Free - A last chance love story: A Black Ops Military Romance

by Riley Edwards

  It’s not every day your best friend comes back from the dead.

  Chapter 10

  Over the course of the three-and-a-half-hour drive, I stole sideways glances at Lily while she slept. She looked so beautiful. It was surreal having her sit next to me. Doing something as mundane as driving in a car together, I never thought we’d do that again. Never thought we would have another conversation.

  I missed her so much over the last twelve years. There were so many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call her. There were some dark and lonely times where I needed to hear her voice but forced myself to wait. Knowing that I would see her on the anniversary of my death and hear her voice was what got me through. Each year that passed, I became more and more worried she wouldn’t show up. I was deathly afraid she would move on and not come to see me anymore. Some years she came later in the day than others. My gut would be in knots as I sat there waiting. Then I’d see her, and my whole body would relax.

  She was my church; her sweet words washed the past years’ sins clean. I could leave the cemetery and go back to work with a clean slate. If God allowed me another year on earth to see her again, then I knew I must’ve been forgiven.

  All too soon we turned down a long dirt road that ran parallel to the Twenty-Nine Palms runway, and the rundown hangar came into view. This area was almost deserted; it was the perfect place for a low-key hideaway.

  I didn’t want to bring her here. I wanted to run away with her to that little island off Croatia and pretend I hadn’t left her all those years ago. I wanted her all to myself.

  “Lily. We’re here.” I tried to wake her.

  She shifted in her sleep, turning her face toward me but kept her eyes closed. I put the car in park and took one last look at her before I had to take her into the lion’s den. Her eyelashes gently fanned across her skin, her brow completely relaxed in slumber. She looked so at peace.

  As much as I didn’t want to, I had to rip the band-aid off and get this over with. The longer she was with me, the more I started to believe I could keep her.

  “Time to wake up,” I called out and gently shook her.

  She awoke with a start, but her face quickly gentled, her eyes coming to mine.

  “I thought it was a dream. A really, really great dream,” she whispered. “What’s gonna happen to me now?”

  “I won’t know until after I’ve been briefed,” I answered.

  “I’m scared. Are they gonna take me away from you?”

  There was no telling what was going to happen once we went into the hangar. I didn’t want to scare her even more than she already was, but depending on who those men were, there was a possibility she would be taken underground immediately.

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I lied.

  She was smart to be scared. This right here was why I faked my death - to free her from the burden of fear.

  “I trust you.”

  Fuck. I didn’t deserve those words.

  “Let’s get you inside.”

  I hurried her into the hangar anxious to see what my team had found. When we entered, all eyes came to us. Clark and Jasper looked up from the pictures they had spread out over a large wood table. Levi glanced up over the five-computer screens in front of him, but continued to type furiously on the keyboard.

  “‘Bout time you made it in,” Clark greeted. “Took your sweet ass time.”

  “What can I say? Traffic was a bitch,” I answered.

  Levi stopped typing and walked over to us. “You must be Lillian. I’m Levi, nice to meet you.”

  Levi extended his hand. Before Lily reached for it, she looked up at me, and I nodded my head in encouragement.

  “Lily, please. Nice to meet you, Levi,” Lily said shaking his hand.

  “That’s Clark and Jasper.” I made the introductions.

  Jasper looked her over, a sly appreciative smile started to form. “So, this is Lily, huh?” Jasper said as he continued to eye her.

  “Jasper…” I said in warning. I didn’t like the way he was staring at her; like she was some barfly he was getting ready to score with.

  “Shane, it’s okay.” Her hand came to mine and gave it a squeeze before she let go and walked to Jasper.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Jasper. I’d like to say I’ve heard great things about you, but the truth is he’s zipped up tighter than a nun and never mentioned you.” With a wink, she extended her hand.

  Jasper stared at her before he looked down at her extended hand. He threw his head back and busted out laughing. It had taken several seconds before he regained his composure. Without warning, he pushed her hand away and pulled her into a hug.

  This was not going to go well for my friend if he continued to touch my girl. Wait! What the fuck, Lily was not my girl. That was the kind of thinking that was going to get me in trouble.

  “Jesus, that was fuckin’ funny. Welcome to the hangar. The accommodations suck ass, but we do have good whiskey and coffee. Would you like either?” Jasper continued to chuckle.

  “I’ll have a bottle of water if you have any. And I’ll take you up on that whiskey as soon as I find out if I’m dead or not,” Lily teased.

  “Yeah, I like you. We’ll get along just fine. I can set you up with a laptop, and you can pick out your coffin just in case the need arises.”

  I didn’t like Jasper getting so friendly with Lily. I should’ve been happy she was being so easygoing and agreeable. Most women would’ve been throwing a temper tantrum by now. But not Lily. Here she was smiling and trying to put on a brave face. I still didn’t like the flirtation in her tone, but it was better than the alternative.

  Clark was standing back watching and had yet to engage. That was him - ever watchful. Clark never rushed into any situation, he always hung back and observed before he made any judgments.

  All joking subsided when she turned to Clark and squared her shoulders. “You must be Clark. I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused.”

  “No trouble, ma’am. If you’d like, Lenox can show you to one of the bunk rooms, and you can rest.” I noticed he didn’t extend his hand to shake hers. He was also formal with her. What the hell was that about?

  “If it’s all the same to you, sir, I’d prefer to stay where Sha…Lenox can keep watch over me. I mean no disrespect, but I do not know any of you. I’m sure you understand. I can sit in the corner, I promise not to be in the way.”

  Clark eyed her carefully and nodded his head, “Understandable. And smart. Lenox, get your girl comfortable. We’ll brief in five.”

  “Is that Mr. Kincaid?” Lily asked, pointing to one of the photographs on the table.

  “This?” Clark picked up the picture and held it out for Lily to inspect.

  “Yes. That’s Calvin Kincaid. Why do you have all these pictures of him?”

  “You’re positive this is Calvin Kincaid?” Clark asked.

  “Yes, he is one of my donors.” She looked at Clark confused.

  “Levi, pull up Calvin Kincaid, full work-up. Jasper, please get Mrs. Nordoff a bottle of water. Lenox, pull all of the McGrath Carter financials. I want everything dating back from when the doors opened.”

  I didn’t miss Lily’s flinch when Clark called her by her married name. He knew that wasn’t her name. He also knew that would upset her. She had changed her name back to Nelson as soon as she divorced that scumbag.

  What did he find while we were driving in? I hated not having all the information, and I really didn’t appreciate Clark blindsiding me.

  “If you don’t mind, my name is Lily. But if you insist on being formal, Ms. Nelson will do. Surely a man with your intelligence and access to information would’ve known that. So, if that was your attempt to unnerve me, you’ll need to try harder.

  “I am happy to tell you anything you’d like to know about Calvin Kincaid, as he seems to be of importance to you.” Lily stopped and turned to me. “If you’d like my financials for the centers, I can give you my banking login and th
e codes to dial into the hard drive. Or I suppose you could hack in yourself, whatever way is faster for you.”

  I didn’t appreciate Clark treating her like a target, and I really didn’t like that he was trying to put her on edge.

  “I’ll take your login codes. Has Kincaid made any sizeable donations?” I asked.

  “Sizable? No. He makes monthly donations, a wire of five thousand dollars. He has given larger sums when I’ve solicited money for a fundraiser,” Lily explained.

  “Sixty grand a year sounds pretty sizable,” Clark whistled.

  “I assume you know my upbringing. I would further assume you know my personal financial status. Sixty thousand dollars a year to a charity is a drop in the bucket. So, no, sixty grand is not sizeable,” Lily snarled.

  “And why would you assume that?”

  Christ, I had to put an end to this pissing match.

  “Back off, Clark.”

  “I’m fine, Lenox. Those assumptions are based on the fact you strike me as a man who does his homework. The same way I wouldn’t walk into a room full of investors without knowing all there was to know about them. You’ve had four hours to dig through my life. I’m sure you did it well. I am an open book, Clark. All you have to do is ask.”

  “I have done my homework. And some things are not adding up,” Clark shot back.

  “What the fuck are you talking about, Clark?” I asked.

  “Why don’t you tell me about Kincaid.” Clark ignored me and continue to address Lily.

  “Do you mind if I sit?” She waited for Clark to motion to the chair. “Let’s see, I met him at a movie premiere in New York about eighteen-ish months ago. He asked me out to dinner.”

  The growl that was bubbling up must’ve escaped because Lily looked at me and Jasper chuckled. Asshole.

  “Sorry, continue,” I urged.

  “I declined his offer. Over the course of the evening, a producer friend mentioned to Calvin that I ran a charity in Los Angeles. Calvin asked for my card and said he’d like to make a donation. I gave him my card, and that was the last I saw of him that evening. About a week later he showed up at my Northridge center and asked for a tour. I gave him one, and he asked me out again for dinner and drinks. Again, I declined. He seemed to take it well. He then said he would like to set up monthly deposits. We went to my office so I could give him the banking information for his financial advisor, and that was it. He thanked me for my time and left.”

  “Who was the producer?” I asked.

  “Clyde Davison. I’m sure you remember him. Your father worked on one of his movies.”

  I turned the name over in my mind and recognition dawned. “Yes, I remember him. He was with Sommers Studio, he arranged financing. Slimy bastard was always trying to find creative ways to fund the studio’s films, like scamming people.”

  “And since then? Have you seen Kincaid again?” Clark questioned.

  “Yes, I have seen him at various functions in Los Angeles. I think at a breast cancer event, and maybe an awards show. Neither time did he speak to me, he simply acknowledged me with a wave. And he also sent in a fifty-thousand-dollar donation in lieu of attending a fundraiser for a new gymnasium in our Oxnard center.”

  “You never went to dinner or drinks with Kincaid? No personal involvement at all?” he continued.

  “I said I didn’t. Are you questioning my veracity?”

  Clark studied Lily for a moment. I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but I really didn’t fucking like how he was badgering her.

  “Not at all, I am simply trying to make sure you’ve remembered every interaction you’ve had with him.”

  “I’ll be honest. I didn’t realize I needed to be paying attention and taking notes at every event I attended over the last eighteen months.” Lily stopped and blew out a breath. Her shoulders sagged forward, and she suddenly looked worn out. “You have to understand something, Clark, I hate going to these events. I despise pretentious assholes who think because they are the Hollywood elite they get to behave however they please. I am nervous when I go because I have to turn into one of them. I have to be Lillian Nelson, and I do it because I want money to keep my centers up and running. I deeply struggle with that, then I remember my centers help people. People who need it. So when I attend these events, I am nervous and annoyed the whole time I am there.” Lily stopped again and took a deep breath. “I am a fake, a complete fraud. I go, I pretend I am one of them to fit in, then I leave. But, I can assure you, I have never gone on a date or had any personal interaction with Calvin Kincaid.”

  “Have you ever seen him on the street or the grocery store. Anywhere like that?”

  “Enough Clark. She answered your goddamn questions,” I exploded. “She’s not a fucking target.”

  “She is, Lenox. Just not ours,” Clark shot back and handed me a stack of pictures of Lily.

  “What the fuck are these?” I asked, spreading them across the table.

  Lily. At least twenty different pictures of her coming out of a variety of places: the supermarket, a clothing boutique, inside one of her centers. She was never looking at the camera. Someone was tailing her.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered.

  “Where in the hell did you get these?”

  “Those were on a compact flash card in a camera that was found in the car of one of the suits today,” Clark answered, keeping his eyes diverted. That was his tell, he would never look at you when he was hiding something. The irony wasn’t lost on me. He was the best operator I knew. When we were in the field, he was ice, but with the team he couldn’t hide shit.

  “What else?” I asked.

  Clark remained silent looking at the pictures.

  “Tell him. He needs to know,” Jasper said from behind me.

  “We sent Hesh to Lily’s place. We wanted her house scrubbed as quickly as possible. There were cameras.”

  Tears fell from her eyes, and she lost the battle, breaking down and crying into her hands.

  I tried to hold on to my temper. The last thing I wanted was Lily seeing this side of me. The cold, detached Carter Lenox. I’d hoped she would never meet him. But in the end, I couldn’t contain my rage.

  “I am going to find him and slit his goddamn throat.” I exploded.

  Chapter 11

  Shane detonated and slammed both fists on the tables, shocking me into silence. I had never, not once, seen him lose his temper like this. This man before me was not my Shane, he was someone else entirely. This man, Lenox, scared me.

  “Why are there cameras in my house?” I asked.

  I was a nobody. No one cared enough about me to watch me, not even my father cared that much.

  “It means someone has been watching you. Twelve fucking years for nothing. Goddamn it,” Shane shouted.

  “Lenox, calm the fuck down. You’re scaring Lily,” Clark chastised.

  “I’m scaring Lily? She should be fucking scared; an arms dealer has had her under surveillance.” Shane’s face contorted before he continued, “Did Hesh find out where the network feeds were stored?”

  “Arms dealer? Who is an arms dealer?” I asked.

  “He did. They went directly to an office space in La Brea leased under the name Calvin Kincaid. I’ll tell you what, that asshole Roman has balls,” Clark answered, ignoring me.

  “Who is Roman?” I tried interrupting Clark and Shane.

  “That’s too easy. The fucker wanted us to make the connection. He is taunting me, sending a message that he knows about Lily. What else did he find?” Shane asked Clark, shifting the photographs around on the table.

  “Agreed, he could’ve had that routed…”

  “I asked a damn question,” I yelled.

  “What?” Shane snapped, looking at me as if he had forgotten I was even in the room.

  “Who is an arms dealer? And who is Roman? I thought you said Calvin Kincaid leased the office,” I repeated my earlier questions.

  A chill ran through my body just thinki
ng about someone watching me. I was trying to put on a brave face in front of Shane, but inside I was freaking out. Some stranger had been watching me. Taking pictures of me. I didn’t even want to ask if there were cameras in my bedroom. The thought of that made me want to pass out.

  As hard as I tried, I couldn’t keep up with what they were talking about. Roman, Calvin Kincaid, routing camera feeds. Jeez. They needed to slow down and start explaining what was going on.

  “Everything will be fine, Lily. Why don’t you get that bottle of water and go relax,” Shane suggested.

  “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you are joking. Someone has been following me and taking pictures of me, and you tell me to go get a bottle of water? Don’t do that to me, don’t dismiss me like everyone else in my life.”

  I hated that shit. My father had done that to me for as long as I could remember. He blew me off every chance he could. Unless he needed to parade me around some stupid function, he couldn’t be bothered to answer even the simplest questions or spare me a second of his precious time.

  “I am not dismissing you. But this is not some silly charity benefit or fundraiser. We are talking national security and criminal cartels, Lily. I don’t have time to fuck around and explain things to you. Besides, you can’t even know the details without a security clearance.”

  Ouch. His words hurt worse than all the times my father had dismissed me combined. I fought to hold back the tears.

  “I’m not asking you to divulge state secrets, asshole. But I do have the right to know who has been following me and why. I have a right to know if the bastard videotaped me naked in my bedroom,” I squared my shoulders and prayed my voice sounded braver than I felt.

  Shane growled and punched the table again. “That’s where you are wrong…”

  “Easy, Lenox. Jesus. She is right, you know. She needs to know who she has been doing business with and who has been following her. You need to get your shit straight. You’re too emotionally involved,” Jasper weighed in, cutting Shane off from further insulting me.