Covet
Se7en Deadly SEALs: Episode 7
Alana Albertson
Covet
The Se7en Deadly SEALs Series
Episode Se7en
Copyright © 2017 by Alana Albertson.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
Bolero Books, LLC
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San Diego, CA 92128
www.bolerobooks.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Copyright © 2017 by Alana Albertson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
This final book is dedicated the fans of this series who have stuck with me through it since I released Conceit in 2014. You are the best.
Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
Buddha
Contents
SINopsis
1. Mia
2. Grant
3. Mia
4. Mia
5. Mia
6. Grant
7. Mia
8. Grant
9. Mia
10. Grant
11. Mia
12. Grant
13. Mia
Epilogue
Extended Epilogue
Se7en Deadly SEALs Season 2
Also by Alana Albertson
About the Author
Acknowledgments
SINopsis
Se7en Deadly SEALs have all betrayed me
6ix months of my life have been wasted on a lie
5ive minutes since I learned the truth about my brother
4our hours ago Grant confessed to murder he didn’t commit
Thre3 years ago I was raped by a man I trusted
2wo days since I married the love of my life
1ne shot to rescue my son
Zer0 chance Grant can save me now
My son’s life is in danger and his survival depends on me pulling off the most important performance of my career. I must convince a psychopath that I covet him.
1
Mia
I drove back to Grant’s place in a daze, trying not to completely break down. I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen. Would Grant go to jail? I was his wife, I needed to get him a lawyer. I prayed that my phone would ring soon.
I arrived home, let Hero out, and just lost it on the sofa. My chest heaved, my breath came in short spurts, and I wanted to collapse into the sofa and die.
The words our son rang in my head. Our son . . . our son. I couldn’t get Joaquín’s voice out of my head. My brother had raped me. He had just promised to take me to meet our son. He knew where he was because he had been the one to kidnap him.
Holy fuck.
Grant had been right. And I’d been so stubborn that I refused to believe him. I doubted the only man who truly ever loved me, who had always had my back. Not only had I refused to entertain his logical conclusions but also I had accused him of trying to keep me from my brother.
I was a horrible person. I didn’t deserve Grant.
I’d ruined my life to protect my brother. A man who was a killer. A rapist. A kidnapper.
In my darkness, I realized a truth. I could’ve never imagined how determined I would become to free Joaquín when he had been arrested. But witnessing Grant being taken away in handcuffs was worse.
I loved Grant more than I loved Joaquín.
I stared at my phone. Should I call a lawyer to get him out? No, I would wait until I heard from Grant. He was calling the shots and he had sacrificed his freedom so I could find our son. I was desperate to hear his voice. But at the same time, I was dreading getting a call from Joaquín, knowing he could be set free. I knew this was my path—the only way to find my son, but I was terrified of being alone with my brother. As the minutes turned into hours, I fell deeper into the self-hate that had been sparked the moment I realized I had been so very, very wrong.
I walked into the bedroom and caught a glimpse of my wedding gown covering my suitcase. I clutched it and could still smell Grant’s woodsy scent. I cradled that dress as if I were cradling him. I’d put him through so much that if I ever got a chance to have a real life with him, I would do anything to make him happy.
I rummaged in my suitcase to find my jeans but instead, my hand fell on the cocaine. My fingers kneaded the bag of white powder.
One line. One line to make me feel better. Replace this low with a high. Forget this day. Forget this life. Joaquín wouldn’t be released until tomorrow. I needed a fix to take the edge off my pain.
Using a credit card, I cut a line of coke on Grant’s nightstand, and then I took a dollar bill from my purse and rolled it up. Before I could talk myself out of it, I snorted it.
And then I snorted another.
And then another.
The high pulsed through my body, leaving my insides numb and humming with euphoria. My vision sharpened and wobbled as I bent to snort another, but I didn’t stop.
My heart raced faster and my hand shook so hard the makeshift straw fell from my fingertips. My chest constricted, and I knew something was wrong. I reached for my phone and called the only person I could think of—Mitch. But before I could scream for help, my world went black.
2
Grant
I was led to a holding cell and refused to talk to the detective without an attorney. But instead of calling a lawyer or my wife, I made my one call to Ashley.
After an hour, Ashley showed up in a business suit. Her identification allowed her immediate access to me.
“Dammit, Grant. What were you thinking? A false confession? I was with you the night of the party. All night. You did not kill Tiffany.”
“No shit, Sherlock. But this is the only way I will find my son. Joaquín will be released as they investigate me. And he will take Mia to Julián.”
“What makes you think he will do that?”
“Because he told her he would. And as twisted as it is, he loves her.”
She shook her head. “I hope you are right. This stunt will ruin your career.”
“No, it won’t. I’ll get a slap on the wrist. And honestly, I don’t give two shits about my career if I can’t find my son. I need you to make sure that when they release Joaquín, you have someone tail him. Mitch is on it, too. Promise me.”
She reached for my hand, and I didn’t pull it back. “I p
romise. We’ll have every man on it. He will be released tomorrow at eleven.” She paused. “I admire you and your loyalty to Mia. I thought I could break you, but I was wrong. She doesn’t deserve you.”
“No, you’re wrong there. I don’t deserve her. And Mia’s as loyal to me as I am to her. That’s what true love is, Ashley. Willing to die for someone you love.”
Ashley released a heavy sigh and flashed a longing gaze at me. “I’m going to go to the DA and give a statement about how I was with you the night of the murder. But per your request, I’ll delay my statement until Joaquín is released. I hope you’re right about this plan. And I promise I’ll follow Joaquín and find your son.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I squeezed her hand and felt a tinge of compassion for her. Being a female NCIS agent investigating secretive SEALs was by no means an easy task. She had thrown herself fully into this operation by transforming into Autumn the same way Mia had transformed into Ksenya. Mia’s motivation was clear—to free her brother. I wondered what motivated Ashley.
Ashley left the conference room, and I was led back to my cell. NCIS and Mitch would be following Joaquín, who would hopefully honor his promise to Mia and lead her to our son. If this operation went according to plan, I would have Joaquín back behind bars and my family reunited within a few days. What could go wrong?
3
Mia
Cold water drenched me, making me gasp for breath. My first vision as I began to regain consciousness was a man cradling me in the bathtub.
Mitch’s face came into focus as he screamed my name.
“Mia, are you okay?”
As my vision improved, I wiped the blood from my nose. God, I was so stupid. What the fuck had I been thinking? Especially when I was this close to finding my child.
“I’m fine. I-I just . . .” I couldn’t admit to my own stupidity so I waved at my bloody nose.
Mitch carried me to the bedroom, undressed me, and put me in some new clothes. His hands grasped my wrist as he checked my pulse.
“Your heart rate is elevated”—his hand moved to lift my eyelid—“and your pupils are dilated. How do you feel?”
Like a fool. “Like I can’t feel my face and I’m going to throw up.”
“It should pass. How much did you take?”
“I wasn’t trying to overdose. I just wanted to take the edge off.” I knew he wanted to question that but he didn’t.
“I’m going to monitor your breathing. I can’t let something bad happen to Grant’s wife.”
I felt the urge to curl up in a ball and shoo him away from me, but instead I allowed Mitch to take care of me. He placed me on the bed. After twenty minutes of him watching me breathe, he finally gave me a thumbs up. “You’re good.”
I sat up and exhaled. “Thanks, Mitch. You saved my life.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I turned to him. “Did you know Grant was going to confess?”
“Yeah, he told me his plan yesterday. But he didn’t kill her. I was there that night. He was with Autumn the entire time. And your brother was with Tiffany.” As much as I hated imagining Grant hooking up with Autumn that night, I knew that her alibi would be the key to getting him out of jail. But was she a reliable witness? What if the court didn’t believe her because she was a stripper who had a fling with Grant? What if Grant wasn’t released?
“Hey.” Mitch paused and reached for my hand. “Grant told me he told you what April saw.”
I swallowed. “He did.” It was all I could manage.
“I’m so sorry.”
Yesterday, I would’ve screamed at Mitch for even suggesting Joaquín had raped me. But now everything was making sense. Mitch had told me the night I’d drugged him that the guy he’d found me with had sprinted past him. Joaquín would be out soon, and then I would finally get some answers.
“So, what’s the plan? Are you going to pick up Joaquín?”
“Yup. And I’m not supposed to let him out of my sight. He’ll probably want to be dropped off here, and I’ll be following you two. Grant will join me when, or if, he gets released. Joaquín won’t have a car, so I’ll put a tracking device on yours so we don’t get separated. I’m also going to monitor you on your phone.”
“That sounds intense. Grant thinks my car already has a tracking device on it.” I pursed my lips. “I’ll be honest, Mitch. I’m scared. I’m not sure I can pull this off.”
“You can. You fooled Grant and me. And I have your six.” His brow cocked. “Listen, Mia, I need you to keep your guard up around Joaquín. You have a gun, hell you pointed it at me. Don’t be afraid to use it if you need to protect yourself.”
I gulped. He didn’t need to elaborate. I knew he was telling me that I might have to kill my brother. “Okay. I’ll be cautious.”
He took my hand. “I’m going to spend the night here, on the sofa. Grant wants me to stay with you until I get Joaquín.”
I nodded. “Okay. That’s fine. I’m going to crash.”
He kissed my forehead. “Night, Mia.”
“Night.”
As I fell into a deep slumber, I dreamt for the first time in a while. But my dream quickly turned into a nightmare. I was back at the frat house the night I had been raped, and I could hear the words “Mia, Mia, are you okay?” But they weren’t spoken by Mitch.
They were spoken by my brother.
4
Mia
When I woke the next morning, Mitch was sitting on the sofa staring at his phone
“Good, you’re up. Daniel called me a few hours ago. Joaquín will be released at eleven.”
I glanced at the clock. It was nine thirty. I would see my brother soon. But I didn’t care about seeing him. All I wanted to do was see my husband. “Any word from Grant?”
“No. Kyle is trying to get access to him. Kyle’s pissed, by the way—I hope he doesn’t throw Grant in the brig. I’m going to head over to the jail to get your brother.” Mitch walked over and knelt in front of me, forcing me to stare at him. “Stay here until I drop Joaquín off. And if he hurts you, make sure you protect yourself. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Okay. I’ll give you a call when I have him. Don’t open the door to this apartment until you hear from me.”
“Okay, okay. I get it. I’ll behave. Thanks, Mitch.” I hugged him, needing to feel safe and protected before I embarked on this journey.
Mitch left and closed the door behind him. I locked it and jumped in the shower, trying to wash yesterday out of my mind. Within an hour, my brother would be free.
I tried to take my mind off of Grant being locked up and what I would do when I saw my brother, but it was useless. There was only so long I could stare at my phone, so I eventually turned on the television.
After twenty minutes, I heard the lock click and all my attention focused on the knob. When the door pushed open, my whole body froze.
“Hey, sis.”
Joaquín stood in front of me, and his mouth widened in a devilish smile. His chest was even more massive than when he’d been a SEAL. He’d developed some new lines on his face and his dark eyelashes shaded his haunting eyes.
A lump grew in my throat. “Oh my God! Joaquín! What are you doing here? Did Mitch give you the key?” I instinctively rubbed my ring on my finger, as if I expected it to shoot a message to Mitch, alerting him that the plan had been altered.
He laughed. “No, I picked the lock.”
Grant’s words echoed in my head. “You know who taught me to pick locks? Your brother.”
I tried to move, say something, do something, but I remained frozen on the sofa.
“Aren’t you going to give me a hug?”
“Of course. I’m so sorry. I’m shocked, that’s all.” I stood and ran into his arms. He lifted me, his strong grasp holding me tight, and I fought the urge to be sick.
I pulled back as soon as I could without looking suspicious, but before I could start talking to him, he grasped my face
and pulled me in for a kiss.
But it wasn’t a kiss the way a brother kisses a sister. It was a kiss the way lovers kiss.
My skin crawled.
I pulled away, my jaw dropped, and my eyes bulged.
He didn’t let go of me as he walked me backward into the apartment and kicked the door closed. Then he grabbed my jaw and turned my face back toward him. “Listen to me. I know this will be a little weird for you at first, but you know the truth now. I lied to you in jail—I did know that we weren’t biological siblings.”
“What? How?”
“On my sixteenth birthday, I went to get my license, and when I read my birth certificate there was another man’s name on it. I thought it was a mistake, but Papa told me the truth. It crushed me. I’m Mama’s son and you’re Papa’s daughter. They married when we were young. After I flipped out, they got a fake birth certificate for you so you would never know and they made me promise not to tell you. I fucking hated them for making me think I was crazy. I hated them so much . . .”
He didn’t finish that sentence, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? It’s been years since they passed away!”
“I couldn’t. It would have crushed you, and I couldn’t stomach the thought of having you look at me the way Papa did. Mia, I’ve always fought it, hated myself for thinking these unnatural thoughts. But that’s the thing—they aren’t unnatural. I knew you didn’t know how I felt about you, how I still feel about you. But I wasn’t sure you felt the same. I tried to be happy and move on when you were with Grant. I thought I had. But what you did for me in jail—now I know you feel it, too. I see the devotion in your eyes. There’s nothing wrong with it. We are meant to be together.”
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