Power (SEAL'ed Book 4)

by AJ Alexander

  I finally land in San Diego, I just wish it was under better circumstances. I look out the window and see Katie, Avery, and another woman I never met, waiting for me on the tarmac. To say that this plane ride was cathartic would be an understatement. I’ve finally come to grips with the fact that I love this man with my mind body and soul. Now he just needs to wake the hell up from this nightmare so I can tell him.

  As I hobble my way down the stairs, with my crutches. “Layla!” I turn my head and notice Katie, her arms overhead to get my attention. Avery doesn’t look happy to be here, Katie at least looks slightly sympathetic. I steel my nerves ready for a sparring matching with Avery, as I head in their direction. Once close enough Katie wraps me in a hug, I wrap my arms around her and squeeze. Holding back a fresh wave of tears.

  “How are you hanging in there?”

  “As well as can be expected, same as before,” she says with a sympathetic smile.

  A second set of arms wraps around me from behind. “Hi, I’m Amber the better half of the bitch over there. Sorry, we couldn’t meet under better circumstances. I’m a hugger so get used to it.”

  I can’t help but laugh, it’s good to know that I have at least two people in my corner. “Now that we have all this mushy shit out of the way, can we go? I’m getting hives,” Avery says before turning toward a convertible.

  “Don’t mind her, she gets even more bitchy when she is worried. She feels guilty about what happened. Brass, I mean Danny, rushing off after we all got into it at the BBQ about the way you were treated by her. She blames herself.”

  “Well, if I wouldn’t have run off…”

  Katie places a finger on my lips. “None of that, it was an accident. There were a series of events that all led up to this happening. It’s over and done with now. What we need to focus on is Danny getting better.” She reaches down and gives my hand a squeeze.

  Katie is right, no matter who’s at fault, my only focus is my Baby Boy waking up, so I can tell him how much he means to me, and hopefully, us getting our happily ever after.

  DANNY

  …Mama?

  I can smell her. She must have just gotten out of the shower, I can smell her body wash and deodorant. She comforts me just being here. I think she’s sad, why are people sad when they’re with me? What happened? Is she crying?

  Mama takes my hand, I can feel her soft skin against mine. I want to squeeze her hand, let her know that I can tell she’s with me, but my fingers won’t move. I wish she would lay with me, lay her head on my chest and wrap her arms around me.

  She’s saying something, what is it? Mama speak up, please, I want to hear you!

  She’s closer, her hair tickles my face as she speaks into my ear. “I’m so sorry, Daniel. Please come back, I’ll never run from you again, I promise.”

  Her hand cups my cheek and her forehead presses against mine, tears dripping onto my cheek. Why is she crying? Where am I that I need to come back from? I’m here! I’m right here!

  Her lips are so soft on mine, I want to kiss her back, but my lips don’t move. Dammit! Please keep trying Mama, I know that you’re here with me! I’m coming, I’ll find a way back if it’s the last thing I do! I can’t live without you!

  Mama, I love you.

  Don’t give up on me.

  The bed beside me dips, my arm is moved away from my body, then I feel her lay with me. My arm along her back, her head on my chest, and her leg over mine. This is perfect. I need her like I need air, water, food. She calms me back to the peaceful dark…

  23

  LAYLA

  It’s been a few days since I arrived back in San Diego, the entire team has been rotating in and out of Danny’s room. However, there is still no change. The doctor’s say that the swelling has gone down, so they dialed back all the medication. He should be waking up any time now.

  I was not prepared for all the additional damage to his body when I got here. He didn’t take any precautions to prepare for getting on his motorcycle that day, the entire left side of his body is covered in scabs and bruises from road rash and the impact of him hitting the ground. Everyone says that is normal from a motorcycle accident, but that can’t feel good.

  “Hey Layla,” Katie chirps as she brings fresh flowers in the room, followed by Logan and the twins.

  “Hey, sweetie. Now give me one of those babies to snuggle,” I say with a smile as I take a seat on Danny’s bed, “Look, baby, Logan, and Katie brought the twins to see you again.” I place his hand on Emerson’s head hoping for some sort of response, but as usual, nothing.

  “Don’t give up. He’s strong, he will pull through this, he is a SEAL after all,” Logan says with a smile as he takes a seat. I give him a small smile in response.

  We sit and visit for a little while before they have to leave and get the twins home for a nap.

  “Come back to me Baby Boy, I need you,” I whisper before placing a kiss on his forehead, a single tear escapes.

  “We all need him, not just you.”

  I sit up quickly and notice Charlie leaning against the doorway, arms crossed with a serious look on his face. I know that whatever he is here to say can’t be good.

  “I know, but maybe I need him just a little more than the rest of you,” I respond sarcastically before walking over to give him a hug. The time I have spent here in the hospital watching over Danny, I have gotten to know everyone on the team, but I have spent the most time with Charlie. He is always here to make sure that I have what I need and to check and see how Danny is doing.

  I go to head back to my seat next to Danny’s bed, but Charlie grabs my hand pulling me into the hallway, I reluctantly follow. “What’s so important that you couldn’t talk to me in the room?”

  “Layla you can’t keep going like this, you are going to make yourself sick and end up in a bed right next to Danny.”

  “I can’t leave him, Charlie, he needs me,” I whisper as I cross my arms. Just the thought of leaving this hospital and not being here if something happens physically causes me pain.

  “Just go back to Katie’s. Take a shower and a nap, it’s only a few hours. You haven’t left this room since you arrived days ago.”

  I know Charlie is right. “I hear what you are saying, but I am not leaving this room until he is awake. You are going to have to drag me out of here.” I turn and head back into the room, taking my seat next to Danny’s bed and grab his hand.

  I hear Charlie sigh, “Alright, you win. I’ll go and get you something to eat. I’m sure you haven’t done that yet today either.”

  “Thank you for taking such good care of me, of both of us.” I turn in my seat and give him a smile. I know he could drag me out of the room kicking and screaming if he wanted to, but he respects my decision enough not to.

  “He’s my brother, we take care of each other.”

  “But that doesn’t mean you have to take care of me too.”

  “Yes, I do, you’re family too.” With a smile, Charlie turns and heads down the hall.

  One down, only a few more to go. I am sure I could win the guys over, but I was never good with females. There will never be any love between Avery and I either, but we have come to an understanding to just stay the hell away from each other unless absolutely necessary. I know how important Danny’s team is to him, they are his family, so I guess they are my family now too.

  Suddenly I feel something squeeze my hand, looking down I see Danny’s fingers begin to twitch as he squeezes my hand again.

  “Danny. Danny. Wake up,” I whisper not wanting to scare him by raising my voice. Standing to hit the call button for the nurse I continue to coax him to open his eyes.

  “Come back to me, Baby Boy. Open your eyes.” Still no response, I am starting to lose my patience, quickly looking around I decided to take matters into my own hands. Leaning down to whisper in his ear,

  “Be a good boy for Mama and open your eyes,” I bite down hard on his ear, a moan fills the room.

  Sitti
ng up I look into his chocolate brown eyes and smile. “Took you long enough. I don’t like waiting.”

  “I love you.”

  He smiles at me and everything I’ve been trying to keep hidden comes to the surface. “You are the worst submissive I have ever had the experience of dealing with. You don’t follow directions, or better yet you follow the directions you choose to follow.”

  “I love you.”

  Fat tears begin to drop onto his beautiful face, I vaguely see his lips moving, but if I stop now I know that I’ll never get this all out.

  “I need to dominate, to be in control, but I also need someone to take care of me. To be there for me when I have a bad day at work, to remind me that it is okay to have feelings, and to sometimes be the one that doesn’t always have the answers.”

  He reaches up and brushes the tears from my eyes. I can’t resist the urge to nuzzle into his palm.

  “I love you.”

  “My business is in Los Angeles, but we can figure it out. I want to wake up next to you as many mornings as I can. I have gone too many days not knowing what it feels like to be with someone that knows the real you and I don’t want to do it anymore. “

  “I love you.”

  “I hate Avery! I hope she takes a long walk off a short pier, but Charlie is okay. However, he is too much like my brother Jonathan. Promise me those two will never meet.”

  “I love you.”

  “Mason was his name. He is the reason I am the way that I am. He hurt me, Danny. He hurt me in every way imaginable. I can’t tell you right now, but I will, I promise. I’m so broken, but please give me a chance. With you, for you, I can…”

  Suddenly he reaches up, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me in for a kiss. His lips are soft but all-consuming, effectively shutting me up.

  “Are you going to let me finish,” I yell almost completely out of breath.

  “I had to do something to stop the rambling! I’ve been trying to tell you that I love you for the last five minutes,” he shouts back with a smile

  I can’t help but smile in return. “I was getting to that part, but you had to rush me. I love you too, Baby Boy.”

  DANNY

  To say that waking up from a coma is life-changing is an understatement. It feels like I had one too many beers and woke up in my own personal heaven when no one is looking I reach down and pinch myself just to make sure that all of this is really happening.

  I’m interrupted from my thoughts by the team coming in for their daily visit. It’s only been a few days since I woke up, but my relationship with all of them has changed drastically. I would like to think that they all missed me while I was gone but deep down I know it has to be something more than that. When Katie came to visit me, right after I woke up, she told me about some of the guy's reaction when they found out what happened to me. I would have never known I meant that much to any of them, especially Charlie. The way we fought, right before everything happened over Layla, I assumed he would be the first in line to spit on my grave.

  I vaguely remember hearing him talking to me while I was out, but for the life of me, I can’t remember anything he said.

  “Hey, brother, when does the Doc say you can blow this pop stand?” Logan asks as he pulls up a chair.

  “Man, I don’t know, but I hope it’s soon. Layla is crawling the walls to get back to work. I have a feeling she may just buy the hospital so she can make the process go faster. Who knew there were so many tests that need to be run after you’ve been in a coma for a week,” I say with a chuckle.

  “Man, this shit isn’t funny. We could have lost you, let the doctors take all the time they need to make sure you are in tip-top shape before you are released,” Charlie says from over in the corner.

  “Yea, Charlie, who would you have to boss around and do all your shit work. I got your number. I’ll be all ready to spit shine your boots in no time.”

  “You are the biggest idiot I have ever met in the world,” he growls as he approaches my bed.

  “Do you have any idea why we give you such a hard time?” LT says as he takes a seat on the end of the bed.

  “Yea, because I’m the baby. The new guy. The fuck up that can barely tie his boots. I get it, you don’t have to pretend, the girls aren’t around to make you feel like shit about it.” I turn my head to look out the window, trying to hide the pain in my eyes.

  “If you didn’t already have a head injury I would smack some sense into you. Dumbass, we ride your ass because we know you can do better. You can be better because we care. Fucker, you saved my life, you are the little brother I never had. If something would have happened to you, I don’t know what I would have done. I gave you such a hard time about Layla because I was scared. Scared that she was taking advantage of you, that you were going to get hurt and I couldn’t protect you,” Charlie says as he coughs, trying to hide the emotion in his voice. We all ignore it and give him a moment to compose himself.

  “Are we done with this Hallmark moment?” I say to break the silence, we all chuckle in response. I share a look with Charlie that says everything. He is the big brother I have always wanted. I will go to the ends of the earth for him and back.

  “Charlie, thank you for trying to protect me, but I got it from here. No need to hug it out or a mess of tears, we aren’t a bunch of women. We are big bad Navy SEALs.”

  I feel her lips brush my skin before I even open my eyes. I know Layla wants me to wake up, but I just want to relish in the feel of her lips against mine for a little bit longer. I can’t imagine not ever feeling them again, just thinking about how close we came to being apart, I can’t even fathom it.

  “I know you’re awake,” she whispers in my ear. “Be a good boy and wake up for Mama, I have good news for you.”

  I open my eyes, staring into her beautiful honey gold eyes and smile. “Hmmm, what better news could you have for me other than you are here?” She leans back so I can sit up in the hospital bed.

  Even I am getting sick of being in the hospital at this point. Being poked at all hours of the day and night, for whatever reason they can come up with, for the last week has been exhausting. I thought the point was for me to relax and get well. They wake me up more just to check things, how do you call that relaxing.

  “You can finally leave this place!” Her smile lights the entire room, she even gives a little jump while clapping her hands. She must have been hanging out with Katie. I love that my two favorite women are becoming friends, they seem to have become even closer since my accident. Whatever they talked about the day of barbeque has created an unbreakable bond between the two of them. There will never be any love lost between Layla and Avery, and the verdict is still out on Amber, but at least she has one of the girls in her corner.

  “When are you going to spring me?” I say in excitement, ready to jump out of bed and walk home if I have to.

  “As soon as the doctor comes and gives you the final exam!”

  “Thank fuck! I can’t wait to have a shower and a good fuck!”

  “Baby Boy!” I shiver as her commanding voice fills the room.

  “Yes, Mama.” Bowing my head, I know I’m in trouble, but God I miss her. The feel of her skin against mine, the warmth of her pussy wrapped around my cock.

  “There will be no play time until you are fully healed, and more importantly, we need to talk. I need to tell you my story first.”

  I watch her entire demeanor change, sinking into herself. Fear overtaking her as if she believes I will run when she tells me what happened to her in the past.

  “Mama, just let me love you. Please,” I beg. She must see something in my eyes as she sits down to join me in the bed. I immediately wrap her in my arms and lay us both down.

  “No matter what happened in the past, it has made you into who you are today. The woman I love more than anything. Nothing is going to change that. Ever.” I place a chaste kiss on the top of her head and pull her in tighter, willing my love and stre
ngth into her. I want to take the pain away, to protect her from her demons but this is one demon she has to fight on her own.

  We sit in silence for a few moments before her soft voice begins to speak.

  “I met Mason when I was young and stupid. I wanted a family; the white picket fence, the whole nine. However, I forgot who I was and what people would do to get closer to my father and the power that came from being associated with my name.“

  I feel her body begin to shake as tears drop onto my arm. Burying my face into her hair, I brace myself for what’s to come next.

  “Mason is the reason I can’t have children. When I was pregnant, he beat me. Well, he beat me, well before that, but I was too stupid and blinded by love to see what he was doing to me. He made me lose my baby and my ability to have children ever again.”

  I suck in a deep breath, taking in her scent to calm my anger. How could someone beat this beautifully strong woman? Layla pulls on my arms so that I loosen my hold, reluctantly I comply. She turns in my arms, so she can look me in the eyes. I can see pain, regret, and most of all hope in them.

  “That’s why I ran that day. I was so overwhelmed after telling Katie my story and being with the twins. My feelings for you were becoming more apparent to me and I was terrified. I am broken Danny, and I’m afraid. Afraid that someday I won’t be enough for you. That my need to control and dominate will be too much, and…”

  I cut her words off with a searing kiss, there is no question who is dominating this kiss. For once she gives in, I think we both need this. I show her in this kiss all of my feelings. I will be there for you always. Let me protect you, love you, cherish you for the rest of my life.