Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lola
“Obviously.” I snuggle under the blankets to get closer to him and gain some of his body heat. I should have turned up the thermostat when I came into the room–like that could have ever penetrated my lust-filled brain.
I smile as I picture him in the alleyway taking on four bullies, fists flying in all directions. The more he shares with me, the more I admire him.
“I honed my survival skills and was an excellent marksman. However, I found my calling with computers and strategic planning, which got me on the fast track to the SEALs. It was amazing. There’s no greater accomplishment than working together as a team to pull off the perfect mission. Some days we would sit motionless for hours, sweat dripping down our ass cracks, just to catch a glimpse of a foot soldier. Truman was my commanding officer.”
“What went wrong?”
He pauses for several seconds. “I haven’t told anyone outside of the military hearing and once to my family. Everyone keeps telling me that I need to process, grieve, that type of shit.”
“How about you don’t look at me while you tell me? Maybe that will make it easier.” I turn and press my back into his stomach. As he wraps his arms around me, I close my eyes.
“I was second in command. All the intel came to me. We’d spent months locating four American hostages. They were members of a private security company who’d been providing support to a team of doctors in a desolate suburb on the outskirts of a large city in the Middle East. I can’t give out the exact location.”
I nod. “I understand.”
“We found out they were being held in the basement of an abandoned school. The building was partially destroyed by mortar shells during an earlier raid. We were staged 100 feet from where the men were secured. From what we’d gathered, three men were guarding the hostages. Two of them were carrying machine guns, and one had a grenade launcher.”
My stomach clenches. “Heavy firepower.” I take a deep breath and exhale, reminding myself that no matter what had happened. Cade is still alive and here with me.
“The only time they let down their guard was when the runner brought their food. I had designed the plan for the rescue mission. The only problem was when we got inside the building, we discovered there was a group of kids who’d snuck into a room several yards away from the hostages. None of the intel gave any indication these boys would be there. Unfortunately, one of the teens saw us and knocked over a chair, giving away our presence in the building.”
“Shit.” Anxiety swells in my chest as if I’m there with him.
“All hell broke loose. Bullets were flying in all directions. Two of my men and I broke off from the rest of the team to rescue the teenage civilians. I guess the distraction was effective because, with the guards preoccupied, the other men were able to free the hostages with no fatalities.” He shudders and hauls me closer to him as if he needs me to feel better. “Which is pretty amazing considering they had bombs strapped to their bodies.”
“What happened to the boys?”
“We got them out before the building collapsed. The explosion knocked the remainder of the structure down on us. Two of my team weren’t so fortunate. They were caught under the rubble. Brigs ended up with a mangled leg, and Fargo was burned over twenty percent of his body from a grenade that detonated too close to him.”
“God, how awful. It sounds like they were lucky to survive. What happened to you?”
“I was caught under the wreckage. It took them several hours to unearth us. My leg was crushed, and the doctors didn’t think I would walk again. I also had fifteen pieces of shrapnel removed from my back from flying metal debris.
Tears fill my eyes, and one escapes, slipping along my cheek, landing in my hair, and wetting the pillow. God, he could have been killed. “I don’t understand. Why do you blame yourself? Everyone in the military realizes there’s danger. Soldiers are willing to take on those risks to save people, which sounds like what you did.” I roll over and look him in the eye. His are filled with sorrow and a mixture of acceptance and resignation.
“I was responsible for reviewing the intel and developing the rescue plan. More than that, I was responsible for those soldiers. Some of them still had baby fat on their faces. If I hadn’t missed the signs of the boys squatting there, no one would have been hurt. We had one of the best safety ratings of all the teams. Sure, some bruised body parts and maybe a few broken bones here and there, but overall, we were the best at what we did. They trusted me with their safety, and I failed them.”
“Well, it sounds like you were amazing at your job.” No wonder he spent so much time worrying about my well-being. He knows firsthand how important it is to account for every contingency. How easy it is for an operation to go wrong. And how painful it is to live with the consequences.
“I was.” He states matter-of-factly without a hint of cockiness.
“Do they hold you responsible for getting hurt?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been too afraid to accept their calls. I doubt they hold me as responsible as I’ve blamed myself.”
“I think it’s time for you to forgive yourself and find out. Maybe you shouldn’t wait for them to call again.” My eyelids became heavy as I listen to Cade’s steady breathing becoming deeper with approaching sleep. Hopefully, he’ll find some peace soon. He deserves to be happy.
As I feel myself begin to drift, he murmurs, “Maybe you’re right.”
Within minutes, Cade falls asleep, and I study him, suddenly unable to rest. He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever met. Correction. Because of his scars, he’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. The ones on his back are minimal and have healed well from his injury. The ones on his thigh are more distinct. They weave and intertwine with some smoother places and some rougher, but they don’t change the man or the fact I love him.
I twist, and the necklace stabs me in the chest. Shit. I move it a couple of inches and run my hand through his hair. When he stirs in his sleep, I hold my breath and wait for him to settle down again.
He’s lived under the weight of being responsible for something no one else blames him for. I know it. There’s no way any of those soldiers blame him. It’s much more likely that they look up to him for getting everyone out alive, including those children who could have lost their lives. However, his self-punishment shows his loyalty and dedication to his team.
I shake my head. It’s a disservice. He stopped living life when he came home. Please let him continue to push through his survivor’s guilt and return to the strong, compassionate man I know he is.
Crap. I’ve got to pee. I roll onto my back, and the jewels bounce against my flesh. Why didn’t I take these off earlier? I unfasten the clasp and rise from the mattress without making a sound. I lay the necklace down on the dresser, remove the earrings, and drop them next to the larger piece.
As I’m washing my hands in the bathroom, I stare in the mirror. Even though my hair is a jumbled mess, I can’t stop the smile from overpowering my face. I’ve never been happier. Yeah, my dad is going to hate us being together. But who cares? He hasn’t been a raging fan of anything I’ve done over the last couple of months. Why not chalk up another choice to raise his blood pressure?
I step into the bedroom and pause in front of the dresser. I should return the jewels to the safe. The last thing I want to do is lose one of them. Although I don’t remember my mother, I do believe in honoring her memory. Someday, I want them for my daughter or daughter-in-law. I glance at Cade. How soon will he be on board with making babies?
Girl, don’t rush things. I snatch a pair of sweatpants, a T-shirt, bra, and panties from my suitcase and quickly put them on.
After I’m dressed, I pick up the jewelry and stand over Cade. He lets out a soft snore. Let him sleep. He needs it. I brush my hair and apply a quick coat of lipstick, shoving the tube into my pocket. By now, everyone should be gone, but I don’t want to look like warmed-over death if there are any stragglers.
As I walk past the end table next to the door, I grab my cell phone and shove it into my other pocket. The hallway is quiet as I travel the distance from my bedroom to my father’s upstairs office. There are faint sounds of music floating up the staircase. Three o’clock in the morning, and people are still here? Lord. Thank God we didn’t wait until everyone was in bed before Cade came to my room. I would have died of sexual frustration by now.
I twist the key in the lock and turn the knob. It doesn’t budge. That’s strange. Why was it unlocked? Surely, I locked it when I left. That was hours ago. My heart races. Don’t freak out. Dad has probably been in here working or conducting a meeting.
After I re-unlock the door, I step inside. Patricia shrieks and throws her hand over her mouth. “God, Lola. You scared the hell out of me.”
“I’m sorry.” What is she doing here? I glance around, looking for my father, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Don’t tell me he’s dating someone my age.
She points to the photo above my father’s desk. “You look like her. She’s stunning.”
“Thank you.” I study my mother’s portrait. Her dark hair is piled on her head, with loose tendrils flowing around her cheeks and neck. I turn back to Patricia. “What’re you doing in here? I thought you left hours ago.”
“Oh.” She flushes and wrings her hands on her handbag. “Earlier tonight, I met with your father and Randall and ended up leaving my purse. I had to drive all the way back here to pick it up.” She waves the bag in the air.
“I see.” I step farther into the room. Thank God he’s not dating her, but investing? Don’t tell me he’s investing in Randall’s business. “Is my dad looking to invest?” This is not good. My father doesn’t need to be involved in a Ponzi scheme; I’ve got to warn him.
“He wasn’t, but Randall is so persuasive. I’ve never been around him when he hasn’t convinced someone to…,” she pauses for a second, “invest in his business.”
“He is charismatic.”
She purses her lips. “The man you were with tonight is good-looking. Are you two an item?”
How do I answer that? I need to talk to my dad before we go shouting it to everyone. “It’s complicated.”
She smiles. “Isn’t it always?”
When her eyes shift to the right, goosebumps pop on the back of my neck. Before I can say anything, the lights snap off, and we’re left in darkness.
“Patricia. Be careful.” Shit. I sense more than hear movement behind me. Damn it, we were wrong. Someone is going to make a play on the jewels tonight.
I inhale and smell wood and citrus. Randall. Son of a bitch. We were right all along. I suck in a slow breath and try to loosen my muscles. If I’m stiff, I won’t react. I move into a sparring stance–my feet shoulder-width apart and my weight resting on the balls of my feet. And wait.
Randall, or someone who smells like him, grabs my hand and yanks at the jewels. I lift my arms up to block his attack, pushing him away and kicking his shoulder. The man sharply inhales a gasp of air but doesn’t make another sound. After landing the first hit, I spin away from him and return to a sparring stance.
“Bitch!” Damn, I was right. It is Randall.
“Randall, are you okay, baby? Where are you?” Patricia calls out.
“Hush,” Randall barks.
Motherfucker. They’re in on it together. My teeth clench. Why didn’t I realize that? More importantly, why didn’t you wake Cade up before traipsing in here with bare feet? “Randall, you need to step away.” I lower my hips closer to the ground with my knees loose.
He grabs my arms and holds me in place. “Since she already knows who we are, turn on the fucking light.” The light snaps on, momentarily blinding me. “What were you doing in here gawking anyway? You were supposed to be downstairs distracting Edward.”
“I’m sorry.” Her eyes glisten with tears. “You were taking so long, and I got worried.”
“As you can see, I’m fine.” He glares, shoves me onto the sofa, and rips the jewels out of my hand. “This is what I was looking for.”
“Don’t be mad, baby.”
“Get the door.” Spit flies out of his mouth as he directs her.
“Yes, Sir.” She rushes in her heels to the door and twists the lock.
Distract him. Keep him busy until you can get the upper hand or someone comes to check on the noise. Right. Like anyone is going to hear you up here. “Why do you need measly costume jewels when you have tons of money?”
Randall laughs. “These aren’t costume jewels, but nice try.” He presses his lips together and shrugs. “I enjoy it.” His eyes glitter with mirth. “It’s a fucking thrill to steal from people who think they’re too fucking smart to be victims.”
“What do you do with the things you steal if you don’t need the money?”
Patricia’s face is white as she rubs her hands together. She clearly hadn’t banked on anyone catching them.
He grins wickedly and braces his feet shoulder-width apart in front of me. “I dress Patricia up in them and fuck her brains out. I videotape it, so when I’m having a boring-ass meeting with some loser who can’t get off the fence about whether to invest or not, I watch them. Half the time, I excuse myself to jerk off it takes so damned long.”
I stare at him in disgust and disbelief. Who does that type of thing? I shudder. It doesn’t bode well that he’s telling me all about it. Sweat pours down my spine as my stomach churns. He yanks my hand out of my lap and slaps it over his crotch. “See.” He licks his lips and leers. “I get fucking hard as a rock breaking and entering.”
Holy fuck.I convulse as the first wave of fear floods through me. Bile rises in my throat, and I jerk my arm backward. He doesn’t let me budge. This is crazy. At least if he were involved in a Ponzi scheme, it would make sense. But this is sick.
“Grab the rope out of my pocket and tie her up.”
“What’re you going to do to her?” Patricia’s hands shake.
“I can’t decide.” He strokes my hand up and down his shaft. “I’m either going to fuck her in these jewels or kill her.” This is bad. How in the hell am I going to get out of this mess?
“No.” Patricia shakes her head. “You can’t do that.”
He turns on his heel. “What do you want me to do with her? She’s seen us both. You’re as culpable as I am.” He leers. “More so, actually.”
She rushes forward with a wild look in her eyes. “But no one has ever caught us. This.…” Tears streak down her cheeks. “This is different.”
“It’s not different.” He drops my hand, grabs her arm, and twists until she’s in his face. “If you don’t want the same result, tie her ass up like I showed you, and be a good girl for daddy.”
He steps backward, slips the back of his jacket out of the way, and yanks out a pistol, training it at the two of us. “Faster.” I brace my hands as far apart as possible as Patricia laces the rope between and around my hands.
When she doesn’t notice, I throw up a quick prayer of thanks. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.” Her hands shake as she slips the rope through a hole and tightens the woven handcuff knot.
“Grab her cell phone.”
Shit. That was my last hope of getting a message to Cade.She drags my phone out of my pocket and shoves it in her handbag. “He has all the evidence he needs against me. He videos me taking the jewels. All the videos are of me. No one will believe he did it.”
“Shit.” I close my eyes. The guy is sick.
Randall paces the floor. “I can’t believe you got us caught.” He glares at Patricia. “Now, I have to kill her because you’re too stupid to do things right.” His neck and shoulder muscles are tight as he waves the gun around. “Come here, now.”
She runs to him as I blink at the tears stinging my eyes. Stop. I can’t afford weakness. What am I going to do? I shift my arms to the left, where I placed the lipstick in my pocket. I twist my knees toward my hands and use my thumb to pull at the fabric of my sweatpants. Thank God I wore loose pants. I dig the lipstick out of my pocket and pull off the cap. I’ve got to leave Cade a note. If he doesn’t kill me right here where I sit. Fuck.
“Bitch.” He backhands her across the face, leaving the white imprint of his hand. It soon floods with red. She cups her face and stares at the floor. “You will have to make up for this.” He grabs her chin and lifts her face. “Tonight.”