Defender (Navy SEALS Romance Book 4) (2 page)

“
Y
ou boys have a good workout
?” Madison asked when the team stumbled back into S&R’s beach house headquarters.

“Yeah, it was quite educational,” Knox answered in a pointed tone aimed at the team before turning back to her. “Thanks for manning the phones. I know it’s not exactly why we hired you.”

“No, don't apologize, I'm happy to do it,” she answered as Angel came around behind the desk and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. She smiled, but immediately wrinkled her nose.

“Sorry, sweetie, I'm headed to shower right now,” he explained with a goofy grin. He leaned down and whispered, “You're free to join me, you know.”

“Excuse me? I'm on duty, you know,” she answered in a mock disgruntled way, “and besides, I think that's bordering on sexual harassment.”

“Oh, it would be very, very sexual,” Angel whispered again. He grinned and kissed her one more time before sauntering off to clean up, leaving Madison to stare after him and laugh to herself.

“I truly don't know what you see in him,” Tanner joked as he hung up his gear in the next room before coming back into the main office. “Any calls while we were out?”

“Not a one. It's been eerily quiet, although after last week, I can't even pretend to be sorry for the break.”

“I hear ya! That boat salvage last week was a tough one,” he answered, still shuddering at the “recovery” mission they’d been called to. A small boat had been tossed around in rough waves, only to be flipped over. The father had managed to get his wife and kids out, but hadn’t been able to save himself. S&R had been called to retrieve the family from where they clung to the sides of the boat, then to retrieve the man’s body so his family would be able to bury him and say goodbye.

“What’s with him?” Madison whispered when Jake stormed through the doorway and stomped past without so much as a word of greeting. Tanner shook his head.

“He’s having a tantrum ‘cause he lost the drill this morning. Well, that...and the fact that he really needs a woman.”

“Excuse me? Language, mister!” she answered, pretending to be insulted.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Jeez, Maddie!” Tanner said with an embarrassed laugh. “I meant it in the right way, the ‘settle down with a sweet girl’ kind of way.’ It’s been a long time for Jake...for all of us really, what with the job and all. And a night or two of companionship isn’t the same thing as meeting a girl you can really care about. Like Ruiz has done with you.”

Madison smiled, cocking her head in understanding. She smiled to herself before admitting, “But Angel and I actually dated years ago. We both had some growing up to do before we could find each other again.”

“The important thing is that you did it. And Jake needs to step out of his bad-boy comfort zone long enough to find that special someone, too.” Tanner knocked his knuckles against the desk and smiled. “Let me clean up and I’ll relieve you. It’s my week to man the phones once Knox comes in and turns the shift over.”

Jake showered, dressed, and headed out to the boardwalk, still without speaking to the others. He couldn’t put his finger on what was bothering him, other than the usual: work hassles, an uncertain future, and the constant threat of danger from S&R hanging over his head. But that was the kind of threat he lived for; he was at his best when there was a “situation,” whether it was military or civilian. So what was eating him?

He hadn’t meant to break into a run. He had already gotten in a few miles that morning, then a training drill and a shower. But with the salt air swirling around him and the roar of the waves hitting the beach just beyond the white sand, he couldn’t help himself. Before he knew it, his feet were pounding out an angry rhythm against the planks of the boardwalk.

“Watch it, jerk,” a black-haired woman called out when he brushed by her a little too closely. “You don’t own the boardwalk, you know!”

It took all Jake’s strength not to flip her off, but somehow he managed to keep his manners in check. He converted this new source of anger into even more adrenaline, giving him a burst of speed for his run back to SEArch&Rescue headquarters.

“Stupid, entitled, bit—” he muttered under his breath, but stopped just short of actually uttering the ugly name. He shook his head and chastised himself.
What is wrong with you, man? Get your act together!

The additional miles only took Jake’s full-steam anger down to a slow simmer, so he busied himself for the rest of the day cleaning and organizing all their gear in the ready room. From there, he worked his way to the office and went through the file cabinet, reading up on old reports and training logs. He felt a whole new sense of rage start to boil; those old reports were evidence of how effective he and the other members of their team had been. Even the recent rescue in which he’d been hurt had already been called off and converted to a body recovery mission when they emerged from the rocky outcropping with a critically injured but still-alive teenaged surfer.

We were good, dammit
, Jake thought.
Screw that, we ARE good. We should be in the field, not holed up on the beach playing lifeguard.

He slammed the file cabinet drawer shut a little harder than necessary, then stopped himself. He took a deep breath and was about to release it when Michael sauntered up behind him.

“It’s the pills, isn’t it?” he said quietly, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he leaned against the doorway, watching Jake appraisingly.

“What are you talking about?” Jake demanded, genuinely astonished.

“The pills. I know they gave you pain meds for your injury, and I also know you’re not still taking them. Is that what this is, some kind of rebound reaction or something?”

“Dude, I wasn’t on anything stronger than heavy ibuprofen, and you know it,” Jake said, scoffing, but Michael didn’t look convinced.

“Really? Not even something with codeine, maybe something a little stronger?”

Jake watched Michael’s face for a moment, the silence hanging thickly. He could tell Michael knew something, or he wouldn’t have asked. Michael nodded.

“I didn’t go through your stuff or anything. You left your prescription bottle in the breakroom,” he admitted, looking away. “You’re not even cleared to be back on exercise, let alone active duty—”

“Ha. What would any of us know about active duty anymore,” Jake interrupted, scowling. “Are you gonna rat me out?”

“I wouldn’t do that. If you feel up to running a few miles now and then, it’s not my place to stop you, as long as you’re not putting the rest of us in harm’s way. But I gotta ask... are you being a total dickhead lately because you’re still in pain and won’t do anything about it, or because you’ve taken all your meds and now you’re not authorized for more?” Michael forced himself to look Jake in the eye throughout the awkward pause.

“I’m fine,” he answered through clenched teeth. “And when the day comes that I need somebody to look over my shoulder and question what I’m doing, you’ll be the first guy I come to. Does that make you feel a little better?”

“Dude, there’s no reason for the attitude. I’m trying to make sure you’re okay, that’s all. I really do care, and I know you’re going through something right now. I just thought I’d ask you about it first instead of waiting ‘til something happens and you can’t keep it to yourself anymore.”

Jake opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped. He dropped his head and waited, then looked up with a softer expression on his face. “Look, I get it. You’re worried. And seriously, I appreciate it. But I’m fine. I can’t stress to you enough how fine I am. Okay? So can we just let it go?”

“I guess so,” Michael finally answered, standing up straighter but still wearing the same doubtful look on his face. “I’m gonna trust you, because you’re a standup guy and I’ve never in my life had a reason not to trust you. But whatever’s going on with you, would you do me a favor? Either come clean about it and ask somebody for help, or get over it already?”

“You got it. No more dickhead. I promise.”

Michael nodded solemnly then slowly turned and left the room. Jake wrestled with feeling betrayed but also feeling grateful that he was surrounded by friends who’d been through everything with him. These guys were closer to him than some of his own family members, mostly because he’d never taken his mom out on a night mission to take down three Somali pirates while she watched his back. He loved his family, but his teammates were a whole other branch of his family tree.

The rest of the day was spent in mundane S&R tasks. He’d missed his rotation as crew chief while sidelined with his injury, so Knox was back in command. That meant a lot of sitting around at the ready, venturing out no further than five minutes away by vehicle, waiting for someone to get washed out to sea or for a hurricane to rip through San Diego and put them to work. In some ways, he hated that it took death and pain for him to have a job, but he’d always been in this line of work.

The only difference was now instead of fatigues and high-tech military gear, he threw on a bright greenish yellow reflective jump suit and high-tech government contracted gear. It was just as dangerous—in a different way—and just as uncertain, meaning there was no guarantee that everyone was going home at the end of the day.

“Jake?” a woman’s voice called out, startling him. He forgot that Madison worked here now, a recent transplant who’d come back with Angel. As much as he wanted to think of her as a girlie intruder, he couldn’t. She was a bad-ass ICU nurse and a valuable part of their team, even though she’d only been there for a couple of weeks.

“Yeah, in here,” he answered, brushing his hands to get the dust of old files off them.

“Hey there,” she said, beaming. “Tanner’s taking the chopper on a run. He wanted to know if you wanted to take second.”

“Sure, we get a call?” He reached for his gear bag, but Madison shook her head.

“No, this one’s a research call. NOAA wants a visual on a fish kill about ten miles off the coast. They think it could be related to an oil spill up near Anchorage.”

Jake’s shoulders drooped. He shook his head. “So we’re babysitting fish now?”

“Hey, it’s a job, right?” she joked before realizing he wasn’t playing. She cleared her throat politely and said, “It’s important. I know, it’s not exactly the hero thing, but somebody’s got to do it, and it has to be somebody with the right chopper and the right skills to do it. Sure beats sitting around watching me paint my nails, right?”

Jake forced a smile. “Yeah, I guess. Tell him I’m coming up, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Madison left him alone to wonder at the assignment. Jake couldn’t help but wonder if he was being assigned to light duty because…well, even he had to admit it: he wasn’t ready to be back in the field.

“
S
o
, who’s up for pizza and exactly one sixteen-ounce beer?” Michael joked, reminding them in his own way that they were all on round-the-clock duty. With a company so small, they couldn’t afford for even a single member of the team to take a night off. They never knew when a call would come in.

“I’m in,” Ruiz said, but Knox shoved him playfully in the shoulder.

“You mean, only if you get permission from your girlfriend, right?”

The others laughed until Angel turned an accusing glance on all of them. “You know, last time I checked, all of you had a ball and chain shackled around your ankles, too! I don’t see you guys having to ask the little woman if you can grab a pizza!”

“That’s because we know better than to ask!” Tanner shouted from the shower room.

“You in, Jake?” Michael asked, giving him a plausible way out. It had to be tough to hang out with his teammates and their respective girlfriends, always feeling like the odd man out. Even Michael, who wasn’t dating anyone seriously, had a collection of names he could call on for a night out since he’d grown up and gone to school close by.

“I’ve actually been talking to a lady who lives two doors down from me,” Madison chimed in helpfully. “Gorgeous, smart, seems nice, and I haven’t seen any sign of a guy in her life. I could invite her along…”

“No thanks, I’m not that desperate yet. No offense, I mean,” he answered too quickly. “But yeah, actually, I’ll be there. Beats sitting around here and watching Knox throw paper airplanes.”

“Great. Mata’s at six o’clock. If you get there first get us a table outside.” Michael gave him a half-smile, obviously by way of an apology for their little talk earlier, then headed out to change clothes.

“Hey, you guys bring me back a Greek salad and a gyro!” Knox called out. “Angel, you still owe me a sandwich from when I brought you dinner last week!”

“I know, I know!” Ruiz said, rolling his eyes but laughing in spite of himself. He turned to Madison. “We need to stop by your place and let you change clothes?”

“That’d be great. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of just throwing a duffel bag full of old t-shirts in a locker and calling it an outfit,” she answered, pointing to the room where the guys changed. “Besides, I don’t actually have a locker in the first place!”

“Yeah, we should probably work on that. I’ll put it on our to-do list, right next to ‘buy potpourri and fancy soaps for the bathroom,’ I mean!” He ducked when Madison threw a tennis ball at him.

“I never asked for fancy soaps! And I’m sorry if asking you guys to wipe the toothpaste out of the sink was a little too much of a feminine touch around here!” She pretended to pout until Angel pulled her close against his chest, planting a firm kiss on her lips. She broke the kiss and turned away long enough to say, “If you’re trying to distract me with sexual favors, it’s totally working and you should put even more effort into it.”

“Why do you think I asked if you wanted to stop by your place to change?” he whispered conspiratorially. Madison laughed and followed him out, waving to Knox as they left.

By six, the guys had assembled at a large outdoor patio table under a string of soft white lights strung in the trees. Their dates were with them, all but Jake, who had no reason to be early. He drove up on his motorcycle, came to a stop near the door, and took off his helmet. Next to his right side, a car door opened, slamming into his leg.

“Hey! Watch it!” he shouted, but stopped when he saw the horrified look on a young woman’s face. She seemed familiar somehow, her jet black hair pulled back from her face in a severe twist.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she said sincerely, but her tone took on a certain edge. “Of course, it wouldn’t have happened if you’d parked in an actual parking spot.” She pointed to the sidewalk, indicating that Jake was in the wrong.

“Are you serious? You hit me, I should call the cops!” he said, fuming at the nerve she had to blame him.

“Do it. Please. Then you can explain why you’ve left your vehicle in the middle of the pedestrian walkway.” She smiled and gave him a smug nod, then slammed her car door and stalked off, hitting her car’s alarm on her key fob over her shoulder.

Jake growled to himself as he watched her saunter off, his good mood evaporating more and more by the second. He was tempted to just start the engine and high-tail it out of there, maybe go keep Knox company since he was in no mood to be social anymore. Instead, he vowed not to give the witch the satisfaction of making him think she’d scared him off. He threw a leg over his bike and walked up to the door, veering left towards the patio instead of following the driver inside.

“Jake. You made it! We were about to send out a search party but then we realized we’d be the ones who had to go looking for your sorry butt!” Tanner called out, waving with the hand that he had wrapped around his girlfriend’s shoulders. Jake smiled; the inside joke was only a little bit old, but still good for a laugh when he was in the right mood.

“Have a seat over here!” Angel called, sliding Madison’s chair even closer to his and pointing to an empty seat on her other side. Jake raised an eyebrow, noting how there was another empty chair next to that one. Surely they hadn’t invited someone after he’d clearly said he wasn’t interested in—

“Veronica! You made it!” Madison called out, jumping out of her seat and racing towards the door that led inside the restaurant. Jake followed her with his gaze and immediately felt a punch to the gut. The black-haired woman who’d twice snarled at him was shaking Madison’s hand and smiling warmly, but her expression turned soured when she saw Jake still standing there. She leaned closer to Madison, who nodded happily, then forced a smile.

Good, she’s as pissed about this as I am
, he thought with a small measure of triumph.
With any luck, I can make her completely sorry she showed her face tonight.

“I’m Veronica,” the woman said, turning to Jake briefly. He mumbled a hello, then turned to glare at Angel on his other side, effectively ignoring her.

“What’s this all about, buddy? I thought I said I could find my own victims,” he said mostly under his breath.

“The fact that you just referred to a gorgeous woman as a ‘victim’ is why you need help finding a date. Besides, this wasn’t my doing. This one was all Madison. And from the looks of her friend, you can thank her later.”

“Trust me, I plan to say something, but it won’t be ‘thank you.’ It’ll be more like, ‘What the he—’” Jake started to say, but was interrupted by an overly cheery voice on his other side.

“So, Madison tells me you work with Angel. Search and rescue work, huh? That must be pretty exciting!” Veronica said, waiting expectantly for a response. Jake almost didn’t bother answering, but after a long swig of his beer, he finally turned to her and spoke.

“Yeah. If you think dead bodies washing up on shore are exciting.” He turned back to Angel, leaving Veronica to look wide-eyed at Madison, who could only shrug and shake her head.

“Dude, that was harsh,” Tanner hissed, leaning around from Angel’s other side to call him out. “She’s just making conversation.”

“I’ve made it pretty clear that I don’t want to have a conversation, especially with a self-centered, uptight, entitled snot. Got it?” Jake said a little louder than he’d meant to. He leaned back and took another sip of beer, looking around the table at the others. They all looked so happy, so unconcerned.

Why can’t I have that?
he thought miserably.
How come they can put aside all the uncertainty and just enjoy the moment?

Jake cleared his mind and tried to focus on just enjoying his best friends’ company. He turned back to Veronica and said, “Hey, I’m sorry I was rude just now, I’m just in a strange kind of mood, I guess. But I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” she answered, turning towards him only long enough to answer. “And you and your strange mood just blew your only shot with me. I don’t give second chances.”

“Wow, that’s cold. I’d love to say I deserve that, but I don’t. Enjoy the rest of your night.” Jake finished his beer in one swallow and threw some bills on the table to cover it. “You guys have fun, I’m gonna cut outta here.”

“Jake, wait… you’re gonna miss out on all the fun?” Michael called out, a fresh look of concern in his eyes. But Jake didn’t stick around long enough to explain. He left through the patio gate and got on his bike, turning over the engine as he put his helmet on. He flipped the visor down, but before he did his eyes met Veronica’s. She wore a haughty look, knowing she’d just won.

She didn’t know anything yet…