Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Something was up with Kelli, and Flash was frustrated because he couldn’t figure out what was bothering her, and she wasn’t talking.
He’d done everything he could to try to get it out of her.
He’d apologized over and over that she was stuck in Smiley’s apartment all day, but she shrugged it off.
Said it wasn’t his fault and that she was fine.
He’d offered to take her to see her mom, but she declined, saying that they talked on the phone all the time, she didn’t need to see her until they knew for certain it was safe.
He was doubly frustrated because Williams was still in the wind.
It had been over two weeks since the fire at his apartment, and Ryleigh, the woman in New Mexico who was trying to find him, hadn’t had any luck.
He liked the woman, she was blunt and to the point, a lot like Tex.
She’d found the bank account that had been set up to receive ransom money—and disabled it—but that was a dead end as far as finding Williams.
She’d even gone so far as to get his current credit card canceled, and she transferred the money in his Jamaican bank account to Flash’s, just because she could, also rendering his debit card useless.
She’d hacked into security cameras at all the places he’d last used his credit card before canceling it, and she’d also sent pictures of the man to all their friends.
But she still hadn’t been able to find him.
Canceling his cards had almost certainly pissed him off and hampered his ability to hide in shitty motels or rent vehicles…but it also cut off any ability to track him. Still, Ryleigh assured them that she would find him. That she was getting close.
Flash had to believe her.
Other than whatever was weighing on her mind that she wouldn’t talk to him about, things with Kelli on a personal front were going extremely well.
She was his perfect match in every way. Flash just hated that she couldn’t be free to do what she wanted.
To move on with her life by starting her electrician classes.
He’d been a little skeptical about her decision, but the more time that went by, the more excited she got.
And seeing her so hyped about her future made Flash happy.
Their sex life was more amazing every day.
Kelli’s passion matched his own perfectly.
Most nights he went to bed telling himself that he was going to make love to her slowly, but within minutes, she’d blow all his good intentions out the window.
She was a wildcat, and he loved it. She loved giving head, which was any man’s dream come true.
She wasn’t as comfortable with him reciprocating, but she was learning the joys of being eaten out.
She also loved to experiment when it came to positions…and they hadn’t kept their sexual activities to the bedroom, which Flash would never admit to Smiley.
Speaking of which, Flash was more than ready to get back to his own place.
It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate his teammate giving Kelli a safe place to stay while he was at work, it was more that he wanted to be in his space.
He wanted to see her shoes in his living room.
Her underwear in his laundry hamper. Her body in his shower. His kitchen. His bed.
Those thoughts were ridiculous, but he didn’t shy away from them. He wanted to be able to start his life with his woman on their own terms, not on Brant fucking Williams’. The man needed to be found. Pronto.
Maybe when that happened, Kelli would feel comfortable enough to talk to him about whatever had been bothering her for over a week now.
They were currently in bed, and he was running his fingers over her bare shoulder as she lay on top of him. He needed to get up soon, but for now, he was enjoying the quiet moment with the woman who meant everything to him.
“Are the guys going to be deployed soon?” she asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Flash frowned. “No. Why?”
She shrugged against him. “I don’t know, I guess because you’re all working really hard on whatever it is you’re working on, I just figured that meant the mission would start soon.”
“Sometimes we research for months before we head out. Other times we’re sent out on the spur of the moment.
It all depends on what the mission is. For instance, taking out an HVT…
high-value target…could take weeks of planning to make sure we mitigate as many dangers as possible.
But if there’s a hostage situation, we might get no advance notice. ”
“That makes sense,” Kelli said against his chest.
“You okay? What brought this on?” Flash asked, wondering if this was what had been bothering her.
“Nothing. I’m good. If they catch Brant, you’ll get put back on the rotation to be deployed, right?”
He nodded. “ When they catch him, yes. Are you worried about that? About me leaving?”
“No.”
“No?” Flash asked in surprise.
Kelli picked up her head and rested it on the back of her hand, lying on his chest. “Why would I? I already know that you rock. I’ve seen you in action first-hand. And your fellow SEALs too.”
Her confidence and absolute trust in him blew Flash away. “I know things between us have been fast, brought on by some not-so-great circumstances, but you can talk to me about anything, Kelli. Nothing is off limits between us. Understand?”
She put her head back down on his chest and nodded.
Her reluctance to meet his gaze made him even more sure that she was keeping something from him. And her next words cemented it.
She sighed, then said softly, “I trust you, Flash. More than any other man I’ve ever been with.
I can talk to you about anything, which feels amazing.
I need you to know that I’d never keep secrets from you.
I’m an open book to you. But…sometimes there are things that affect others that aren’t my place to talk about. ”
Flash frowned. “Does this have to do with Williams and what happened? Has he contacted you in some way?”
“No.”
Her reply was so immediate and heartfelt, Flash believed her.
“Are you in danger?”
“Me? No.”
That didn’t make Flash feel any better. “But someone else is?”
“Maybe.”
“Look at me,” Flash ordered. He waited until Kelli had picked her head up again and met his gaze. “If someone is in danger, you need to tell someone . If not me, then one of my teammates. Or Wolf or someone on his team.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I promised.”
Flash didn’t like that answer. Not at all. He didn’t realize he was scowling until tears formed in Kelli’s eyes.
“I don’t want you to hate me. Please, that would destroy me.”
“I could never hate you. I love you.”
The words seemed to echo in the room.
“What?” Kelli asked.
He hadn’t meant to blurt that out, but Flash didn’t regret it. “I love you,” he repeated. “You’re my everything. It’s too fast again, but I don’t give a shit. It’s how I feel, and how I’ll always feel. And I’m willing to wait as long as it takes for you to love me back.
“No matter what’s going on, I’m not going to hate you, Kelli.
I understand loyalty. Hell, there are lots of things I’ll never be able to tell you, because of my job.
I just need you to promise that if someone’s life is truly in danger, you’ll talk to me or someone else you trust. The last thing you’ll want is any guilt hanging over your head for not speaking up, only for the worst to happen. ”
“I know. And I will. It’s just…it’s a delicate situation.”
Flash was baffled how this woman, who hung out in the apartment all day, could have found herself in the middle of a so-called “delicate situation.” But he didn’t question her. He’d have to trust that she’d come to him when she was ready. “Do not put yourself in danger,” he warned.
“I won’t. This isn’t about me,” she quickly reassured him.
But Flash wasn’t particularly reassured. He made a mental note to check in with her more often during the day. Make sure she was all right, that whatever was going on truly wasn’t putting her in harm’s way.
Making a split-second decision, Flash leaned over and grabbed the small box he’d put on the table next to the bed. He’d had something made for her and was waiting for the best time to give it to her. Now seemed like that time. He rolled back over and held it out to her.
Kelli looked surprised. Then confused. Then a little worried.
“It’s not a ring,” he said quickly. “I love you, but proposing two seconds after I tell you that I love you for the first time is a bit much, even for me.”
She grinned, then took the box and opened it without a word.
When she saw what was inside, her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. “Flash,” she whispered. “Is this…”
“It’s the spoon. From the bus. The girls found it while they were helping you clean your apartment and since it didn’t match the rest of your silverware, they asked me what they should do with it. I took it and was going to have it mounted in a shadow box or something, but decided on this instead.”
“This” was a bracelet. He’d brought it to a jeweler Caroline recommended and the man had twisted and manipulated it, making it a beautiful piece of art.
It was still obvious that it was a spoon, but now it was polished and cleaned up, even if it still had its little dents and dings. Kind of like both him and Kelli.
“I…it’s perfect,” she breathed. “Thank you.”
Kelli looked up at him and Flash could see the tears in her eyes.
“Those are good tears, right?” he asked, suddenly nervous he’d overstepped and messed up.
“Of course they are. I’ll treasure this forever. It reminds me of the hell we went through, but also that we came out on top. That we worked together to make the most of that horrible situation.”
Flash reached for the bracelet. “May I?” he asked.
Kelli nodded, and Flash gently wrapped the spoon bracelet around her wrist. It was a cuff bracelet, the kind that didn’t have a fastener, but could be tightened by squeezing it around a woman’s wrist. It fit perfectly.