Chapter 16 #3
The party atmosphere in the room lasted for quite a while. There was just something about a successful marriage proposal that made everyone happy.
So when Flash’s phone rang, he was still enjoying the jovial mood. Looking at the screen, he saw it was Smiley calling.
“Hey. You’ll never guess what our team leader did. He finally got the nerve to ask Remi to marry him,” Flash said. “Looks as if another one is biting the dust,” he joked.
“That’s great. Listen, there’s no good way to say this, so I’m just gonna say it. Someone tried to burn down your apartment complex tonight.”
Flash’s blood ran cold. “What?”
“Everyone’s fine and it was caught before any real damage could be done.
But from what the firefighters are saying, the origin was your balcony.
Someone doused it with gas and made an incendiary device.
A neighbor saw it smoking and called nine-one-one, then they were able to grab a hose from the apartment next to yours, and they got the fire under control before it did more than burn the shit out of the crap you had outside… like your grill and that patio chair.”
“Shit! All right. You’re okay?”
“Yeah. I was inside…and maybe it’s TMI to admit this, but I was in the bathroom. Didn’t hear a thing until the shouting outside from your neighbor.”
Flash’s stomach rolled. Smiley could’ve been hurt.
Hell, an entire apartment complex full of people could’ve been hurt, or at the very least, lost everything.
Thank God for his observant neighbor. He owed the man a beer.
No, a lifetime supply of beer. “I’m going to drop Kelli off and then I’ll be right there. ”
He was aware the conversation around the table had stopped and he was being stared at, but for the moment, all he could concentrate on was Smiley.
“No need. Things are fine here. I’ve given the detective on scene your phone number and gave him the rundown about Williams. I’m sure he’ll be in touch soon, and you might have to go in and give a statement, but things here are under control.”
“You need to come back to your place. I’ll take Kelli to a hotel.”
“Don’t be stupid. Stay put. Both of you. I’m good here. I kind of like your kitchen. And I’m currently binge watching your DVDs of Criminal Minds . I know it’s on streaming, but there’s something so old school about watching it on disc.”
Frustration ate at Flash. “We need to find him. Stop this shit.”
“I agree,” Smiley said. “Which is why I told Tex to step things up. To get that chick from New Mexico involved. He’s busy.
Has his hands in a million different pies, as usual.
We need someone on this exclusively. And…
I think her name is Ryleigh, or something like that…
she’s just as good or even better than Tex, even though he doesn’t like to admit it.
She might be able to find this asshole, tell the cops where he is, maybe even provide the evidence they need to lock him up for good. ”
“All right. If you need anything—and I mean anything , Smiley—you call. Understand?”
“Of course. I’ll see you at PT in the morning.”
When his friend hung up, Flash looked up to see three sets of eyes locked on him.
“What happened?”
“Is Smiley all right?”
The first question came from Kevlar, the second, not surprisingly, from Kelli.
“There was an incident at my apartment complex. Everyone is fine.”
“Williams,” Kevlar said. It wasn’t a question.
“Most likely,” Flash confirmed.
Kelli frowned. “What should we do?”
“For now, nothing except stay vigilant. Keep our doors locked, our eyes open. You aren’t going to like this, but I’m going to need you to stay inside Smiley’s apartment while I’m at work. If you need something, you can order it to be delivered, or let me know and I’ll pick it up on my way home.”
“I can drive her somewhere if she needs to go out,” Remi volunteered.
“I appreciate that, but this asshole might know about you and the other women by now. I don’t want him deciding to follow one of you to find out where we’re staying. And I definitely don’t want him using you to get to either Kelli or me.”
“Should I leave?” Kelli asked quietly. “I can go to Florida. Or New York. Hell, Maine. It’s pretty rural there.”
“No!” Flash exclaimed. He took a deep breath. “No. Smiley is going to ask Tex to put his computer genius friend from New Mexico on this exclusively. She’ll locate Williams, so the cops can put him away. We just have to be patient for a little while longer.”
Kevlar frowned. “I don’t like this.”
Flash snorted. “Neither do I.”
“I’m willing to be cautious, but what if this computer person can’t find him?
I don’t want Brant to win by having you and I hiding and not living our lives.
And what happens if he’s not found before you guys get deployed?
Am I supposed to hide in Smiley’s apartment forever?
That’s not acceptable. I want to live my life!
I want to start classes at the community college so I can become an electrician and fix Jessyka’s sign.
” Kelli was breathing faster now, almost panicking by the time she finished speaking.
Flash shoved his chair back, reached over, and pulled Kelli out of her seat. He settled her onto his lap so she straddled him and they were eye-to-eye, holding her face in his hands. “Do you remember what I told you before Remi and Kevlar arrived?” he asked.
He saw her swallow hard, then nod.
“You think any of that can happen if we have to hide out? It can’t. So I’m going to fix this. I’m going to find that coward and make sure he knows he picked the wrong people. The day he decided to put us in that bus was his downfall, he just doesn’t know it yet. ”
“I don’t want to lose you,” Kelli whispered.
“Lose me? How?”
“If you kill him, you could go to jail.”
“I’m not going to jail,” Flash told her confidently.
He wasn’t going to promise that he wouldn’t kill Williams—because if he got the chance, he was definitely taking the man out.
If the guy simply went to jail, the opportunity for him to get out would hang over their heads forever.
And Flash had no doubt that if Williams was let out of prison, he’d be gunning for them once again.
He didn’t know how, or when, but Brant Williams was going down. He wasn’t going to stand in the way of Flash and Kelli living the life he saw in his fantasies. No fucking way.
Kelli closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then looked at him once more and nodded.
Her trust, her belief in him, was a gift. And it was something Flash would cherish and protect with his life. He always wanted to see her looking at him as she was right now. With hope and their future in her eyes.
Turning his head without taking his hands off Kelli’s face, he told Kevlar, “I’m going to need you to talk to the commander. Take me off the next mission. I’m not leaving as long as Williams is out there.”
Kelli started to protest, but he ignored her.
“Done,” Kevlar said with a nod.
“Shhh,” Flash murmured as he pressed his lips to Kelli’s forehead. “It’ll be fine.”
“I’ll call Wolf too. Let him know what’s up. Tell him to get word out about Williams. Every former and current SEAL in the area will be on watch for this guy. We’ll catch him. I have no doubt,” Kevlar said .
“Instead of Smiley’s place, can you maybe come stay with us instead? I mean, there’s strength in numbers, right?” Remi asked.
“Maybe,” Flash hedged. She wasn’t exactly wrong, but still, putting anyone else in this asshole’s crosshairs felt wrong. Smiley was single. Staying with Remi would mean leaving two women alone while he was at work.
He ached to go to his apartment and check out the damage. Make sure Smiley hadn’t downplayed any injuries that himself or his neighbors might have incurred. But his desire to stick by Kelli’s side was stronger. He’d see Smiley soon enough.
“You ready to head home?” Flash asked Kelli.
She nodded.
“We should be going too,” Kevlar said.
“I’m sorry we ruined your night,” he told his friend, as he helped Kelli off his lap.
“You didn’t ruin anything,” Kevlar said, sounding exasperated. “Remi agreed to marry me, we’re going to have a huge party here at Aces…what’s to ruin?”
“Exactly,” Remi agreed, giving Kelli a long hug. “Trust Flash. He’ll figure this out.”
Kelli nodded and gave her friend a small smile.
Flash waved at Jessyka, and she waved back from behind the bar. They’d paid the tab earlier so nothing stopped them from heading straight for the door.
Looking around, Flash saw nothing out of the ordinary as they exited.
Visiting the bar again might also be out of the question until Williams was found.
The last thing he wanted was the thwarted kidnapper deciding to take his frustrations out on the place where Flash and every other SEAL liked to hang out .
The drive back to Smiley’s apartment took longer than usual, as Flash made a lot of extra turns, doing his best to try to evade Williams if he happened to be following. He wouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief until they were inside the apartment, with the door double bolted behind them.
Williams could always try to burn Smiley’s complex down, but he was fairly sure the man didn’t know where they were…yet. Which was probably why he’d taken out his irritation on Flash’s apartment. The man was a menace and had to be stopped.
But for tonight, Flash had different plans.
There was no telling what the future held. What plans Williams had up his sleeve. And Flash had no intention of letting one more day pass without showing Kelli how serious he was about wanting her in his life…forever.
Of course, anything happening would be up to her. She might be too distraught after hearing about Williams’ latest attempt to fuck with them. But tonight, when they got into bed, she’d know without a doubt that he was serious when he’d told her what he wanted.
And what he wanted was her. Under him. Over him. Any way he could get her. His mouth watered with thoughts of tasting her, of spreading her thighs and seeing her pussy soaking wet for him.
He was ninety percent sure she wanted him too. Her signs of arousal weren’t as obvious as his, but she hadn’t once shied away from his touches. And when his hand slipped under her shirt and rested on the small of her back the night before, she’d arched into him.
His timing wasn’t great, and if she really was too worried about Williams, he wouldn’t push. But with the way her gaze flicked between his legs and how often she blushed, he had a feeling they’d both get a break from their real life tonight. By losing themselves in each other. He couldn’t wait.