Chapter 20
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I t had been a long time since she’d been to a bar. In fact, she couldn’t remember going to one in the last three years. The pub had the Irish feel it promised from the hype. It was packed.
“I ate too much,” Ava complained, pushing her plate aside.
“I did, too. Now, I need a nap to sleep it off,” Brynn said.
Ava laughed, her pale blue eyes alight with humor.
The two of them watched as the guys went to the bar for an after-dinner beer.
Tucker was built more like a long-distance runner and swimmer—his shoulders wide, his limbs long and muscular, and his body flexible.
Denotti was more like a boxer. His chest and shoulders were heavily muscled, and his thighs were thick. Brynn was surprised to find Denotti’s eyes were hazel and looked brown sometimes and green at others. His dark hair curled around his ears and across his forehead.
Both men were impressively masculine and carried themselves with a confident, measured swagger that would mark them as military even though both had non-regulation hair and scruff.
The phrase brothers-in-arms took on a whole new meaning for her as she studied the dynamic between the two men. They were teammates, but they were also friends with a deep respect for one another.
“They’re something, aren’t they?” Ava said. “I was a little wary of going out with Frank at first—him being a SEAL… I was afraid that I’d fall for the SEAL hype instead of the man. But he’s more Romeo than mafioso.”
Brynn laughed. “I think maybe family plays a big part in both of their lives. Tucker’s really close to his father and grandmother. I think Denotti is probably close to his family, too.”
With a name like Ava, Brynn had pictured her as sleek and tall with dark hair and eyes. However, she was a little more complicated than that. She appeared fragile beside Denotti’s large bulk, but there was nothing at all weak about her personality. She was witty and had a quick smile. Her rich, light chestnut hair highlighted her flawless skin. Her pale blue eyes darted around the room and moved back to her. They seemed not to miss anything going on at their table or in the restaurant.
“His mom’s blond and blue-eyed and talks with a Bronx accent like she just got off a plane from New York.”
Brynn smiled. “So, he’s already taken you home to meet his mother?”
“God, no. I went by his apartment to meet him after work. She came by while he was getting dressed to go out. She was dropping off some cannoli or something she’d made for him.”
“Lucky guy. I love cannoli.”
“I think she was giving me the evil eye just for sitting on his couch.”
Brynn laughed. “I think I know a spell or something to deflect that. I’m from New York, too.”
“Not New York, New York.”
“No. Saranac.”
“I’ve been there. We went kayaking, and I was terrible at it.”
Brynn grinned again. “It takes a little practice.”
“I’m not sure practice would improve my skills. My balance while on the water seems permanently off.”
Brynn laughed. “You aren’t from San Diego, are you?”
“No. Wisconsin.”
“Wow. You’re almost as far away from home as I am.”
“I thought I could use a break from cheese and beer,” Ava said.
Tucker and Denotti chose that moment to return to the table with their beers. Ava grinned, and Brynn had to laugh.
“Now, ladies, how about dessert?” Denotti asked.
Tucker leaned in toward her. “They have brownies, Brynn. Pecans, ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. We can split it.”
“I’m stuffed. But you can get one, and I’ll watch you eat it.”
Denotti and Ava decided on the apple pie.
Tucker ordered for them and requested two extra plates and extra forks and spoons.
“Knotty lives for pie,” Tucker commented. “He looks for it everywhere he goes.”
“My mother doesn’t make pie; she makes pastries,” he complained.
“I can make pie,” Ava said.
Denotti’s brows rose, and he spread his arms wide as though welcoming her home from a long trip. “Darlin’…”
They all laughed, including him.
Even though Ava and Denotti seemed complete opposites, there was an undeniable buzz between them. More than a buzz. The way he looked at her was enough to set her hair on fire.
She wondered what other people saw when Tucker looked at her.
She noticed someone slightly familiar at the bar. When he turned with his beer in hand, she realized it was Tim Garner. He spotted her and raised his beer to her in salute. He didn’t approach the table but stood for several minutes, watching her and the other couple. A familiar prickling started at the base of her neck, and she tried to ignore him but watched him out of the corner of her eye. When he wandered across the bar and went out to the courtyard, she breathed an inward sigh of relief.
She determined to put Tim Garner out of her mind and enjoy the rest of the evening, but the entire interaction had put her on edge.
On the way home, Tucker caught her hand, and she rolled her head against the headrest to look at him. “You had a good time?” he asked.
“Yes, Denotti was just as Natalie described him. And funny, too. Ava seems just enough of a challenge to hold his interest,” she said. “He’s very smart.”
He gave her a quick look. “Yeah, he is, but he downplays it as a kind of defense. He comes from this huge Italian family who are all emotion. His father still speaks Italian at home, even though he’s second-generation American. As soon as he walks into his parent’s house, he’s Francesco.”
“Which does he prefer to be? Francesco or Frank?”
“Frank. But mostly, he’s Denotti or Knotty.”
“Knotty or Naughty?”
Tucker chuckled. “A little of both. When we were FNGs right out of BUD/s, it was definitely Naughty.”
Brynn laughed. “And what is an FNG?”
Tucker grinned. “The F-ing New Guy on the team.”
“You’re not that anymore. You’ve paid your dues.”
“Yeah, we both have. Denotti’s the best medic in the platoon.”
The way Denotti assessed situations and people, she bet he was.
“Command has given us a few days off. How does your schedule look this week?” he asked. “I thought we might move up your dive to earlier in the week.”
Brynn opened her phone and scrolled through her calendar. “I’m free three days this week. Tomorrow, Wednesday, or Friday.” She wondered when Petty Officer Tolliver’s funeral might be.
“Wednesday. I’ll call Grant and see if he’s open to taking us out.”
“What time do you want to go out?” she asked.
“Probably ten.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll plan for at least three hours, maybe a little more. “We’ll keep it at a fifty-foot depth so you can have more bottom time.”
She hoped she’d do well once she got in the water. She could already feel the nerves jumping in her stomach like Mexican jumping beans, but she was excited, too.
Tucker pulled into the parking lot of her apartment. Brynn met him in front of the car, and he caught her hand as they walked toward the front door.
“Come home with me,” he said, tugging her hand.
A man stepped out into the light at the front door, and Tucker dropped her hand and stepped in front of her.
“It’s Ahmad, Petty Officer. I really need to speak with you. I need your help.”
*
He didn’t want Ahmad in Brynn’s apartment. He didn’t like that the man knew where she lived. Ahmad seemed harmless, but if he were in some kind of trouble….
“Come upstairs with us, Ahmad. Whatever you need to tell us must be important,” Brynn said.
“Yes, Miss Barrington.”
She used her key card to open the door and led the way to the elevator.
Once in the elevator, Tucker observed the man’s demeanor. The tranquil young man who’d translated for them aboard the Sea Dragon had been replaced by an anxious, nervous one.
They stepped out into the hall and walked down to Brynn’s apartment.
As soon as they entered, Brynn waved toward a chair. “Have a seat, Ahmad. I’ll get you something to drink.” She poured the man a glass of iced tea and set it on a coaster in front of him.
“Thank you.” He drank thirstily.
“How long have you been waiting for us?” Tucker asked after he’d set down the glass.
“Two hours, I think.”
“What’s all this about?”
“After working with you on the Sea Dragon, I decided to apply for a visa to the U.S. I applied for several jobs similar to the one I did for the oil company in the hopes of getting hired. I was turned down. The only one I could get was working aboard the Aurora. I have a cousin who lives here. He sponsored me, and I live with his family when I am not on board the ship.” Ahmad shifted in his seat and studied the floor for several moments. “I work with someone who is smuggling drugs.”
“What kind of drugs?” Tucker asked.
“I’m not certain.”
“Is it the owner of the yacht?” Brynn asked.
“No.” Ahmad seemed to struggle.
“It’s Tim Garner, isn’t it?” Brynn said, her tone quiet.
Ahmad bobbed his head. “I believe so.”
“How are they delivering the drugs to Tim?” Tucker asked.
“I don’t know. I’m not part of this, and I have tried very hard to keep my distance from Tim Garner ever since I started to suspect he was involved in something illegal. There is another man he talks to on the phone, and I often see a fishing vessel following us when we are close to the coast.”
Brynn’s head went up, and Tucker exchanged a glance with her.
“Why not go to the police?” Brynn asked.
“I do not want to become their…informant. They will demand I get closer to Tim, and I want no part of this. I do not want my Visa canceled because I became entangled in something illegal.”
Fuck! He felt for the kid. But what did he expect him to do about this?
Tucker remained silent a moment. “What makes you think it’s drugs?”
“The blue fishing boat shows up every time we dock in Mexican waters. Then it leaves just before or at the same time we do.”
Brynn glanced his way again.
Why would the blue cabin cruiser be following the yacht? Unless they were providing a service for the people who were on the yacht or they wanted it to appear that they were part of the yachting party.
Were they transporting drugs or something else?
And it was the same blue fishing vessel that had been hanging around the dock when Brynn had been taking photos. That thought had the hairs on the back of his neck rising.
“Have you seen the fishing boat following the yacht locally?”
“Yes. It followed us up the coast the other day when Ms. Barrington and the models were on board. Most of the time, it only follows when we go south.”
“Why do you think Tim is involved?” Tucker asked.
“I heard him call someone and say, ‘We are leaving for Cabo San Lucas. Meet me there tonight. My guy will have the cargo ready.’ The blue boat docked close by that night. Tim left the vessel that evening, and I followed him. He met with a local man and gave him money. They spoke for a short time, then he left and went back to the Aurora.”
There was a possibility he was into something illegal, but there was no way of proving it.
“Have you ever seen Tim on the cabin cruiser?”
“No.”
“If you don’t have any proof that he has contact with anyone on the boat or that he’s been on the boat, you can’t tie him to it. The cargo he’s talking about could be anything. It could even be something innocent.”
“It isn’t, Petty Officer Giles. Tim is very sneaky. He is…” He seemed to be searching for the word.
“A player,” Brynn supplied for him. “Calculating, manipulative, uses his charm to disarm people, and the whole time he’s trying to get something for himself.”
“Yes,” Ahmad nodded. “That is him.”
Brynn would know. She was always on alert. “Are you certain they didn’t bring whatever cargo he was talking about onto the yacht?”
“Nothing was brought aboard. I checked the security cameras when I got back aboard. I believe the fishing boat is transporting whatever he is paying for to San Diego.”
“Do you know where the fishing boat docks? Is it close to the yacht?” Tucker asked.
“No.”
“If they’re loading and unloading cargo, it would have to dock at a private place somewhere along the coast,” Tucker said, frowning.
“Probably so,” Ahmad agreed.
“What do you know about the owner of the yacht, Brynn?”
“His name is Liam Bryant. He’s between thirty-five and forty. He owns the Aurora. He sent me some information to add to his website, but I haven’t had time to do that yet. Let me look it up on my computer.”
She went to her desk and opened her computer. “He went to school at Yale, worked as a commodities broker for ten years then bought the Aurora and a cabin cruiser. The name of the cruiser is the Galatea. I’ve never caught the name of the one that I photographed, so I don’t know if he owns it.”
Ahmad’s disappointment was obvious. “The one that follows Aurora is Titan, not Galatea.”
“The cruiser may follow in case any of the people on board want to fish,” she said. “Fishing off a yacht isn’t really that entertaining. Or it could be they collect supplies to bring back from Mexico. How many people do you usually see on board?”
“Two. There are always two.”
He surmised that something illegal was going on. The two men were using the yacht as some kind of cover, and this Tim guy was probably involved in some way, but until they had something more concrete to report, there was nothing Ahmad could do.
There was nothing he could do for Ahmad…yet. “Ahmad, the only thing I can tell you to do is document the movements of the yacht and the cabin cruiser, and see if you can find out what kind of cargo they’re carrying. But be careful. If they are bringing something illegal back from any of the Mexican ports, they’ll mean business if they think you’ve figured out what they’re doing.”
Ahmad blew out a breath that billowed his cheeks but nodded.
“Once you have something solid,” Tucker said, “if you don’t want to go to the police alone, I’ll go in with you, or you can mail them your notes or phone it in anonymously. But be careful.” Because the man was frightened and had so few friends, Tucker felt responsible for him.
Tucker got a slip of paper from Brynn’s desk and wrote the number of the burner phone on it. “Should you need to reach out, call the police first, but you can call me, too.”
Ahmad tucked the sheet of paper in his pocket. “Thank you, Petty Officer Giles.” He rose to leave.
“Tucker, Ahmad.”
“Tucker. Thank you.” He offered his hand, and Tucker shook it.
“You could always quit the job and walk away, Ahmad.”
The man shook his head. “I have to keep my job. As long as I stay with my cousin, I must pay my way. But I will continue to look for another job.”
“Is your father still with the ambassador?” Tucker asked.
“Yes.”
“He could pull some strings to get you a different job.”
“When he learned I wanted to immigrate to the United States, he was displeased. He said he would not help me, and it was up to me to find my way.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Tucker said. He rose to walk Ahmad to the door, and Brynn fell in beside him.
Ahmad turned to speak to Brynn. “I was relieved when you told Tim you would not have a drink with him, Miss Barrington. You must warn your friend to be careful should she see him around your apartment building.”
“I will, Ahmad. Please be careful.”
“I will.”
After the door closed behind him, Brynn moved to lean against Tucker. “He’s so afraid.”
“I know. But without proof, the police won’t follow up, and if they did, it might put him in more danger.”
“Titan is the name of an elite race of people in Greek mythology, Tucker. Aurora is the Goddess of Dawn, and Galatea was a water nymph, one of fifty daughters of some deity or other I can’t remember.”
“That you even know all that is…” He shook his head.
“The internet is a wonderous thing. I researched the origin of the name Aurora on the off chance I could use some of the info in the introduction of the slide show. Finding it was Greek, I looked up Greek gods and goddesses of the water, sea or ocean.” She leaned back her head to meet his gaze. “What are the odds that all three vessels registered with names taken from Greek mythology aren’t owned by the same man? I’d bank on Liam Bryant owning the Titan.”
“I would, too,” he agreed. “But without proof, Ahmad can’t take just suspicions to the police. They won’t follow up, and if they did, it might land him in hot water. He needs to bide his time and keep an eye out for more or walk away.”
“Tucker, I’ve walked in his shoes. The pressure, the fear when you’re looking over your shoulder…it’s crushing. I know you deal with it, too. But he’s just a kid.”
He didn’t remind her she’d been three years younger when she’d been experiencing someone stalking and abusing her. He tightened his arms around her. “He seems much younger than either of us, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, he does.”
“We have to find a way to help him if we can.”
She’d taken on Gillespie on her own and nearly lost her life. “We’ll help when we can. But don’t get the idea of giving him your number to call, Brynn. If he calls you…call me right away, and let me handle it. Okay?”
When a knock sounded at the door, they looked at one another. “I’ll get it,” he said. He looked through the peek hole. “Blond guy dressed to the nines?”
“That’s Martin. I think he was going to a play with Chad, his partner. They must have just gotten back.”
Tucker opened the door.
*
Surprise widened Martin’s eyes for a second, then a grin flared across his features. “You have to be Tucker,” he gushed and stepped forward into the room.
“And you’re Martin.” Tucker extended his hand, and Martin gripped it with both of his own.
“So good to meet you. Brynn has mentioned you several times.”
Tucker’s mouth quirked. “She’s mentioned you, too.”
“Of course, she has. I’m her bestie.” Martin sashayed in. “I love going to Spreckels. It has such a historical ambiance—and the play was good. Even Tate liked it.”
“I’ve been there. It’s an impressive theater,” Tucker said.
“You have?” Martin turned to face him.
“Yeah, I went to a ballet there.”
“Really?” Martin’s brows shot up.
“Yeah. A friend was going to take his lady and had ordered tickets. Something came up, and they couldn’t go, so he offered the tickets to me. Ballet isn’t really my thing, but even I can appreciate how much training and dedication they put into their craft. The strength and physicality of it. And my date loved it.”
“Do you like the ballet, Brynn?” Martin asked.
“I’ve never been. I’d love to photograph one, though. I haven’t done that yet.”
“You are both cretins,” Martin said with a hand flip.
She and Tucker both laughed.
“The ballet is about passion and movement, and expressing and telling a story through both.”
“I used to love to dance, so I’m sure I’d love the ballet, Martin,” Brynn said.
He threw up a hand like a traffic cop. “You’re just trying to placate me.” But as he turned his head, he was grinning. “Anyway, I just came over to tell you that Tate and I will be leaving in a little while. We’ve decided to take some time for ourselves and will be going to Salon de Bellezza for a few days.”
That particular spa was extremely expensive. “Wow. That sounds exciting.” She wanted to ask who would be footing the bill but bit her tongue.
“We’ll be back on Saturday, probably about noon.”
“I hope you have a wonderful time.”
“I do, too. You have a spare key if you need anything. I have a three-day feeder that floats around in the fish tank, but if you could go over and drop another one in to feed the fish about Thursday, I’d appreciate it.”
“I will.”
“What do you two have planned this week?” he asked.
“Brynn will be doing her second ocean dive tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” she asked. “I thought you said Wednesday.”
“We can call in the morning and see if Grant can take us out. If he can’t, we’ll do a walk-in at La Jolla. With all the interruptions we’ve had, we need to take every opportunity for you to practice your skills.”
He was right, but… “Alright. I’m in.”
“Great!” Martin exclaimed. “Are you going to take your camera?”
“Of course. It has to be a part of my routine for the shoot in Australia.”
“You’re going to do great.” He pointed his finger at Tucker. “Keep her safe.”
“I will, but she’s developing her skills really well.”
His confidence in her gave her a boost.
“I have to go. I’m still packing a few things, then we’ll be on our way.” He did his model walk to the door. “It’s nice to have met you, Tucker.”
“Same to you.”
As soon as the door shut behind Martin, Tucker turned to her. “He’s quite a character.”
“He is. His heart’s in the right place, and he’s been there for me ever since I arrived in San Diego.”
“I’m glad you had him as a support system. Come home with me. We’ll leave early in the morning for our dive and spend the day together.”
She knew what he was saying. They had to spend as much time together when he was here in case he got called up again. “I’ll need to pack some things, and I’ll have to take my computer and some camera equipment. I have some work I have to finish tomorrow for Thursday.”
“I’ll act as your assistant and load your equipment. Bring your strobe and all that, and you can practice with it.”
“Okay.”
It was while Tucker was taking her photography equipment down to her car that she remembered taking pictures of the cruiser just before their first dive. The boat had been behind them a short distance away, but she might be able to do something with the images. She had software she could use to increase the pixels. She’d work on that tomorrow while she did a few other projects.
A niggling worry stayed in the back of her mind for Ahmad, but neither of them could do anything for him until they had proof a crime had been committed.
She paused in packing her overnight bag to call Jessica.
She answered on the first ring. “Hey, how did the date go?”
“It was really nice. I met one of Tucker’s team members and his girlfriend. It was fun. Do you remember the young man we met on the cruise ship, Ahmad?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t want to say Ahmad had been at the apartment. It seemed too much like stalking. “We ran into Ahmad, the steward on the cruise ship, after our date. Long story short, he warned me if that Tim guy showed up around the apartment building or anything, I should give him a wide berth. He said he thinks he’s into something shady. He wanted me to warn you, too.”
“Wow. Something major must have happened for him to be on red alert about the guy.”
“Yes. Anyway. I won’t be home tonight. I’m going to be at Tucker’s.”
“Double wow…in a good way.”
“Yeah.” She could feel her face flushing. This sharing with a friend was new to her.
“I’d say stay safe, but you have a Navy SEAL in your bed to protect you.”
“I didn’t tell you that.”
“I knew the moment I saw him standing outside the apartment building about to push your button. He looked like he’d walked through hell and survived. And he smelled like a forest. That’s why I brought him up with me.”
Jess was a quick study. “I appreciate you doing that. He’d just gotten back from a short deployment and learned one of his friends had been killed.”
Jess fell silent a moment. “The petty officer in the news?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s…I’m so sorry.”
“I am, too. He was really upset and just needed to be close.”
“You’re not making the easy choice, Brynn. He’ll be gone on deployment every few months. He’ll be doing dangerous trainings and other things.”
“I know.” She was silent a moment. “He’s the first man I’ve wanted to touch me in three years.”
Jess remained silent for a moment. “You’ve waited a long time for him.”
Something in her voice sounded like she was holding back tears.
“I’m happy for you,” she said. “But if he ends up hurting you, Navy SEAL or not, I’ll kick his ass.”
Brynn laughed. “I’ll do it myself. You can help. I’ll call you tomorrow. We’re going to dive first thing in the morning and spend the rest of the day together. I’ll call you when I get home.”
“Have a good dive, and you know the rest.”
“Thanks, Jess.”
It was good to have a friend who looked out for her. After she finished packing her bag, she slung her pint-sized purse across her body and locked her door.
She hadn’t spent a night anywhere else since renting the apartment, and it felt strange to leave it but liberating as well.
Tucker waited in the parking lot at her car and opened the door for her to get in. “Think you can find your way?” he asked with a grin.
“I have GPS.”
He laughed. “We’ll work on those navigational skills tomorrow, too.”