Her Fierce SEAL: Midnight Delta Book 6

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  “Did you love her?”

  “Not at all. I’d only known her for a week. The condom broke.”

  “Damn, when was this?”

  “It was while I was taking college courses. She wanted to get married, and I agreed. It was a stupid decision. We didn’t even know each other, but I thought it was the right thing to do. We got engaged, but she was the world’s biggest party girl.”

  “Like how, Finn?” He could see Angie guessed the truth.

  “I don’t think there were drugs involved, but she drank all of the time. I tried to get her help. I arranged an intervention with her family. Nothing worked.” Finn remembered Ginger’s rage. Angie got up and came around to his side of the table.

  She twirled her finger. He moved his chair back, and she sat down on his lap and wrapped her arm around his neck. “I need to be close to you before you tell me the rest.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” he said hoarsely.

  She sat there for a long time with her head resting on his chest.

  “After the intervention, she told me she didn’t want to see me ever again. I respected her wishes, to begin with, but I started calling after two weeks and leaving messages. Three weeks after the intervention she called me. I was at the base in Coronado. It’s an hour from her apartment. It was raining. She said she needed a ride. I told her I’d be there and to wait for me,” his voice was thick with emotion.

  Angie cuddled closer. “Finish it.”

  “There was a wreck on the freeway. I was late. She was drunk again. She left the apartment and slipped down the stairs and...and...”

  Angie squeezed him close. “She lost the baby, didn’t she?”

  “My son. My son died. I failed him. I failed both of them.”

  “Finn.”

  He shook so hard, if she hadn't been holding on so tight, she might have fallen off his lap. Dammit, he needed to get himself under control.

  “Finn, look at me,” she said as she cupped his cheek. He’d never seen such soft midnight brown eyes in his life. They shimmered with the tears he couldn’t shed.

  “Angie,” he breathed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Your son knows you love him.” He’d never taken a harder punch in his life.

  “How?”

  “He’s yours. He’s a part of you. He knows. And you know something else?”

  “What?” he was scared to ask.

  “He loves you too.”

  The tears started to fall, and somehow Angie managed to keep him from flying apart.

  Chapter Ten

  He looked at his phone again. Another call from Drake. He set it down. He just wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. He watched Angie’s sleeping form. She really was a miracle. Somehow telling her the story made him feel a little lighter.

  He knew he had to take her to the office again today. There was something nagging at him, and he hoped to have figured out by the time she got home. Hopefully, a run and a swim would help him work it out.

  “Finn?” He smiled.

  “Yes?”

  “It’s too early to be up.”

  “The birds are singing.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Seven,” he answered as he went over to the bed.

  “At least you’re dressed for bed.” He looked down and realized he was still naked, and laughed.

  “Got plans for me, do you?”

  “Yep.”

  She had held him until he had fallen asleep. She always seemed to know what he needed. He hesitated.

  “You do the same for me.”

  “What?”

  “You give me what I need too.”

  He looked at her in amazement. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  “Now that you’re smiling, you’re starting to show your emotions on your face. I’ve never felt so cared for in my entire life. You’ve done that for me.”

  He crawled onto the bed, and rested over her, careful not to lay his weight on top of her. “I love you, Angie.” Her eyes glistened with tears.

  “You do?” It said something that she questioned him.

  “I do. I really do.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ah, lady, thank you.” He kissed her.

  ***

  He had figured out what had been bothering him on mile seventeen. It seemed to be his lucky mile. He’d sent Clint an e-mail explaining everything that was going on with Dasha and the general so he would have the background on the situation prior to the call.

  He picked up Angie and brought her back to the apartment with an order of Dickie’s Bar-B-Que.

  “What’s so urgent?” she asked as they settled in front of the computer.

  “I want to wait until we get Lydia and Clint on Skype.”

  He pressed send, then Clint and Lydia’s faces filled the screen.

  “Finn!” Lydia’s smile almost broke her face, but the tears in her eyes almost broke his heart.

  “Lydia Hidalgo and her fiancé Clint Archer, please meet Angie Donatelli.”

  “I’ve read so much about you both. It’s an honor,” Angie said leaning forward.

  “Lean back,” he admonished. “She’s has a broken rib, and she needs to be careful,” he explained to everyone.

  “I read over everything you sent. It is absolutely unbelievable what Dasha has gone through,” Lydia said.

  “Isn’t it?” Angie agreed.

  “We have to find her baby. I mean all the mother’s need to be reunited with their infants, but after I read what happened to Dasha in Odessa, I think she needs her daughter more than anyone else.” Clint put his arm around Lydia.

  “I think we can all agree on this, but that’s not why you wanted this little pow-wow, is it, Finn?” Clint asked.

  “Nope, I think eventually, Vlad is going to dig out Sergei and Lou’s past relationship in the army. I think we need to get Dasha and Sergei out of Austin.”

  “But they feel so safe here,” Angie protested.

  “Angie,” Finn admonished quietly.

  “There are so many places we can stash them here in Austin, that they’ll be safe,” she suggested.

  “Yeah, that’s why Lorna Jackson decided to leave Austin until the trial. I’m not buying it,” Finn said, dismissing her idea.

  “They can come to San Diego, or they can go to Jack’s parent’s ranch in San Antonio,” Lydia suggested.

  “Both of those places are out. The general will know that the girls who were abducted have been placed in both of those areas. As a matter of fact, you need to shore up the security around those girls,” Finn directed.

  “Already on it,” Clint clipped out.

  “I’m going to call Declan and see if he has any place we can use,” Finn said.

  “Who’s Declan?” Angie and Lydia asked simultaneously.

  “You’ve been holding out on Lydia?” Finn asked Clint.

  “It never came up,” Clint grumbled. “Declan McAllister is a crap friend of Finn’s who has his sticky little fingers in a lot of classified government pies. He’s former Army Military Intelligence Corp. He’s retired.”

  “So what does he do now? How is he connected to Finn? Why haven’t we tapped into his resources before?” Lydia demanded.

  “He’s a founding member of the Shadow Alliance. He’s a childhood friend of Finn’s. And Finn has bounced our intelligence against Dec’s in the past, but he hasn’t had anything that we haven’t found out on our own.”

  “He did feed us the information on Vlad Lutsenko because he’s an international political figure. He’s also got a lot of inside information on the Russian and Ukrainian mob. This is one of the cases he’s going to be on the forefront for data,” Finn explained.

  “I call spousal foul that you haven’t told me.” Lydia pressed her finger into Clint’s chest.

  “You can’t call spousal foul. We’re not married. Now, if you want that privilege, you should marry me now instead of making me wait, and I’ll remember to tell yo
u every little thing.”

  “What’s the Shadow Alliance?” Angie asked.

  “It’s complicated,” Finn said.

  “Yeah, I’ve never understood,” Clint piped in.

  “Try to explain. Is it something that’s legal?” Angie persisted.

  “They use their powers for good. I trust them implicitly. They might get a little fuzzy with the rules of law, but they are always on the right side of justice,” Finn said.

  “Sounds like people I would like,” Lydia said.

  Damn good thing, since Declan certainly liked her, Finn thought to himself.

  “So I’ll leave a message for Declan, and see what I can do to find housing for Dasha and Sergei.”

  “He won’t answer?” Lydia asked.

  “He hardly ever answers. But he always gets back to me.”

  ***

  He and Angie were in bed. He was sleeping soundly again when he heard the distinctive sound of an incoming Skype call. Angie muttered in her sleep, and he got up, grabbed his sweats, and closed the bedroom door as he hustled to the computer. It was Declan.

  “Where the fuck are you?” He could see people all around him, men, women, and children bustling around. A child around the age of four came up, sucking her thumb, and laid her head on Declan’s shoulder. He put his arm around her and cuddled her close.

  “Lay off the swearing. I don’t know how much English this one understands. I’m at a high school gym. We’re helping set up another shelter here. It is on high ground, and should be away from the flooding, for a while, at least.”

  “I read up on what’s going on. There are some holes you can drive trucks through. The Red Cross is getting its ass kicked.”

  “Instead of saving homes, we have some forces more concerned with saving lucrative crops.” Declan gave him a meaningful look. Finn got the gist of what he was saying. He knew Paraguay was one of the world’s leading producers of marijuana.

  “I take it your team is on it?”

  “You know it.” Declan’s smile was savage. “But that wasn’t why you called. I have a friend, former Army Ranger, who has a place on Lake Texoma.”

  “Alliance member?”

  “Sometimes,” Declan said cryptically.

  “How do I get ahold of him?”

  “He’ll be in touch with you tomorrow. He’s getting things set up.” The little girl started to fall asleep, and Declan pulled her onto his lap. “Good luck, Finn. With everything. I think I know where your head’s at, and know you’ve got a home if you want it.”

  “I’ve always known that, Dec. But I appreciate the words.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? I’ve made the offer damn near every time we’ve talked since I’ve started the Alliance.”

  Finn chuckled. “I look forward to hearing from your resource. What’s his name?”

  “Laird Campbell.”

  “Fuck, another Scotsman. I’m surrounded.”

  Declan laughed. “At least you know your girls will be safe.” He cocked his head. Finn heard someone calling for him in Spanish. “I have to go.”

  “Thanks, Dec.”

  “Call me again if you need anything, including if you just need to talk.”

  “I will.”

  The screen cleared, and Finn turned around and held out his hand. He’d heard Angie come out midway through the call.

  “So that was your friend, huh?” she asked as she twined her arm around his neck and kissed the top of his head.

  “Yes, that was Declan.”

  “Who was the little girl?”

  “He’s in Paraguay at a shelter for the flood victims. Kids have always been drawn to him.” He pulled her down, and she slid easily into his arms. As she nuzzled his neck, he held her closer, and it settled him.

  “What are the next steps?” Finn’s mind had been racing since hearing about the kidnapping. It was Wednesday. He still had an appointment to keep at a strip club on Friday night.

  “You and Lou are going to be driving to San Antonio tomorrow, well today” he corrected, “with Sergei and Dasha.”

  “I thought we would be going to Lake Texoma? I’m confused? Wait, what do you mean Pops and me, why aren’t you going?” She started to get up, and he held her tighter.

  “Angie, here me out,” he started slowly.

  Come on, Crandall, this is your strong suit, start tap dancing.

  “Grace Preston’s ranch is in San Antonio.”

  “That’s south. Lake Texoma is north. Why would we go south, when we need to go north?”

  “Give me a moment to explain.” She vibrated beneath him.

  “Okay, but make it fast, because something smells fishy.”

  “The four of you go down to San Antonio and acclimate Dasha to the girls who are staying with Grace. Clint didn’t say it, but trust me, now that we have a plan as to where the girls are going, and we know that there might be a breach of security at the Preston Ranch, Jack Preston will be arriving there like an avenging angel.”

  “Then the Brady Bunch is down in San Antonio, except you are still here in Austin visiting Sixth Street. What? Is there a band playing you don’t want to miss?”

  “No, I’m going to be coordinating with Clint as well as checking to make sure nobody is sniffing around your granddad’s house.”

  “I’m not buying it. Pops has security. Hell, the security feed can be routed to his phone. Try again, Finn. Why am I in San Antonio and you’re in Austin? Are you even coming to Lake Texoma?”

  “Of course, I’m coming to Lake Texoma. I just need a couple of days, okay, Angie? As soon as you start the trek north, I’ll meet up with you, and we’ll head to Oklahoma. Angie, you have to know I want to be with you.”

  “Well, right now it sure isn’t looking like it. This is pretty suspicious. Finn, is it because you don’t want to see Jack? I thought you were okay with seeing your team members again. You were fine talking to Clint on Skype.”

  That could work.

  “I need a couple of more days before I see my teammates in person, okay?”

  She placed her hands against his chest and pushed out of his lap, but her eyes never left his. She repositioned herself so she straddled him, and cupped his cheeks.

  “Finn, whatever you need, I’ll back you. Do you know why?”

  He shook his head.

  “Because I claim you. I have decided you are mine. I don’t know what our future holds. There are a shit ton of obstacles. I don’t know if you’re going to want to claim me.” He watched her eyes fill with tears. One formed on the tip of her lash and held on for dear life.

  “I know claim is such an archaic word. But my Viking, I claim you. I have seen your soul, and it is beautiful. You are brave and good, and for the rest of my life, no matter how my life plays out, I’m going to hoard our time together in the deepest recesses of my heart. I love you.” The tear fell, and he licked up the salty treasure.

  “You shouldn’t, Angie. I’m a bad bet.”

  She placed the softest kiss imaginable on his lips. “You’re a royal flush.”

  “Lady. I love you too.”

  “Thank you for that.” Her smile could light the darkest night. She hugged him close, and they held each other for long minutes.

  “I told you about my son. Now I need to tell you about Canada. I’ve been thinking for so long that I’m broken, but now I think maybe I can be put back together.”

  “Oh honey, you were never broken. There might be a few cracks, but those can be fixed, but you have never been broken.”

  “It’s been building and building. It seems like so many innocents get hurt, and I don’t get to them fast enough. They suffer. They die...” his voice drifted off.

  ***

  Angie made sure she didn’t wince when she sat straighter in his lap and tucked his head next to hers. This was about his pain, not hers. “Tell me,” she whispered into his ear, stroking his head.

  For long moments, Finn didn’t say a word.

 
; “You met Lydia. She’s wonderful. God, I thought she would die. She did. I swear Clint brought her back to life. We were too late. She shouldn’t have been beaten.”

  He wasn’t making sense. She slowly rocked him, back and forth, and he seemed to calm.

  “Take your time.”

  “It was almost two years ago. We were late getting to a cabin where Lydia and her family were being held.” He took deep gulps of air. She wrapped her arms around his head, trying to protect him, shield him from the past.

  “They’d stripped and hurt her sister Beth, and Lydia sacrificed herself. She was being whipped when we got there. We killed the fuckers. She was shredded. Both of the girls were traumatized, but Lydia was sick and had been tortured. Clint carried her for five days through the jungle.” He bit out the words.

  “Just twenty minutes earlier. Just good fucking intel, and twenty minutes, and we would have saved her all of that pain, both girls would have been saved. They were doing CPR on Lydia when they loaded her onto the chopper.”

  “But she lived. She’s thriving,” Angie reminded him.

  “But it was so close, and so often it ends in death. How many girls did the Liu’s sell that we weren’t able to save and who ultimately died? How many other women were killed by those bastards that had savaged Lydia and Beth? How many more people can I possibly fail?”

  “But Finn, you’ve saved so many. I’ve read about the girls at the farm, you went undercover and protected them. You were one of the men on the team that saved Lydia. How can you think you fail people?” she whispered urgently into his ear. He trembled in her arms.

  “I love you, Angie, I really do. But I’m no royal flush. I feel like such a failure. I’m not just sick in the head, I’m sick in the heart. I’ve feel like I failed everyone, and I can’t take the chance that I will fail you too.” He stood with her wrapped around him. He walked down the hall, both of them staring at one another.

  He needed comfort. He needed to believe there was one damn person in this world that cared about him and were in his corner. He set her down on the bed and kissed her forehead. He was turning to leave when she grasped his hand.

  “Angie, let me leave.”

  “In a moment.” She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed his palm. His breath broke.