Savage Peril: Military Romantic Suspense (Stealth Security Book 6)

by Emily Jane Trent

  *****

  Murder was no light matter, and Gunner feared for Lori’s safety. He called Rip in Houston for assistance to get a lead on any person who wanted Robert Waters dead. He had failed to come up with any possibilities in Los Angeles, so cast a wider net.

  Rip took the call, and Gunner got him up to speed. “Lori and her father regularly attended medical conventions at the Houston clinic. I need you to look into it.”

  “What are you looking for?” Rip said.

  “I’m not exactly sure,” Gunner said. “But I’ll know when I find it. There must be a clue that sheds light on the danger that Robert Waters was in.”

  While Rip worked on that, Gunner needed to get back to Lori. He hadn’t seen her in a day or so, and that wasn’t good. His workload at Stealth had ramped up, absorbing every spare minute. He had told Travis that he needed a break, then explained what was happening with Lori.

  Travis assured him that Stealth Security would be at his disposal. The team would do anything they could to help find a murderer. There was no certainty that it was murder, but that was Gunner’s gut feeling.

  Gunner stopped at Tessa’s office to turn over an assignment. She was the office manager and took care of a variety of functions, including coordination of the team’s assignments. She was in her thirties, although she looked younger.

  She was a striking blonde, and last year a teammate had asked her to dinner. The date didn’t go as planned, and Hunter Davis had ended up rescuing her from a kidnapper. He had proposed not long afterwards, and she had accepted.

  Tessa was feisty, capable of dealing with the team. Not just any woman could run a bunch of former SEALs. Gunner had heard stories about her from the guys, and knew that, in a pinch, she was a teammate to have on your side.

  “What’s got your attention?” Tessa said. “Why do I have to reassign this case?”

  Gunner sat across from her. Tessa had a habit of getting to the point, so he was used to it. “It’s a woman.”

  Tessa’s eyes sparkled. “Ah, I should have known. Who is she?”

  Since Tessa was a trusted member of the team, Gunner filled her in. On more than one occasion, she had assisted in breaking a case. Maybe she would have insight into this one. In any case, Gunner wanted her informed.

  “Well, get going, then,” Tessa said. “Lori is counting on you. Don’t blow it.”

  Gunner went to his desk to check on a couple of things. Then he called Lori, relieved that she agreed to see him. Her safety was Gunner’s top priority, but he couldn’t deny that he liked being with her. He stopped by his apartment to get ready then drove to her house.

  When he arrived, Lori invited him in for a drink. “I’d like to chill for a bit before we go out. It’s been a stressful day.”

  Lori was gorgeous in white jeans and a short blue jacket. The outfit showed off her slender curves, making her irresistible. She had her hair loose, so it fell around her shoulders—and she was barefoot. Gunner would need to exercise restraint, but she wasn’t making it easy.

  “Beer?” Lori said.

  “Sure, that would be great.” Gunner paced the living room floor until she returned with the drinks.

  Lori sat on the sofa and sipped her wine. Gunner sat next to her, but not too close. He crossed one ankle over the opposite leg then turned to look at her. “I shouldn’t have gone so long without calling. I have been thinking about you.”

  Lori stared at her wine. “It seems like so long since we talked…so much has happened.”

  Gunner waited for her to continue.

  “I left you dangling with the bombshell that my father may have been murdered,” Lori said, then told him about her plan to exhume the body.

  Gunner listened, interested in the steps to gain authority for an autopsy. He hated to see her distressed, but then, who wouldn’t be?

  “I’m meeting with my attorney later this week,” Lori said. “But he has already begun the process.”

  Gunner needed to determine what threat existed, but had very little to go on. If the medical examiner changed the cause of death to murder, he needed to be ready. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yes, I’m open to sharing what I can,” Lori said. “I won’t turn away help. It’s a tough situation.”

  “Who found your father’s body?”

  “It was the maid,” Lori said. “She comes in once a week. The coroner’s report indicated that he had died the night before.”

  “When was the last time you saw him?”

  “I’ve gone over this in my mind many times,” Lori said. “Since I work at the clinic, I saw my father daily. On the Monday before he died, I talked to him in the early morning.”

  “And what happened?”

  “He wasn’t feeling well,” Lori said, then set her empty wine glass on the table. “It seemed to be a stomach thing. My father was a doctor, so his symptoms didn’t concern me. He thought he was coming down with the flu and didn’t want to infect anyone at the clinic, so he went home.”

  When Lori’s eyes filled with tears, Gunner’s heart wrenched.

  “That was the last time I saw him,” Lori said. “Although I spoke to him every day. I made sure to call and check on him…except for Thursday.”

  “Why was that different?”

  “It wouldn’t have been, but my father texted that he was going to take a nap—that he’d call later.” Lori wiped away a tear. “Only he didn’t call, and I got very busy. With him out all week, I had more to handle, and I’d stayed late catching up on paperwork. I didn’t want to disturb him and assumed that he would check in the next morning.”

  Gunner knew what was coming.

  “My father died that night,” Lori said. “Friday morning, I got a call from the police, after the maid reported that he’d been found on the floor of his bedroom.”

  Gunner opened his arms, and Lori leaned into him. He hugged her close, and Lori put her hand on his chest. She stayed like that for a while. He stroked her silky hair then tipped her face up. Lori looked into his eyes, and Gunner kissed her.

  The kiss was tender, yet hot. Lori set his blood on fire. He deepened the kiss. She tasted so sweet and her lips were so soft.

  Lori pulled back, then touched Gunner’s cheek. It looked like she might say something, but she didn’t. Then she stood and brushed her hair back. “I need another drink.”

  Gunner followed her but stopped near a table by the wall. There was a display of framed photos. He studied the pictures, trying to get a sense of her family. Lori returned with a full glass of wine and a beer for Gunner.

  “That picture was taken of my father last year,” Lori said. “And that’s my mother before she got really sick.”

  Gunner looked at the pretty, middle-aged woman with blue eyes and long blond hair. “You look like her.”

  “She died too young,” Lori said. “I miss her.”

  While they finished their drinks, Lori talked more about her family. Gunner learned a lot about her. She shared more about her father, giving insight into his life and his background. But there were no clues about who would have murdered him.

  For dinner, Gunner took her to an Italian place in the neighborhood. They sat on the heated patio and enjoyed bread slathered with butter, until the pasta arrived. The light bulbs hanging from wires around the dining area cast low light.

  Lori sipped lemon water, looking thoughtful.

  “I’m worried about you,” Gunner said.

  “I just can’t get my head around the danger I might be in.”

  Gunner had dealt with deadly enemies before, so took the situation seriously. “I understand that, especially since there is no one who harbored bad feelings toward your father.”

  “But someone may have,” Lori said. “And I’m the person who was closest to him, which is scary. I don’t know what might happen next.”

  “You didn’t answer your phone after lunch,” Gunner said. “I called the clinic to check, but the receptionist said that you were out.”


  “I went on a house call.”

  “I didn’t know those were still done.”

  “As a rule, they aren’t,” Lori said. “But I felt compelled to go.” She told Gunner the details of the visit, and he didn’t like what he heard.

  “You treated a mob boss?” Gunner said.

  “It’s not important,” Lori said. “The only thing was that I feared he was propositioning me…but not sexually.” She shared how Lorenzo Cambio had implied that there was a fortune to be made in black-market drugs. The mob had been testing to see if Lori was open to a business arrangement.

  “Why would Lorenzo assume that you were approachable?”

  “I have no idea,” Lori said. “But he had heard of my father, which wasn’t a big deal. My father was well known in this city. It only meant the mob was aware of how big the clinic is.”

  “I don’t like their interest in you.”

  “It’s over,” Lori said. “I won’t be going back there.”

  Gunner planned to dig deeper to learn what leverage the mob thought they had. The link was Marco Bacci, but it had been coincidence that Lori had been on his flight—except not entirely.

  Lori had mentioned that Bacci had been in Houston to meet a client at the pain clinic, the same clinic where Lori had given a talk at a medical conference. It was a red flag that the mob had contacted Lori, and for her protection, Gunner intended to find out why.

  Gunner spent the rest of the evening with Lori. After all that had happened, she was exhausted. And she had a lot ahead of her to deal with. When he took her home, Gunner held her in his arms until she fell asleep. Then he put her in bed and slept on the sofa.

  Gunner vowed to protect Lori, so wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone. He preferred to nestle Lori against his naked body and do much more than hold her in his arms. But he couldn’t think about romance until the murder was resolved and Lori was safe.

  Chapter 8

  Lori didn’t wake up until her alarm rang. For a moment she was disoriented, then remembered the night before. Gunner hadn’t left her alone in the house, and she was grateful that he cared. Yet her feelings for him weren’t those of merely a friend.

  Gunner had held Lori in his arms, and she could still feel his strength. She had nestled against him, safe in his embrace and wanting so much more. Exhaustion had gotten the better of her, but she had partially woken up when he carried her to bed.

  After helping her to remove constricting garments, Gunner settled her on her pillow and stood over her. For a moment, Lori had thought he would join her. She had been disappointed, because she had hoped to feel his warm body next to her.

  Lori could have reached out and made her desire known. She wasn’t sure how Gunner would have reacted. She tried to imagine his response if she had pulled him into her bed, but was uncertain of his feelings. He was worried about her, but that didn’t mean she should expect more.

  Hugging the covers to her chest, Lori remembered Gunner’s kiss. The touch had been tender yet laced with the fire of passion. She had nearly blurted out how she felt, but held back. She feared that he didn’t want what she did, especially since he seemed to be taking things slow.

  Lori wasn’t sure what she wanted either. She had recently broken off a serious relationship and had reservations about starting another. She was in no shape to make commitments, not with everything going on in her life. It wasn’t fair to lead Gunner on or go to bed with him unless she was serious.

  But when Gunner had left her bedroom, Lori had been disappointed. Maybe it was selfish, but she craved intimacy—and not just with any man. She wanted Gunner yet couldn’t give in to her desires. It wasn’t the right time, and he may not be the right man for her.

  Gunner was a warrior, a loyal and caring man. He was a delicious hunk, and Lori would have difficulty resisting him. But a sexual encounter didn’t mean that he was compatible with her. Her lifestyle was so different from his, along with her background and career.

  The last thing that Lori wanted to do was hurt Gunner. Breakups were difficult, and she didn’t have the heart to crush him. Until she was ready for a relationship, she had no business pushing beyond the boundaries of friendship.

  Lori slid from bed and put on a robe. She went down the hall to see if Gunner was still sleeping, but he was gone. There was a note on the sofa. I hope you slept well. I’ll check on you later.

  After staring at the note, half expecting it to say more, Lori sat on the sofa. She crumpled the note in her hand and hugged one of the pillows to her face. Gunner’s scent lingered, and she closed her eyes to breathe it in. She wanted him badly; it was going to be difficult to hide that.

  Lori made coffee then showered. While she was getting dressed, Jess texted to invite her to dinner later in the week. Jess knew what a difficult period this was for Lori, so wanted her to come over to visit. Plus, Lori could see Allen and the kids. That sounded like a welcome break from daily pressures, so she accepted.

  On the way to the clinic, Lori thought she saw Nick but couldn’t imagine what her brother was doing downtown. And she could swear he was walking with Flavio Zucco. She recognized the mobster from the meeting in Brentwood; he had a distinctive appearance.

  Lori circled the block to get a better look, but she couldn’t spot them. She started to think that she had imagined it. Her brother had been faced away from her, and surely there were many men his age that fit his description.

  When Lori got to the clinic, she called Nick. She had planned to visit him soon, but she had been busy the last couple of days. The call went to voicemail, and she left a message that she had something important to tell him.

  For the next hour, Lori caught up on paperwork. Before her first patient, Nick returned her call. “What’s so important?”

  “Nice to hear from you, too,” Lori said, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice.

  “Your message got me curious,” Nick said, “but I think I already know what you have to tell me.”

  “You do?”

  “I can’t believe that you are digging up Dad’s body,” Nick said.

  “Who told you?”

  “I’m friends with Matt, remember?” Nick said. “You took your sweet time telling me, so I’m glad he clued me in.”

  “It wasn’t Matt’s place to do that. I waited so I could talk to you in person.”

  “Well, it’s too late,” Nick said. “I already know, and I think the whole idea is morbid.”

  “I hoped that you’d understand. It’s our father we’re talking about. Wouldn’t you want to know if he was murdered?”

  “I don’t know why you can’t leave things alone,” Nick said. “Dad is dead. Whatever you do, it won’t bring him back.”

  Lori could tell that Nick wasn’t open to discussing the matter. He had made up his mind, but she found it frustrating that he cared so little.

  “I saw you this morning,” Lori said. She decided the direct approach was best and hoped her brother’s reaction would reveal the truth.

  “I’ve been at home.”

  “I don’t think so, Nick. I saw you with Flavio Zucco.”

  “You really piss me off, you know that?” Nick said. “Why would I be with Flavio?”

  “So, you admit that you know who he is?”

  “I haven’t been living under a rock,” Nick said. “That dude is known on the streets; he’s had his name in the news, too—if you recall. You must know who he is, if you’re accusing me of being with him.”

  “He’s a drug dealer.”

  “Oh, I get it,” Nick said. “I told you that I was off drugs, but you just won’t believe me. It was pretty low to accuse me of hanging out with the mob. I didn’t think even you would stoop that low.”

  Nick ended the call, leaving Lori angry and frustrated. She feared that her brother was on drugs, and his denial hadn’t convinced her that he wasn’t connected to Flavio. He had to get his fix somewhere, and she supposed the mob was as good a source as any.


  Lori planned to have an autopsy done. She had hoped that her brother would support that effort, but he was against her. And she was furious with Matt for revealing the news before she had a chance. That had wiped out any possibility that Lori could present things in a way that her brother would accept.

  Lori had to push aside her upset and treat her morning patients. Focusing on helping others was a welcome distraction from her own problems. When she had a break, she went to the nurses’ station to give paperwork to Sarah. Another staff member was working on supply orders.

  Katherine Evans was assigned to administrative duties, including handling orders for supplies and medications. Any inaccuracies in orders might be attributed to Katherine’s error, as well as many others. That made Lori think that maybe Matt had been right.

  But ordering an unneeded antidote for thallium fell outside that criteria. It wasn’t the same as misadding numbers or duplicating orders. Lori would have to narrow down the source of any mistakes, which would take time. Since Matt had failed to come up with any definite answers, the responsibility fell to her. She had been unable to find an opportunity to focus on that task.

  Adam was on duty with Lori, and after he finished with his patients, she asked to speak with him. He had taken the news of the exhumation well, so he was one person she could count on for support.

  No matter the long hours Adam worked, he didn’t appear exhausted. He was well groomed and maintained his calm demeanor. No doubt his patients appreciated that, and Lori did also. He withstood pressures better than her.

  “How are you holding up?” Adam said.

  “I hardly know how to answer that,” Lori said. “I’ve had a lot of pushback about proceeding with the exhumation.”

  “Your brother?”

  “How did you guess?”

  “He’s a hothead,” Adam said. “But don’t let it get to you. You’re doing the right thing.”

  “I wouldn’t say this to anyone else, but I have my doubts.”