Chapter 2 #3
“I wasn’t trying to hide who I was or make it so you couldn’t find me. I’m cautious about talking about the Patriots by name. But even if you thought I’d abandoned you, why move out of your apartment? If you believed I wasn’t coming back to you, why bother?”
Johann stared at her as he spoke again. “Shit, if he’s with the Dark Patriots, that explains why my buddy couldn’t find his record. If he still works for the government on sensitive cases, then they’d bury it. Danni, you need to tell him.”
“No, you promised you’d help me!” she cried out, panic in her tone.
“And I meant it. You know that. But I can’t leave you here without help when I return from leave. You can’t be here alone, not in your condition. I can be called away at any time. And just like he told you, I might not be able to tell you where I’m going or keep in touch.
“You need to hear him out. I know I told you you’re better off without him, but if he’s who he says he is, then I can almost guarantee you he didn’t lie to you. But if you still want nothing to do with him, you know what we’ll have to do.”
“What is it you said you’ll do? And called away for what? Are you a SEAL?” I fired back.
“Yeah, I’m a SEAL, and I’m on leave right now. We moved Danni out of her place a month ago. Then, a week ago, she began having trouble, so I asked for two weeks of leave. I’ve been worried about leaving her alone without anyone to call for help if she needs it.”
“Johann, stop, you don’t owe him an explanation,” she protested.
I heard anxiety. Neither of them had told me what was wrong with her. Wanting to earn his trust, since it now seemed that he might be inclined to be on my side to a degree, I added more.
“I can prove I’m with the Dark Patriots.”
“How?” he asked.
Taking out my phone, I found the number I wanted and hit Call. I put it on speakerphone. It was picked up after three rings.
“Hello, Heath, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. What may I do for you?” Margie’s calm, collected voice asked.
“Hello, I need you to put me over to one of the bosses. It’s important.”
Her whole tone changed. “Sir, if you need me to do that, you know what I need.”
“I do, Poppy.”
Her sigh of relief was audible. I’d just given her my not-under-duress code word.
“Please hold.”
As we sat there listening to the music on the other end, which was your typical on-hold music, Johann watched me. Danae kept her head down, slowly eating and drinking. Her color was better, though she still looked tired.
Two minutes later, Margie was back. “I’m putting you through to Mark. Hold a second.” Before I could thank her, she made the switch. One ring and my call was answered.
“Heath, did you find your woman? Makayla said she got you her new address. Is she alright?” Undertaker asked.
“She’s right here with me. I have you on speakerphone with her and a supposed fellow SEAL.
Seems she’s staying with him. I’m debating whether to kill him and hide his body.
If he’s touched her, I’ll do it no matter what.
But that’s for later. Right now, I need you to verify who you are and what my connection to you is. ”
There was a couple of seconds of silence, then the other, darker side of Undertaker came through the line.
“If you fucking touch him, you’ll be dead before midnight. I promise you that. Heath Rugger is my friend and a Dark Patriots employee. If you’re a SEAL, then you know who the Patriots are. I’m one of the owners, Undertaker.” The menace came through loud and clear.
I watched the color leak from Johann’s face. He recognized the name. It was hard not to in our circle, and especially in the Navy SEAL community.
“Sir, this is Lieutenant Commander Johann Kern, US Navy SEAL at Little Creek- Fort Story Joint Expeditionary Base in Norfolk. It’s an honor to speak to you, sir.
I’ve heard about you and your friends who formed the Dark Patriots—Fiend, Midas, and Wraith.
” He’d called Sean, Gabriel, and Griffin by their call signs.
“Commander, if you’re who you say you are, then you know what you’re facing. And I can tell you that our people are running your name as we speak. If you’re lying, you won’t like the consequences. What is your connection to Danae Seong? Why is my friend calling me?” Undertaker snarled.
However, it wasn’t Johann who answered. It was my Danae. Her head had snapped up. There was fire in her eyes.
“His connection to me is none of your goddamn business. He doesn’t answer to you.”
Instead of getting upset, Undertaker chuckled.
“I knew you had to have fire in you if Heath loves you.
Since I have you on the phone, I need to apologize.
It seems the company has caused an enormous rift between the two of you.
He came to me early this morning and told me about you and how his last assignment caused you to disappear on him.
“I want you to know, it was our fault for there being no communication, not even a call to tell you he was going dark. It was essential for his mission, and none of us thought he’d be gone that long.
But you should know that because of him, a friend and former Patriot was rescued, and a major drug pipeline was shut down.
Wolf helped Arctic get free, and they brought down a bunch of bad people.
Unfortunately, it caused you pain. That was never the intention.
Please accept my apology, and I look forward to meeting you in person.
He’s a good man. Give him a second chance,” Undertaker concluded.
I never expected him to say that. My chest tightened. I had to clear my throat before I could speak.
“Thanks, Undertaker. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yes, you will. And if the Commander there doesn’t check out, we’ll be on his doorstep before he can sneeze. Don’t make me regret trusting you, Kern.” The menace was back.
“Sir, you won’t. I promise,” Johann replied, then the line went dead.
He ran a hand over his short hair. “Fuck me, I can’t believe I just spoke to Undertaker. Or that you’re a Dark Patriot. They’re badasses. I hoped to join them when I get out. Guess I just shot that in the ass.”
“If you don’t cause me to lose her and haven’t lied, then Undertaker and the others will give you a fair chance,” I assured him. “Now, back to my previous questions. What is wrong with her? What will you have to do if she refuses to forgive me?”
Johann grimaced, then he answered, even as she tried to dive toward him to stop him with a hand over his mouth.
“Don’t!” she shouted.
“She’s pregnant. I’ve been trying to convince her that the way to take care of her and the baby is that she should marry me.”
As if a switch flipped, the rage was back, and I saw red. I came to my feet. A roar of denial burst from me. He scrambled out from under her feet. His body assumed a defensive posture.
“Over my motherfucking dead body will you marry her or raise my child,” I hissed.
Before I could attack him, Danae's words froze me.
“It’s not your baby!”
Disbelief hit me. “You fucked him and got pregnant in two months?” I shouted.
“I never touched her! I don’t see her like that. She’s like a sister to me,” Johann rattled off.
“It’s my baby! But even if it were Johann’s, it’s none of your business,” she hollered.
It took a few seconds for her words to sink in fully. When they did, I whipped around and dropped onto the sofa next to her hip. I reached up and captured her hands. I leaned close.
“That’s my baby. That makes me the only man who’s raising or marrying his mother.
You’re not taking my baby away from me, Danae.
I love you. I want to marry you. I was about to tell you this after I introduced you to my friends, but that goddamn assignment came in.
I had to go. I couldn’t permit my two closest friends to do it.
They’re married and have babies. Yes, I had you, but I had to think of them, not myself.
It killed me every damn day not to be with you.
I thought of you, prayed for the mission to be over, and for me to be back in your arms daily.
It was thoughts of you and our life together that kept me sane and got Justin and me out alive. ”
I wasn’t ashamed to confess it in front of her friend or whatever he was. As she stared at me, stunned and speechless, I turned to him.
“How do you know her?”
“Her brother, Haris, and I were best friends.”
“Were?”
“He died ten years ago. I made him a promise that I’d always be there for her.
When she told me she was pregnant and the father had ghosted her, I told her to give up her apartment and move in with me.
Hell, this house sits empty a lot of the time.
I have the space. There’s more than enough room for her and the baby.
No way I’d allow Haris’s sister to raise her child alone. ”
He went up in my estimation with that confession, assuming it was true.
And the fact that if I hadn’t returned, someone would’ve been here to look after my child and woman made me feel better.
But that wasn’t necessary. I was back, and I would be the man who would marry Danae and be my kid's father.
I had news for her. If she thought that was going to be done by him or another guy, she had a lot to learn about me.