Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Joshua “Bang” Butler raked his hands through his hair, anger mixing with confusion and sadness. He didn’t want Wave to leave them, not even for a few months. “Are you kidding me?”
Wave held up his hand, trying to placate him. “It’s not a big deal.”
Bang threw up his hands. “Not a big deal? It’s a huge deal. What do you mean they are sidelining you for another three months?”
Wave shook his head. “I’m getting better, but they want to make sure I heal. Like I said, it’s not a big deal. I’ll be back in three months or so. Besides, Maxwell needs a break for surgery. It will work out.”
“I don’t like this. We need you on our team. And who’s to say they’ll let you come back? What if they make it permanent?”
“I appreciate your feelings on the matter. I’ll be back if I can come back. It’s a short stint for me at the training facility. And if I’m not recovered in three months, I wouldn’t want to be on teams and put any of you at risk.”
Bang blew out a frustrated breath, then pulled Wave into a hug. “You’re the best. I will be waiting for you to come back and join us.”
Bang knew that Wave stepping away was the right decision.
His buddy needed more time to heal, and desk duty sucked.
With Maxwell needing time off for surgery, it worked well for Wave.
Plus, Wave would get a good look at new recruits into the SEAL program and figure out who to pull in when they needed an extra person on a mission.
Peach was stepping in to fill their open spot. Peach was a great guy. Bang knew Haisley and had met Peach’s kids, but didn’t know them well. The guy would be a great addition to their team, but still, he would miss Wave.
He needed to get moving and work off some of his agitation.
He left Wave’s house and drove to his favorite spot to run.
Pounding the pavement in the area around his house was fine for a normal day, but he wanted to get lost in the beauty of the Sunset Trail today.
It was one of his favorite places, and he needed the distraction that this trail delivered with the great views and awesome paths that were usually deserted this time of day.
Running set him free. He loved how his body responded to hard exercise. The high he got from pushing himself almost felt magical. Maybe he was sick in the head for loving the exertion, but it served him well.
The parking lot for the trail was nearly empty.
He liked it better with fewer people. The runner’s high had just started to take over when he saw something in the path up ahead.
At first glance, it seemed to be an animal, but then he noticed the lump looked synthetic.
He slowed and pulled out his phone, unsure if he was going to take a photo or call emergency services.
Could this be a setup? If he were on a mission, he wouldn’t doubt it was a setup. He glanced around, not seeing anyone else in the area.
“Hey,” he called out, hoping the lump moved. “Hey, you okay?”
He slowed even more as he drew closer. He was about twenty yards away when it looked like the lump finally moved. Was that a black coat on top of a person?
The lump moved more, and he spied a thin leg poking out, then an arm. It was either a woman or a child. The coat moved more, and he saw long brown hair and more of the person’s face. It was a woman.
He was about ten yards from her when she tried to sit up. Her attempts were unsuccessful, and she flopped back down into the dirt.
He closed the distance and pulled the coat back, revealing her bruised and battered body. She groaned and covered her face, shielding her eyes from the sun.
Was she homeless or a druggie? Bang studied her, not seeing track marks, and though dirt smudged her face and her limbs, she was wearing high-end workout gear. Her shoes were nice, not old and ratty.
“Hey, can you hear me?” Bang asked.
The woman lifted one hand, waving it. “Oh hell, everything hurts.”
“I’m going to call the police. We’ll get—”
Her hand clenched around his wrist, clamping down tight. Her strength was surprising since she couldn’t even sit up on her own. “No, no police. Do not call them.”
He looked from her to his phone, where he’d just started dialing for emergency services. The look in her eyes was fierce, determination leaking through.
“Please, do not call the cops. He’ll kill me if he finds out.”
Now she had his attention. Bang took another look around, seeing that the place was deserted.
“I can’t leave you here. Let me help you up.”
She grunted as she pushed up from the dirt. “Fine. Just no police.”
He nodded, unsure what or who she was hiding from. Maybe he shouldn’t get involved. Heck, he wasn’t involved. He would help her get back to the parking lot, and then it would be up to her to decide what to do. She was an adult and perfectly capable of taking care of herself.
His stomach tightened as he took in her disarray.
When her arm went around his waist, a spark of something raced through him.
He didn’t need this. Not right now. No way should he get involved with this woman.
Unwise didn’t even begin to describe what it would be.
Her clothes were too nice, and her shoes seemed expensive.
She wasn’t the type of woman he normally hooked up with.
He wasn’t into long-term dating, so picking up women who didn’t expect much was his normal style.
They weren’t at a bar, and he knew nothing about her, but he would be lying to say he wasn’t interested.
They’d gone about a hundred yards when she paused. “Wait, my phone.”
He glanced over his shoulder, looking back. “Do we need to go back there for it?”
She shook her head and lifted a shaky arm, pointing out into the sand. “No, he tossed it around here.” She dropped her arm, then glanced up at him. “Can you call it? It will ring, and maybe we can find it.”
“Sure.”
She rattled off her number, and he placed the call, hearing the faint ring of her phone. He saw something glinting in the sand about fifteen feet away.
“Can you stay here? Can you stand on your own?”
“Sure.”
He let go, and she dipped a little, but ended up staying upright. He raced over, grabbed her phone, then headed back to her. That was when he saw the message flash on the screen.
Keep quiet, or I’ll make your life miserable.
The text came from someone tagged as Asshole in her phone. Who was that? Obviously a jerk, based on the message. Was it the person who’d beat her?
He was back by her side, seeing her roll her eyes at the message. His throat tightened with emotions as he watched her shake her head as she scrolled through her messages. His plan of leaving her in the lot was losing its appeal. Maybe he shouldn’t offer, but he wanted to help.
“What’s your name?”
“Sasha. What’s yours?”
“My friends call me Bang.”
“That’s an odd name.”
“Yeah, but it fits.”
Laughter from her wasn’t what he expected, but the sound made something pop inside, releasing pressure. She was in an awful situation, and she should be upset, but she was laughing.
He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but being with her felt good. This was one of those times he wasn’t sure if he should listen to the warnings blaring in his head or if he should dive in.
What could be the harm in helping this woman? It wasn’t like they were starting a relationship. He would help her get cleaned up, and then she would be on her way. He wasn’t really getting involved, just helping her a little. Nothing more than just offering up a little help, and that would be all.