Dixie Under Siege (A Warrior's Passion Book 2)

by Natasza Waters

  He strode to the driveway and along the narrow passage between the end of the house and the neighbor’s wood fence. Josh entered the backyard, no bigger than twenty by twenty. An old pine tree sat in the right corner, the ground littered with needles and cones. The lawn had burned away under the California sun, leaving hard-packed ground and a few tufts of hardy weeds. A dilapidated metal shed for storing yard tools sat near the rear of the plot.

  Josh laid the cat on the ground near a small garden bed knotted with dandelions. Reaching the shed, he slid the dented door open with a couple tugs. With the flashlight in his phone, he found the shovel. As he suspected, there wasn’t much in the way of tools. An old rake with rusty teeth leaned against the back wall and a few abandoned plastic pots sat in a jumble.

  Josh backtracked to the garden bed and positioned the tip of the shovel in the dry dirt, placing his foot on the top of the blade to dig. Unlike the hardened clay, which was typical in the area, a previous tenant had added topsoil, making it easier to work the earth. A few shovelfuls later, he laid the cat in the grave and refilled the hole.

  When he emerged from the shed after returning the shovel, Dix stood in the middle of the backyard. He blinked at the bright bulb situated above the stoop. Insects swarmed in frenzied flight, attracted to the brilliance. At one time, he’d been attracted to Dixie in the same way.

  Dix stood with crossed arms. “That cat belongs to the six-year-old next door. I’ll let the parents know tomorrow.” Her gaze swept across the backyard. “It’s one thing to harass me, but to kill an innocent animal…this guy is certifiable.”

  An understatement. Her admirer had serious problems in his frontal lobe. “His actions so far indicate a psychopath. Has he ever done something like this before?”

  She shook her head.

  Josh figured her stalker remained close by. He’d want to see her reaction, but Dix wasn’t the kind of gal to wig-out. With a last visual sweep of the shadows, he placed his arm around her shoulders and led her inside the house. If the guy still watched, Josh’s movements sent a distinct message. She’s mine to protect.

  “I keep thinking about what you suggested earlier,” Dixie said.

  “About you and me having dinner together?” He turned the deadbolt once they entered the kitchen and lowered the blind over the window in the door.

  “We just had dinner together. No, I mean you mentioned I might know this guy.”

  Josh helped himself to another glass of water and sat at the kitchen table. “Someone coming to mind? Jilted ex-lover?”

  Dix retrieved her glass, refilled it and joined him. “Not exactly. The notes began in New York. It’s a big city. You cross paths with people all the time. Restaurants. Coffee shops. Work.”

  “Where did you work?”

  Dix covered a yawn. “For a large corporation that dealt with overseas trade. I was an apprentice in their marketing department. Even with my degree, I had to earn my stripes as a gopher for the top agents.” She stood and nudged her head toward the living room. “It’s more comfortable in there. Come on.”

  Josh joined her, aiming for a fabric-covered chair. He removed the sapphire-colored pillow onto the oak coffee table before sitting. Dix curled her long, slender legs under her ass on the right side of the sofa.

  “I’d found a basement suite to rent in New York after graduating. A young couple had bought a row house in Yorkville but were in over their heads in mortgage payments. Wasn’t big, but comfortable enough.”

  “How long did you stay?” he asked.

  “The first note arrived four months after I moved in. I stayed another eight months, then packed my bags and left for Florida.”

  “How big was this company?”

  She shrugged. “Pretty big. The New York office has two hundred employees. The CEO and owner is Gavin Kallis. Typical, rich businessman. As I understand it, he’s a senator now.”

  Josh needed to ask about her sexual encounters. Earlier today, he hadn’t liked her answer and doubted whether he wanted to hear more, but the devil, in this case, was in the details. “I realize it was a long time ago, but can you remember the men you dated? Or more importantly, whether someone you turned down didn’t take no for an answer?”

  Dix thought for a second before answering. “I had a few friends from Ardon Corporation, that’s the company I worked for. We’d hit the club scene and favorite eateries on the weekends. I rubbed a lot of shoulders, but wasn’t interested in long-term relationships.”

  Josh hoped she’d be more forthcoming with the cops. “Although I don’t have a police background, and I’m heading to NCIS to ask for a favor tomorrow, I think this guy did more than rub shoulders with you.”

  A slight grin formed on her lips. “Are you asking how many men I had sex with?”

  He altered his gaze toward the small gas fireplace in her living room. A framed print of a Utah landscape hung above the mantle. “Suppose I am.”

  “A few.”

  He chuckled even though disapproval decided to take a walk through his chest. “One-night stands?”

  Dixie crossed her slender arms. “I was young. Plenty of parties at college.”

  He wasn’t concerned about her college days. New York was their starting point. The thought crossed his mind to let her keep her private life private, but there was a clue yet to be found and it led to the guy who had formed an unhealthy attachment to her.

  “Listen, as much as this topic might be uncomfortable to talk about—”

  “It’s uncomfortable talking about it with you,” she stated, then sipped her water. “Can’t we do this some other time?”

  “If I can convince NCIS to look at your case, they’re going to grill you with questions. Personal questions. Be ready to answer them.”

  “Why would they even care? I’m not military. Isn’t that who they work for?”

  “Because I’m asking them to care,” he stated gruffly.

  She was correct about NCIS, but since Admiral Austen caught the serial killer named the Blood Shark, SpecOps and the local NCIS agency had a close connection. Josh had already touched base with the admiral earlier in the day.

  The team guys referred to the admiral as Ghost, and he had good reason to offer Josh a little help. The admiral understood the dangers of chasing assholes like Dixie’s stalker. Austen said he’d call Lt. Manchester, the agent he’d worked with on the Blood Shark case. Good to his word, Lt. Manchester reached out to Josh just before he’d left Base Command and they’d set up a meeting for tomorrow morning. Manchester mentioned they’d likely turn the case over to local PD. Mostly, Josh wanted them to analyze the notes for DNA or residue.

  All Josh needed was the stalker’s identity and he’d make the sonofabitch go away.

  Dixie offered a stilted smile. “That determined expression on your face concerns me. You don’t have to get involved.”

  No, he didn’t, but Dixie’s continued resistance raised his suspicions. “Why the hell would you think that?”

  She shrugged. “We’re different people now. You don’t know me. For all you know, I could be lying and the first job I had was a pole dancer in a sleazy New York nightclub.”

  He cleared his throat. “If you were, it’s your business. I’m not here to judge.” A bunch of drunk, horny dudes watching Dixie strip churned his stomach, but he’d never admit that to her.

  “I don’t know you either. People change.” Dix perched her elbow on the armrest, cupping her jaw with the palm of her hand.

  Josh leaned to the left and pulled the drape aside, scanning the empty street. “What do you want to know?”

  “Don’t think you can cover that in a few minutes.”

  She looked exhausted as she ran her fingers through her dark hair and lifted it into a messy bundle, holding it on the top of her head.

  Now that he’d been around the world a few dozen times, he recognized Dix as a rare woman. It didn’t matter whether she’d just crawled out of bed with mussed hair or was decked out in a se
xy gown for the evening. She crossed the ‘T’ and dotted the ‘I’ in beautiful. At least, in his mind.

  “Why don’t you head to bed?” he suggested. Josh wasn’t tired, although he should be.

  “The spare bedroom is ready.” She pointed to a hallway behind the living room. “Not exactly the Four Seasons, but I’m sure you’ve slept in worse places.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I know what a mattress of rocks feels like. Places where snakes slither over your legs and insects devour every inch of bared skin.”

  Her brows rose. “Nasty.” Dix got up and shifted to his side of the coffee table. “Why the SEALs? Isn’t it one of the most dangerous jobs in the military?”

  Good question. Guess if someone asked any of them, the answer would be the same: A challenge. His answer might be slightly different. “Because I had a bone to pick with the world. I worked hard to earn my Trident.”

  Dix shook her head. “What’s that?”

  Her response confirmed she hadn’t dated any guys from SpecOps. “The Special Warfare insignia you receive once you’ve graduated SEAL training. We call it the Budweiser.”

  “I read about your training. Sounds like a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I did it to prove to myself I wasn’t a failure. BUD/S and SQT is tough, but it taught me to utilize every ounce of my will, whether a mission went shit sideways or as planned.”

  Her brow creased and she kneeled at his feet. “I don’t know what SQT is, but I know you were never a failure, Josh. How could you even think that?”

  “Means SEAL Qualification Training.” As Josh looked into Dixie’s pretty face, he couldn’t stop from wondering what might have happened if he hadn’t packed his bags after their fight when she’d called off the wedding.

  What if he’d stayed?

  Why ask when he already knew the answer. He’d be minus a couple bullet holes and numerous scars. They’d have married, had a big family and probably bought a farm. Their oldest would be about fourteen.

  Being hot-headed had driven him in another direction. He had thousands of frequent flyer miles, a profession with one foot in politics and the other in the theater. Never mind the fucking ridiculous amount of meaningless bedroom encounters scattered behind him. He’d had a boatload of women who wanted him to pop the question or promised they could hack the life with a team guy. His profession made it tough to keep a relationship, but that wasn’t the only issue.

  He hadn’t married for one reason, and the truth rested in the green eyes gazing up at him.

  “Josh,” she said quietly, searching his face. “I can tell you’re saying a lot, but it’s all in your head. We used to talk about everything.”

  She’d not only been his girlfriend, but his best friend. “Yeah, I remember.”

  Dixie’s brow creased. “You’ve changed. It’s in your eyes. They’re not carefree anymore.”

  No shocker there. “Hazard of the job and sharing it with you won’t make a difference.”

  Dixie blinked then placed her delicate fingers over his kneecaps. “I guess you had your teammates to unload on and obliging women to release some steam.”

  Yeah, she was pretty much on target. “That’s a fair assessment.”

  He couldn’t help himself and caught a few strands of her soft hair between his fingers. The same silky locks he’d tugged on when he was young. Dix wasn’t exactly a tomboy, but she’d hung out with him and his friends more than her girlfriends. Everyone at school knew he and Dixie were tight. They’d been friends for years before their relationship bloomed.

  The adult version of Dixie Hammond exuded a powerful hold over him. Or maybe being near her brought back the innocence of their youth. With a couple sleeping bags laid out in the back of his pickup truck, they’d made love underneath the stars. A young man and woman discovering each other through erotic touch. Both of them bold and curious. Life hadn’t weighed them down with responsibilities yet.

  An older version of the girl he’d loved, even more attractive now than she was then, crouched at his feet. Her nearness stirred the coals of what they used to have.

  The night they’d taken each other’s virginity, he’d been the one to voice his needs first. Dixie’s answer left no room for guesswork when she released his belt while staring into his eyes. Although panting to be inside her, he’d gone slow and easy.

  The nights that followed were unforgettable. A vivid image of her wrists secured above her head, her beautiful, naked body lying on the hay with her thighs open and the heat in her gaze begging him to please her, had his pulse thumping.

  Dix tilted her head and her eyes narrowed. “What are you thinking about?”

  He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you get some sleep?”

  She got to her feet and stopped beside his chair, laying a warm hand on his shoulder. “Don’t stay up too late.”

  He’d make sure the house was secure first before getting a few winks. “Turn the light off on your way out.” Tomorrow would be a long day. He had SpecOp business on the base, then the meeting with Manchester. “I’m going to pick up a home monitoring system for you. Didn’t have time today.”

  “Good idea. Then you can sleep in your own bed instead of my cheap mattress.”

  Cheap mattress or not, he wasn’t leaving her alone. “Dix, I’ll install the system, but I’m staying here until we figure this guy out.”

  “Josh, that’s not necessary and I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  A slight quiver in her voice egged him on. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m sure you can keep your hands to yourself.”

  Dix snorted. “I was wrong. You’re still cocky.”

  A grin tightened his lips. “I’m usually at Base Command by six in the morning, but I’ll wait until you’re up. We’ll leave together.”

  She shut off the living room lights but paused at the entry to the hallway. “By the sounds of it, my loss was the country’s gain. I can only imagine how many lives you saved.”

  He kept his gaze on the couch she’d vacated. “Saved a lot and sacrificed my own.”

  “It’s not a sacrifice if being a SEAL is what you wanted to do with your life.”

  He resisted revealing any misgivings. “Night, Dix.”

  “Hey, um… Earlier, you asked if I had any regrets, and I brushed you off.”

  Her somber tone warned an oncoming truth he didn’t want to hear. “Just making conversation,” he said briskly.

  After Dix, caring deeply about someone never crossed his path again. Truth was, Josh had been relieved when Gesem turned down his offer to join him on the west coast. He hadn’t asked her to move in with him, just relocate. Gesem may have given a different answer if he’d put a ring on her finger. Their relationship had been comfortable, but he couldn’t rally up an emotion with any depth.

  “Whether you want to hear this or not, I’m getting it off my chest. You’re a big, bad SEAL. I’m sure you can handle it.” Dix exhaled. “I never imagined I’d see you again or get the chance to say I’m sorry. The night I told you I didn’t want to get married, I was too proud and foolish to admit the truth.”

  Josh remained silent for a long moment. Did he really want to hear this? “I figured it out on my own, Dix. Marriage was our folks’ decision, not ours.”

  What he didn’t voice was that you had to love someone in order to spend the rest of your life with them. His vision of the future had been clear. Him and Dixie. She obviously hadn’t felt the same way as him.

  She retraced her steps to look him in the eyes. “I could blame our parents. Guess I did for a while, but that’s not why I stopped our wedding. I didn’t want to lose myself in your shadow, becoming nothing but a wife.” She paused. “Later that night, I wanted to apologize. Thought I’d wait.” A half-hearted laugh accompanied a shrug of her shoulder. “My sister, Sasha, told me the next day you’d left.”

  This was why he hadn’t wanted to hear her explanation. If she’d changed her mind, he’d have to accept t
hat the biggest mistake he’d ever made was to leave home like he had.

  He glanced away when he asked, “Did you change your mind?”

  Dixie crossed her arms. “You were my best friend, Josh. It never mattered to me that I was a failure in my parents’ eyes because I had you to lean on. After Dad caught us in the barn, I became a dirty smear on their pious existence.” She paused for a second, then cleared her throat. “Mom blamed me for your quick departure. When Dad found out you’d left, he said no good man wants to marry a whore. I didn’t really care that my parents called me names. I trusted you. It hurt to finally accept our relationship was a lie. Wasn’t real.” She forked her hands together and smiled. “But it helped as well, because I grew up that day.”

  “Dix, I knew you’d never come back after college.”

  “You were the only reason I’d have come home. Believe me, being shit-scared that I had nothing to fall back on gave me motivation to succeed. And that’s pretty much been my life in a nutshell for fifteen years. What I’m trying to say in a round-about way is, if I run away from this guy again, I’d be admitting defeat. For better or worse, it’s time to stop running.”

  A foreign feeling weighed heavy in his heart. For as much shit as he’d seen in his career, at least he’d had the team guys. Dix’s parents were a couple of cold-hearted religious zealots, her siblings too intimidated to stand up for her in fear of being blackballed themselves. The least he could do was find this guy so she could live in peace. Make San Diego her home and give her dreams a chance to flourish.

  “You’re not alone anymore, Dixie. I’ll bring this guy down.” He glanced at her attractive features. This would be a lot easier if he wasn’t still drawn to her. “It’s what I’m good at.”

  She nodded. “I’m sure you’re good at many things, but don’t go crawling out on some flimsy limb over this. I’ll drop by the police department tomorrow and file a report.”

  Instead of rising and folding her in his arms, he held fast. Regardless of what he’d said to her in the hallway of the Erotic Bean, he wasn’t here to rekindle their relationship, nor add her to the list of women he’d fucked and forgotten. Dix was part of his past—part of him. In some strange way, he didn’t want to tarnish the purity of what they’d once had.