Sailing to the coast of Africa will be seamless, save for having to watch Aara from afar. I’m doing that now, as she sits in a meeting in the main conference room below deck. The windows surrounding the square room are soundproof, but crystal clear. Everyone has on uniforms, the thickly starched camo pants and jackets a curse after being off deployment for so long. In down hours we’re allowed to wear our PT clothes, but I’ve rarely seen Aarabelle one on one because she’s taking her position seriously. As she should. I can’t imagine having to convince people of my value and authority. Because I’ve never had to. Power comes standard when you’re born with more testosterone than estrogen.
Dagger comes up behind me. “Liam Dempsey called the main line looking to talk to Little Dempsey about an hour ago.” The tone of his voice forces me to meet his eye. “He knows.” He furrows his brow.
“About what?” There are so many lies surrounding me, it’s complicated to keep the truths straight.
“Your fucking love child.”
I close my eyes. “It might not be mine.”
“Does Aarabelle know that, though? Or is her dad going to call and tell her about your pregnant ex-girlfriend? I mean, there’s only one way she’s going to take that news. It ain’t a good thing.”
“Walk.” I lean my head to the side gesturing toward another, smaller conference room used for sand table planning. Once I close the door behind us, I say, “I paid for the paternity test yesterday. I sent her the money, and had Jonas’ colleague follow her to the doctor’s appointment.” I shudder inwardly. “This needs to go away. The more I think about it, the more I know there’s no way it’s mine.”
Dagger folds his arms behind his head and leans back in his chair. “I’m surprised she agreed to the test. How do you know that’s what she’s having done? It’s not like your man can trail her into the office and watch the test.”
This is the part that makes me uneasy. “I have to trust her. I’ve tried to talk to her several times and she doesn’t want to talk. Ever since the fire,” I say, choking on the last word. “I had someone trail her to make sure she didn’t do anything else crazy. That’s not her, bro. That’s what is so confusing.” I run my hands through my hair and wince. “If Liam tells Aara before I have the facts, it’s going to be bad.” I pause and then meet Dagger’s dark gaze. “How did you know why Liam was calling?”
He lifts and lowers one shoulder. “I took the call. He asked me outright if I knew. He got a tip from someone and probably dug a little to figure out if it could be true.”
“Jesus, he’s really on the hunt.”
“With good reason. It’s his daughter you’re toying with. He’s not the only one on the hunt.”
Chantal.
I narrow my eyes. “Toying with? You think I’m toying with her? What part of protecting her at all costs don’t you get about this situation? Do you not see how this would hurt her?”
Dagger’s lips pull into a firm, warning line. “I’m a fucking monster but even I know that you don’t protect someone by lying.”
“I don’t even know if it’s a lie yet. Don’t you get it? I need facts. Only facts. Then I’ll deal with it.”
“What then? You’ll stop her from talking to her dad until the test comes back? How long does something like that even take? Not telling all of the truth is the same as a lie. Deception by omission. Little Dempsey will not be quick to forgive when she finds out you have known this entire time.”
“I threw a ton of money at it to rush the results.”
“That was chivalrous of you. Tell me, Hart. The baby is yours. What’s next?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I do whatever Chantal wants, right? That’s the correct answer? I don’t know, man. If I think about it too much, I won’t be able to deal with the other aspects.” Like keeping Aarabelle from putting this together.
There are windows in this office space as well, and Aara walks down the narrow corridor with a few other officers, folders and books in her hands. Her smirk is sultry and happy when her gaze meets mine, but because she knows me the way she does, it vanishes when she glimpses the panic seeping from my body. Her big eyes turn down in the corner as she passes by.
“I need you to man the office for the rest of the day, even if that’s not your position, and field all the fucking personal phone calls in and out.”
“Hey, it’s your grave. I’m just helping dig it.” Dagger stands, stretching his legs and holding a hand on his stomach. He gets seasick, which is ironic and one of his only noticeable faults.
“Fuck off.” I’ve done worse for him, so I know he’ll obey. “You still with Marissa?”
He winks at me and puts up finger guns. “Seeing her tonight.”
I shake my head. “So fucked up.”
“It’s not. She’s intelligence. She’s not one of us. You knew this wasn’t going to end well. Maybe this Chantal shit will end it and you can get back to normal life. Work will be work and home will be home.”
That’s easy for him to say. He’s not breaking laws and hearts.
As a father? “Whatever, man, I have to go. Remember, office all day. Phones. Right now. Tomorrow I’ll see if I can get up there after morning muster.”
There’s a room of computers that doesn’t have windows. Five computer stations line one wall and exposed pipes run along the opposite wall. I sit down in front of one and type out an email to Chase. I explain about the paternity test and ask that he checks on the results and get them to Jonas as soon as possible. Since the fire at Aara’s complex, Chase has been MIA. The officers are still investigating and as far as I know there haven’t been any leads. Not that I speak to Chase frequently when I’m out of pocket, but he usually sends an email to wish me goodbye. It’s been weeks of no contact and I pause before I hit send.
The metal port door creaks open and Hoffer pops his head in. “There you are. We need you. Broken ankle, we think. Doc is tied up at the moment.”
“Tied up with what?” I mutter, hitting send, and rising from the folding chair. “I’m a medic, not an X-ray machine.”
Hoffer looks at me sideways as I pass by and hit the stairs at a quick clip. “We figured you’d have a…special interest in making sure she’s taken care of.”
My stomach drops completely. A wave of nausea makes me sway when I shoulder the last door and sunlight drenches me. Her. Her. Her. There can only be one. Only one that they think I’d give a shit about. Everyone knows it.
“Where is she?” I ask, keeping the terror from my voice.
“She was running down from the office. Seemed upset about something and tripped on that last stair, you know the one, and uh, went down hard.” Hoffer is talking with his hands, obviously nervous as fuck. “I don’t know why she was upset. The meeting went well. We secured the target. The pirates are going down tomorrow as planned. I thought it was only good news.”
I raise a palm to silence his insufferable garble. Hoffer shuts up. I make my way to the front of the boat, toward the office fucking Dagger is supposed to be in. He’s not though. I see him as I jog by and he looks terrified of my reaction. Aara talked to Liam. Her dad told her about the baby. No one else will know that though and by the crowd surrounding her at the bottom of the stairs, I realize this has the potential to be a tsunami. One in which we both drown. She’ll be professional. I’m sure of it. Then she spots me jogging toward her. I read the betrayal in her eyes and my chest hurts. This play isn’t going to be easy to fake.
“Medic, medic,” I call so men move out of my way. I stoop down and bark out an order for more space without meeting her gaze. She pulls away when I grab her foot. Someone removed her boot and sock already. The pant leg is rolled up.
“I’m fine. I’ll wait for the doctor,” Aara hisses, yanking her leg away from me.
I swallow down a lump. “Let’s get you to medical then. You can wait for him there.”
It’s a small shitty room in the middle of the boat. Ironically, when Dagger has to go there fo
r his seasickness, it just makes him sicker.
“It’s pretty swollen.”
I meet her eyes and see that they’re watering. “Don’t need a qualification to know that, do you?”
Thankfully, everyone scattered at my first command so it’s only Hoffer lingering, waiting for an order.
I whisper. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. It’s not what you think. It’s not for certain.” Only a fool outs himself first—without waiting to hear the accusations. That’s how fearful I am of losing her.
She sobs quietly, pulling her foot to her chest, pretending pain is the source of her tears. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“It was her again,” I say. “She’s trying to ruin my life.”
Aara shakes her head. “I know Marissa can’t leave her post right now, but Hoffer can take me to medical. There’s nothing you can do.”
“Actually, protocol says I have to be with you until Doc gets here.”
“Hart.” It’s a stern warning. “Let me go.”
“What does that mean?” I hiss as she jumps up on her good leg and hobbles toward Hoffer.
I hate that he touches her. Despise that she wraps her arm, my arm, around his neck as he guides her away. I follow behind them and when Aara is perched on the table in medical, I give Hoffer the meanest look I can muster. He scampers.
“I meant it. I don’t want to talk about it, Hart. You should go. What will people think if they knew we were in here together alone?”
“That I’m a medic and you’re hurt. It doesn’t have to always be something else. Talk to me.”
“Is it true?” Aara winces. “Is that woman’s baby yours?”
I lick my lips as my pulse hammers in my ears. “No. I mean, I don’t know, but no, I don’t think so. The timing is right, but that’s the only thing that adds up.” I hit my knees in the warm room. I shake my head and press my hands together in front of my chest. “You have to believe me, there’s no way the baby is mine. It doesn’t feel right. Forgive me. Please. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. You mean everything to me. I didn’t want to lose you for nothing. She took a paternity test yesterday and Jonas will get me the results. Just let me get the results before you make any decisions about us.”
She’s full-on crying now, her face red and blotchy. “What do you want me to say? That I hope you get the news you’re hoping for?”
I walk on my knees toward her and hold on to her calves hanging on the side of the table. I look up at her. “Say you won’t leave me. That it doesn’t matter. It was before you, Little Dempsey. She didn’t mean anything to me. I promise you that.”
“Don’t say that.” Aara shakes her head as tears flow down her face. “She’s the mother of your child. Don’t say anything you can’t take back.”
“No.” My stomach roils. “Just give me a few days. Please. That’s all I ask.”
Standing slowly, careful of her ankle, I place my hands on her knees and lean in. The urge to kiss her so strong I wouldn’t care if the whole world watched while I did it. First, I kiss the tear on her cheek. Then the one on the other side. Then the one on the corner of her upper lip.
She pushes me away, holding me at arm’s distance. It’s worse this way, my body weight leaning toward her, and her strength keeping me away. Her beautiful eyes wet with anguish I caused.
“You just asked for way more than a few days. This room is covered with cameras, Hart. You already ruined your life, and you just ruined mine, too.”
On cue, the door storms open and I jump away, pressing my back against the wall. The commanding officer first, then the doctor and my chief. Their expressions are knowing, sorry, angry.
“Hart, get up to the office and wait for me there.” To Aara, he says, “Dempsey, are you okay? Did he do anything to hurt you? Harm you? Anything at all?”
She swallows, and it looks painful as she weighs her options. She could demolish me with a few words, right now. I wouldn’t blame her if she did.
“No. He was…comforting me.”
My chief groans. “For Christ’s sake, Hart. Go!” He whispers a string of curse words meant to be under his breath, but we all hear them. I want to move but I am frozen to the ground. Marissa pops her head in and sees the scene.
“Dempsey, someone just said you hurt your ankle. Are you okay?” Marissa looks petrified, face red.
The doctor is fumbling for supplies, fixing his hair and his coat. He’s disheveled.
“I’ll meet up with you later. I’m okay. Thank you for checking in.” In front of our superiors, she is the picture of professionalism.
I walk out the door after Marissa nods and leaves. Hanging on the railing, I scream out, “Fuck!”
“She found out.” It’s a statement, not a question.
“You knew too?” Of course, Dagger told her.
“Everyone knows everything, Hart. You’d do well to be more honest.”
“Where were you just now?” I fire accusingly.
She licks her lips. “Nowhere. The office.” Her eyes skirt away from mine.
I shake my head. “Liar. You’d do well to be more honest too.”
Marissa stammers. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I love Aarabelle. Everything I’ve done is to protect her.”
Her eyes narrow. “I love her too, and I know what’s best for her. It’s not you. You don’t know what love is. You are a rich, self-centered prick with rocks for brains!”
Spinning on my heel, I start off to the office. Over my shoulder, I toss, “Tell Doc his fly is down. Even people with rocks for brains see stuff like that.” I shake my finger.
Marissa’s face is priceless as I uncover her secret. Or maybe it’s not a secret. Dagger might even know. I’m so tired of the fucked-up shit surrounding me. I get into the office and await my fate. Luckily it doesn’t take long for the scalding water I’m in to boil.
The officers enter, Aara trailing on crutches moments later. Her foot is wrapped. I wonder if that means it’s not broken. It would be shit if she didn’t get to go on tomorrow’s mission because she fell on the stairs.
“Tell us the nature of the relationship right now,” Chief says, pulling at the collar of his uniform. His face is beet red and he is pissed off. “Dempsey wanted to be here for the conversation. This is it. Jig is up.”
Aarabelle sits in a chair across from me, still wiping at her red-rimmed eyes. Her low bun is usually tight and slicked back. Right now, it’s frazzled. This is a mess.
The Officer in Charge dials up my dad and Liam Dempsey. When their faces are up on the large teleconference screen, larger than life, I look away.
“Everyone is here,” the boss man says. “We’re on record. I apologize that this resembles a principal’s meeting with naughty children, but we need to take this seriously. Maverick and Liam, thank you for being available so quickly. I was watching the security cameras and knew this was something you’d want to be involved in.”
My dad talks first. “I’ll let you do your job first before I lay into my son.”
“Same,” Liam adds. “Into my daughter.”
My heart is pounding as I fidget with my hands in my lap. Risking my sanity, I look up at Aarabelle. She’s not looking at me, she’s mouthing apologies to her dad. It’s painful to watch her fight away the disapproval she feels. All her realities turning into one big nightmare.
“I loved him. It wasn’t a fling. If I knew he alone held the potential to ruin my life’s dream, my life’s purpose, and goal, I never would have looked at him. I didn’t know it would be like this.” Her words sting with rhetoric truth. “We were friends first, sirs.” She clears her throat and smooths back her hair. “Recent circumstances have arisen that ensure we will only ever be friends…if even that. Please, let this be a warning and let this be finished. It’s finished.”
“Finished?” I sling. “You’re calling this finished without my permission?”
She doesn’t meet my e
yes so I call her name. Her first name. The nickname.
“Be professional, Hart. This isn’t the time.”
“It is the time.” Standing from my chair, I face the screen with side-by-side reflections of Liam and Maverick. “I knew it was wrong to fall for her, my circumstances be damned if this is finished. It’s not. SEALs always find a way. If there’s not a way, we make a way. I spent seventy-two hours total reading over all of the literature about introducing women to the Teams. I scoured it with a fine-toothed comb. Every rule, every guideline, every goddamn thing.”
“Watch your mouth, son,” Chief says.
I hold out my hands. “Sorry. I’m fired up.”
“We see that,” Liam says, folding his thick arms across his chest. “What came of your research then. I read everything as well.”
“There’s a loophole,” I deadpan.
Turning to Aara, I see her staring at me, eyebrows raised. “There’s a loophole,” I repeat, firmer this time. “Do you trust me?” Her eyes widen.
My chief groans. “Now is not the time for loopholes, Hart. It’s where you explain yourself so you don’t get a dishonorable discharge. Did you force yourself on Aarabelle Dempsey?”
“No,” Aara yells. “No. It was never like that.”
While she’s riled up, I hit my knees once more. “Marry me. Marry me, Aarabelle Dempsey. They can’t touch us if we’re married. Say yes. Please. You’re everything I want in my life. Everything I need. We’ll figure the rest out another day.”
“What in the ever-loving fuck is going on over there?” Liam growls. “Is this a soap opera or a behavioral meeting?”
“You sure about that, son?” Maverick asks me, bellowing. My mom appears beside him. Dad doesn’t make a move to tell her to leave their home office. “This the hill you want to die on, Luke?”
“My daughter is not a hill, Mav,” Liam barks. “Watch your mouth.” Testosterone and alpha males collide.
Legacy: A Salvation Society Novel Page 21