Duty Bound (Blackthorn Security Book 1)

Chapter 31

Lily was going slowly insane.

She’d been back a week, and they’d heard nothing.

Pat had pulled all the strings he could. He’d spoken to his contacts in Kabul—those in the new government and those still in hiding—but no one knew anything about the former Special Forces squad leader.

“It’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the earth.”

“That’s how they’re trained,” Pat told her. “If he’s on the run, he’s keeping a low profile. Staying under the radar.”

“But for so long?”

“It’s complicated out there, you know that.”

She sure did. Escaping wouldn’t be easy, even with Stitch’s help.

The Department of Defense man had reappeared. They’d sat at Pat’s dining table while she told him everything about what had happened, starting with Blade rescuing her from the cave network in the mountains.

“We didn’t sanction any military evacuation,” the man had barked.

Pat cleared his throat. “No, but your boss did. Off the record.”

The DoD man didn’t mention it again. “How’d you get through the checkpoint?”

Lily told him about the guard recognizing her, and Blade shooting him. Then he’d surrendered, allowing her to escape.

“Brave fella.”

Pat gave a knowing grunt.

“And who drove you?”

“Someone he bribed into service.” No way would she give up Stitch.

“So, a local couple gave you a lift to Kabul?”

“That’s right, and when I got there I called Pat.”

Pat took over then, keeping it brief and not giving away any of his contacts. Most of the people he’d dealt with were in hiding and would be executed if discovered by the Taliban.

The meeting ended, and Pat saw the DoD guy out. Lily was glad that was over, although part of her was still in Afghanistan with Blade.

Another week passed.Lily had gnawed off all her fingernails. Even Pat walked around with a long, hang-dog face.

“There must be something we can do.”

Pat worked his jaw. “The boys know what to do. They’ll get themselves out of this.”

But she could tell by his tone he was beginning to fear the worst.

Stayingat Pat’s house reminded her of when her mother had passed away and Joe’s parents had taken her into their home.

Nothing much had changed. The furnishings were still the same, albeit a little more threadbare, but the photos on the mantelpiece were exactly how she remembered.

Pat and his wife on their wedding day. Joe as a baby. A family shot on the beach. Joe in his army uniform. She stared at that for some time. He looked so handsome, so happy.

He’d died doing something he’d loved, being the person he’d wanted to be. That was something, at least.

She poured Pat a fresh cup of coffee and took it into his office. He seemed to enjoy having her there, and she didn’t mind. It was better than being alone, and this place had happy memories for her.

“Thanks, Lily.” He shot her a sad smile as she set the mug down on the desk.

“Anything?”

He shook his head.

They’d spent the evenings talking about the situation in the Middle East, about the role of the armed forces, about his time in the Navy SEALs. He’d been captured once and managed to escape, so he was under no illusions about what Blade might be going through.

“It took me a month to get away,” he told her, his gaze knowing. “You just have to hang in there, and hope for the best.”

Easier said than done.

Even after two weeks, Lily wasn’t sure exactly what Pat did for a living. He was in and out, sometimes flying to D.C. for meetings, other times spending long hours in his study on secretive phone calls. Occasionally men in suits came to visit, but they never stayed long.

Pat was an enigma.

One evening, they were sitting in the garden together as had become their habit. Lily was scanning the Internet on her laptop, looking for any news of a captured American soldier, while Pat read the newspaper.

“You know, Lily?—”

She glanced up.

“We might never know.”

A chill swept over her. She didn’t want to acknowledge that he might not be coming back. It had been three weeks with no news. Interminable to her, but not long for a Green Beret who’d escaped and was in hiding.

“Don’t.” She shook her head.

He put down the paper. “Sweetheart, sometimes they don’t come home.”

A red-hot poker stabbed her in the heart. She couldn’t handle it. Couldn’t let herself think along those lines.

“Don’t say that,” she croaked.

Pat studied her. “You care for him, don’t you?”

Lily hesitated. How could she tell him?

Would he be upset that she’d moved on from his son? That she’d fallen in love with Joe’s best friend?

He nodded at her laptop. “You’re barely off that thing, you jump every time the phone rings, and you’re the first one outside when a car pulls up. We’re both desperate for information, but it strikes me this goes a little deeper for you.”

A sob escaped her. “He sacrificed his life for mine.” She couldn’t meet his gaze. “I thought it was because he’d rescued me, that it was just infatuation and it would pass, but—” She sniffed. “I can’t handle the thought of life without him.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I understand. It was an intense situation.”

“You do?” Her eyes filled with tears.

“Of course. Blade’s a great guy. I understand why you might have feelings for him.”

“But I feel so guilty.” She took a shaky breath. “What about Joe?”

“Joe would understand.” Sadness crept into his eyes.

“Would he?” She shook her head.

“You know he would. He’d want you to be happy.”

She closed her laptop. “You know I’ll never forget what you and Val did for me.”

“You’re like a daughter to me, Lily.” His voice was gruff, very unlike Pat.

She got up and hugged him. “Thank you, for everything.”

“I only wish it had turned out different. I feel responsible for sending him over there.”

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered. It was nobody’s fault. God, why did she have to say that so much?

“If it’s any consolation, he’s a tough bastard, and with Stitch helping him, there’s a good chance they’ll make it out alive.”

Lily knew he was saying that to make her feel better, but she prayed he was right.