SEAL's Promise - Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3, Book 01 (27 page)

He closed the bedroom door and wondered why they hadn’t come in the middle of the night, when the element of surprise would have helped them.

Hiding just inside the second bedroom, which would be out of the line of fire if they came from either front or back, he texted Kyle:

Family, closed door. Your ETA?

Here. Got 3 more.

!!

Just then, he heard glass breaking and knew they were already in the house.

Glass broken in kitchen.

At the sound of movement in the kitchen, he knew they’d come in through the garage. Checking the windows in the bedroom, he did not see movement. He heard the staccato of a Middle Eastern tongue and decided the two were together in the kitchen.

Conf 2 Cajuns.

We’re coming from the rear. Armani front.

He stored his phone, adjusted his grip on the H&K short barrel he’d brought with him, and readied himself. A dark shadow crossed the end of the hallway, just as he saw Armando on the outside run forward. If he was planning on a front door breach, T.J. would not have the shot he wanted or he’d hit his own guy. He’d have to wait for instructions.

One gunman dressed in a black headdress but wearing sneakers and blue jeans came down the hallway, causing one of the floorboards in the old house to groan, and he stopped. T.J. saw the shadow form outside his door and couldn’t risk a peek. The door moved slightly so he blasted through it chest-height and heard the drop of a body and retreating footsteps.

Courtney screamed, revealing the family location.

Hearing glass crunch in the kitchen he guessed the gunman was headed back to the garage area but he couldn’t risk a shot. Nothing was moving on the other side of the door. Just then, the front door shattered in an explosive charge. Mere seconds later he heard the staccato of gunfire and a few seconds later heard the word,
“Clear!”

He was never so happy in his life to hear that word. Opening the door, he checked the body in front of him and confirmed he was shot through the heart.

“Not so fast, you dog,” a voice said from the master bedroom behind T.J. “You will drop your weapon.”

T.J. tried to turn.

“Now! You will drop your weapon now!” And then the gunman addressed whoever was in the kitchen. “I have your man. You will surrender, or I put a bullet in his brain.”

T.J. was still crouching, and he knew the gunman’s sole interest was to carry out the mission and probably not to take prisoners. He didn’t buy the stall. As the seconds ticked by, and he heard the man back down the hallway toward the closed door of his family’s hiding place, T.J. inhaled and yelled as loud as he could, “High.”

Armando’s kill shot hit him in the middle of his nose, and his head exploded. T.J. scrambled to the back room to make sure there weren’t any others.

“Clear,” he shouted.

Armando’s smiling face appeared in the hallway.

“Way to lie low, Talbot.”

“Roger that. Knew you could make that shot.”

“With my eyes closed.”

T.J. stood up, knocked four times on the door and then stepped in.

Joe Benson had been holding the gun out in front of him and was so rigid with fear that when T.J. entered he kept the gun aimed at him.

“Whoa, there, Joe. I’m one of the good guys, remember?”

Joe sighed, dropped his arms and his shoulders, and nearly collapsed. T.J. took the Sig away from him, and uncocked the hammer so he wouldn’t shoot himself in the leg.

P
OLICE AND RESCUE
squads descended all over the house. Kyle and the others retreated and disappeared. Armando had to stay, as did T.J. Their liaison, Collins, as well as other Navy personnel showed up to run interference and guarantee neither of the two SEALs were exposed to the public. It was decided the attack would be classified a robbery stopped at gunpoint by a sharp-thinking retired carpenter who happened to be pretty good with a gun.

Lined with tears, Shannon looked exhausted. Of course, Courtney was nursing and didn’t seem to be affected by the sea of activity around her. Mrs. Benson attempted to bring coffee and water to the investigators and crew who had shown up. She tried to engage the services of her husband, but Joe appeared to be in shock still. T.J. sat him down.

“Joe, you did real good, there.”

“Man, I’m sure glad I didn’t have to shoot that thing. I’m not sure I would have.”

“Trust me, you would have. The way you looked at me and pointed it right at my chest, you would have. Just took you awhile to register who I was, but you were ready.”

“I could never do what you do, T.J.”

“You would if you had to, and you would have tonight. But you didn’t have to, and that’s what we’re all about.” He draped his arm around the man he would forevermore consider his father. “Frankie was right there with you. He’s jumping up and down in heaven, Joe. Believe me, he is.”

That brought a smile to Benson’s face.

The local police were able to control the two news vans that showed up at the scene and worked to keep a wide perimeter of neighbors.

Collins brought T.J. two yellow ponchos so they could exit as part of the rescue squad. They concluded their questioning, Collins observing everything. “I’m afraid I can’t have you leave with the family. It just would draw too many questions. They’ll be here awhile and I’m going to sit in on Benson’s interview, make sure the story goes the way it should.”

“Only guy I’m worried about is that prick from the FBI who interviewed me yesterday.”

“May not be able to keep you away from him, but I’ll try. Now you and Armando go crash at his place and get some rest. I’ll get the family over there as soon as I can, okay?”

T.J. put on his yellow rubber slicker and looked for Shannon, who was changing Courtney.

“You did great, sweetheart,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Shannon collapsed into his chest. With one hand on Courtney and the other arm squeezing the love of his life, he propped her up until her sobs ended.

“I’m so grateful, T.J. I’m—”

“You guys were troopers. You got nerves of steel, Shannon. I’m gonna need that in the months and years to come, honey. You’re my rock.

“Dad was—”

“Awesome,” he interrupted. “He was freakin’ awesome.”

She chuckled. “He was kind of, wasn’t he? I thought he was going to shoot you.” That brought a smile to her face.

“I think you would have jumped him, rather than let that happen,” he joked. “You’re tough, babe. Really tough. You guys kept your wits about you. That’s what it takes.”

“And training.”

“There is that.”

“Do you think this will end it?” She picked up Courtney and held her against her shoulder, patting her back.

T.J. didn’t want to answer, but he had to be honest with her. “No. Unfortunately, no. But I think this group is done, for now. I think we can expect more. I’m going to have to wait to see. Might be they relocate me to an East Coast team, but the Navy’s got their work cut out for them. Getting this close to our families is going to be something they’re going to have to look at.

She smoothed his cheek with her right hand. “Thank you, T.J. for coming into our lives. You kept your promise to Frankie. You protected me and Courtney. I love you.”

Armani and Collins interrupted their long kiss at the doorway.

“Gotta go, Talbot,” Collins’ voice was curt and efficient.

T.J. kissed Shannon one more time quickly and then addressed her, “I’m going to slip out with Armani, and we’ll meet up later at his house. Collins here is the man you want if you have any questions. He’ll be here when they formally interview Joe and Gloria. He’ll make sure you get to where you’re supposed to be without the news media or nosey neighbors getting in the way.

“Right.”

“Okay, then.”

It was hard to leave them behind, but for their best interests and for the circumstances, it was their only option. As he made his way toward a waiting unmarked van, next to the Puerto Rican sharpshooter, he discovered something else about himself.

The anger and anguish he’d been feeling before he’d gone over to the house, before he’d given the ring to Shannon, before the gunfight, was completely gone. He knew it was something he’d be dealing with his whole life, but one huge problem had been solved.

Shannon said it earlier.

You kept your promise to Frankie.

Chapter Thirty-Six

‡

T.
J
. WAS DRESSED
in a tux and felt like a stuffed penguin. Kyle, Armando, Tyler and Fredo were beside him as they watched the last of the attendees filter into the little chapel. Green leafy vines covered the side of the building, with a large terrace at the back where the reception was going to be held. Sounds of birds echoed throughout the mostly stucco surface of the Spanish-style complex.

It wasn’t the grand, lavish wedding Shannon had the first time, but it was what she wanted, and T.J. was grateful for that.

Cindy, Shannon’s former maid of honor, flounced by wearing a bright blue dress, on the arm of another SEAL T.J. recognized from one of the other Teams. She twiddled her fingers at him with a sultry smirk.

And I’m not even slightly interested.
But he winked for her benefit, and gave her a warm smile anyway. Fredo, Kyle, Armando and Tyler followed the two women until they disappeared into the church. It was just what they always did. No one said a word.

Mrs. Moore was to be escorted to the front row, and that was T.J.’s responsibility. Though it would normally be his best man’s duty, T.J. had insisted it be his job. She appeared before him, looking wound up tight but gorgeous. He noticed she smiled at him a lot more, which gladdened his heart. Maybe the truce they’d called during the wedding planning would work after all.

“Why, Mrs. Moore, you look absolutely divine,” he said as he bowed in her direction.

“Glad to see you haven’t taken off for Alaska,” she said and winked at him. T.J. could clearly see where Shannon got her fiery spirit.

“Never. I messed up Shannon’s first wedding. I won’t mess up the second. I promise.”

She dazzled him with her smile, her eyes filling with tears, just the way Shannon’s did when she was overwhelmed by emotion. “I know I can count on that promise.”

The groomsmen each punched T.J. in the arm and went ahead to stand at their places in the front of the chapel. Organ music wafted through the hallways and mixed with the sounds of the birds. He would always remember this as a perfect day. He was going to be stepping into a role he had never had before, to complete a mission he was made for.

He took Mrs. Moore’s arm and accompanied her toward the entrance to the chapel. Mr. Moore appeared out of nowhere and stood behind him. T.J. turned, and they shook hands.

“Son,” he said, “I’m very proud you’re marrying my daughter. Nothing could please me more.”

As he escorted Shannon’s mom down the aisle, he looked at his side of the church. They’d talked about someone else standing in for his parents, but T.J. told everyone to leave those seats vacant. Joe and Gloria Benson defied his edict and stood tall in the front row anyway, next to his sister Connie. He brought Mrs. Moore to her seat and stopped to give her a warm kiss on the cheek. “You’re beautiful, just like your daughter,” he whispered.

Mrs. Moore straightened for a second, her eyes darting up to his face, unsure about the compliment, but then he could see her insides melt. Something else was on the tip of her tongue, but she tempered it. “Thank you,” she breathed back to him softly.

T.J. took his place next to Tyler, held his hands together and winked at his sister.

The audience began rustling as the music changed and everyone turned to see the vision of Shannon, standing in the same wedding dress she’d worn before. He was surprised and wondered about the protocol of this. He remembered that day, how Frankie had fallen and her bodice had been pulled down. He blushed and cleared his throat as he relived that memory.

Whatever possessed her to wear the same dress?

Looking at Mrs. Moore, he caught her wink at him. This had been her suggestion, he realized.

But as he watched her lightly drift down the burgundy carpet towards him, a proud Mr. Moore on her arm, he saw that yes, this was the perfect choice. He was stepping into the role that had been created for him. He was on a path that had been blazed for him, part of the tradition he’d always shunned, veered away from. As a SEAL, he was following the brotherhood of those who had fought before him, some of whom had perished. He wasn’t independent of them, he was
part
of them. The living and the ones who had passed on.

As it should be.

Shannon stood before him as Mr. Moore gave him her hand. He kissed her palm, the one with the now-healed scar in the center. Her eyes were glistening, her breathing ragged. “I am the luckiest man in the world.”

She slipped her fingers into his hair and shook her head. “I wish you could kiss me right now.”

“Very well.” He pulled up her veil, and, completely without regard to protocol, pulled her to him and kissed her, as she exploded in his arms. They listened to the crowd titter, but he didn’t care. He could see she didn’t care either. He kept his hands around the small of her back and no lower, but damn, he wanted to.

Just as he had the day of Frankie’s wedding, though it was so inconvenient, he was getting a hard on.
It’s the dress
. Something about all the flouncy, crinkling material flowing everywhere. It brought out the familiar wild side of him.

The minister cleared his throat, and again a ripple of laughter waved through the audience.

“I guess I should get you properly wed before I get you out of this dress,” he whispered. She remained in his arms, waiting for him to take the lead. She’d have stood there half a day if he wanted, and he loved that about her.