Chapter 9
Now that he had Willa’s last name and phone number, along with information about Robert, he could ask for help. Maybe there was something on the guy. Could he possibly have an arrest warrant out on him, or maybe some other legal trouble that would take him down a peg or two?
Seeing Willa in the light of day hadn’t chilled his desire one bit.
Seeing her like this had ignited something inside.
Not that he would push for more with her.
Based on how she’d reacted last night and then today, she wasn’t ready to be hit on.
It seemed like she’d been through the wringer and didn’t need his bullshit.
It might take her years before she wanted to even think about another relationship.
Besides, he wasn’t helping her to get into her pants. If he wanted a woman, all he had to do was go to a club and tell one of the women he was in the Navy and in special forces. In this area, there were plenty of chasers who were dying for a night in the sack with a SEAL.
One thing he knew for sure, he didn’t need to get with Willa to feel compassion for her.
She was stuck in a tough place. Robert was weak compared to him, but he’d obviously hurt Willa.
She wasn’t overly muscular, and she wasn’t tall, either.
She looked like a regular woman. She had some strength because she served drinks, but her fear of Robert had been obvious.
First thing he did after getting home was work up an email to send to Thario. He would have sent the email to Tex, but Tex was busy working on another project, and only if it got really bad would he contact the guy.
Thario would help, plus his wife, Calla, was in the business now, helping out where she could. After he sent the email, he popped leftover chili into the microwave along with some shredded cheese on top. The bowl had just started to spin when his phone buzzed. Thario was calling.
“Hey, that was quick.”
“I put in his name. Of course, he has a warrant out for his arrest. He punched a shopkeeper in San Francisco and broke his nose.”
“Ouch, but nice. I’ll call the police and tell them where to find him.”
“I already contacted a friend on the force. They will be looking for him this evening.”
“Dang, that makes me want to go sit in the parking lot and watch.”
Thario chuckled. “If you do, take a video. I’d love to see him get arrested.”
“I will. So how are you doing? It’s been a while since I saw you.”
“I’m good. Calla makes my life better.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“What about you? Dating anyone?”
“Heck no. I’m not going down that path.”
Thario chuckled, and he wasn’t sure he liked how it sounded.
“Sure thing, Cy. I’ll be in San Diego at the end of the month.”
“Oh, nice.”
“I’m coming in on a Saturday. Meeting a few guys at Aces, or I think it’s at Aces.”
“I’ll be there. Just tell me where.”
“Great. I know Calla will be happy to see you.”
“That’s awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing you both.”
The call ended, and Cy smiled to himself.
Calla was perfect for Thario, and he was glad they’d found each other.
He didn’t have much hope for his future in terms of finding someone to settle down with.
Maybe when he was fifty, he would find someone who would put up with him, but he didn’t see himself settling down now.
Dating didn’t fit into his life as a SEAL. Most women he’d attempted to date didn’t like him being gone so often, but he wasn’t giving up his position just to please a woman.
He thought about heading out to Aces to see what was going on with Robert and the police when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and groaned. He was needed at the base in an hour.
He finished his meal, then pulled on his uniform and headed out. Once in the car, his phone buzzed again. He tapped the phone icon on his steering wheel, answering without checking who was calling.
“Hello.”
“Can you believe this shit?” T asked.
“Yes, I can. Jesus, T, you knew we were the team on call this weekend.”
“I know. But I’d just served up some delicious ice cream, and I had to put it back in the container. I want some ice cream.”
“I’ll take you out for ice cream after the meeting if any place is still open.”
“Thank you, man. You’re the best. That’s why I called you and not one of the other guys. You’re always supportive.”
“Dude, you’re my third best, or is it my fourth best friend?”
“No, man, I’m your sixth. I know where I fall in the pecking order.”
He rolled his eyes as he pulled up to the base entrance. “I’m here. I’ll see you when you get on base.”
“I’ll be there as long as you take me out for ice cream after. I’m not showing up for another late-night meeting without ice cream.”
The guy on guard duty rolled his eyes as he listened in on the conversation. Cy chuckled and ended the call. He knew the guards must hear a lot of bullshit, but at least he’d made the guy laugh.
By the time he was out of his car, T was pulling in. He got out and jogged to catch up to Cy.
“You really going to get me ice cream?”
“Sure, buddy. Whatever you want.”
“Thank you. You’re the best.”
“What is Cy the best at?” Bang asked.
T skipped a few steps like he was a fifth grader hopped up on soda and candy. “He’s going to buy me some ice cream.”
“Like in a date?” Foster asked.
T shot Foster a deadpan look. “Yes, Foster, like in a date.”
“Hey, I don’t know what you two are doing. No shade. You all want to date, go for it, but the brass won’t like it.”
“Won’t like what?” Jump asked.
“T and Cy dating.”
“Nah, man,” Jump said. “You two can’t date. T is mine forever. I took him out for pizza, and he pledged his life to me.”
T nodded. “I was really hungry that day. I would have pledged my life to anyone for a little food.”
“Jesus, T, you’re like a dog. I bet if I had cookies, you’d do tricks for them,” Foster said.
Laughter spilled from T as they entered the building.
They were a good crew to work with. T had taken some getting used to.
The guy was exuberant, and he seemed very unserious the first time Cy had met him.
But T turned serious very fast when work began.
Plus, T had passed BUDs and all the other tests they had to take.
The man was a beast on the battlefield, he just liked joking around when they were off the clock.
The conference room filled up fast as Cy took his seat. He wasn’t one of the decision makers, and he was glad for it. Having to decide which missions got their attention versus which ones were ignored would drive anyone crazy.
He counted the number of SEALs in the room, twenty-four. Not all meetings had this many guys. What were they about to get into?
By the end of the meeting, he knew they would be leaving soon. The next few weeks, their schedules would be ruled by this mission. No question, he wouldn’t be able to help Willa if her jerk of an ex showed back up and tried to hurt her.