Chapter 3
Ren pushed open the front door to the Ketch Bar.
He shouldn’t be here. He knew he needed to limit his exposure to Halle.
He spotted the group sitting by the bar, but didn’t see her. He and his crew mates came to the Ketch pretty regularly. He liked the craft beer. He spotted Wonder Boy—Ryan—laughing, his face flushed. He looked like he’d had one drink too many.
Ren knew his type. Always needing to prove who was bigger, tougher, and smarter.
Ren reached the bar and ordered a blonde ale.
“You made it, Hottie Ren.” The dark-haired woman from the research team leaned against the bar. “Halle will be happy.”
“Sammy, right?”
“Right.”
Ren lifted his beer and scanned the bar again. Still no pretty brunette. “Where is Halle?”
“She stepped out the back for some air. I think she was trying to choke back her disappointment because she thought you weren’t coming.”
His chest tightened.
Sammy frowned and glanced at her watch. “She’s been gone a while.”
Instantly, Ren felt it. That tickle between his shoulder blades. His instincts were well-developed after being a SEAL, then in Ghost Ops. He’d had years to refine them. They’d saved his life, and the lives of his buddies, too many times to count.
He set his beer down. “I’ll check on her.”
He pushed through the crowd and reached the doors to the back deck. Boats bobbed in the marina, and off to the right, he saw the lights of the city. There were only a few people sitting on the deck—where he and the crew liked to sit in the summer—but none of them were Halle.
He moved toward the railing. Still no Halle.
A woman screamed.
He broke into a run. He pressed a hand to the wooden railing and vaulted over it. As he landed, he saw Halle in the side alley, struggling with two masked men. There was a van, with its door open, idling beside them.
Rage hit him.
Halle was in danger.
He didn’t make a sound. He just charged forward and into the fight.
Protect Halle. That was the only thing that reverberated in his head.
He grabbed the first man, and spun him around violently.
“What the—?”
Before the guy could finish, Ren jabbed the side of his flat palm to the man’s neck.
The guy gagged and doubled over. Ren hooked a foot around the man’s leg and sent him crashing to the pavement.
He spun, advancing on the other man who was holding Halle.
Her blue eyes were wide, terrified. They locked on him.
He saw her mouth his name.
“You shouldn’t have touched her.” Ren’s voice was low and deadly.
The man tightened his hold on her. “Back off, asshole.”
Ren kept his arms relaxed at his side. “Let her go, and I won’t break your jaw.”
Through the ski mask, the man’s eyes widened.
Ren was done. The fucker had his hands on Halle.
Ren attacked. He dodged around Halle and rammed a punch into the man’s side. The guy yelped, released Halle, and shoved her. She flew forward and fell on her hands and knees.
Mouth flattening, Ren hammered another punch into the man’s face. With a roar, the man swung an arm at Ren. He caught it and used it to swing the asshole around. He rammed a knee into the attacker’s gut.
The guy tried to kick Ren, but he deflected, and aimed another hard punch to the man’s face. He heard a crack.
The man howled and clutched his jaw.
“I warned you,” Ren said.
Ignoring the two men now groaning on the ground, he spun to Halle. “Are you okay?”
She was on her knees, hair disheveled and her eyes wet, but she lifted her chin. “I’m fine.”
She had a streak of stubborn in her, that was for sure. Since she’d lost her mom, she hated crying.
Then her eyes went wide as she looked over his shoulder. “Ren, watch out!”
Moving on instinct, he dodged to the side.
A knife rushed past him.
Whirling, he grabbed the man’s arm and twisted. The knife dropped to the ground.
Then Ren swung the asshole, slamming him into the side of the van.
The second man staggered up, looking dazed.
The two of them glanced at Halle, but Ren stepped in front of her. He raised his fists. “You want more, I’ll give you more. You should never have touched her.”
“Fuck this,” one muttered. He dived into the back of the van. The second guy hesitated, then followed him.
Ren flexed his hand. He watched the door slam shut and the van sped down the alley. He wanted to go after them. He’d sell what was left of his soul to go after them.
The van screeched out on the road and sped away.
But Halle needed him.
He turned. He had to make sure she was okay, had to keep her safe.
“Halle?” He dropped to one knee beside her.
“Ren.” There was a tremor in her voice. Then she threw herself at him, colliding with his chest. He hugged her hard.
“You’re okay?” He stroked a hand gently down her back.
“I will be.” Her voice was shaky. “God.”
“Did you know them?”
“No.” She shook her head. “They just pulled up and tried to grab me.” She shivered.
He kept stroking her back. “You’re safe now.” Fuck. If he’d been just a few minutes later…
He could have lost her.
He tightened his hold, and she turned her face into his neck.
The fearand adrenaline were fading.
She was in Ren’s arms.
Halle clung to him, breathing in the crisp scent of his cologne. She was safe. She dragged in a deep breath. She was with Ren.
He’d stormed in to save her.
Not like a hero. No, the look on his face had been too deadly. He’d looked like a dark angel.
“Halle.” He cupped her face. His concerned brown gaze ran over her.
“I’m all right.” She shifted, then winced as her knees stung.
He looked down. “Your jeans are torn. You’re bleeding.” His tone was fierce. Then he lifted one of her hands. They were scraped, as well. “These need to be cleaned.”
“What happened?” someone yelled from the deck.
“Halle, God.” Sammy raced down the steps toward them. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Halle looked up and saw a small crowd gathered on the deck. She spotted her colleagues and several Atalanta crew, all frowning.
A Ketch staff member stood by the rail. “I’ve called the police. Is anyone hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Halle said. “I just scraped my hands and knees.”
“Two men tried to grab her,” Ren said.
“Someone tried to snatch you?” Sammy’s face was fierce. “Those fuckers.”
Halle’s chest felt tight. “I don’t want any drama. I’m safe. That’s the important thing.”
Ren was frowning at her. “You need to talk to the cops.”
“Do I have to?” All she wanted was to wash her hands, put her pajamas on, and curl up in bed. “We’ll be gone tomorrow. I don’t want to cause a fuss.”
“You will be far from those assholes tomorrow, and they won’t get near you again.” He paused. “But they could try to snatch some other woman.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. She hadn’t thought of that. “Oh, no.” She couldn’t let that happen.
Ren took her hand and squeezed gently. “I’ll be with you the entire time.” Then his face hardened, and he stared down the alley. He jerked his head at Professor Davis.
The man hurried over, brow creased. “Halle? Are you sure you don’t need medical attention?”
“No, Professor. It’s just a few scrapes.”
“Professor,” Ren lowered his voice. “Any chance these people trying to snatch Halle are related to the project?”
Professor Davis’s eyes widened. “I…I don’t think so.”
Halle felt her stomach do a sickening swirl. “Ren, I’m the team marine biologist. I know next to nothing about the workings of the fuel cell.”
Ren’s frown deepened. “You’re sure? You possibly have access to some of the data.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “It would make much more sense to grab one of the others. They’re the engineers.”
Professor Davis nodded. “She’s right.”
Just then, a San Diego squad car pulled in.
“All right,” Ren said. “Halle, you need to give your statement to the officers.”
She nodded.
Soon, she found herself sitting at a table on the deck with two officers and Ren. She tugged at the sleeves of her shirt.
The older cop, Officer Bates, pulled out a notepad and nodded. “Start at the beginning, Ms. Bradshaw.”
Halle told them everything that had happened since she’d stepped outside.
“So you didn’t get a good look at them?” the younger female cop, Officer Ramirez, asked.
“No, sorry. They were both wearing ski masks.”
“One was six feet tall,” Ren said. “My height, slightly smaller build. The other guy was stockier, a few inches shorter, and had brown eyes. Both were white. I saw the skin on their forearms.”
Halle blinked. He’d noticed all that?
The officers scribbled notes.
“Both had worn-in boots, and some training. They knew what they were doing.”
“Military?” Officer Bates asked.
“Possibly,” Ren said. “The van was black, a Ford, no plates.”
Officer Ramirez glanced at her partner, then back at Ren and Halle. “We’ll pass along this information and see if we can track down the van.”
“The reality is,” Officer Bates said, “that it’s not uncommon for people to get snatched off the streets. We aren’t far from the border with Mexico. Several gangs are involved in human trafficking, and they target pretty, young women.”
“Their favorite prey are women who were alone,” Officer Ramirez added. “The perfect target.
God. Halle pressed her palm to her belly. She felt sick.
The officers rose.
“If you think of anything else, give us a call,” Officer Bates said.
“Thank you.” Ren slid an arm around Halle’s shoulders. “We appreciate your time.” He waited for them to leave. “You okay?”
“Yes. No.” She sighed. “Maybe.”
He squeezed her closer. “You’ll be fine. You have that tough Bradshaw core, but if you need to cry or yell, I’m here.”
She smiled. “I’m not going to cry or yell.” She touched his shoulder, then as her hand stung, she winced.
He took her wrist and studied her palm. His jaw tightened. “These need cleaning. Let’s get you back to the ship.”
It felt nice to let him look after her. “Thanks, Ren.”
Ren helped Halleout of the Uber.
She smiled her thanks. The hull of the Atalanta rose up above them. Suddenly, Ren scooped her up into his arms.
Oh. She felt like her insides turned to jello. She cleared her throat. “I can walk.”
“I don’t care.” He carried her all the way to the ship, and up the gang plank.
She liked it. Being held in his arms. She slid her arm across his broad shoulders. He carried her so easily.
Once aboard, he headed up the next set of stairs and straight to his cabin. She realized his was just a few doors down from her own.
When he pushed open the door, she saw his was a lot more spacious than hers.
“This is nice.”
“Perks of being one of the bosses. We get a stateroom.” He set her down on the double bed. “Don’t move.”
He ducked into the adjoining bathroom, and she heard cabinets opening. She glanced around. The cabin was simple, with a TV built into a cabinet, a desk, and a small couch. She spotted a few framed photos on the desk and arched her neck to see. One was of two older women with dark hair. She guessed it was his mom and abuela. Another was with a group of men she guessed were military friends. One was of him and her dad. Then she saw the last one.
It was a photo of her. From her 20th birthday.
Her chest tightened.
He returned with a first aid kit. “I’ll start with your scraped knee.” Then he frowned at her. “You’ll have to take your jeans off.”
Her pulse went crazy. “Right.”
He turned.
She stared at his back for a second, trying not to think about getting undressed with Ren in the room. And what that did to her pulse. She quickly toed her shoes off, then shimmied the denim off her legs, and gave the hem of her shirt a tug. It was long enough to cover her panties, at least.
“All done.”
He turned and froze for a second. His gaze ran down her legs, and she felt it like he’d touched her.
Then he knelt in front of her.
Everything inside her went crazy. Ren, the man she’d dreamed about, was kneeling in front of her, right by her bare legs. She felt tingles start up in her belly and arrow between her legs.
Halle sucked in a breath, trying to get a handle on her desire.
But Ren was all business. He pulled open the red kit, opened some packets, and then started cleaning her scratched knees.
She hissed at the sting.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m just a wimp.”
“Hardly, Ariel. You did well fighting those guys off.”
“I can’t be Tom Bradshaw’s daughter and not know some self-defense.”
“Right.” A muscle ticked in Ren’s jaw.
Halle glanced away. Reminding him who her father was probably wasn’t a great idea.
“Hands next,” he ordered.
She held them out, watching as his dark head bent over her hands. His hair was pitch black, and thick. She itched to run her fingers through it.
“I missed you,” she said quietly.
He looked up.
“You stopped coming around.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I know. I was busy.”
“That wasn’t it.” She touched his shoulder, feeling the warm muscle beneath the soft cotton. “Don’t brush it aside, Ren. You’ve been ignoring me since we kissed.”
Ren snapped the first aid kit shut and stood. “That kiss shouldn’t have happened, Halle.”
She made an annoyed sound and stood. “We were two consenting adults. And it was a good kiss. A really good kiss.”
“Halle…”
“I won’t let you ignore it. I still think about it.”
“It can’t happen,” he gritted out.
She stood, feeling the intensity swirling in the air between them. “You felt it, just like I did. That glimmer of something important.”
He shook his head.
God, was she just a young woman spinning a fantasy about the handsome, older guy? Was she only seeing what she wanted to believe? She touched a hand to his chest and felt his heart beating hard.
Her own heart leaped. He wasn’t immune to her. “You feel it, too.”
“No,” he said.
“Don’t lie to me, Ren.”
He gripped her wrist. “It can’t happen.”
“Why?”
“So many reasons. You’re too young, I’m too old.”
She made a scoffing sound. “That’s really lame.”
“You have your life ahead of you.”
“You do too, Ren. Your life outside the military.”
“No, I’m… I’ve seen too much, Halle. Things you’d never understand.” He let her go and held up his palm. “These hands should never touch you.”
She reached out and gripped his wrist. She pulled his hand flat to her chest. “I want them to. Tell me that you don’t feel it, and I’ll walk away.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he looked away.
She should feel like she’d won. Without words, he was admitting that he wanted her.
“There’s another reason,” he said. “I won’t betray your father. He’s the best man I know.” A grimace crossed Ren’s face, then he made himself step back. His face was set in harsh lines. “I have things to see to on the ship. You can see yourself out.”
Then he was gone.
Halle sat there for a second, staring at the empty doorway. Then her shoulders sagged.
Okay, that hadn’t exactly gone well.
But she wasn’t giving up. Ren was wrong. He felt something, and so did she.
He was worth fighting for.