7. Ethan
Chapter 7
Ethan
T he morning sunlight blinds me since we never closed the curtains. Jenny is still asleep beside me, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that brings a rare sense of peace to my heart. Last night was perfect—better than I could have ever imagined. Holding her in my arms, feeling her love, it’s like all the pieces of my life are finally falling into place.
But as much as I want to savor this moment, the gnawing unease from the other day lingers at the back of my mind. I still can’t shake the memory of the confrontation with Richard. I’ve spent my life facing down danger, but this feels different—more personal, more dangerous.
Richard’s arrogance and sense of ownership over Jenny is something I’m not going to ignore.
Jenny stirs beside me, her eyelids fluttering open as she stretches out, a contented smile on her lips. “Morning,” she murmurs, her voice still heavy with sleep.
“Morning,” I reply, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “How are you feeling?”
She smiles, her eyes meeting mine. “Happy. Sore. Safe.”
I’m ridiculously proud of her soreness. But then she says ‘safe’. It’s such a simple word, but it carries so much weight. After everything she’s been through, all I want is to protect her, to make sure she never has to feel unsafe again.
“Ethan,” Jenny says, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. “Is everything okay?”
I hesitate, not wanting to worry her, but I can’t keep this from her. Not anymore. “Jenny, there’s something I need to tell you,” I say, my voice steady but serious. “The other night, after I dropped you off, I got a text message. From an unknown number.”
Her expression shifts from contentment to concern, her brow furrowing as she sits up. “What did it say?”
“It was a warning,” I admit, sitting up beside her. “Telling me to stay away from you.”
Her eyes widen, and I can see the fear creeping in, the shadows of her past reappearing. “Ethan, I... I got a text message too, also from an unknown number. The other day, during school. It said the same thing—that I should stay away from you.”
A cold shiver runs down my spine. This isn’t just a random threat; someone is watching us, keeping tabs on everything we do.
“It’s Richard; it’s got to be him. Who else cares?” I say, my voice firm. “I’m not going to let anyone scare us into hiding. We deserve to be happy, and I’m not letting anyone take that away from us.”
Jenny nods, her hand reaching out to grasp mine. “But why would he do this? Why now? Why won’t he just leave me alone?”
“I don’t know, but to be sure, I’m going to talk to some people I know, to make sure it’s him using a burner phone.” I say, my mind already running through a list of contacts from my time as a SEAL. “We have ways of tracing things like this. I’ll see what I can dig up and then I’ll confront him.”
“Ethan,” she says softly, squeezing my hand. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” I reply, leaning in to kiss her gently. “We’re in this together.”
We spend the early morning together, the tension from our conversation lingering but not overwhelming the bond we’ve formed. There’s a strength in our connection.
After breakfast, Jenny heads off to work as I make a few calls to some old contacts, trying to determine if this really is Richard and what the fuck his problem is.
I spend the afternoon going over plans for Hooplas with the guys. But in the back of my mind, the unease continues to grow. I can’t afford to be complacent. Not with Jenny’s safety on the line… just in case.
“Dude – where’s your head at?” Reid asks me as we sit at his dining room table looking at the architect’s drawings of Hooplas.
I decide to tell my friends what’s going on. Maybe they can help us. “Both Jenny and I got text messages from unknown numbers – warning each other to stay away from the other. We’re pretty sure they’re from her ex-husband using a burner phone – he’s not as smart as he thinks he is – but just in case, I have some contacts making sure.”
“What the fuck?” Declan says as he pulls out his phone.
“And,” I continue. “I kicked his ass the other day down at the beach.”
All five of them are looking at me, waiting for more. “And? Did you only kick his ass or is there a body in the bed of your truck we need to bury?” Hudson asks. “Because I’m not above digging a hole if you need one.” The others all nod their heads in agreement.
I appreciate my friends having my back. I shake my head, “No. No bodies… yet. I just explained how life was going to happen from here on out and to move the fuck on with his life, making sure to keep away from Jenny.”
“So, what’s with the random texts, then? Do you think her ex is behind them or is there something she’s not telling you?” Jax asks.
I hesitate, “I’m not sure. He doesn’t come across as the kind of guy to do ‘random’. He’s the one that approached me and threw the first punch. Plus, I’m not sure how he would have gotten my phone number? My personal information is so buried because of my SEAL work, he’s definitely not smart enough to figure that all out by himself.”
“Do you want me to look into it at the police station? I could call Eli and ask him to check with his sources. He’s started doing undercover work, so he may be able to help. You know, tap into his contacts?” Jax offers.
I think about it for a second. Do I want to involve my friends? I don’t think I really have a choice. “Yeah. Can you call him and see if he can just keep an ear to the ground and let me know if he hears anything? I’ve also reached out to some of my Navy buddies. Maybe something will pop.”
“You got it. I’ll have him reach out to you if he hears anything.” Jax says as he’s texting Eli with a screenshot of the message from my phone.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t even think about it. We’ve got your back and now that you’re with Jenny, she’s family now. You don’t fuck with family.” Reid says emphatically.
Late in the afternoon, I get a call back from one of my contacts—a guy named Pete ‘Bullfrog’ Smith, who specializes in digital security and was instrumental in getting me and my SEAL team in and out of sticky situations. He’s good at what he does, and if anyone can trace these messages, it’s him.
“Kasper,” Bullfrog says using my call sign, his voice crackling through the phone. “I got something for you.”
My heart races as I grip the phone tighter. “What did you find?”
“The number’s been bouncing around through a few different servers, trying to mask its origin,” Bullfrog explains. “But I managed to trace it back to a burner phone purchased in Miami. No name, no credit card—just cash. But here’s the interesting part: I found a record of some recent calls made from that same phone. One of them was to a number that’s been flagged in a few investigations down there.”
“What kind of investigations?” I ask, my voice tense.
“Organized crime, human trafficking, drugs mostly,” Bullfrog says. “The number belongs to a guy named Vincent Torres. He’s been on the radar for a while. But he’s slippery, always manages to stay one step ahead of the law.”
“Vincent Torres,” I repeat, trying to place the name. “Why would someone like him be interested in Jenny and me?”
“I’m not sure,” Bullfrog admits. “But if Torres is involved, it means there’s more to this than just some angry ex. Be careful, Kasper. This guy plays dirty.”
“Thanks, man,” I say, my mind racing. “I owe you one.”
“Just watch your six,” he warns before hanging up.
I sit there for a moment, processing what I’ve just learned. Vincent Torres. If he’s involved, then this is bigger than I thought. And more dangerous.
I dial Jenny’s number, my heart pounding as I wait for her to pick up.
“Ethan?” she answers, her voice soft but laced with concern.
“Jenny, I need to see you,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
“Okay,” she replies, the worry in her voice evident. “I’ll be home soon. We can talk then.”
“Perfect. I’m on my way.” I hang up, my mind racing with possibilities. Why would a guy like Torres be involved with Richard? Or is Richard even involved? Is it just a coincidence, or is there something more going on?
When I arrive at Jenny’s apartment, she’s already there, waiting for me. Her eyes widen when she sees the look on my face, and I can see the fear starting to take hold.
“What is it, Ethan?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly. “You’ve got me worried.”
I take a deep breath, pulling her close. “I did some digging, and it looks like the person behind those text messages might be connected to a guy named Vincent Torres. He’s involved in organized crime—smuggling, racketeering, you name it. I don’t know why he’s interested in us or is this something to do with Richard? And if it involves Richard, it means we’re dealing with something a lot more serious than your ex-husband not moving on. This is a completely different level than we thought. Do you know the name?”
Jenny’s face pales as she shakes her head, and she grips my arm tightly. “No, I don’t. Do you? Are we sure this is about me and not you and your past work as a SEAL? Why would someone like that care about us?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice low. “But I’m going to find out. And until I do, I need you to be extremely careful. Don’t go anywhere alone, and don’t trust anyone you don’t know. Especially Richard.”
She nods, her fear evident but controlled. “Okay. But what about you? You can’t just go up against a guy like that alone.”
“I’m not alone,” I assure her, my hand cupping her cheek. “I’ve got people I can count on, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”
She leans into my touch, her eyes closing for a moment as she takes a deep breath. “Ethan, I trust you. Just... be careful, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” I promise, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”
By the time Jenny finally falls asleep, I feel a sense of resolve settling over me. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I do know one thing: I’m going to protect Jenny, no matter what it takes and that means I need to talk to Robert Fitzwallace of Cerberus.
While Jenny is sleeping, I dial the number in my contacts listed only as a hashtag. It used to be called a pound sign and that’s what Fitz would do if you fucked with anyone he cared about – especially JJ, his wife.
“West. What’s going on? Ready to reconsider my offer?” Fitz answers the phone without preamble.
“Actually, I need to run something by you.” My voice is low.
Fitz picks up on my tone, “I’m listening.”
I tell him everything that’s happened from the night I met Jenny, everything she’s told me about her marriage and divorce, to the text messages and Vincent Torres. I tell him I love Jenny, too.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, but I just can’t put my finger on it. Maybe I’m too close, I don’t know, but something’s not right.”
“Understood. I’ll have a team down there tomorrow… just in case you need them.” Fitz tells me.
“Are you sure? I’d appreciate it.”
“Are you kidding me? They’re based in Chicago. A Florida vacation in February? The entire team will be volunteering,” Fitz chuckles.
“Thanks, Fitz. I owe you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll call in the favor one day.”
We hang up and I’m feeling better knowing that I’ll have some of the most highly trained men on the planet here, watching Jenny… keeping her safe.