SEAL Do Over (A Standalone Navy SEAL Romance) (SEAL Brotherhood, 6)

by Ivy Jordan

  “I’m sorry you had to come here. I didn’t mean to cause all this drama,” I whispered, my voice still shaky from nerves.

  Alyssa smiled. It was warm and inviting.

  “It doesn’t sound to me like you caused any of this,” she said sweetly.

  Her hand was still on my leg. I lowered my eyes to it, perfectly manicured nails, dark smooth skin, and a beautiful wedding ring on her finger with more diamonds than I’d ever seen.

  “I just think it might be best if I go. I don’t want to cause any trouble for Luke, or for you and your husband either for that matter,” I spoke with more conviction.

  “Nonsense. We stick together. We are a family,” Alyssa stated firmly.

  I wasn’t family. I was an outsider. A person that caused nothing but drama. A burden.

  Alyssa lifted from her kneeling position and sat on the couch beside me. Her hand lifted from my leg, allowing me to take another deep breath. I could feel my heart start to beat at a steadier pace, my breathing slow, and my chest relieved from the elephant who had occupied it just moments ago.

  “What do you think they’re talking about in there?” I asked Alyssa.

  She smiled warmly, looked towards the kitchen, and then shook her head.

  “If I know Liam, he’s helping Luke plan turning this place into Fort Knox,” she giggled softly, pushing her long dark hair from her shoulder.

  “How long have you been married?” I asked, curious how well she really knew Liam.

  Alyssa didn’t waste any time telling me the story, how she’d known Liam her entire life. She told me about her brother, how losing him made her fear the same result with Liam leaving for the military.

  “So, you’ve been together since you were just kids?” I asked.

  Alyssa shook her head; her voice softened as she told me about the breakup, the baby, and how Liam came back into their lives.

  I felt a strange connection to this woman I’d just met. Their story was similar to mine and Luke’s, but without the baby. We were in love, and I left, coming back into his life now, but with more of a whirlwind feel than a romantic one.

  The boys came into the room, their faces stern and serious. Alyssa reached towards me, her hand taking mine. I let her. Her skin was warm and smooth, her squeeze comforting.

  “You have nothing to worry about. You’re safe here, and we’re staying until he’s no longer a concern,” Liam said, his eyes directed at me.

  No longer a concern? I read their faces, heard the tone in Liam’s voice. I knew the plan involved much more than just Damien going back to jail.

  Chapter 23

  Luke

  Candace appeared to be comforted by Alyssa. I was grateful for Liam bringing her along. I offered my bed, but Candace refused to leave the couch, showing a fear that was worse than I’d seen in her since she’d first arrived back in my life. Alyssa offered to stay with her, sipping coffee to stay awake, but around midnight, they both fell asleep.

  Liam and I watched the patrol car, driving through once an hour. It wasn’t much, certainly not enough.

  I checked my watch. It was a little after two in the morning, and our last pot of coffee was almost gone.

  “I’ll make another pot,” I offered, motioning towards the machine on the counter.

  “Good idea,” Liam nodded, taking the last sip from his mug.

  The night was still, quiet, and every noise had brought both Liam and me to an alertness that was familiar from our SEAL days. Each time we’d checked the odd noises, they were explained by the patrol car, a ruckus in the barn just a couple hundred feet away, or a passing car on the normally empty road below the ranch. We knew the police were searching for Damien with diligence, but something in my gut told me they wouldn’t find him before he found us.

  I was ready. Liam was ready. Damien was not going to get to Candace. That much was certain.

  The faucet brought noise to the otherwise eerily quiet house. The pipes shook and creaked, and the faucet whined as I turned it off. Something stopped me as I held the pot of water, ready to empty it into the coffee machine’s reservoir. A noise, one not like the others. A branch breaking beneath feet, familiar, close.

  I slowly set the pot down on the counter, careful not to make any noise. The lights were out, except for a small lamp in the living room to help Candace fall asleep. I turned to Liam. He motioned to the window, reaching for the gun on his side. I reached for mine, readying myself for the worst.

  I slowly moved to the living room where Candace was still asleep. Alyssa sat up, her eyes wide and fearful, her hand resting on Candace’s side. A slight grumble rolled from Candace, a nightmare causing her to groan I assumed.

  “Text Officer Flowers; don’t call,” I whispered, tossing her my phone.

  Another noise, this time closer, sounded from the night. Liam had his gun ready to fire, aimed towards the front door.

  “This moron is out of his fuckin’ mind if he thinks he can just come in here and get to Candace,” Liam grumbled under his breath.

  “You have no idea what this idiot is capable of,” I whispered, inching towards the door with my gun aimed in the same direction as Liam’s.

  A shadow passed the window. He was on the front porch. My heart pounded, realizing I would kill him if given the chance, just to rid Candace of any further worry. He deserved to die. A piece of shit like that didn’t deserve life. He never deserved Candace.

  “Get down,” Liam yelled just as a bottle crashed through the front window with a flaming towel inside.

  I grabbed it without thinking, tossing it out the door as Liam pulled it open. It exploded in the grass just seconds as it left my hand.

  Alyssa shrieked as Candace stirred awake from the chaos. I turned to her, staring into her eyes, using her fear as the fuel I needed to finish off the bastard that hurt her so badly.

  Alyssa grabbed my phone, looking at a text that came through.

  “They are on their way,” she gasped, and then wrapped her arms around Candace.

  I wanted to run to Candace, to be the one to put my arms around her, but I knew I had to find Damien before he made his next attack.

  “Fucking son of a bitch,” Liam growled as he pulled the door shut.

  “Breathe. Deep breaths,” Alyssa spoke softly to Candace.

  She was shaking. Her body was stiff, but Alyssa didn’t release her embrace, and Candace didn’t fight it.

  “You’re safe,” I assured her and then nodded towards Liam.

  He moved towards the door slowly, his hand resting on the knob.

  “You want to find this asshole?” he asked.

  I nodded. I didn’t want to wait for his next move. We were sitting ducks inside the cabin. He could come from any window, any door. We needed to get to him before he got to us.

  “I’m gonna do a quick perimeter check inside first,” I stated, motioning towards the back of the cabin.

  Liam nodded.

  My gun ready to fire, my heart racing, and my body flowing with adrenaline, I walked slowly towards the back room of the cabin. There wasn’t a window in the bathroom, but I pushed the door open just to make sure it was empty.

  My bedroom door was half closed, and as I pushed it open the rest of the way, it creaked. It was dark inside, but empty. One large window was there on the outside wall. I knew Damien was out there somewhere. I pulled the bedroom door shut, and moved back to the living room.

  “All clear,” I whispered to Liam.

  “You two, on the floor, behind the couch” I motioned to the girls.

  A window next to the couch had my concern, and the broken one at the front of the house still was a worry. It was obvious this idiot was dangerous, stupid and dangerous—the worst kind of scary.

  Alyssa hunkered down to the floor, pulling at Candace to join. They both crawled on their knees to the back of the couch as Liam slowly opened the door.

  The lights from the barn created shadows that caused me to turn and aim in odd directions. Liam
moved to the left side of the house and worked his way towards the back while I took the right.

  There were other cabins nearby, but none complete and ready for occupancy. He could be in one of those, having had plenty of time to run for shelter, or even making it to the barn to hide and wait.

  The thought of him watching, waiting for us to leave the cabin, leaving Candace vulnerable to him made my stomach ache. I made my way back to the front of the cabin. I took a few steps forward, scanning the area when I heard the familiar sound of gravel being moved.

  My eyes quickly moved towards my truck. A shadow, and then another noise of gravel. I rushed forward, gun in hand, hoping he wasn’t armed with one himself.

  “Come out from behind there, or I’ll shoot,” I demanded.

  Liam was quickly by my side.

  We moved in different directions, blocking the piece of shit from going anywhere. He was hunched down behind my tailgate of my truck gripping something behind his back. My thoughts ran wild. A gun. Another bottle ready to light and throw. A knife.

  He stood. A baseball bat was in his hand. Of course. The weapon he’d threatened Candace with, and got turned on him. He’d come for revenge. He didn’t want to take Candace. He wanted to kill her.

  My finger slid to the trigger of my gun, warning him to drop the bat.

  “That fucking bitch in there; she tried to kill me,” he growled.

  “Shame she didn’t,” I spat, watching him carefully.

  Liam looked in my direction, waiting for my finger to pull the metal that it rested against.

  “You can’t believe a whore. She fucking you?” Damien roared, his body inching towards me.

  “Stop,” I warned him again.

  He lifted the bat, his eyes filled with rage, and I knew Liam was waiting for me to make a move.

  My life raced through my mind like a movie, an ending for every scenario. Self-defense would be easy to prove. He escaped jail but hadn’t yet been convicted, so there was a chance it would turn on me if I killed him. I needed him out of Candace’s life, but not at the risk of leaving her alone in this world. She needed me. I needed her.

  The bat swung towards me, just a few feet from making contact.

  “Drop the fucking bat,” Liam demanded, his tone filled with a readiness to fire.

  I aimed my gun at Damien’s chest, ready to blow a hole through his heart. I heard Candace scream from inside the cabin, and then her shadow appearing in the doorway.

  “It’s me he wants,” she called out.

  Liam moved towards her, pushing her back into the cabin as Damien grinned with satisfaction.

  “You’ll never get close to her again,” I insisted, a grin of my own growing on my face.

  It was there. Right there. That perfect shot that would drop him to the ground, rid the world of his sickness once and for all. I wanted to take it.

  He lifted the bat, swinging towards me once again, this time lunging, ready to fight for what he wanted: revenge.

  I moved my gun down, pulling the trigger and shooting him in the right thigh.

  “Fuckin’ bastard,” he screamed out in agony as he dropped to the ground.

  My gun was still ready to fire again. I watched him squirm, curse, and wanted to finish him off when Liam’s hands wrapped around mine.

  “He isn’t worth it,” he whispered in my ear.

  Lights flashed towards the cabin. Everything faded into darkness as I let Liam take my gun. I stared at the man on the ground, gripping his leg in pain, growling out insults towards Candace as the lights flickered around my cabin.

  Jake quickly rushed to Damien, lifting him to his feet. Another officer cuffed him, hauled him to the cruiser while he demanded medical attention. I heard the officer laugh, and then a scream from Damien as he was shoved into the back of the car.

  “Are you okay?” Jake asked.

  I shook from my trance, nodded, and turned towards the cabin. The front door was open. I knew Candace was inside. I wondered if she would be disappointed I didn’t kill him.

  I walked past the officers, went into the house, and sat on the couch next to Candace where Alyssa had her arms wrapped around her for comfort.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  Candace sobbed as she broke free from Alyssa’s embrace and fell into my arms.

  I held her tightly as she shook, sobbed, and thanked me over and over.

  “I didn’t kill him. I could’ve,” I whispered in her ear.

  “I didn’t want you to,” she cried.

  I pulled back, stared into her reddened wet eyes, and had no way of hiding my confusion. Did she still love this man?

  “What if they took you away?” she sobbed, her eyes dripping with tears.

  My heart raced as I pulled her back into my chest. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t dead. He’d never get to her again.

  “Luke,” Jake called towards me, pulling my attention from Candace.

  He motioned me towards the door.

  “I’ll be right back. You’re safe. You’ll always be safe,” I assured Candace and brushed the hair stuck to her wet cheek behind her ear.

  Outside, Jake and another officer were talking to Liam. They had my gun and were placing it in a clear bag.

  “I’m sorry, but we have to take this,” Jake informed me.

  I shrugged. “I’ve got plenty others in case you let him escape again,” I grumbled.

  “We’re taking him to maximum security. He insists on medical attention, and they have medical staff there. We won’t risk taking him to the hospital,” Jake smiled.

  “Good,” I nodded, thankful that Damien wouldn’t be back.

  “We need to get a report from you,” Jake informed.

  “I’ll go in with the girls,” Liam nodded, patting me on the back as he walked away.

  “This was self-defense without question,” Jake stated.

  I nodded, staring towards the cruiser that held Damien.

  An ambulance arrived, and he was moved from the cruiser to the back of the large red truck. I watched every move, ensuring he was given no chance to escape.

  “They’ll strap him down, and he won’t leave that ambulance until he’s behind the gates of the prison,” Jake said softly, obviously reading my thoughts.

  “Good,” I growled.

  “So, why didn’t you kill him?” Jake asked, his tone filled with curiosity.

  He’d heard my threats. He knew I wanted him dead. He knew it would be easy to claim self-defense.

  “If I did, would I be standing here talking to you?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow towards the officer.

  “Well, you’d be at the station, probably held until morning when you could get a lawyer and a hearing,” he stated.

  “That’s part of it,” I admitted.

  “And the other part?” he asked.

  “I knew there would be a chance I could lose the self-defense case, and then who’d take care of Candace?” I asked.

  Jake patted me on the back.

  “She’s lucky to have you. And as far as Damien goes, after this stunt, he just turned his couple of years into closer to ten,” Jake smiled.

  That was good to hear. A man like him, one without any real intelligence and a thirst for blood, wouldn’t last long in a maximum security prison. Someone would finish the job, and there wouldn’t be any blood on my hands or Candace’s.

  “Go in there, take care of Candace,” Jake smiled.

  I nodded, thanked him, and walked away from the lights of the ambulance that flashed down the lane towards the main road.

  Candace was peering towards the door as I entered the cabin, her eyes wide and bright. I moved directly towards her, taking her into my arms.

  We stayed like that, standing in the middle of the room in each other’s arms for what felt like an eternity.

  When we finally pulled apart, I noticed Alyssa slumped over on Liam’s shoulder, his arm around her as both their eyes looked heavy.

  “Why don’t yo
u two take my bed? I’m going to sleep out here with Candace if she doesn’t mind,” I announced to Liam.

  Liam nodded, standing and taking Alyssa by the hand. They disappeared into my bedroom, and I guided Candace to the couch.

  “Can I hold you?” I asked.

  She smiled and nodded, her cheeks blushing as I laid on the couch. I reached for her hand, pulling her gently into my arms. My arm wrapped around her body, pulling her back close to my chest. She let out a soft sigh as I pulled the blanket over us, and soon, her sweet soft sounds of sleep escaped her mouth, and I drifted off into my own deep sleep.

  Chapter 24

  Candace

  I woke to chatter coming from the kitchen. Luke’s warm arms were no longer around me, and I suddenly felt very alone. I sat up, trying to listen as the voices carried through the small cabin.

  “You’re awake,” Luke said cheerfully as he peeked around the corner from the kitchen.

  I smiled. It was a weak smile, but I was uneasy about the commotion.

  “Alyssa made breakfast,” Luke announced.

  The aroma of coffee was strong, and there was something sweet.

  Luke was standing in front of me, but I still heard two male voices.

  “Who’s here?” I asked softly.

  “Theo stopped by to check on everyone,” Luke said.

  I clenched the blanket in my hands. I wanted to pull it towards my neck and curl back into my usual position on the couch, to hide from the aftermath of what had happened.

  “Are you hungry?” Luke asked.

  I shrugged.

  “Candace, I made pancakes,” Alyssa entered the room, already pushing at me to get up.

  “They’re damn good, too,” Luke smiled.

  Alyssa moved towards me, her hand extended to mine. I took it without thinking, letting her pull me to my feet.

  “C’mon, let’s get some coffee and pancakes in you,” Alyssa insisted, guiding me towards the kitchen.

  Theo leaned against the kitchen counter sipping on a cup of coffee and Liam sat at the table while they had their conversation.

  I felt out of place. Alyssa pulled out a chair, gently nudged me into it, and gave me a warm smile.