“This isn’t over. You better watch your fucking back.”
Before he could respond, she spun on her spike heel and marched out of the court.
Chapter Ten
After the hearing, everyone went back to Lanore’s apartment to celebrate. December didn’t even feel out of place. She was Dante’s girlfriend, so she belonged, and she couldn’t be happier for Tamera and Dante.
They danced, and played games, and December had made a cake and Tamera squealed because she got to help, and because she could never get enough fancy cake.
It was a fabulous time.
But the specter of Shonda still hung over the whole thing, even if everybody felt it but didn’t acknowledge it.
The next afternoon, Tyson came over to December’s temporary digs as Dante was spending time with her before he left for work.
“Hey man. Sorry to interrupt,” Tyson said. “But we need to talk about what happens next.”
He pulled a chair from the two-person dining table, flipped it backwards and straddled it.
“Yeah,” Dante said. “We probably should.”
“As much as I’d love to, I can’t stay forever. I gotta get back to the team. Compass called and said they need me back.”
The pained expression on Dante’s face made December’s heart hurt for him. He missed his guys and his job.
“When?” Dante asked.
“I can stay two more days. Think we can put an end to this by then?”
“Um, what do you guys mean ‘put an end to this’? You’re not going to…uh…kill anyone, are you?” December asked.
Dante and Tyson looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. December wasn’t comfortably sure if that meant yes or no.
“Only if they try to kill us first,” Tyson said.
“Not what I wanted to hear,” December said. “I mean, I know people shoot at you guys as part of your job. I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact that’s what my boyfriend does for a living.”
Tyson reached across and patted her knee. “You’ll get used to it. And don’t worry, we’re the fucking best at what we do. Just think of it as Chill going to the office, putting in his time, then coming home.”
Until he doesn’t. Maybe she should talk to some other SEAL wives or girlfriends to see how they deal with that uncertainty.
“Speaking of going to work,” Dante said. “I’ve got to go now. Let’s put our heads together tomorrow and see what we come up with.”
“You got it,” Tyson said waggling his brows. “So, you want me to stay here and watch your girl while you’re at work?”
“Hell no, bro. Go back to my grandmother’s couch.”
Tyson busted out laughing, then stood and spun the chair back to the table. “You got it, man.”
After Tyson left, Dante headed for the door, too. December joined him to kiss him goodbye.
“Lock the door after I leave,” he said. “And don’t open it without checking the peephole and don’t open it unless you know who it is.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know.”
“I just want you to be safe.”
“I will be.”
He held her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes and everything she saw in those pale blue depths made her toes tingle and her heart sing. She’d never met anyone who made her feel the way Dante did, and although she wasn’t ready to call it love, she was happy to call it extreme like.
Finally, he kissed her, then kissed her again, then wrapped her in his arms and added some tongue, until she was ready to drag him to the bedroom for a quickie before work.
But he broke the kiss and said, “I’m gonna go now, or I never will.”
Out in the hall he waited for her to lock the door before he took off, and she spent the rest of the evening watching Cupcake Wars—knowing she could win the hell out of it—doing dishes, then snuggling up in bed.
She’d got used to Dante being in her bed, and though she wanted to go home, it felt like a step backwards without him. When she’d first moved into his building, he’d stayed on the couch, but that had only lasted a couple of nights, and now it would be lonely to go back to sleeping alone.
Rusty sighed and curled up by her side, his warm little body a welcome comfort, but no substitute for Dante.
She patted his little head. “Sorry bud, but I miss Dante.”
Sometime in the night, after she’d drifted off, a bleating alarm jerked her out of sleep. She slapped at the nightstand to snooze the clock, but the sound didn’t stop. She slid her hand around trying to find her phone, but when she found it and peeled one eye open to look at it, the thing was dark.
The noise continued—blat, blat, blat—an ear-blasting siren that dragged her into full consciousness.
Once she was awake, she smelled the smoke and realized it was the fire alarm
“Holy shit.”
Everything appeared dark and calm in the living room/kitchen combo of the apartment, but little wisps of smoke curled in under the front door.
She ran back to the bedroom and scrambled into a hoodie and sweats, stuffed her feet into sneakers, snapped a leash on Rusty, stuffed her phone in her pocket, then froze, torn what to do. She went to the living room window and shoved it open, planning to climb down the fire escape. But her conscience wouldn’t allow her to abandon Dante’s family.
Spinning on her heel, she sprinted for the front door, but somewhere in her burgeoning panic, she remembered to check for heat before throwing it open. It wasn’t hot, so she checked the peephole. She didn’t see any roaring flames, so she opened the door.
The door to Lanore’s apartment burst open and Tyson barreled out.
“Thank god,” he said. “I was just coming to get you. Help me with Lanore and Tamera.”
Lanore looked terrified and fragile in her slippers and house coat, and Tamera’s frazzled hair and panicked eyes sparked December’s protective instincts.
“Stay here. I’m going to check the stairs. If they’re not clear, we use the fire escape,” Tyson said.
People poured out of the other apartments, screaming and crying, confused, coughing, and in general chaos.
Tyson weaved around them, telling them to stay put or use their fire escapes, while December stayed with Lanore and held tight to both Rusty’s leash and Tamera’s hand.
Even from where they stood, December watched smoke pour up the stairs like a funnel while Tyson stood at the top with the neck of his shirt over his nose and mouth, shaking his head.
Tyson used his SEAL voice—or what December assumed was his SEAL voice—to be heard above the crowd and take command.
“Listen up everybody.” The hallway quieted some, aside from whimpering, choking and roaring flames down below. “We can’t take the stairs. They’re blocked. Go back into your apartments and use the fire escapes down the side of the building, Check the windows at the end of the hall, too.”
Everyone scrambled to comply, and as December urged their little group back into Lanore’s apartment to check the fire escape, she started to hear voices acknowledging alternate means of escape.
Tyson returned to meet them. To December he said, “Get them down the fire escape. Shut the door behind you so the smoke and flames aren’t sucked in. I’m going to check these other folks to make sure they get out. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay,” December said. Having something to do, and people to be responsible for, helped calm her pounding heart. She didn’t dare look down the hall to see if the fire had crept up to their floor. She just focused on getting them out.
Inside Lanore’s apartment, she shut the door behind them, making sure it stayed unlocked so Tyson could follow if he didn’t get out another way.
Smoke hung in the air and stung her eyes and throat. Tamera and Lanore coughed. Tamera sobbed at her side, clinging to her hand.
They hurried to the window in the living room, and threw it open on the fire escape.
“Okay, Lanore, you first,” Dece
mber said.
“Never thought I’d have to use one of these things,” she said as she climbed out into the night air. December worried about Lanore’s slippers and dangling nightgown and house coat. She hoped the older woman wouldn’t trip and fall.
Once Lanore had started down a few steps on the ladder, December turned to Tamera. “Okay, sweetie, your turn.”
Tamera shook her head. “I’m too scared.”
“I’m scared too. I’m sure your grandma is too. But it’s more dangerous to stay in here. How about I go first and you come right after me and I’ll keep you safe.”
Tamera didn’t look convinced, but she nodded her head.
December made a quick noose-like halter with Rusty’s leash and looped it around her neck, then stuffed his little body into the zippered opening of her hoodie. Hopefully he’d stay put.
She climbed out on to the fire escape and Tamera followed. As December climbed backwards down the ladder, she cradled Tamera in front of her so the girl felt safe.
The harrowing climb down past the blown-out windows of apartments filled with raging flames pushed both December and Tamera to move faster. December was sure the blazing heat would cook the sides of their faces.
In the distance, December heart rescue sirens wailing.
But they made it down in one piece. At the bottom, Tamera squeezed her tight.
“We have to find Grammy,” she said.
“And Tyson.”
It didn’t take long to find Lanore huddled with some of her neighbors. December left Tamera with her to search for Tyson. She found him around the other side of the building, giving first aid to burn victims.
By that time the rescue sirens had arrived and discontinued, but the flashing lights and commanding voices of the firefighters and ambulance personnel joined the chaos of the building’s residents.
A team of EMTs hurried around the side of the building and took over for Tyson.
“Where’s Lanore and Tamera?” Tyson asked.
“I left Tamera with Lanore to make sure you made it out okay.”
“Let’s go find them,” Tyson said. The urgency in his voice scared her. Suddenly it occurred to her she shouldn’t have left them alone.
“Oh, God,” she said. “I hope they’re okay.”
At the front of the building they searched among the people milling around. December found Lanore sitting on the curb, holding her head.
Tamera was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Tamera?” Tyson asked.
“Shonda and that man snuck up on me,” Lanore said. “He hit me over the head and I must have passed out. They took Tamera.”
“Shit,” Tyson swore.
December’s knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Tamera had been her responsibility, and she’d failed her. She should have known Tyson could take care of himself. He didn’t need her. Tamera did. And now she was gone.
Just then Dante materialized out of the crowd, carrying a med kit, searching frantically. When he saw them, he headed straight for them. It only took a moment before he realized Tamera was missing.
“Where is she?” he asked.
Lanore shook her head. “Shonda got her.”
“This whole thing was a setup to snatch her,” Tyson said. “They burned the building to flush us out and when we weren’t watching, they took her.”
Dante threw his case to the ground and poked at Tyson’s chest. “It was your goddammed job to keep her safe. Where were you?”
Tyson stood there and took it, but December couldn’t let him. She didn’t really want that anger directed at her, but she understood it wasn’t as much anger as distress. It was her fault, and she’d be damned if she’d let someone else take the blame, even if it meant hurting her fragile new relationship.
“Stop yelling at him,” December said.
“You stay out of this, December. It’s between me and Tyson.”
“No, it’s not. It was me, not him. I left Tamera with Lanore to be sure Tyson got out of the building.”
Dante turned his attention to her, sadness and anger and confusion in his eyes. But then he turned back to Tyson. “Why’d you leave them alone?”
“Jesus, Dante,” December said. “He couldn’t let everyone else in the building die. He was helping other people. I was in charge of Tamera. I was the one who fucked it up.”
Tyson shook his head. “Naw. I’m here for one purpose, and I let it that bitch get me off task.”
“Good glory,” Lanore said. “While y’all are fighting over who’s more to blame, Shonda’s getting away with Tamera.”
Dante closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “She’s right,” he said, popping his eyes open again. “I’m pretty sure I know where she took Tamera, but we need a plan.”
“Let’s go back to my place,” December said. “We can talk about it there.”
Chapter Eleven
December’s sister was home when they got to the apartment, but Dante didn’t acknowledge her. His mind had turned to chaos, like a mental hurricane with his overwhelming fear for Tamera in the center.
His chill was gone, and in its place a cold, hard lump of fear. His brother had trusted him to keep his precious little girl safe, and Dante had failed.
All he could think about was getting her back, but the how and details swirled around in that hurricane. He couldn’t pin down any specific thoughts, other than to focus on all the awful things Shonda and the creeps she was involved with would do to Tamera.
Tyson snapped his fingers in front of Dante’s face. “Hey, man. Get your head outta your ass. We’ll never find her if you can’t focus.”
Dante nodded. Tyson was right. What the fuck was wrong with him? He was a SEAL for fuck’s sake.
“Let’s plan,” Tyson said, sitting at one of the couches.
December sat at the other end of the couch, folding her legs under her. He was only peripherally aware of what the others were doing. June and Lanore disappeared into the kitchen. December blamed herself, and he was so pissed his first thought was that she should. But he wanted to blame Tyson and Lanore, too.
Mostly, he blamed himself.
Rage swirled in his belly like acid.
December had been quiet the whole trip back, and now she curled in on herself. Part of him wanted to comfort her because somewhere in his heart he knew he was falling for her. But he couldn’t face it right now.
He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, then let it out. He took another, and let it out, forcing the swirling thoughts to calm. It did Tamera no good to spin his wheels.
“Okay,” he said glancing first at December, then focusing on Tyson. “Let’s do it.”
“Um,” December’s voice came timid from the other end of the couch. “Shouldn’t you report her missing to the police?”
Tyson snorted. “They won’t do shit.”
“So you’re just going to Rambo the hell out of it?” she asked.
“Rambo was as pussy compared to us,” Tyson said, then grinned.
December smirked.
“I know where they took her,” Dante said, bringing things back on topic. Every second they joked around, Tamera was in danger. “It’s a building in the warehouse district I staked out a while ago.”
“How many entrances?” Tyson asked. “Any idea how many people inside? What kind of weapons they have? Can we take it just the two of us?”
“Two entrances—one front, one back. No idea how many people coming and going on a regular basis. My suspicion—and it’s only a suspicion—is that they’re engaged in human trafficking. Probably not the only thing they’re into, but I haven’t dug into all the information Tex sent on Shonda yet, so I don’t know if any of it has to do with this operation.”
Dante really, really hoped his suspicion was ridiculous, paranoid fantasy. But they had to behave as if it weren’t because…what if he was right?
“So we’d be better off if we had more guys with us,” Tyson said.
“Buck�
��s team and Wolf’s team are on mission. We might get one or two of our guys, but it’ll take them a day or so to get here. By that time, Tamera could be anywhere.”
“I have an idea,” December said.
Tyson looked at her a moment before Dante did. He’d been so engrossed in planning, he’d forgotten she was there.
“What?” Dante asked.
“You need more help, and you don’t want to have to wait for it. How about the Windy City Wreckers?”
“Your derby team?” Dante snorted.
She actually gave him a sour look. “You don’t have to sound so incredulous.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. They didn’t have time for this nonsense. “We need realistic suggestions. I can’t put a bunch of untrained ladies in danger. And these people are dangerous.”
“I’m not suggesting the entire team invade the building. That would be irresponsible. But we have an active duty police officer and two ex-military on the team who could be helpful.”
Tyson nodded. “That could work.”
Dante considered it for a moment. It wasn’t optimal, but presumably a cop and two ex-military were trained, and better than nothing. “Okay. Give them a call.”
She pulled out her phone. “You know I’m going too, right?”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s too dangerous. You’ll stay here with June and Lanore.”
June snort-laughed from the kitchen.
“You’re an idiot if you expect her to stay here just because you said so,” June said.
It was a bad idea, and at moments like this he wished December was softer and more compliant. But then she wouldn’t be December, and he wouldn’t be in love with her.
“How about you drive, then?” Dante asked. “I can’t allow you to participate in the raid. If you insist on coming, you either drive or just sit in the car and wait.”
“I’ll drive.”
After calling her friends, December took off to secure transportation. An hour later the three women—Darcy Kent the cop, Roxie Acosta former Marine Sergeant, Kara Harm former Army Lieutenant—had arrived and Tyson and Dante brought them up to speed on the plan they’d come up with.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: December Chill (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Sealed With A Kiss Series Book 4) Page 10
