Topping the Alpha: Trident Security Series (21 page)

After snatching a beer from his fridge, Jake shut the door with his hip. His other hand was holding his phone to his ear. “I’m glad you’re getting settled in, Alyssa. Boomer’s parents are great people, and I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”

“I know you are, Jake. And they’re very nice. I still can’t believe they offered to help me. It’s a little weird, because they keep saying this is my home now and I’m not a guest, but I still feel like I have to ask before I do anything or eat something.”

“That’ll pass after you all get used to each other.” He threw the bottle cap in the garbage pail and ambled out to the living room, plopping down in the recliner he’d been moping in all day. The teenager’s call was the only positive thing that’d happened in the past two days.

“That’s what Eileen said. She’s taking me to register for my G.E.D. classes on Monday, then shopping for books and whatever else I need. Tomorrow is my first appointment with my new therapist and Rick is going to teach me some self-defense. He says every girl should know how to kick some effing ass.” She giggled. “His words, not mine.”

Letting out a snort, Jake leaned back until the footrest popped up. “Yeah, he’s got a military mouth on him. Just don’t start repeating it.”

“I won’t. Oh, the pizza is here. I gotta go. Thanks again for everything, Jake.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“K. Bye.”

“Bye.” Jake disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the side table next to him. He was glad she sounded happy. Rick and Eileen had apparently discussed the orphaned teenager between them after they’d found out she had no other family, and then offered to let her come live with them in Sarasota, an hour south of Tampa. If all went well during the next few weeks, they intended to file for legal guardianship.

When they’d picked her up at the compound yesterday, he’d been there to give Eileen five hundred dollars toward Alyssa’s clothes shopping. Pete Archer had swung by her former home in Canon City, Colorado to retrieve her things. But when he’d gotten there, he found the landlords were in the middle of throwing everything out, since the crime scene had been released. Pete had only been able to salvage some pictures of Alyssa and her mom, and a few other items he thought she might want. He was packaging them up and mailing them to her in Sarasota. Knowing she needed a whole new wardrobe, Jake insisted on paying for it.

The Michaelsons would take good care of her and give her the guidance she needed to finish her education. With her sweet personality, he doubted it would take her long to make a bunch of friends. In the meantime, Jake had one of the lawyers Trident used working to make sure she received her father’s estate—well, what hadn’t been seized by the government. Thankfully, some of his businesses had been legit with no ties to his illegal activities. Reggie Helm had been in contact with Oliver Wagner’s lawyer and would be filing the necessary paperwork with the courts to ensure the girl’s financial future was secure. Reggie was also arranging to have Carrie Wagner’s remains sent to Florida and Jake would then help Alyssa find the right resting place for her mother.

With Craig Allman’s help, the Canon City, Colorado detectives were able to get enough evidence to issue a warrant for the arrest of the two men who’d murdered Carrie Wagner. Their vehicle had been spotted in Mississippi by the state police. A high speed chase developed, resulting in the suspects plowing their vehicle into the back of a tractor trailer, killing both men instantly. Jake was glad to hear that—two fewer mouths to feed on death row in Colorado.

Unfortunately, not everything went as well as a result of Oliver’s death. This morning, Allman had called to tell him that Emmanuel Diaz had heard about the death and that he’d been duped by the ATF, so the shipment of weapons disappeared. Months of undercover work had gone down the drain thanks to a newspaper photographer who’d seen the police activity at the warehouse and taken pictures of the scene. The police and feds had tried to keep the identities of the dead a secret until after the sting, but the photographer had gotten shots of the vehicles in the lot. From there, it hadn’t been hard for the press to run the license plates and Wagner’s name had been made public in connection with the incident.

As he brought the beer bottle to his lips, the doorbell rang and Jake glanced at the time on his cable box. Eighteen-thirty hours. Who the hell could that be? Placing his beer next to his phone, he stood and hurried to the door. He wasn’t prepared for the person he found on the other side.

“Is there a reason you’re here, while my son is in the hospital, driving everyone nuts with his surly attitude? I expected better from you, Jake.”

He sighed and stepped back to allow Dr. Marie Sawyer to enter, knowing he was about to get an ass kicking. Nick’s petite mom was a force to be reckoned with when she got her Irish up about something. She was one of the most caring people he knew, but when someone was doing her loved ones wrong, then look out. Jake shut the door with a click and followed her back into his living room. Gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch, he waited until she was sitting before easing back into his recliner again, leaving the footrest down this time. “He told you about us.”

It wasn’t a question, but she still answered him. “Yes, but not intentionally. Apparently Nick talks in his sleep when he’s under the influence of narcotic painkillers. But before that, I knew something was wrong, because there was hope in his eyes every time the door opened. Followed by disappointment when it wasn’t the one person he wanted to see.”

He ran a hand down his face in frustration, the coarse whiskers he hadn’t shaven in days scratching his palm. “I don’t know why the hell he wants to see me. It’s my fault he’s in there. He could’ve been killed. It should be me laying in the hospital.”

“Bullshit.”

Jake’s gaze whipped up to meet hers. He didn’t think he’d ever heard her curse before, despite her husband and sons’ foul language. The baby-blue eyes her sons’ had inherited narrowed as she glared at him.

“Yes, he could have been killed, but you know as well as I do, Jake, there are no guarantees in life. What I don’t believe is your claim that it’s your fault. Would Ian or Devon have done anything differently than Nick or you did? I know all my boys, and that includes everyone at Trident, because I love all of you…
all
of my boys would have done exactly the same thing to protect that girl and their teammate. I wouldn’t expect less from any one of you. No mother wants to bury their child—I’ve done it once before and hope to God I don’t have to go through it again. But if I do, and if it’s because he was saving an innocent young woman’s life in the process, I’ll be damn proud, despite my grief.”

During her speech, Jake’s gaze dropped to the floor. She didn’t understand, she couldn’t.

“Do you love him?”

He shook his head and his response was hoarse as something inside his soul began to break. “I can’t.”

“That wasn’t what I asked you, Jake Donovan.” Her glower pierced him like a dagger. “Do you love him? Do you honestly want to walk away from him and be alone for the rest of your life? Or do you want to overcome whatever has been haunting you all these years and be completely happy? Finally have someone who loves you as much as you love him? And don’t bother denying it, because if you didn’t love him, you wouldn’t be hiding in your apartment
looking
like you lost the love of your life.” She rose from her seat and Jake followed suit, towering almost a foot above her, but she waved him off. “I’ve said my peace and now I’ll stay out of it. The decision is yours to make. I hope for both of your sakes, you make the right one. I’ll see myself out.”

Jake stood there with the weight of the world on his shoulders long after she was gone.

* * *

Sitting in his idling truck, Jake stared at the building in front of him, trying to find the courage to go into the lobby of the Brentwood Arms. He’d never been inside the condo complex in Clearwater, but had heard the units were upscale and spacious. This was the last place he expected to find himself, but before he went to talk to Nick, there was someone else he had to apologize to first.

Shutting the engine off, he climbed out and hit the remote lock on his keychain. He forced himself to put one foot in front of the other until he reached the door. His hand shook as he reached for the handle. Turning around, he took a deep breath while running a hand through his hair.
You can do this, Donovan. You’re a Navy SEAL, for God’s sake! Get a fucking grip!

Doing an about face once again, he opened the door before he chickened out. The desk guard eyed him suspiciously. “Can I help you?”

“Um, yeah…” He cleared his throat while the man waited. “Sorry. I’m here to see Max Sterling. Unit 610.”

The guard picked up the phone. “What’s your name? I have to check with him before I can send you up.”

“Jake Donovan.”

Part of him wanted the guard to say there was no answer, but Jake didn’t think he could find the courage to come back another time. He had to do this. Marie Sawyer and Trudy Dunbar were right. It was time to overcome his demons.

“Go on up. It’ll be on your right when you exit the elevator.”

“Thanks.”

While waiting for the elevator car, Jake scanned the lobby. It was a nice place. Opulent. Classic. Not his style, but still quite nice. Above his head, a ding sounded seconds before the doors opened. Stepping in, he punched the button for the sixth floor and less than a minute later found himself knocking on the door of unit 610. The man who opened the door didn’t seem happy to see him. He was about five eleven and a hundred and seventy-five pounds, but his expression said he wanted to take on the man who had six inches and thirty-five pounds more than him, most of which was solid muscle. Jake had no idea who the guy was, but he evidently knew who Jake was.

“Let him in, Ray.”

The deep, rumbling voice came from beyond Jake’s view, but he’d recognize it anywhere. Frowning, Ray did as he was ordered and took a step back, allowing him to enter. Max was in the process of standing when Jake walked into the large, finely-furnished living room. His heart clenched at the sight of the man. He was two-inches shorter than Jake, but still had the commanding presence of a Dom, which would be noticed immediately by anyone in the lifestyle. His short, dark blond hair was receding a little, but he was still a very handsome man. “Come here, Jake. I won’t bite.”

Swallowing hard, Jake took several more steps forward until he was about a foot away from the other man. Whatever he’d expected, wasn’t what happened. Max held out his hand and when Jake took it, the man pulled him close and hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you finally came to see me. I didn’t think you’d ever get past it.”

Stunned, his eyes filled with tears as his former Dom pulled away and brought his hands up to Jake’s newly shaven face. The touch was gentle as his fingertips created an image of the features his hazel eyes would never see again. “I don’t know why it surprises me, but you’ve changed. You’re about an inch or two taller than you were at seventeen. And it seems the military took good care of you. I’m just sorry I can’t say the same.”

“What?” Jake’s voice was hoarse again, his emotions getting stuck in his throat. He tried clearing it, but the coarseness was still there. “What are you talking about? I was the one who should’ve been there for you. I should’ve…I should’ve gone back to the hospital and taken care of you. I couldn’t right away, but when I was able to…”

Max sighed and cut off whatever his former lover was about to say with a slash of his hand in the air. “Enough, Jake. Sit down.” Yup, there was the commanding Dom Jake remembered. “Ray, stop glaring and get him something to drink. Water? Soda? Sorry, we have nothing stronger. Neither of us drink.”

Glancing at Ray, he saw the man’s expression had softened a little, but he was still trying to figure out what Jake was doing here. “Water is fine. Thanks.”

Ray nodded and disappeared into the kitchen as Jake sat on the couch across from the winged-back chair Max took. A teasing grin came over Max’s handsome, yet scared face. “We’ve been together for eight years and he still can’t figure out how I know when he’s frowning. I won’t tell him because it’s too much fun to mess with him.”

Returning, Ray handed Jake a bottle of water before taking a chair next to Max. He remained silent as the Dom spoke. “Jake, you were seventeen, even though you looked much older. Hell, thinking back now, I should never have approached you. But there you were, a hot, jock quarterback, looking like you should be in Hollywood, willingly volunteering at the food pantry, and I didn’t care that you were too young. I was a new Dom—still learning. I should have known better. But this…” He gestured to his eyes. “This was not your fault. This is the result of a homophobic jackass. Unfortunately, the jackass was your father.”

Jake thought back to that horrible weekend. Max had taken him to an underground BDSM club they had been to a few times. They had been in a relationship for two months, and Max had told him early on that he was a Dom and wanted Jake to submit to him. At first he’d thought it meant the twenty-one-year-old man wanted to abuse him, but he soon found out the lifestyle was not about abuse—far from it. It was about trust, honesty, and pleasure. It was about control, and while Max was the Master, Jake had been the one who was in charge. His limits and his safe-word gave him the ultimate power in the exchange. While they’d been playing in private, Max had wanted to show his beautiful young sub off in a public scene.