Chapter 20
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R YAN SWIPED A HAND over his brow, jogging with his teammates at oh-five-hundred the following day. Their workout was the same as many other mornings, and his mind wandered as they ran along the shores of the Pacific, the miles passing by.
Avery’s last email to him had mentioned that she and the nurses were growing suspicious of one of the doctors there.
The doctor she disliked.
Ryan had his own reason for concern. Intelligence reports showed more unrest in the area, with cartels engaging in a turf battle. The Gulf Clan, or Clan de Gulfo, was the most prominent in the region. Other cartels were attempting to gain a larger stake, however, and Ryan didn’t like the implications. The cartels moved drugs, but there’d also been an increase in trafficking women. While the migrants were the most vulnerable, sexual violence and kidnappings of locals weren’t uncommon. Any woman there was at risk, and given that Avery now lived there....
Ryan hated to even have those thoughts but had reminded her to always be cautious. To never go anywhere in the village alone.
And then there was the trouble with Dr. Walters.
Avery had said the other day that he’d accidently seen the pictures she’d sent Ryan and told her she was beautiful. The photos weren’t overtly sexy or inappropriate, but they’d been meant for his eyes only, and he disliked that the other man had not only seen Avery’s pictures but also commented on them.
What a prick.
That combined with the uptick of sex trafficking in the region had him troubled. While Avery was relatively safe compared to the migrants crossing the jungle, she stood out. She was a blonde, white, American. Different from the others.
Would she be safe for the remaining duration of her stay?
He wasn’t sure what bothered him more—the threat of the cartels or the sketchy doctor that made Avery uneasy. She was a good judge of character and used to dealing with the public. If Avery sensed something was off, there was a good chance that she was right.
To add to his worries, Wyatt had informed the team that they may be sent out this coming weekend. They’d brief with their commander when they were on base, but Ryan did appreciate the heads up. Avery tended to have more free time to email him on the weekends, and he’d need to let her know it was possible he’d be gone.
“Yo, Renegade!” Sawyer called out, interrupting his thoughts as he jogged up beside him.
Ryan’s gaze slid his way, but he didn’t slow his pace. “What’s up?” he said, his footing sure as he jogged along the compact sand near the water. Sawyer easily kept pace beside him, neither man missing a beat as they carried on a conversation.
“Aaron’s pissed at you.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Ryan said.
“The ladies love my huge dick,” Sawyer quipped.
Ryan snorted. “Too much information, buddy. Besides, we’ve all seen you in the locker room. Ain’t nothing to write home about.”
Sawyer chortled with laughter. “Now you’re in a better mood. You looked like someone kicked your dog before with the way you’ve been moping around all morning.”
Ryan muttered a curse. “I don’t have a dog.”
“Which makes it even sadder,” Sawyer wisecracked.
Ryan shook his head. “You come here to give me some life advice or something?”
Sawyer smirked. “Nah. I’ve got my own troubles. The volleyball girls are pissed at me. I got both their numbers the other day, and when they realized that, neither of them will return my texts anymore.”
“Can’t say I blame him.”
“Their loss,” Sawyer said, looking unconcerned. “There are women all over the beach every damn weekend. My real problem is that sweet little waitress Riley. I swear I saw her again near base the other morning.”
Ryan’s gaze swung his way. “No kidding?”
“Nope. I parked and was walking in, same as always. I happened to look back at my truck to make sure I didn’t leave anything in the bed of it. When I glanced back, there was a woman who looked just like her. Same hair, same dark sunglasses. She quickly got into a car near me and drove away.”
“That’s...really fucking weird. Riley doesn’t seem like the stalker type. Was it the same vehicle as the last time you thought you saw her?”
“Similar. I didn’t get a plate though.”
“You sure you never slept with her?” Ryan asked, crinkling his brow. “She wouldn’t be the first woman to come back thinking there was more between you than a one-night-stand.”
Sawyer grunted. “Damn sure. Like I said before, she’s not my type. Too timid and quiet for me.”
Ryan frowned, recalling the tiny dagger tattoo he’d spotted on her inner wrist. He’d only noticed it that one time, but it had definitely been there. A dagger didn’t seem like the type of tattoo that a shy, sweet woman would want. Far from it. “What’s her story anyway?” Ryan asked.
“A single mom, according to Riley. I’m not even sure who she told that to. One of the guys on the team, I suppose. She does seem to check up on us when we haven’t been to Coconuts in a while. Way back when, Callie and Alexa mentioned that she asked about the team. We’d been deployed on an op at the time.”
“Maybe it wasn’t her following you. There are plenty of brunettes around Oahu,” he pointed out.
“There are, but even I can tell one woman from the next,” Sawyer said, arms pumping as he jogged beside Ryan. “It’s her.”
“You should talk to her next time we’re in Coconuts,” Ryan said. “Maybe it’s a coincidence you’re seeing her around, but maybe not.”
Sawyer shook his head. “Not sure she’d tell me if she was actually following me. But yeah, maybe I will pay a visit to little Riley,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. “She’s not really my type, but she is a looker. Big brown eyes. Pretty pink lips. Nice tits.”
Ryan muttered something about being respectful. Riley almost felt like a friend. A little sister or something. He didn’t know how old she was, but none of the guys had ever tried to date her. She was often working when they hung out at the bar, and Sawyer was right. She didn’t seem like any of their types.
“How’s your lady, anyway?” Sawyer asked. “Aaron is pissed that she’s in South America, but....”
“She’s fine,” Ryan told him. “She doesn’t like one of the doctors too much, but she can deal with it. Av’s happy to be helping so many families and children there. I’m more worried about her staying safe.”
“She’s one of those smart chicks,” Sawyer said. “Hot as hell, but she’s got brains, too. Avery should know well enough to stay out of trouble. Hopefully.”
Ryan’s fist clenched. Hopefully was right. Even playing it safe, trouble could find you. Sawyer knew that as well as any of the men on the team. All of their girlfriends had faced some sort of danger at one point, often just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There was only so much that Ryan could do from afar to make sure she stayed safe. The question was, would it be enough?