by Sommer Smith
Jerking her inside, he slammed the door behind them. “Nice.” He nodded at her.
“What? You expected a panicked damsel?” She dropped the hand holding the gun to her side.
“Yeah, I guess so.” He grinned before urging her on. “Come on. We need to file a report.”
Another gunshot ricocheted off the door. Her brows rose but he motioned her on.
“You’re safe now. They aren’t getting through that door.” He tried to sound soothing, but judging from the way she winced, it came out as gruff and sharp as everything else he said.
He led her through a long, empty corridor and down a flight of stairs into the basement. When they came to an office with a closed door that had his name on it, he unlocked it and motioned her inside.
“Sit. I’ve gotta make a couple of calls.” He pointed to a stiff-backed chair before folding himself into his own chair behind the desk.
Keilani did as he suggested, but perched on the edge of her seat. He imagined he could still hear her heart pounding, though her face was pretty calm. Rich brown eyes framed by thick, dark lashes sloped up just slightly; her small, pert nose widening above full red lips. Her appearance certainly fit her name. He could see her on an island surfing or entertaining tourists.
She shivered and he came to his senses.
“Maybe I should see about getting you something dry to wear first.” He stood and moved to the door, but stopped and turned back to see if she agreed.
She gave him an appreciative smile and he realized she must have been uncomfortable. He nodded and strode down the hall to a storage closet where he rummaged around until he found something that he thought would fit her. It was an old uniform, but under the circumstances, anything was surely better than the high-necked wetsuit she wore at present. Not that she wasn’t absolutely perfect in it, but he definitely had no business noticing when he had no intention of getting involved with anyone. He had learned his lesson. Love was not on his agenda.
She thanked him with a gracious nod when he returned with the clothing and showed her to the ladies’ restroom where she could change.
Before she could enter, he motioned to where the blood was drying across the top edge of her shoulder. “Your arm.”
“It’s just a scratch. I’ll clean it up. A small bandage will be sufficient.” She seemed more concerned with the nick in her wetsuit than her skin.
He retrieved a square of cotton and some antiseptic from a nearby cupboard for her to treat it with. “Do you need some help?”
She offered him a small smile. “I’m a vet. I think I can manage such a tiny wound.”
He nodded, face flushing just a bit. She entered the restroom, and he returned to his desk to call his commanding officer. Captain Jarvis sent him directly to the admiral.
He again explained the situation and that he believed Keilani might have seen something that had somehow put her in danger.
The response wasn’t good. “They did what, now? I don’t think so. Who’s getting past security around my base? Are you pulling my leg, Kent? I’m going to have some heads for this. What happened to these men who were shooting at you? And where is this Dr. Lucas?”
“Sir, she wasn’t on base, but just outside on the beach. She’s in some kind of trouble. I’m not sure this is going to work.” He had explained how he found her and how they had been pursued back to the base. “Maybe we should hold off on her starting here. We could be putting everyone in danger, especially Dr. Lucas.”
“Look, I know you haven’t wanted her help from the start. But you’re going to have to give this a shot. And if some idiot thinks they can get us to back off on this, they might as well forget it. It just confirms to me that we need to do it.” The admiral’s voice held a note of firm finality. “Meanwhile, you’re assigned to protective duty. And I’m going to reassign some men if they can’t handle security. I will find out who did this.”
“Protective duty? You mean, like her bodyguard? But, sir—”
“No arguments. Keep her safe or it’s on your head.” The admiral hung up and Micah bit back a sigh. Just what he needed.
“Yes, sir,” Micah muttered to the empty room, hanging up the phone. He sat back and let out a sigh of frustration. So there was more to Keilani’s hire than PR and publicity, just as he had suspected. The admiral didn’t seem surprised by what Keilani had seen. Unfortunately, he knew the admiral well enough to know he would never explain what was going on until he was ready.
TWO
Keilani stared into the mirror. She wouldn’t give in to the physical shock. She knew the signs. She inhaled deeply and counted, clearing her mind, thinking of blue skies, fluffy clouds and sunshine. When she opened them again, she saw a stranger in a female naval officer’s uniform—a stranger with her eyes.
Had she been wrong to accept this job? Her instincts said no, but her mind was beginning to grow concerned that she had made the wrong decision. Between the events of the afternoon and the introduction to the entirely too attractive new coworker, she was in complete turmoil. And she hadn’t even begun her job yet.
Wiping her salty cheeks with a wet paper towel, she decided to face whatever was next head-on. She had no excuse to cower in the ladies’ room. She had overcome far worse circumstances in her life. A prayer for strength whispered across her lips, one that had become as familiar as her own skin over the years. Peace filled her. She wasn’t alone in this.
She returned to Lieutenant Kent’s office to find him on the phone. She tried to duck out to wait in the corridor until he finished, but he motioned her inside. While he continued his conversation, she took the opportunity to observe him freely. His dark hair had the slightest wave, cut short and a little messy. His eyes were a gunmetal gray with just the slightest hint of blue when the light hit them, and his strong jaw accented full lips that stood out in the midst of his stubble. Though he had the hard look of a navy SEAL, there was a certain indefinable quality about him that made him...different.
Stop noticing. You don’t exactly have a good track record with men, Keilani silently reprimanded herself. She decided long ago she was better off independent. There was no need for a man in her life. Her past experience was more than she needed.
“I appreciate it, sir. We will get her situated.” When Micah had disconnected, he fixed Keilani with a dark look. Even that didn’t convince her he was as tough as he appeared. Physically, maybe, but that was it.
“Something else is wrong.” Her voice was whisper quiet in the silent room.
“That was Captain Jarvis. But I also spoke to the admiral and it looks like you’re going to be stuck with me until we figure this out.” His tone was neutral, but his eyes searched hers. What did he expect to find? Protest? Anger? Or something more personal?
She focused on revealing nothing. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’m assigned to protect you until we know you’re safe. You’ll be bunking at my place and I’ll go with you everywhere but the ladies’ room.” He stared hard at her. “Are you sure there’s nothing else you can tell me about what you saw?”
She could sense that he was asking for more than one reason. He clearly felt uncomfortable having protective responsibility for her. But why? He seemed perfectly capable.
He tapped a pencil against the calendar square on top of his desk, his veins standing up in blue-green lines across the top of his tanned hand. She realized he was watching her study him, and heat flowed up into her cheeks.
Turning her gaze instead to her surroundings, Keilani realized his office space was practically empty except for the most basic of necessities. The navy’s requirement, or Micah’s choice? And what did it say about him?
She returned her focus to the question she had almost forgotten about.
“Would it change anything?” Keilani didn’t want to be chained to him any more than he wanted to be stuck with her.
She began to squirm. When he lifted one eyebrow, she knew he noticed.
She decided full disclosure was in their best interest. “Should there be men...um, with crates, out in the bay? Just beyond the dolphin enclosure?”
She still wasn’t sure telling him was her best idea. His expression was still frightening and he might not appreciate her interference. In her experience, men usually preferred women to ask for permission, defer to their opinions, and mind their own business. She wasn’t exactly starting off making the best impression on her new coworker.
Lieutenant Kent leaned forward, shaking his head. “Men with crates? Why don’t you start at the beginning?”
His eyes filled with a new emotion, something like interest, or maybe irritation? She didn’t have any way of knowing for sure this man wasn’t going to be angry with her for what she had seen. But she didn’t think he was involved in whatever had been happening in the bay or else he would have retaliated before now, and besides, she had already mentioned what she knew. Her hands shook as she looped her fingers together.
Keilani inhaled some courage and settled her hands in her lap. She began to explain to him about her exploratory swim, leaving out the part about her nerves. She told him about the boat and how she had believed it to be affiliated with the navy, and then how someone had grabbed her ankle and tried to pull her farther under, pursuing her back to the beach.
His expression had been darkening steadily as she told her story. It made her shudder, remembering a time she had seen another man’s expression go dark.
Finally, he spoke. “Yet you escaped? You swam all that way with someone pursuing you and had the stamina left to run all the way up that beach? That’s pretty impressive.”
She stiffened. “Don’t patronize me. I know how rigorous SEAL training is.”
He stared her down, making her want to squirm once more. “I wasn’t. That’s a tough swim. As a SEAL, I should know.”
Keilani watched him for a long moment. Respect flickered in his eyes. “I used to compete in long-distance swimming and surfing.”
He nodded. “Nice. Why did you stop?”
She debated for a moment, but settled on a vague answer. “Family reasons.”
She sensed his displeasure, though his expression did little to reveal it. He didn’t push for more. “I see.”
If he had any thoughts on the boat and the men with the crates, he refrained from sharing them with her. “I have a few other things to take care of, but if you can wait here, we’ll go get whatever you need to relocate.”
She nodded, but couldn’t avoid asking the question that was burning in her thoughts.
“Do you live alone?” The idea of being alone in a house with this man made her nervous for more reasons than one.
“No. You’ll meet Xavier and Emmett tonight. There’s plenty of room at our place and you’ll be well protected.” He stood, so she followed suit.
“That isn’t necessary. I have already signed a lease on a small apartment. It’s gated and secure.” It was far too personal, too intimate, to sleep in his house, considering they had just met. And with her past, she didn’t warm up to strange men easily.
“Absolutely not. I was assigned protective duty over you, and you will have it 24/7.” He offered her a slight, crooked grin—the first thing resembling a smile she had seen on his face—and her breath caught. It was definitely going to be a rough few days under his close scrutiny.
“I don’t suppose I have any input, then.” Her voice sounded breathy and she cleared her throat and turned away. The last thing she wanted him thinking was that she was some infatuated girl he could twist around his finger. Men in uniform tended to enjoy having that effect on women, in her experience. Get a grip, sister.
“How about I introduce you to a few of the dolphins we will be working with first?” He held the door open and waited. Could he tell she was struggling, her nerves crumpling under the pressure? He seemed to want to make this easier for her. Why? What could he possibly have to gain from doing so? In her experience, men only showed concern and caring when they had some interest in the outcome.
Whatever it was, all she could do was accept it right now. She turned back to him, relieved to have a distraction. The thought of her career, her passion, chased all the anxiety away. From his expression, she could tell he felt something a little like relief as well, and maybe even a little bit of pleasure. Maybe if she spent more time in his company, she could relax about accepting his protection. And it wasn’t as if she had a choice.
She nodded, smiling with her eyes. “I’d like that very much. Thank you.”
* * *
The naval dolphin enclosure was much different from the other training facilities she had worked in. There were similarities, of course, but this one was clearly designed for functionality rather than aesthetics. Just like everything else she had encountered on base so far, it was high-tech, functional and secure. It was situated on the edge of the naval base with a maze of dolphin pens stretching out toward the ocean. Several of the pens reached far into the bay and grew larger the farther out they went. It created a massive rectangle of divided enclosures. Surprisingly, it was open to the outside so she could only assume it was well-patrolled by the navy. Down the middle was an alleyway leading into the training area.
Micah, as he had insisted she call him, showed her every last detail of the facilities. There was even a miniature veterinary hospital situated on one end equipped with nearly anything one might need to treat a sick or injured cetacean. Judging by the amount of pride he took in the enclosure, she could only assume Micah must have a personal connection to the design of it somehow.
“And now let’s meet the real superstars.” He pushed a button on a control panel and an underwater door lifted. He leaned into a tank and gave a signal. Two sleek bodies sluiced through the water toward them at lightning speed. Two more soon followed, and at another signal from Micah, they broke the surface with their smooth bottle noses, and began to chitter at them gleefully. He rewarded the dolphins and began the introductions. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes as he pointed each of them out were a testament to how he felt about the creatures.
“This dainty thing here is Nikita. The husky girl here is Mulan. Stefan and Rambo are the two gentlemen. They are just slow, not polite. The ladies beat them at nearly everything except devouring their dinner. Say hello to Keilani, kids.” At his signal they waved with one fin before chittering at them again.
“My, my. They are superstars.” Keilani offered them a friendly greeting. “Real beauties, too. Some of the finest dolphins I’ve seen.”
Micah’s expression didn’t change, but his chest seemed to expand just a bit. “Only the finest for the navy SEALs.”
“I’m stoked about the job, honestly. It’s so much more meaningful than some of the positions I’ve held in the past. I love working with dolphins, but theme park entertainment hardly compares with national security.” Keilani watched as the small pod swam away at Micah’s dismissal command. Though navy dolphins had many jobs, such as bomb detection and identifying and warning SEALs of the presence of enemy swimmers, they were also well trained in obedience so they wouldn’t get lost on missions.
“We have plans for expansion. These are just our top agents right now. We have several more, and some of the females are expecting.” He led her into another section of the facility. “Some are this way. Of course, not all of our dolphins are housed together. For security reasons.”
“This is amazing,” Keilani said, looking around the elaborate expanse of pools.
“We work on improvements for them every day. That’s why you’re here, of course. They are part of the family. Not every dolphin is qualified to be a part of our SEAL team. So some are released, if it’s safe for them, or sometimes they are transported to a civilian facility.”
They walked through yards and yards of pathways
along the massive enclosures. “This is a major operation.” Keilani knew her mouth must be open in awe, but she couldn’t contain her excitement.
“It’s pretty big.” He showed her the way back into the base and told her more about the program. Returning to his office, he explained the files they kept on all of the dolphins. They had thorough records for every cetacean on the grounds, whether they were born in captivity or brought in from the ocean. He offered her a few of the files to look at while he completed his own tasks, asking her to review the findings on the health of the dolphins in question. Occasionally, they had some issues with illness, and though the veterinarians in naval employ were very good, he said he liked to make sure that everything was up to standards.
There was a definite tension in the room. Keilani watched him through lowered lashes and found he was also glancing at her even as he worked on the tasks before him. Was her presence a distraction to him? The thought made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to keep him from his work. She considered excusing herself, but she didn’t know where else to go.
Eventually, he completed his tasks, and when he stood to go, Keilani stood, as well. She handed him the files and he put them back in the cabinet.
“Let’s get something to eat, and then we’ll go get you settled.” Keilani wasn’t really hungry, but she also wasn’t ready for him to take her back to his house. It seemed really awkward in every way. They knew practically nothing about one another, but they would be stuck with each other indefinitely. It was a strange way to begin their working relationship. She didn’t care for it at all.
They were walking out when one of his team members nearly ran into them. “Oh, sorry, Lieutenant Kent.” The man saluted before eyeing Keilani carefully.
“Petty Officer Dalton Taggert, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Keilani Lucas. She’s the civilian consultant for the marine mammal program. She just arrived, but you’ll be seeing her around base.”
Something flashed across the man’s expression briefly, but it was gone so quickly she decided she had imagined it. Taggert smiled and extended a hand to Keilani. “It’s great to meet you. Someone certainly needs to get Lieutenant Kent in line.”
