Jon opened the door wider and took a step into the room. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
He’d left the bathroom light on as a nightlight in case she woke up disoriented during the night, so he saw her now as she sat up. “No, it’s fine. I’d rather be awake. I’ve been drifting in and out in that state where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s a dream. I kept thinking I was still there . . .”
That she’d had to go through that tore him up inside. He moved to the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. “Is there someone you need to call to tell you’re all right? Family?”
Ali shook her head. “My parents are in Florida so I doubt they saw it on the news. I’ll call them in a little while. I’m not sure I’m up to it right now.
“Okay. You hungry?”
She shrugged. “Maybe after I wake up a little more I will be. I wouldn’t mind some hot tea though.”
Ali flipped the covers back, as Jon stopped her with a hand on her arm. “No, stay. I can manage to make you a cup of tea.”
She shook her head. “I wanna get up.”
“Okay.” He rose from the bed. She swung her feet over the edge of the mattress and stood gingerly, took one step across the floor and stopped. Jon moved to stand next to her, ready to support her if she fell. “Are you dizzy?”
“No. Just stiff from sitting on the hard floor for all those hours, and then from being in bed for so long.” She glanced at the morning light filtering through the closed window blinds and then at him. “You stayed all night?”
“Yup.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“There was a night I wished you’d stay and you didn’t. And then last night, while I’m out like a light, you stay?” Ali shook her head. “I just find that funny.”
“Ali, if you hadn’t been nearly blown up, there’s nothing that would have kept me off you last night. I’m sorry if that’s crude or inappropriate, but it’s true.”
She had no idea how true his words were. Not only because it had been a long time since Jon had slaked that particular hunger, but mainly because he’d almost lost her yesterday. That near miss had awakened a feral urge inside him to claim her, make her his. Lying above her, plunging inside her, feeling her writhe beneath him would have been a far better way for him to satisfy the need to possess and protect, than watching her sleep and making her tea.
She pursed her lips but didn’t speak. Instead she led the way to the kitchen and Jon followed. He let her fill the teakettle herself, even though every instinct in him wanted to make her sit down so he could do it for her.
“You know all those reasons you listed in July that made it stupid for us to be anything but a one night fling?” She eyed him where he sat at the small table, watching her move around the kitchen.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Those reasons are all still valid. You still get called away all the time, sometimes for months at a time. You still need your head one hundred percent on your job and not clouded by a relationship. Nothing’s changed.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Jon wobbled his head.
He wasn’t trying to be coy, but he had a lot to think about, and his crazy seed of an idea needed the buy-in of a lot of other men before it could become a reality.
She set the kettle on the burner and turned to face him. “Jon, I could have died yesterday. My ears are ringing. I feel like I could sleep another twelve hours and it still not be enough to make my limbs stop feeling like they’re made of lead. You’re going to have to spell things out for me here because I’m in no shape to guess what you mean.”
He stood and moved around the table to pin her between his body and the counter. “I know you could have died and I’m sorry that’s what it took for me to realize I want you as a part of my life. And no, nothing’s changed yet, except for me and how I feel. I want to try to make this thing between us work, and when I set my mind to something, I usually don’t rest until I make it happen.”
A small smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. “All right.”
“All right what?”
She rested her hands on his chest, before moving them around to his back. “We’ll give this a try. Whatever it is.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “We’re gonna start with us going on a real date as soon as you’re up to it.”
She raised her gaze to meet his. “I’d rather have it start with a kiss right now.”
“I can do that.” He covered her mouth with his, sinking in to the first of hopefully many kisses in their future together. He didn’t let it go on for nearly as long as he wanted it to, in deference to the trauma Ali had been through.
When he pulled away, she raised a brow. “You know, I wouldn’t mind more than a kiss.”
He let out a laugh. “Believe me, neither would I. But not right now. Drink your tea. Get some food in your stomach. Then, maybe, we’ll talk.”
A frown creased her brow. “Talk?”
He had to smile at her persistence. “We’ll talk about possibly doing more than kissing. Deal?”
“All right. Deal.”
“I have a meeting with the guys at noon. It shouldn’t take too long, but after that, I’ll be back here . . . if that’s okay with you.”
A small smiled bowed her lips as she dropped a teabag into a mug. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
“Good. Um, you might want to rest up while I’m gone, because if you’re still feeling up to more than talking when I get back, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. I was away for a long time, so it could get a little intense.”
“Promises, promises.” She smirked.
“Mm, hm. It is a promise.” He moved in closer, pinning her against the counter. “And I always keep my word.”
He pressed a long kiss to her lips before forcing himself to break away. “Now, I’m going to cook you something to eat, then go home to shower and change so I can meet the guys.”
“You might want to stop at a store while you’re out.” Her gaze cut sideways to him as she reached for the steaming kettle.
By the fridge where he’d been about to grab some eggs to cook for her, he paused. “Sure. What do you need?”
“More condoms. I figure a man so long denied might need more than the two banana-flavored ones left in my nightstand from last July.”
A grin he couldn’t control spread across his face. “Yeah. Two’s probably not going to cut it.”
They’d both denied themselves this for too long. Making up for it could take all night and tomorrow as well. And God help the command if they called him back in before he had a chance to make up for lost time.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
“So we’re all here now. What’s up?” Rick leaned forward and rested his forearms on the edge of the table in the back corner of the bar. At noon, the place was still pretty quiet—a good place for a meeting.
“I’m considering a change.” Jon delivered the words he’d thought long and hard about, but his announcement was proving more difficult to say out loud than he’d imagined.
Zane’s brows rose. “What kind of change?”
The silent stares of the men around him gave Jon a clue that they might have guessed what this change entailed, but only Zane had asked for clarification outright.
Jon drew in a breath. “Yesterday at the bank really started me thinking. We’re trained to deliver precise effective action, but we spend half of our time waiting for the command to let us.”
“When they’re not coming up with plans to rein us in while we’re doing it,” Thom added.
“Exactly.” Jon nodded. “I’m thinking about forming a civilian company. Contract protection work. It would mean I’d have to leave active duty. It’s a gamble, and I’m probably crazy for even thinking about it, but if any one of you guys want in, as equal partners, I’d love to have you.”
“I know and I understand. Believe me. If I had anyone depending on me I wouldn’t even be able to consider this.” Jon’s gaze cut to Chris and Rick, the two who’d already gotten out of the military to join the civilian ranks. They were his best hope for partners. “The work would likely be sporadic at first, so you guys could keep doing what you’re doing and just jump in when we’re hired for a job.”
Chris cocked a brow. “Hell, I can do that. I’m only working at the gun shop to keep busy since I retired, but what kind of jobs are we talking here? Who do you reckon will be hiring us?”
“I’m thinking, for one, shipping companies worried about secure passage through the Gulf of Aden.” Jon had spent time at the SEAL camp located on Camp Lemonier in Djibouti.
Thanks to the proximity of Somalia and Yemen, the Horn of Africa region was then, and continued to be now, a hot spot. There was a collective nod from the men around the table who’d been there with him.
Grant bobbed his head. “All the publicity for the shit that went down with the Somali pirates on the Maersk Alabama is gonna be your best advertisement.”
“Yup. That’s what I’m thinking.” Jon nodded. “Then there could be domestic needs. Big, high profile events might need additional on-site security. We could do that. And I’m hoping after our name gets out we could be the first call when shit goes down. Kind of a quick reaction force for civilian corporations.”
Zane laughed. “Big rich corporations who are willing to throw money at us for a speedy, low profile resolution.”
Jon’s gaze cut to Zane because of the words he had chosen. “Us?”
Zane was in the same boat Jon was as far as years in, and years left to go before they’d be eligible to retire with a full pension. Right now Jon couldn’t imagine being active in his current position for another decade.
Ten years until retirement felt like it might as well be a hundred.
How long before his body wouldn’t be able to take the physical abuse anymore? Before he was too slow or too tired to be sharp enough to keep both himself and his team alive? His current position was a demanding job—a young man’s job—and as every new BUD/S class emerged with a crop of fresh young SEALs, Jon felt a little older.
Aside from the aging of his body, his attitude was beginning to shift. That could be more dangerous than his body eventually failing him. Where he used to be able to focus and get the job done, now his mind rebelled. He took precious seconds to question the orders, to think how he’d do it differently. Those seconds could one day get him or someone else killed.
A grin tugged on the corners of Zane’s mouth. “Yeah, us. I’m liking this idea.”
That was two. Jon looked to Rick. “What do you think?”
He dipped his head. “I’m thinking if you’re okay with me keeping my job and just jumping on board for assignments when I’m needed, I’m in.”
Rick, Zane and Chris were in. Including Jon, that made a team of four. Not enough for some jobs, but plenty for others.
“You make it sound real tempting. Good enough it makes it look real attractive to turn in my separation package tomorrow.” Grant shook his head.
Thom coughed on his swallow of beer. “You’d get out four years shy of twenty?”
“I didn’t say I was going to do it, just that he makes it look tempting.” Grant laughed. “I’m too close to retirement and starting in a few months I’m moving on to be an instructor for Green Team. I won’t be deploying or going on missions. They handpicked me from among the senior combat veterans to train the new operators, so I figure I can coast my last few years. I can’t leave now, Jon.”
Jon nodded. “I know. And I’m not expecting you to give that up.”
“But . . .” Grant held up a hand. “You guys make a go of this thing, and when I’m done in four years, I damn well expect a spot on this team.”
Jon grinned. “You got it.”
“I wish you guys the best of luck, but…” Brody shook his head.
“There’s no pressure, Brody. I honestly never expected any of you to get out with me. I just wanted you to know the offer is open.”
Brody dipped his head. “Thanks. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a good idea, Jon.”
“It’s real good.” Thom nodded. “You guys better not fuck this up because I expect you to have a position waiting on me when I retire too.”
“You got it.” Whether they were joining him or not, the support of his friends bolstered Jon’s confidence.
“By then we’ll be so huge we’ll have to sell franchises. Hell, we might even have to let in some of the Delta Force guys just to meet the demand.” Rick laughed.
Jon let out a snort. “From your mouth to God’s ears. But seriously, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start counting our jobs just yet.”
“But we know there’s a need. We’ve got the men who are qualified and trained to meet that need.” Rick shrugged. “Why wouldn’t we succeed?”
Jon hated to put a damper on Rick’s enthusiasm, but it had to be done. “What we don’t have is the start-up money to get us off the ground.”
“Shit. You’re right.” Rick visibly deflated, slumping over the table as he scowled. “Our four-tube night vision goggles alone cost what? Sixty-five thousand dollars or something crazy like that.”
Chris shook his head. “I can’t go back to the standard two-tube NVGs after using four. It’s like trying to see through a freaking toilet paper roll in comparison.”
All the training and skills in the world did them no good without the kick ass toys the Navy Special Warfare Command provided for their counter-terrorism unit, DEVGRU. State of the art, stealth transportation. Personalized, customized weapons. Not to mention the normal everyday essentials, like body armor and low tech shit like ammo. It all added up to be the tools of their trade and it cost money. A lot of it.
The energy in the room sank, as if someone had pulled the plug on the drain in the bathtub and let all the water rush out. The worst part was, that someone had been Jon.
“We can buy some stuff as surplus.” Rick looked as if he was trying to sound enthusiastic about the idea. “I’ve got about ten thousand in my savings I was going to use as a down payment on a place of my own. I could put it into the company.”
“I’ve got some cash socked away for a rainy day. If we all put in whatever we can—”
“That still won’t come close to what we need.” Jon hated to interrupt Chris’s offer with another cold dose of reality. “Just our basic gear has to cost over a hundred grand each. That times four of us. We’re going to need a bank loan.”
Rick snorted. “Think the bank that my sister almost got blown up for would be up for giving us a loan?”
“Maybe if they’d let us go in and save the building instead of watching it blow. What we need is an investor. A big one.” Zane offering that as a solution to the problem was no help since a big investor seemed as far a stretch as a bank loan did at this point.
“Where do you propose we find this investor?” Jon asked.
“I might know somebody.” Zane’s playing coy was getting on Jon’s nerves.
“Oh really? Who?” Jon wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that one of Zane’s main squeezes was a sugar momma, rolling around in cash when she wasn’t under him.
“My father.”
Jon’s brows rose. “Your father has the kind of money we need?”
“Yup.” Zane nodded.
Rick’s eyes popped wide. “And you’ve never told us you’re frigging rich.”
“I’m not rich. He is. At least the company he owns is, and they’re always looking for good investments.”
“And this qualifies as a good investment?” Jon had trouble believing that.
Zane smiled. “Sure. You’ve got
the one thing my father has always wanted, but his money could never buy.”
“And that is?” It wasn’t lost on Jon that they were all hanging their futures on what at the moment wasn’t much more than a cocky comment from Zane.
Jon really hoped Zane said something to convince him this wasn’t the craziest thing he’d ever thought of doing, and he’d done some fucked up shit.
“You’ve got something I’d be willing to leave for. My father wants me out. He has since the day I told him I was joining the Navy. That pissed him off so badly, I decided to try out for the SEALs. When that flipped him out even more I thought what the hell, might as well go all the way.”
“So you tried out for Green Team.”
“Yup.” Zane nodded. “I guess we’re all lucky he’s only rich and not so powerful or he’d probably have gotten DEVGRU shut down by now. But for this idea, Jon, I’d leave the unit. And for that, he’ll fork over a hell of a lot of dough.”
Jon’s gut twisted as the possible collateral damage grew. Zane was sacrificing his career for this. Now, his father’s money too. If this company failed . . . “You really think we can do this?”
Zane nodded. “I do. If those assholes at Blackwater can, why can’t we?”
“And do it better,” Chris added.
“Damn right, we can.” Rick raised his bottle.
“I guess you’re right.” Jon couldn’t argue there. “You know, we’re gonna need a name for this company of ours.”
“Yup, we sure do.” Rick didn’t seem to have any suggestions as he lifted his beer to his lips and swallowed.
The list of needs seemed to grow with every moment. The amount of details that had to be handled was daunting. It was becoming painfully obvious to Jon that he hadn’t thought much past the original idea, but just like he’d done in BUD/S, he’d take things one step at a time.
Jon drew in a breath. “Anyone have any ideas?”
“How about we’ve got your six?” Thom suggested.
“Hang on. Let me write all our ideas down.” Jon grabbed a cocktail napkin and turned toward the waitress, who was standing near the table behind them. “Do you have a spare pen I can borrow?”
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