Protecting Gina (Loved by the SEAL #10)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Aaron “Wave” Waverly hadn’t even gone by the house before he showed up at the hospital to be by his mother’s side. A sense of helplessness filled him. Parents weren’t supposed to die this young. Why couldn’t the doctors do anything?

He clung to her fragile hand, careful not to crush it as she struggled to breathe. Cassandra was in a test, and the last thing Wave wanted to do was make his sister fail her test by interrupting her, but their mom didn’t have much time.

“Hang on, Mom. Don’t give in until Cassandra gets here.”

He had no idea if his mom could hear him or if she was too far gone to understand his words. Talking was one of those things recommended, but difficult to do. Too much negativity had transpired between them. Whatever needed to be reconciled, he’d have to do it on his own after she died.

A nurse stepped in, doing her best not to disturb him. She was the nurse who’d been on duty when he’d first shown up. She’d been nice not only to him but to his sister as well, wishing Cassandra well on her test as she left that morning.

She caught his attention because she was so nice.

He wouldn’t hit on her. For all he knew, she was with someone else and didn’t need another jerk hitting on her while she was trying to work.

Besides, he should concentrate on his mother, even though she’d put him through hell. It wasn’t the time to get distracted.

When he stepped back to give the nurse room to adjust the equipment closest to him, he couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on her. That’s when he saw the bruise. It looked like a thumbprint beneath her ear.

He focused his gaze on her neck, seeing that she had makeup on the back collar of her scrubs. That’s when he noticed she’d applied concealer to the back of her neck. What the hell? How many bruises did she have that she had to cover up the back of her neck with concealer?

Questions rose, and he was about to ask her about the bruises when a doctor stepped in. With the doctor in the room with them, it wasn’t the time to question this woman. Later and somewhere other than the hospital, he would find her and ask what was up with the bruises.

The doctor gave him the report on his mother, and it wasn’t good. They didn’t think his mother would live long and wanted to know if they were ready to let her go.

He was, but he was sure Cassandra wasn’t ready for their mother to pass away. He needed more time with Cassandra to see if she would be okay.

“Thank you for telling me how close you think it is to the end. My sister is taking her last final today, so she’ll be here in a few hours.”

The doctor nodded. “Your sister has been a real trooper through all of this. I’m glad you’re here now to help. She’s wise beyond her years, and that isn’t always a good thing.”

Wave nodded, thinking the doctor was right about Cassandra.

She had to grow up way too fast. It wasn’t fair.

He hoped that when she came to live with him, he could give her some peace so she could live like a young adult should instead of having to be so damn responsible.

Maybe he should have stayed here and roughed it out, but if he’d stayed in this town, who knows what would have happened to him.

After Cassandra arrived, he let her sit with their mother while he went out to grab something to eat.

He was at a sandwich shop, placing an order, when he heard a guy yelling.

Wave stepped to the door and pulled out his phone, about to call the cops when the guy pulled back his arm, then let it fly, knocking the woman to the ground.

Wave had his share of fistfights, grappled with terrorists, but fights were uncalled for here in the middle of this city where the threats were low. Also, the jerk was hitting a woman, which revealed he was the lowest of the low.

Wave stepped out of the shop and moved to the man who looked like he was going to kick the woman to the ground. That pissed him off.

Wave caught the guy’s shoulder and spun him around. The man let out a frustrated yell and looked like he was about to turn his anger on Wave when a police car pulled up and blasted the siren.

The guy’s lips twisted with anger before he turned to the woman. “One word of this, and I’ll fucking kill you.”

“Whoa, man. Calm the fuck down,” Wave said.

The guy turned and swung his fist, even with the officer getting out of his car. Wave lifted his arm, blocking the punch. With the police right there, watching everything, Wave knew better than to return the punch. Instead, he took a step back and kept his arms raised to block more punches.

Chaos erupted as the cops rushed forward.

It took them only a few seconds to subdue the man and get cuffs on him.

Wave turned and offered the woman help to stand.

She grabbed his hand, sending sparks up his arm to his shoulder.

The electricity flying between them was unexpected.

He thought about saying something but remained quiet.

After she was upright, she wiped blood from her cheek.

He did a double take as he stared at her.

It was the nurse with the bruises. At least he had an idea of who had given her the bruises.

What was she involved in? Surely, she would press charges against this jerk, and then her life could go back to normal.

But he watched with shock as she shook her head, waving off the officer’s help, then turned and walked down an alley, trying to get away from the area.

What was up with her, and why didn’t she want to press charges against this asshole who had attacked her?

Now he really needed to ask her about the bruises and how she was going to stop another attack from the jerk.