Waiting for Him (5 page)

Boomer awoke to the smell of coffee and he glanced at the alarm clock next to his bed. Oh-eight-thirty. He sat up before the events of the prior evening assaulted him and he groaned. It hadn’t been a dream. Kat was out in his kitchen, at this very moment, making coffee. Tossing his covers off, he got up, headed to the master bath and took care of business. Then he grabbed a clean T-shirt and sweatpants from his dresser and put them on over the boxer-briefs he’d slept in.

As he walked down the hallway, he noticed her bedroom door was shut, but it didn’t register in his mind before he entered the kitchen and stopped short. Fuck! How the hell could he have forgotten he had plans this morning? Easily. The excuse must still be asleep down the hall. Well, at least it was only his father standing in his kitchen. He had driven up from Sarasota to go four-wheeling with Boomer today. Whoever was now keeping watch outside the condo, Jake or Devon, wouldn’t have stopped Rick Michaelson from entering. The man had the same training as their entire team with a few more years of experience and was one of the few people outside of Trident Security he could trust with Katerina’s life. “Hi, Pop.”

His dad turned and stepped out of the way, allowing Boomer to shuffle forward and make his own cup of coffee. “Hey, you slept in late today. I take it we’re not going four-wheeling. Want to tell me what’s going on and why Reverend is watching your place?”

“Noticed him, huh?”

“Almost missed, if you’re worried about it. Just happened to recognize his truck. Now, why is he there?”

He wasn’t worried that his father spotted Jake on surveillance. Like the rest of Boomer’s team, there was little his father missed. Being vigilant had been drilled into him and the others during their time as Navy SEALs. The younger Michaelson shrugged as he grabbed a mug from the cabinet above his Keurig and prepped the machine before hitting start. He turned around and leaned against the counter while crossing his arms and ankles. “Something happened, Pop, and I have no idea how to sugarcoat it, so I’m just going to say it.” Rick’s eyes narrowed, but he waited for his son, who’d paused and seemed to be weighing his words, to continue. “I had an appointment with a new client scheduled for last night at the office. Boss-man was with me. Pop...Katerina Maier walked in the door.”

As Rick paled, his eyes grew wide and he sat down in the closest chair almost missing it and ending up on the floor. “Holy shit. How?”

Boomer grabbed his now brewed mug of coffee and took the seat opposite the older man. “Two words—Witness Protection.”

He proceeded to fill his dad in on the story she’d told them. He’d just finished when the lady in question came into the kitchen and stopped when she spotted the familiar face she hadn’t seen in twelve years. Rick stood with his mouth open for a moment before he recovered. “Katerina…wow, it really is you. I mean, I knew Ben was telling me the truth, but it’s like seeing a ghost.”

Boomer watched as his dad did what he, himself, had yet to do. The older man opened his arms and Kat walked right into them, letting him hug her. He couldn’t hear what Rick was saying to her in a low soothing voice, but he saw her nod her head a few times in silence. She was wearing a T-shirt and pajama pants and both were too big on her. He would have to make sure she put back on some of the weight she must have recently lost. With everything going on, it didn’t surprise him, but one of the things a good Dom did was take care of his submissive’s safety and well-being.

Fuck! He had to stop thinking like a Dom and just be the operative and former SEAL he’d trained to be. She wasn’t his submissive. She was a woman from his past who needed his help. Nothing more.
Yeah, jackass. Keep telling yourself that.

The embrace between the two lasted about a minute before they both took a step back. Kat blushed as she looked over at Boomer and then back to his dad. “Hi, Mr. Michaelson. You…uh, look great.”

Obviously knowing the woman wasn’t sure what to say to him after all these years, Rick pulled out a chair for her. “I think you’re old enough to call me Rick, if you want. And you’re a sight for sore eyes, too. Let me get you a cup of coffee.”

She nodded and took the seat he offered. “Thanks, Mr. Mi-…I mean, Rick. With a little milk, if Benny has some, please.”

He backed up, not taking his eyes off her until his butt hit the counter and Boomer knew how he felt. It was as if they looked away, she would disappear. Finally, he turned to the coffee machine and began to prepare a mug for her. “So, where do we go from here. How do we keep Kat safe?”

Boomer took a deep breath and let it out. “Well, Ian called Keon to get us ID for her along with a death certificate.” The ID they could’ve gotten from one of their contacts who was a master forger, but the certificate was a little harder because of the raised stamp authenticating it. Besides, they were better off having documents officially forged by the FBI. “He’s also getting us the file on Volkov. We should be able to head to Norfolk tonight and be at the bank early tomorrow morning.” He shrugged. “Where we go from there depends on what’s in the box.”

Handing Katerina her coffee with milk, Rick nodded his agreement. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, you won’t.”

Boomer’s dad narrowed his eyes at him. “What do you mean ‘no’? You can’t do this alone. You need backup.”

“And I’ll have it, Pop. But I don’t know how long we’re going to be, and your birthday is Friday. Mom would kill both of us if you missed it.” Boomer wasn’t going to tell his dad that his mom had made special plans for his birthday. She’d gotten tickets for an intimate concert starring Rick’s favorite singer, Billy Joel. There were only one hundred tickets available and she’d won hers through a local radio station two months ago. Since the date of the event was the same as his birthday, she’d decided to make it a surprise.

“Ian will probably send Jake with me. We’ve got it covered.” Not wanting his dad to think he didn’t need or trust him to help out, he added, “After Friday, if this isn’t settled, you can cover my six if you want, but don’t get mom pissed at me again. She’s still mad that I won’t go out with her friend’s niece.”

Rick harrumphed, but then smiled. “You made the right choice there, son. I’ve met Diane’s niece and she gives new meaning to the word…uh, never mind. You’re just better off and leave it at that.” Boomer and Kat chuckled. It was evident Rick had forgotten she was in the room for a moment. “As for not going with you, fine. As long as someone from the team has your six. And promise me, if you need me, you’ll call no matter what.”

“Of course. There’s no one else I’d rather have covering my ass.” Boomer’s cell phone rang, so he stood and grabbed it from the counter. Glancing at the screen, he hit the call button. “Hey, Boss-man….uh-huh…okay. See you in thirty.”

He hung up, looking at Rick and then Kat. “Ian’s got info for us, so we’re heading to Trident. You have about fifteen minutes for a quick shower, if you want, and we’ll grab some breakfast on the way.”

Rick finished the last of his coffee and set the cup in the sink as Kat left the room to go shower. He gave Boomer a pat on the back before walking toward the front door. “I’ll run to the bagel place you all like and grab breakfast for everyone. This way you don’t have to stop. I’ll meet you at the compound.”

As he headed toward his own shower, Boomer glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks, Pop. Grab a few extra because I’m not sure how many of us will be there. See you in a few.”

* * *

As Kat lathered the shampoo into her hair, in her mind, she replayed the conversation she’d had with Benny the night before. After she’d thanked him for helping her, his response had been, ‘No problem. It’s what I do.’ It was close to what Tiny had said when she’d thanked the big man earlier.

Well, what did she expect Ben to say after all this time? She’d been ‘dead’ to him for longer than the seven years she’d been in his life. He had gone on to live without her. Now, she was just a girl he used to know who needed to hire him to keep her safe and help her get out of the mess she was in. Nothing more.

Rinsing her hair, she thought about how good he looked this morning after she’d recovered from the shock of seeing his dad again. He must have rolled out of bed a few minutes before she did. His dark brown hair was a little shaggy and sticking up in several places. His eyes were tired-looking, yet still the sexiest ones she’d ever seen. Her dreams of him over the years hadn’t done the man he was now justice. He was handsome as hell, with a body which would make a nun have dirty thoughts. She may still be a virgin, but it didn’t mean she was naïve about sex. In this day and age, it wasn’t possible. Sex was all over the TV and Internet. It was in the movies she saw, and in the books and newspapers she read on a daily basis.

The thought of Benny and sex had her aroused and she mentally calculated how much time she had before they left the condo. Taking her bottle of body gel, she squirted a small amount into the washcloth she’d found under the bathroom sink along with a few guest towels. She washed her entire body before sliding the lathered material between her legs. She gasped as it rasped over her clit and sent waves of desire through her. Dropping the cloth, she replaced it with her fingers and began to rub with earnest. She imagined her fingers were Benny’s and how he would arouse her further before replacing them with his lips and tongue. The daydream sent her over the edge faster than she expected and she bit her bottom lip to keep from yelling out her pleasure.

After she recovered, she picked up the washcloth again and wiped away the evidence of her masturbation. She pushed her wants and needs for Benny back into the furthest corner of her mind, shutting and locking the metaphorical door behind them. Now was not the time to think about him…about them…about how good she knew they would be together. Her life was in danger, and by him helping her, so was his. Sex and fantasies were out…logic and reality were in.

Damn.

When they walked out the condo front door a short while later, it was within the allotted time he’d given her. Waiting outside the door was a good-looking man who Ben introduced as Jake Donovan, a.k.a. Reverend, one of his teammates at Trident and in the SEALs. He was a few inches taller and older than Benny, but otherwise he had a similar physique—broad, hard and sinewy. His hair color was a shade somewhere between her own light brown and Benny’s dark brown, and his eyes were covered by sunglasses which only enhanced his Hollywood good looks.

He smiled and shook her outstretched hand before turning around and leading the way to the parking lot with Benny taking the position behind her. She realized they’d placed themselves to protect her like bodyguards would.
Well, that’s what they are, you idiot. That’s why you came here—for protection and nothing more. At least not yet
.

Benny drove her back to the Trident compound with Jake following him in his own vehicle. As she sat in the passenger seat of his Dodge Charger in silence, her stomach growled and her cheeks burned red when he chuckled at her.

“My dad is getting us breakfast, so we can go straight to Trident.”

“Okay.” She turned a bit in her seat so she could look at him without straining her neck. “If Ian has what we need, are we going to Norfolk?”

He checked his side and rearview mirrors then changed lanes before answering her. “Most likely. I wish I could leave you here and run up there myself, but I’m not sure what safeguards your father might have left. I may not be able to do it without you since you’re his next of kin.”

His words impaled her like a sword. ‘I wish I could leave you here…’ Whatever he’d said after that was a jumbled mess. She knew she’d been hoping for the impossible. He didn’t want to be near her. He’d rather do what needed to be done and kick her out of town when it was all over. When she didn’t say anything more, he glanced over. She kept her eyes downcast and took a ragged breath.

“Kat, what’s wrong?” She didn’t answer. “Damn it, Kat, look at me. What’s wrong?” A few seconds ticked by before he cursed. “Fuck!” She flinched, but refused to look at him. He slowed then stopped for a red traffic light. Reaching over, he tilted her chin up until her gaze met his. “Kat, I didn’t mean whatever you think I meant. When I said I wanted to go up there alone, it was from a tactical standpoint. It would be safer for you to stay at the compound. I don’t know what’ll be waiting for us in Norfolk and the last thing I want is you in a position of danger. That’s all.”

The driver behind Jake honked his horn and they both looked to see the light had turned green again. Taking his foot off the brake, Benny accelerated and split his attention between her and the road. “Do you understand me?”

She nodded her head and adjusted her body so she was facing forward again. There was no way she was going to tell him his words had her thinking he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. She’d lost so many loved ones in her life, and she’d just reconnected with the only man she’d ever been in love with. Kat couldn’t give him up again. Not yet, and hopefully, not ever.

She’d made a few friends in Portland, but she never knew if she and her dad would need to move again, so it was easier to keep those friendships to a minimum. Her closest friends were her boss of over seven years and his wife. Jeremy and Eva Pierce owed the canine training facility where Kat had found a career she was good at which also afforded her some protection. Kat’s handler, Chris, and Jeremy had served in the army together and the latter now trained dogs for the law enforcement and private firms along with his retired police officer wife. When Kat had been greeted by Ian’s dog yesterday, she’d immediately recognized the dog’s training. While Beau hadn’t been one of J&E International K9’s dogs, the training was similar for the specialized dogs world-wide, and most of the U.S. dogs were trained in the German language.