy terrorist or something. You’ve got no time for mooning over a man. No matter how sexy he is or how much you want to know if his beard is soft or scratchy.”

  Satisfied with her pep talk, Dakota quickly washed the dirty glasses and locked the ancient cash register. There wasn’t a bank in Rachel to take the cash to, and besides, most people paid by credit card anyway.

  She hung up her apron and smoothed her hair, securing it back into a bun at the nape of her neck, and walked out the door.

  Slade was leaning against his Harley with one ankle resting on the other. His arms were crossed on his chest and he was frowning. Dakota quickly turned and locked the door, making sure the closed sign was clearly visible to anyone who might pull up later. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Slade. “Everything okay?”

  He shook his head. “There’s no cell service.”

  “Yeah, sorry. Once upon a time the residents petitioned the big phone companies to put a tower out here, but it wasn’t worth the money. And if you ask me, the government put the kibosh on that as well. It’s in their best interest to keep things on the down low out here, if you know what I mean. Area 51 and all. If it’s any consolation, once you get up to Warm Springs and past the big mountain up there, you’ll be in range again. If you really need to get ahold of someone, I could ask Pat—she owns this place with her daughter—if she’ll call someone for you. There are a few residents who have satellite phones out here.”

  Slade shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I can wait. I was just hoping to get ahold of my friend and let him know I made it safely and that I’d be spending the night.”

  “Sorry,” Dakota apologized again. “You could probably send him an email later if you wanted. I’ll make sure you have the password for the wi-fi. Ready to see where you’ll be staying?”

  “Don’t I need to pay for the room?” he asked.

  She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. You can pay Pat or Connie in the morning. They man the restaurant until I come on in the afternoon.”

  “Trusting,” Slade observed.

  Dakota smiled at that. “Yes, they are. Come on, it’s around back.”

  He straightened and turned to grab the handlebars of his motorcycle. He pushed the bike as they walked silently around the front of the iconic restaurant, past the giant metal spaceship announcing to anyone who passed by that they’d reached the A’Le’Inn, to one of the trailers off to the side of the parking lot.

  “Here it is. And I know it doesn’t look like much, but I promise it’s clean.”

  “I believe you,” Slade told her, holding out his hand for the key Dakota had been playing with.

  “Oh yeah, here ya go.” She inhaled when her fingertips brushed Slade’s palm. He was warm, and she was quickly getting chilly in the desert air. “Right, so there’s the entrance, just turn to the right when you enter and that’s your room. Sleep well.”
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br />   “See you later,” Slade said as he nodded at her.

  “Yeah, okay,” Dakota mumbled, knowing he wouldn’t. She did her best to avoid the restaurant in the mornings, not wanting to interact with the people who stayed the night, and needing the time to herself. Connie let her use her computer in the mornings, and Dakota used the time to search the Internet for mentions of her name, and to try to see if she could figure out the name of the asshole who was following her. So far, she hadn’t had any luck, but it didn’t really matter. She knew she was in trouble; the guy had practically told her straight up she would be his. She shuddered at the memory.

  Turning and heading for her car, which was behind Pat’s trailer, Dakota mentally reminded herself once more to talk to the other woman soon. It was time to go.

  Three hours later, Slade walked silently past the trailers that were rented out to tourists and headed for where he’d last seen Dakota. She looked exactly like her picture, right down to the bun at the back of her head. At least she’d altered her name a bit; it wasn’t much, but it was something. She hadn’t tried to disguise herself at all.

  But then again, why would she think anyone would follow her to Rachel, Nevada?

  The town seemed like it was at the end of the world. Strangers stood out like sore thumbs and she knew exactly who was sleeping where each night. Slade had used the wi-fi to kill time and find out more information on the small town. He knew Dakota wasn’t going anywhere, she didn’t seem to be suspicious of him at all.

  And if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d been struck by the same thing he had when she’d lain eyes on him the first time. Slade recognized the look of interest and lust in her eyes, because he knew it was the same look on his face when he’d first seen her photo. And as he thought she would be, she was even more beautiful in person. She was curvy, and he estimated her to be around five-eight or nine; her head came to about his chin. Slade knew she’d fit against him perfectly.

  She was funny and endearing when she got nervous. He could absolutely see her as an elementary school teacher and principal. It was the uncertainty and uneasiness behind her eyes that really struck him, though. He hated that she was scared, and wanted to hold her tightly and reassure her that he’d make sure Aziz Fourati didn’t get anywhere near her. He needed to be smart, but didn’t have the luxury of time to let her get comfortable with him. He needed to talk to her about her situation, get her to trust him, and get the hell out of Rachel, Nevada.

  The bottom line was that Dakota James was no longer merely a face on a piece of paper. She was a flesh-and-blood woman, and Slade wanted her more than he wanted his next breath. But he wanted to keep her safe more than he wanted, or needed, to have her under him…for now.

  He’d been planning to break out the bribe he’d picked up for her in Vegas when they’d been alone at the bar, but she’d seemed too uneasy around him. And he was afraid she’d bolt if he spooked her. So, he was biding his time, and he’d catch up with her in the morning.

  Slade really wished he could get ahold of Tex and find out if he had any information about Fourati, and if he or his cronies were on their way to Rachel, but for now, he was winging it. He didn’t trust email to be secure and decided he’d wait.

  When enough time had passed, Slade had eased out of the plain and simple room in the trailer and was now looking for Dakota.

  The wind blew in from the north and he shivered in the cool night air. Winter was definitely arriving in the valley, and Slade wouldn’t be surprised if there was snow in the forecast. Peering around one of the trailers, he grinned. Bingo.

  Tex had given him the details on Dakota’s car…a two thousand and eight Subaru Impreza. Gray. And it was parked in front of him. She hadn’t even taken off her California plates. Slade inwardly grimaced. She didn’t have the first clue how to hide. It was both endearing and frightening at the same time. It was a good thing it was him there looking for her and not Fourati.

  Slade walked silently up to the car and peered in, not expecting to see anything worth his time. He stopped short and stared through the window.

  Dakota was wrapped up in a blanket in the driver’s seat, only the top of her head and blonde hair showing. She was sleeping in her car.

  She was sleeping in her fucking car.

  Slade wanted to hit something. Wanted to bang on the glass and wake her up and read her the riot act. It was cold out there, but honestly that was the least of her worries. What if he’d been Fourati? Or a drunk resident who’d decided she was free game? Yeah, Dakota was tall, but she wouldn’t be any match for a drunk, horny guy.

  Swearing under his breath at the entire situation and hating himself for not confronting her earlier that evening, Slade turned around and headed back to his room. If he was going to watch over one Miss Dakota James, he needed warmer clothing.

  She might not have asked for it, but starting right now, she had a protector. Seeing her sleeping, vulnerable, and probably cold, had ramped up his interest in her from warm to red hot. Dakota needed protecting, and he’d be the man to do so.

  And when she no longer needed protecting, he’d still be the man in her life.

  Chapter 4

  Dakota came awake slowly. The morning sky was just beginning to lighten and was casting a purplish hue over the valley. She shifted in her seat and grimaced. Every muscle in her body was stiff, and it was cold. Surprised her windshield wasn’t iced over, she bent her neck to the left, then the right to stretch it out.

  Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she glanced to the side—and squeaked in terror.

  Sitting next to her, right next to her, inside her car, was the man from the night before.

  Slade.

  He was propped against the passenger door, his arms crossed over his chest, one leg bent at the knee and resting on the seat, and he was scowling. At her.

  “What the heck?” Dakota breathed, and immediately reached for the door handle, her breaths coming out in quick pants, the cold air making it obvious how freaked she was.

  “You’re sleeping in your car,” Slade said in a flat tone.

  Dakota nodded and cursed under her breath. She didn’t want to take her eyes from Slade’s, but she couldn’t find the stupid handle.

  “I told you last night, but my name is Slade Cutsinger. I’m a retired Navy SEAL and I’m here to keep you safe.”

  “Uh huh,” Dakota murmured, only partly listening. She found the handle, finally, and pulled, planning on getting the hell away from the huge man currently glaring at her.

  “I talked to your dad the other day. I saw the postcards. It’s how I found you.”

  Dakota froze with one foot on the hard dirt outside her vehicle and spun back around to face Slade. “He has nothing to do with this. Leave him alone,” she whispered shakily.

  “I know he doesn’t,” Slade reassured her. “The postcards were a good idea, by the way. Your dad was sure you were doing okay, as was your intention. Unfortunately, a few people you gave them to got lazy and instead of waiting until they got home, mailed them from Vegas.”

  “Darn,” Dakota said. She figured she might as well listen to what Slade had to say. Since he knew about the postcards, he most likely had seen her dad. She might be stupid, but she wasn’t getting scary vibes from Slade, so hopefully her dad was in his house secure in the knowledge his daughter was okay…even if she was on the run from a terrorist.

  “I know all about the bombing in the airport, Dakota,” Slade said softly, bringing her out of her musings.

  Dakota’s stomach cramped. He’d used her real name.

  Of course he had. If he’d seen her dad, he had to know who she really was.

  “I know you were the only survivor. I know that you saw Aziz Fourati, and I also know that you’re the only one in the world right now who can identify him. He also knows this, and not only wants to make sure you keep that information to yourself, but wants you for his own. To be his wife.”

  Dakota shut her car door and shivered. D
amn, it was cold. She tried to clear her foggy morning brain. She never functioned well before she’d had a cup of coffee. “His name is Aziz?”

  She’d surprised him. Slade’s eyebrows went up and he tilted his head as he asked, “You didn’t know his name?”

  “No. He never said it. What’s his last name again?” She was trying really hard not to freak out. Oh, she was leaving today for sure, but she needed to know what Slade knew before she bolted. Information was power.

  “Fourati.”

  “That sounds foreign,” Dakota observed, proud of herself for how calm she sounded.

  “It is. Best guess is that he’s Tunisian.”

  “Tunisian?” she asked, really confused now.

  “Yeah, Tunisian. The country between Algeria and Libya in Northern Africa.”

  “I know where Tunisia is,” Dakota answered grumpily. “I just…” She paused for a moment, realizing that she should definitely not be talking to Slade about anything. She didn’t know him. He could be one of Aziz Fourati’s goons. She was happy to have a name for the guy who was making her life a living hell, but she needed to be smart…no matter how much her intuition was screaming that she could trust the man next to her.

  Slade leaned over and grabbed something off the floor at his feet. It was a metal travel cup. He offered it to her without a word.

  Dakota stared at the cup, then back at him. If he thought she was going to drink something he gave her, he was insane. “No thank you,” she said politely.

  “You don’t know what it is,” Slade said evenly.

  “I don’t know who you are,” she returned a bit snarkily. “The only reason I’m still sitting in here right now is because it’s cold outside, and there’s nowhere for me to go. I’m sure if you wanted to, you could catch me in two-point-three seconds and slit my throat. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I’d like to get as much information as I can about why my life is in the crapper before I die.”