Model Marine

by Candace Havens

  The one thing that kept him sane was that he had caught her stealing glances at him every few minutes. When their eyes met, she would smile knowingly and look away.

  Her back was to him now and he wondered what it would feel like to run his hands down her spine to the soft cushion of her hips. The sounds she’d made the night before when they made love still rang in his ears. His body stiffened and he once again tried to gain control. He forced himself to shift his gaze and his eyes raked over the room in search of trouble.

  Something about Regan, the ambassador’s daughter, bugged him. The girl was twitchy. There was no other word for it. She kept glancing around the room as if she were searching or waiting for someone. He watched as she moved to a corner near a plant. A waiter walked up to offer her an appetizer and she smiled. He couldn’t blame her for flirting with the young boy; there wasn’t another person in the room near her age. She could be a brat at times, but he wondered if perhaps she was just lonely. He knew a little something about that having grown up with a father in the marines and moving every few years. Sometimes it was every few months.

  In the few days he’d been around the family, Regan had always been off in a corner reading. He knew from her file that she was tutored because of the threats and she hadn’t been allowed to be in contact with any of her friends. It was a horrible way for a young girl to live, but necessary in order to keep her alive. There was a mole, and until they found the culprit, no one in the family would be safe.

  He’d never seen her smile until he walked in on Regan and Hannah earlier. That sweet woman of his had a way with people. Before he opened the door, he had heard them laughing. She was so full of joy and light, and she didn’t even realize what she did for other people. She’d called herself selfish. Ridiculous.

  He glanced back to Hannah, and his breath caught. His mother was talking to her.

  Oh, hell. This can’t be good. His mother had a way of wheedling information out of people. There were times when the general had compared her to Mata Hari. As a kid, he’d never been able to get out of anything. His mother had some sixth sense about those things.

  After the grilling she would receive, Hannah might never speak to him again. He couldn’t blame her a bit. The ambassador’s wife seemed to be amused, but there was another couple standing with them. The woman looked as though she’d been sucking on a giant lemon. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn’t place where he’d seen her before.

  He pulled out his handheld computer and searched through to see if he could find the couple’s names. When he did, he nearly dropped the device over the banister.

  Hannah’s parents were with his mother. And Hannah was caught in the crosshairs. From the look on Olivia Harrington’s face she was far from happy with whatever was going on down there. How could a woman so bitter-looking be Hannah’s mother?

  More than anything, Will wanted to go down and save the woman he cared about from whatever drama his mother had created. His mom would never mean to cause harm, but she wasn’t aware of Hannah’s difficult relationship with her parents.

  Damn. I should have paid more attention to the list.

  He’d seen the Harrington name, but he hadn’t put it together with Hannah’s. She would think that he had known all along and possibly kept it from her.

  He had to get to her, but leaving his post was not an option.

  Why did this have to happen now? His mother hadn’t been on the list he had received when they were first vetting the guests. Rafe took care of the second round and probably hadn’t thought it important to tell Will. His mother and the ambassador’s wife were great friends. He should have guessed she would show up. But he hadn’t been thinking clearly.

  The idea of having Hannah near had overruled all logic. He hated how right his father had been.

  This was the last thing he needed. Talk about distractions. Will forced himself to look away from his mother and Hannah and redirect his attention to the rest of the room. He had a job to do and he couldn’t allow his personal life to interfere. He’d ask for Hannah’s forgiveness later. In fact, he knew exactly what he would do to her to make her scream forgiveness.

  His eyes continued the search.

  The ambassador was speaking with a congressman, and two men to their left were watching them carefully. The men were eavesdropping, though they hid it well. “Team B?”

  “Sir,” Rafe answered. They had set up four-man teams and Rafe was heading one of them.

  “Two men to the left of the ambassador and the congressmen.”

  “On it,” Rafe said. A few seconds later he was back on the comm. “They are activists from Shelride. Johnson has them covered. He’s right behind them. Says he’s been following them most of the evening. Doesn’t like the blond, who keeps talking about how they spent all this money on a party when people around the world are starving.”

  Will frowned. “Tell him to stay on them. Bring the rest of your team to the floor.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Team A, what are you seeing on the cameras.”

  “Outside clear. Kitchen and surrounding rooms clear. We have eyes on the room. There’s one blind spot near the plant to the north of the stairs.”

  That’s where Regan had been a few moments earlier. He glanced down and the girl was gone. His eyes zeroed in on the room as he quickly scanned it, searching for her. She was nowhere in sight. She’d probably gone to the ladies’ room, but it was his job to know her whereabouts at all times.

  “Anyone have a twenty on the ambassador’s daughter.”

  No one answered.

  “B team?”

  “We’re on it.”

  One of the activists was also gone.

  Will’s gut churned but his mind went straight to work. He stayed in position watching the room as the teams searched the residence.

  “Sir, I checked the ladies’ and her bedroom. Nothing.” The head of Team C was Lieutenant Carter, a woman who had become like a sister to him and Rafe. She was the only woman in his unit in Iraq, and she held her own with the rest of them. In fact, her quick actions, along with Rafe’s, helped to keep Will alive the last time he’d been shot.

  “Check with the guards to see if anyone left in the last five minutes. Shut everything down and don’t let anyone out.”

  “Something is wrong. I can tell by your face.” Hannah was next to him.

  He’d lost it. There was no way anyone could ever sneak up on him like that. He had to get it together.

  “Have you seen Regan?”

  She shook her head. “Not in the last few minutes. I’ve been busy with— Wait. What?”

  “She’s missing.”

  His comm crackled. “We can’t find her,” Rafe warned.

  “Damn.”

  “What is it?” Hannah reached out to touch his arm. “Is she okay?”

  “I have to go. They can’t find her anywhere on the premises.”

  “Oh, no. I’m coming with you.”

  Will took her hand in his. “We’ll find her. I promise I’ll call you later.”

  He took off in a slow jog down the stairs but stopped. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, as the party was in full swing. If someone here had taken her, he didn’t want the person to know they were aware of the situation. The ambassador was speaking to the general. From the look of their conversation his father was already aware of what was going on. The ambassador had a tight frown.

  The responsibility of losing the man’s daughter weighed heavily on Will. The fact the general had seen the failure wasn’t something he would soon forget. He could never quite seem to get it right when it came to his dad. No time to beat himself up. He had to find the girl.

  In the kitchen the rest of Team B surrounded Rafe.

  “No one saw her leave, sir,” Johnson said. “None of the cars have left the valet lot. There hasn’t been anyone in or out since the alert went up. Cameras didn’t pick up anything. Whoever did this is a pro. They knew exactly
where all the cameras were. There are maybe four blind spots and we had those all covered.”

  “Excuse me.” Hannah stood in the doorway of the kitchen. “I think I know something that might help.”

  “Hannah!” Will couldn’t keep the frustration from his voice. “I told you we’re working here.”

  Her hands went to her hips. “Yes, and you think Regan’s been taken, but I would bet big money that she’s run off with her boyfriend.”

  “Boyfriend?” The ambassador was behind her and she moved into the kitchen to let him in. Will’s father followed close behind.

  “Yes, sir. When I fitted her dress she told me that he was the only real friend she had here, and she was asking me a lot of questions about relationships. She’s been sneaking around so she could see him. And they’ve been emailing on a secret account.”

  Will glanced around the room. Everyone stared at her as if she had three heads.

  “I know this is serious and that you have to check out everything. But you might start with the boyfriend. That is all I’m saying.”

  “My daughter wouldn’t take off on her own. She’s a responsible young woman.” The ambassador’s tone made Will feel sorry for Hannah, but it was her own fault. She needed to let them do their job.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but she’s an eighteen-year-old woman who reads romance books like she breathes. And if you check her movie-streaming cue, you’ll find nothing but romantic movies. She probably thought you would be so busy with your guests tonight that you wouldn’t notice if she snuck out for some fun.”

  There was a long silence.

  “If it were you, where would you go?” the general asked Hannah.

  “That I don’t know—maybe to his place? He was working here tonight. I saw her talking to him earlier. I thought she might introduce us since she feels safe with me, but there’s so much security she was probably afraid.”

  “The waiter,” Will returned. “I saw her talking with him. We have everyone’s IDs in the computer.”

  “On it, sir.” Rafe’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “Here are the photos.” He turned the laptop toward Will.

  As they scanned the photos, Will saw the waiter. “Jeremy Glenfield. Lives in Brooklyn. Let’s go.”

  “I’m coming with you,” the ambassador said.

  “Sir, we don’t know she’s there. It’s best if you stay here in case we’re wrong,” Will warned. “We should treat this as a real kidnapping. We have no proof that she left on her own accord.”

  “Young man, she’s my daughter and I’m coming with you. Your men can forward the call to me if one comes in. Do not share this information with my wife until we are sure what is happening. Is that understood?” the Ambassador said to the group.

  Hannah’s eyes narrowed at Will as he left. He couldn’t blame her for being angry with him. He’d thought she was interfering at first, not offering help. Even worse was that it was his father who believed her first. He had a feeling he’d pay for that later.

  HANNAH DIDN’T BOTHER to go back to the reception. Furious with Will, she had had enough. That he wouldn’t give her a moment to explain infuriated her. As if she didn’t appreciate how important his work was. Then he’d made her look like an idiot in front of Rafe and the rest of the people in the kitchen, including his father.

  Men are stupid. She grabbed her coat from the woman who had checked it near the entrance, and headed outside. The weather had been horrendous, so she’d taken a cab to get there. Now she needed another one to get home.

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry, we’re in lockdown. No one can leave the premises.” One of the guards at the door put a hand on her arm.

  Hannah took a deep breath. “I know Captain Hughes.” At least for the moment, she thought bitterly. “I have the beginning of a migraine and I feel quite ill.” It wasn’t a lie. She was beyond pissed at him, and her head was banging like a kettledrum. “I really need to go home.”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “She’s okay. I checked,” the other guard interrupted.

  “Thanks.” She gave him a grateful smile. “Do you know how I can get a taxi?”

  “We’ll take care of it,” said the guard who’d tried to stop her.

  The security men at the door arranged for one to pick her up outside the gate. Thankfully, the sidewalk heading to the street had been shoveled, but that didn’t keep her from sliding in her six-inch Louboutins and landing flat on her butt.

  “Ma’am, are you all right?” One of the security guards from the gate ran toward her.

  “Careful. It’s slick right—” she tried to warn him as he slid to a stop a foot away.

  He held out his hand.

  “Thanks.” She gave him a tight nod.

  “You’re the captain’s woman.” He smiled.

  His woman? She knew it was just an expression but still it bothered her. Right now she didn’t feel like Will believed in her at all. “He’s a friend,” she said as he helped her up.

  “We got a kick out of those pictures in the paper. It was kind of nice to see him having some fun. I saw him smile the other day when he was talking to you on the phone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do that. Even with Rafe, and he’s his best friend. He’s always so serious.”

  Hannah thought back over the past few days. He’d smiled a lot when he was around her. They had a couple of moments that were tense but for the most part it was easygoing.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  The marine had offered his arm and she took it as they walked the last few feet toward the cab.

  “Yes, ma’am. Anything.”

  “How many men are in your unit?”

  “My direct unit is thirty men—well, there’s one woman—but the captain commands over a thousand most days. We lost about twenty in a special team he put together to save some Iraqi women in a shelter a few months ago and he really took that hard. Insurgents bombed the place while the captain and the men were shuttling the women to the buses. It was bad. Captain Hughes also took a couple of bullets to the shoulder but he never stopped. He didn’t leave a single man behind, even when he had to—” Abruptly the marine stopped.

  “What?” The gunshots explained the scars she’d seen.

  “Ma’am, it’s not right to talk about that stuff in polite company. Captain Hughes will reprimand me for saying what I have. I’ve got a big mouth.”

  “Please, I want to know.”

  “If he finds out I told you, I won’t be worth knowing.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Private Scott, ma’am.”

  “I promise you, Private Scott, that I will never say a word about what you tell me tonight. I swear it.”

  He eyed her warily.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “Even though he was injured, he ordered the bus to go on. Then he and Rafe, along with the remaining marines, picked up the pieces and made sure everyone was identified when they were brought back to base.”

  The pieces of men.

  Hannah blinked back tears. It felt as if her stomach was slowly inching its way toward her throat. She heard about the horrors of war all the time, but Will had lived it. The man had suffered two gunshot wounds and still he wouldn’t stop.

  “He’s a good man. Refused to quit. That is until he nearly passed out and the lieutenant forced him down so the medics could do their job. There isn’t a one of us who wouldn’t die for him. Just today, there was a threat to the ambassador and here we are safe and sound, thanks to the captain. He’s what being a marine is all about.”

  Opening the door of the cab, he ushered Hannah inside.

  “Private Scott, thank you for telling me and thank you for everything you do.”

  “It’s our job, ma’am. You stay warm.” He shut the door.

  Hannah gave her address to the driver. It wasn’t long before the tears fell and there was no way she could stop them. Here she’d been angry with him for not taking her seriously, but this was
a guy who dealt with the worst the universe had to offer every day of his life. For all she knew he could be right about someone taking Regan. She hadn’t been that worried before, but now she was.

  Will had been short with her, but only so he could do his job in the most efficient way possible. If she’d been smart, she would have asked to speak to him privately for just a few seconds.

  No. That probably wouldn’t have worked, either. She wasn’t sure how she could have made the situation better, but she felt certain she was right about Regan. The boy was gone, too, so her instincts screamed that they were together.

  She hoped her gut didn’t fail her this time.

  17

  WILL SAT UP WITH A JERK. The nightmare was back. His men blown to bits before his eyes. Heart racing, he forced himself to inhale slowly. When his phone rang, he jumped.

  Easy there, Marine.

  He checked the ID of the caller and answered.

  “Rafe? It’s five a.m. I’ve been asleep exactly two hours. This had better be good.”

  “I have a way for you to make up with Hannah.”

  Will wished he weren’t so interested. He’d hated the way he treated her but he’d only been doing his job. A girl’s life was at stake and there wasn’t time to waste on guesses. Though, of course, Hannah had been right on the money. Damn. He owed her. “Tell me.”

  “Tag and his officers found the clothing. They made a significant bust. Seems these Hags you were talking about weren’t so careful about hiding the stuff. Tag found the warehouse where they were storing everything and then played one against the others to get full confessions out of all of them.”

  Will smiled. “What happens with the clothes?”

  Rafe grunted. “There’s a small catch there. The clothes are in evidence and will be for the next forty-eight hours. Then Tag says they can be released.”