Securing Piper

by Susan Stoker

  “She was amazing,” Piper agreed. “It wasn’t fair, what happened to her, and no matter what Ace says, I still feel a little guilty.”

  “Don’t,” Caite said. “I mean, that’s easy for me to say, but you can’t spend your life looking back. You have to go forward. I truly believe that things happen for a reason. You might not know right this second why everything happened, but eventually it’ll become clear. And I have to say, you’ve got three small reasons right down there, and you’ve got Ace. I’d say that’s a pretty good start.”

  Piper thought about Caite’s words. She was right. She would still prefer Kalee be here with her today, but knowing if events didn’t happen as they had, she might not be sitting where she was right that second, looking at three girls who now legally belonged to her…not to mention, being married to the most amazing man she’d ever met…

  Yeah, there was definitely something to Caite’s words.

  “Back to my question,” Caite said. “What made you want to adopt Rani, Sinta, and Kemala? I mean, I understand you went through something intense together, but how did the adoption happen?”

  Piper had wondered the exact same thing more than once, so she wasn’t offended by the question. “I missed having siblings growing up. It was just me. When my mom died, and I thought I was going to have to go into the foster system, I was scared to death. My grandparents stepped up and agreed to raise me, but I never forgot that feeling of thinking I was absolutely alone in the world.

  “You’re right, it’s weird that I could go from a single woman with few responsibilities to wanting to adopt three girls, one of whom is a teenager. It’s hard to explain, but the three days we spent together in that crawlspace under the kitchen changed me. Those girls were completely dependent on me. When we heard men walking through the house, looking for whoever they could find, we all huddled together and practically held our breath. When little Sinta needed to pee, I had to figure out a way to make a toilet for us all. When we ran out of water and food, there was no way I was going to risk letting one of them out of the hole to get it. I went myself.

  “I realized after a very short while that I would do anything—and I mean anything—to keep those girls safe. They didn’t ask to be in that position. Neither did I, but they’re kids. They should be protected and loved. Instead, they were growing up in an orphanage with no one to care if they lived or died.

  “When the guys arrived, and I heard them speaking English, my only thought was for the girls. That this was my chance to get them out. I knew we couldn’t survive for much longer huddled under that floor, and the team was an answer to my prayers. And while I’d already been thinking about bringing them back to the States with me, it wasn’t until I saw that so-called private orphanage, and realized the owner was literally selling girls to whoever wanted to buy one, that I knew for certain I couldn’t leave them there. No one was going to protect them the way I would. No one was going to make sure their bellies were full like I would. No one would literally put their life on the line for them like I would.”

  “And they were okay with leaving their country?” Caite asked. She’d moved so she was sitting forward and had put her hand on Piper’s leg in support.

  Piper nodded. “Yeah. I think their time in that hole changed them too. Not to mention the way the team protected them on our journey into the city. I don’t think anyone had ever cared that much about them before. Especially men. But, I have to admit, Kemala definitely didn’t like me much for a while there. I thought she was just being a normal moody teenager, but it turns out she was afraid of being discarded once we reached the capital. She was scared to death of being left alone in the city. She thought I was just going to leave her without a backward glance. Once she figured out that wasn’t the case, and that she would be coming with me back to America, her attitude completely changed.”

  “She seems completely devoted to you and Ace,” Sidney observed.

  “I’m hoping as time goes by, she’ll relax a bit more and not feel quite so obligated to help us all the time. I want her to be the carefree young girl she’s meant to be. She doesn’t have to worry about being married off at age fourteen. She won’t have to bear a man’s babies by the time she’s sixteen, and she doesn’t have to worry about when her next meal is coming.”

  “I’m in awe of you,” Caite said, sitting back.

  Piper immediately shook her head. “I didn’t do anything anyone else in that situation wouldn’t.”

  “Wrong,” Caite replied. “I think you’re the only person who would’ve not only put her life on the line to keep them safe, but who would’ve adopted them on the spot.”

  “Well, there is one other—Ace. And it’s not like I wandered into a dangerous part of a foreign city on my own to try to rescue a Navy SEAL or anything,” Piper countered with a small smile.

  Caite laughed. “True.”

  “Or tried to steal a dog from a known gang member and overall horrible person,” Piper added, looking at Sidney.

  “It’s official then, we’re all certifiably insane,” Caite said with a smile.

  “Which is why we get along so well,” Sidney added.

  Piper beamed. She liked these women. Liked having them as friends, and knew without even having to ask that they’d be there for her if she needed anything. Just as she could rely on Ace’s teammates.

  For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel quite so alone.

  Hearing shouts from the beach, Piper whipped her gaze to where she’d last seen her kids. She stood immediately, ready to run down to the beach to protect one of them from whatever danger had appeared. But she didn’t see any of the guys panicking, nor her girls. Instead, a man was limping toward them from between Gumby’s house and the one next door.

  “Who is that?” Piper asked.

  “I don’t know,” Caite answered. “But it sure looks like the guys are glad to see him.”

  And it did. The team had exited the ocean and were headed toward the mystery man. Ace was holding Rani, Bubba was carrying Sinta, and Kemala was between Phantom and Rex.

  “Come on. Now I’m curious,” Caite said as she stood.

  Sidney and Piper followed suit, and soon, along with Hannah, who’d been sleeping on the deck with them, they were all headed in the man’s direction.

  “Holy shit, is it really you, Tex?” Ace asked as they got closer to the man coming toward them.

  “In the flesh,” Tex said in his familiar southern accent.

  “What in the hell are you doing here?” Rocco asked as he embraced the man.

  “I was curious,” Tex said, winking at Ace after he’d pulled back. “After I pulled every string known to man to get your adoption fast-tracked and approved so you could fly your girls out of Timor-Leste, I wanted to come and meet them for myself.”

  Ace saw Piper approaching, listening to Tex’s explanation. He held out an arm and she came right to him, wrapping her arm around his waist, making Ace feel ten feet tall. “And we’re glad you did. This is Rani, Sinta’s there with Bubba, and the beautiful teenager with Phantom is Kemala.”

  Tex greeted each one of the girls, and Ace was happy to see them responding, shyly but not with any fear. He figured since they were surrounded by people they trusted, that made it easier for them. Not to mention the fact they’d literally just put their lives in the hands of the men around them as they were learning to swim.

  “And this must be Piper,” Tex said as he smiled at her.

  “Tex, meet my wife, Piper Morgan,” Ace said, finding great satisfaction in introducing her as his wife to one of the men he respected and admired most in the world.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Piper said solemnly. “And I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you did for us. I know adoptions don’t normally work the way ours did, they take a crapload of money and time. But please know I…we…appreciate it.”

  Tex waved off her thanks, like Ace knew he would. “I don’t need your thanks. All I need is to k
now these beauties are safe and happy.”

  “How’re Akilah and Hope doing?” Rocco asked.

  “They’re great. Hope is growing like a weed and Akilah graduates from high school this year.”

  “Wow, already?” Gumby exclaimed.

  “Right? It seems like just yesterday I met her for the first time.”

  Ace leaned close and told Piper, “He adopted Akilah from Iraq. She was brought to the States for medical care for her arm, which had been injured in a firefight.”

  She nodded. “So that’s how he knew the right person to contact at the USCIS.”

  Tex, overhearing their conversation, nodded. “Yup. And I might’ve done a few jobs for them here and there over the years. It wasn’t any hardship for them to do me a little favor.”

  Ace shook his head. A “little favor” to Tex meant the absolute world to him and Piper.

  “Come on,” Gumby said, slapping his friend on the back. “We’ve got some food left over. Take a load off for a while.”

  “I can’t stay,” Tex said. “I’m on my way to Wolf and Caroline’s, and to see the rest of his team. I just wanted to stop to meet your girls, Ace, and to let you all know if there’s anything I can ever do for you, all you have to do is call. I’m aware you think that I’m mostly Wolf’s contact, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m here for each and every one of you, and I hope you realize that now. You don’t need to go through Commander North to get to me, either. Just pick up the damn phone and call. Okay?”

  Everyone nodded, and Ace couldn’t deny the retired SEAL’s words were a relief. Tex knew more about hacking and finding information than anyone he’d ever met in his life. And the ease in which he’d made the adoption of his girls happen was more than enough proof of the kind of connections he had. Tex was the ultimate resource, and Ace made a mental note to make sure all of them, including Piper and the other women, had his number.

  “Come on, back to our swimming lesson!” Rocco exclaimed as Tex turned to head back to his vehicle.

  Ace leaned down and kissed Piper, then smiled. He loved seeing the look of satisfaction—and hunger—on her face.

  Knowing the longer his girls spent in the ocean and running around on the beach, the more tired they’d get, his smile widened. Hopefully tonight, he’d have a chance to give Piper her new ring, and show her how much he wanted their relationship to change…for the better.

  Phantom ran after Tex as he left the beach, catching up with him at the side of Gumby’s house. “Hey, can I ask you something?” he called as he got close.

  Tex stopped and immediately nodded. “Of course. I wasn’t bullshitting when I said to let me know if you need anything.”

  “I know Commander North is keeping up on everything happening in Timor-Leste, but I’d appreciate if maybe you could keep an eye out too.”

  “You want to go back and get Kalee,” Tex said. It wasn’t a question.

  Phantom should’ve been surprised that the retired SEAL knew that, but he wasn’t. “Yes. We shouldn’t have left her in the first place.”

  “From what I hear, you didn’t have a choice. It’s not like you could’ve tromped around for days with her body slung over your shoulder. That would’ve been impossible, and would’ve probably scarred Piper and those girls for life. And extraction couldn’t happen immediately, like it usually can when you’re on a mission that goes FUBAR.”

  Phantom knew that, but it still grated. “I know, but something about what happened over there isn’t sitting well with me. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s been bothering me.”

  Tex stared at him for a long moment. “Talk to me,” he finally urged.

  Phantom shrugged. “That’s just it. I don’t know what’s really wrong, if anything. We’ve had to leave people behind before for the greater good, but it almost feels like…like my brain’s blocked out something about that day at the orphanage. I was standing there staring down at that mass grave, then I looked back at Piper and the others emerging from one of the buildings. I turned back to the grave… I can’t remember anything being different, but I still can’t help but think I missed something. Something important.”

  “Did you say something to the others?” Tex asked.

  “No,” Phantom said. “We heard the rebels coming and had to get the hell out of there. Besides, I’m not sure I really did see anything strange. It’s just a feeling I have. But the bottom line is, I hate not being able to finish a mission. I need to go back. To bring Kalee home.”

  “I heard her father isn’t dealing well with her death.”

  “Understatement of the year,” Phantom muttered.

  “Right. And it’s done. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open, and I’ll let you know the second I hear anything that might be interesting.”

  “I appreciate it,” Phantom told him.

  Tex rolled his eyes. “If you thank me, I’m gonna have to do something drastic.”

  Phantom chuckled. It was well known that Tex hated to be thanked, and if someone dared to send a gift or make a grand gesture, Tex made it his mission in life to embarrass the hell out of the poor sap. He held up his hands in capitulation. “No thanks from me.”

  “Good. Keep your head down out there, Phantom. The world needs more men like you in it.”

  Blinking in surprise, Phantom could only stare at Tex as he turned to head for his vehicle parked on the road in front of Gumby’s house.

  Phantom had never thought of himself as particularly special. His life growing up had been hell—pure hell—and he’d spent most of his adult life trying to forget about it and move on. He’d been somewhat successful, but there were times when his past did its best to sneak in on him and fuck him up even more.

  Shaking his head to clear it, Phantom turned around to head back to the ocean. He might not show it very well, but he truly liked Caite, Sidney, and even Piper. He’d been worried about the effects they’d have on his friends, particularly the way they did their job, but those concerns had been unfounded. Rocco, Gumby, and Ace were professionals, able to separate their personal lives from their professional.

  And he had to admit, the more time he spent around Rani, Sinta, and Kemala, the more he liked them too. The way Sinta had looked up at him as he’d helped her float on her back in the ocean would stay with him for a very long time. Her big brown eyes showed nothing but trust…and that felt good.

  As he jogged toward his friends, back in the ocean with the girls, teaching them to float and swim, Phantom still couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that he’d missed something while they’d been up in the mountains in Timor-Leste. He didn’t know what it was, and that was the problem. But the niggling doubt in the back of his mind was a constant companion, and it was more than worrying.

  Mentally shrugging, he took a deep breath and plunged into the ocean, splashing the girls in the process. Hearing them shriek and giggle made something inside him loosen just a tad.

  Paul Solberg sat on the beach a hundred yards down from where the girls who should’ve belonged to his Kalee played in the ocean with their protectors. He was concealed by a large family reunion, which had people young and old running around everywhere. He didn’t stick out in his shorts and T-shirt, and as he sat on a bench on the boardwalk, he was able to observe the men and children playing in the water without worrying about being seen.

  Nothing showed on his face, but inside he was a mess. For days, his emotions had been going from anger, to despair, to jealousy, back to anger…and endless cycle.

  He’d taken to spending all his spare time watching the girls. He’d told the board of directors at work that he was taking some time off, and because they knew what he was going through, they hadn’t blinked.

  Paul couldn’t take his mind off of what might’ve been. He’d followed Piper and the girls to the store, to the library, and everywhere else they went. He knew that Ace had bought his new wife some jewelry, and even that hurt, knowing his Kalee would never have a man who went out of his
way to take care of her the way Ace was caring for Piper.

  But a plan was forming in his mind. At the moment, because the girls were new to them, Ace and Piper were watching them carefully. They did everything together, and the girls weren’t out of their sight for more than a few minutes at a time.

  But eventually they’d drop their guard. The girls would get more comfortable, and so would their parents.

  He was supposed to be the one teaching his grandchildren how to swim. He could shower them with more gifts than a mere sailor and a stupid cartoonist ever could.

  Paul wasn’t dumb. He knew he couldn’t easily take all three of the girls. But he could take one. No one would suspect him until it was too late. He had enough money to get himself and a granddaughter out of the country.

  As his thoughts whirled with plans, mixing with memories of his Kalee, he stared at the girls laughing and playing in the ocean—and something in his mind splintered.

  His grief over the death of his baby girl overtook his rational mind. Instead of seeing the smallest girl in the ocean as one of the children who’d escaped Timor-Leste, she became the small child he’d raised.

  It wasn’t Rani in the ocean, it was Kalee.

  His daughter.

  His girl.

  His life.

  And he had to save her. Had to get her away from the evil woman who’d stolen her from him. He had to rescue his Kalee.

  Chapter Thirteen

  As it turned out, Ace didn’t get a chance to give Piper her new ring or further their physical relationship the night of the cookout at Gumby’s house. Or the next night. Or for the next week and a half, in fact.

  They were busy nonstop, and by the time evening rolled around, they were too exhausted to do more than settle on the couch to watch the news before they were both snoring.

  The girls were acclimating to their new sleeping arrangements, loving being able to snuggle together in the queen-size bed they’d put in Kemala’s room.