SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style

by Sharon Hamilton

  Oh, God, she knew.

  “I can’t…I’m sorry…” She broke from Mack’s grip and stumbled backwards.

  Before she could stop herself, she ran. Fast. Hard. Her heavy boots pounded the dirt. She dove inside the helicopter and fast-crawled toward the back. Cradling her stomach, she willed herself not to throw up.

  “It’s okay.” Mack was there. Pulling his gloves off with his teeth, he caressed her cheek. “Breathe, nice and easy. That was brutal out there, but you’re safe. Look at me, Jenna.”

  She couldn’t take her eyes off her new boots. The soles were blood-stained. “Roberto…is he…did he die?”

  “Roberto?”

  “The man Ty is working on. Will he make it?”

  Mack’s silence was answer enough.

  “What about the others? Some of them had to survive. Please, Mack. Tell me the truth.”

  “Shit.” He dragged the word out slowly. “Those guys were your backup team.”

  Her head shot up. “Yes.”

  He slammed his fist into the seat next to him. “You sent them a text, didn’t you? That’s what you were typing. I can’t believe it. You sat in this helicopter and told them exactly where we’d land. Holy shit, Jenna, what were you thinking?”

  He was mad at her? “Good thing I was thinking! We might be dead now if my men hadn’t showed up. They saved us.”

  “Saved us? Don’t you get it?” His voice came through her plugged up ears nice and clear. “Your men gave our coordinates to CRAF guerrillas! That text got us ambushed. We could have been killed!”

  Her heart pounded in her throat. “You don’t know that! My guys tried to save us.”

  Tension tightened the cords in his neck. His face was inches from hers. “One of your saviors was a guerilla spy.”

  “Impossible! They work for me.”

  “Worked, Jenna, they’re all dead now.” He punched the seat again and crawled out of the helicopter.

  *

  Mack stomped through the brush. Dammit! The woman almost killed him. For real this time. She could’ve killed them all. He was angry, and his body still vibrated with adrenalin, but a deep sense of relief rushed through his veins too. His girl was safe. Thinking that he’d lose her out there? That scared the living shit out of him.

  He walked slowly toward the guys. Hopefully, they extracted human intel out of “Jenna’s men” before they all expired. Shit, he still couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that she’d brought in another team. They went over this! They agreed. Wasn’t he running this show?

  No, dumb shit. What in the hell were you thinking?

  Jenna was never going to fully give up control. The mission was doomed if she didn’t trust him to get the job done. Doomed? Hell, none of them would get out alive if she didn’t stop giving the enemy their GPS coordinates.

  His cell buzzed silently in his pocket. Knowing who was calling, he ignored it. He was in no mood to placate an angry admiral. The Collins father-daughter duo was driving him insane. The text buzzed. He glanced at it.

  Where the hell is she? Call me!

  Mack’s lips twitched. “Trust me, Admiral, you don’t want to know.”

  A boot up the ass was coming for disobeying direct orders. Jenna was not in the United States, nor was she safe or sound. When Admiral Collins found out his little girl was in the middle of a gunfight, he’d murder Mack. Torture first, then murder.

  Stand in line, admiral. Your little girl might get the job done for you.

  He dropped the cell phone into his breast pocket and jogged toward his men. The guys finished clearing the area.

  Charlie checked in first. “No survivors, Mack. It was a guerilla meet and greet. They didn’t bring the hostages with them.”

  “That’s a good thing. The blast was fierce. If there were hostages, they’d be dead,” Willy added.

  Charlie holstered his gun. “How’s Jenna? She looked like she lost her best friend.”

  Mack flinched. His gaze settled on the dead bodies around them. “She knew these guys. They worked for EXtreme Adventures.”

  “No shit? Our girl’s having one helluva week.” Willy snagged a rifle and ammo from one of Jenna’s men. “Guess it’s okay to borrow since we all play for the same team.”

  Shielding his eyes, Ty stared at the helo. “Are you sure she’s okay, Mack?”

  “She’ll be fine.” He hoped it was the truth. No horror quite compared to watching men die on your command. He’d been there, done that more times than he’d like to remember, and yet, he never forgot their faces. Or the way they died. Jenna wouldn’t forget, either. She’d push the gory sights and sounds deep down and kick them under the mental rug, but the scene would play out in her nightmares like a screwed up show on a perpetual loop. The terror, self-doubts, and grief lingered like a mind-rotting infection. He wouldn’t wish that shit on an enemy. Jenna didn’t deserve it either.

  “Any intel from the last guy? Roberto. Did he have a clue about where the hostages are being held?” Mack asked.

  “He didn’t know anything more than we do. The shithead working for CRAF guerillas was named Franco. He’s dead too. Too bad Roberto decided to exact punishment before we could question him,” Tavon said.

  “Great.” Mack swiped the sweat off his face. “Worse than square one. CRAF knows we’re here. Surprise gone.”

  “Yeah, but they might think we’re all dead.” Tavon grinned. “Won’t that be a helluva surprise?”

  “Right! Willy hit them fast and hard.” Ty smacked Willy’s helmet.

  “Yes, I did.” Willy smiled, wiggling his helmet back into place. “Poor bastards didn’t have a chance to shit their pants.”

  “Or alert homebase. The chief guerilla probably thinks we’re all dead. If CRAF comes looking for their fallen comrades, we’ve got ’em. If they don’t come, we can track ’em from here. Win-win.” Ty smiled.

  “Good. Unpack the helo and let’s get a move on it while the trail is fresh,” Mack ordered.

  “What about Jenna? We can’t make her stay with the helicopter now. CRAF might come back.” Charlie’s face was screwed up with concern. What in the hell had gotten into him?

  “Yeah, I’m not leaving her.” Willy stood shoulder to shoulder with his brother. They both crossed their arms in a show of strength. The Handly brothers were serious.

  Mack grimaced. Thing One and Thing Two picked this moment to go white knights on him? They could save it. He’d already made the decision. “She’s coming with us.”

  The admiral was going to shit bricks.

  Mack wasn’t happy about it, either. The no touching rule would have to be rescinded. The new plan was to have Jenna stick to him like skin. He’d be her body armor and protect her with his life. And she’d have to do what he told her to do, whether she liked it or not.

  What could go wrong with that plan?

  Chapter Seven

  ‡

  In a matter of minutes, the guys had emptied the Knighthawk. There was a mini-argument about whether or not to throw the camouflage netting over the helo. Would CRAF guerillas believe they’d gotten the netting up before they were ambushed and killed? Ty argued that it didn’t matter. What was important was to keep their means of escape hidden from aircraft. In the end, camouflage netting covered everything they’d leave behind.

  Jenna sat on a boulder, hiding out beneath the thick trees. Part of her wished she could disappear forever. Her gaze drifted back to the bloody scene behind them. Her stomach clenched. No. Stop thinking about the bodies! Make a plan. Get it together!

  Closing her fists, she pressed them into her thighs. The light pain focused her. She repeated the mantra from her self-help CDs. You are the boss of your life. You control the outcome. In a moment like this, she realized the tapes were crap, but she could handle this. She’d have to.

  The air was thick with hot moisture. Sweat ran down her back from the muggy heat. Reaching into her pack for a water bottle, her fingers grazed a foreign object. She pulled o
ut a plastic baggie. Inside was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The sandwich had been cut into four squares, just the way she liked it. Mack made her a sandwich on the jet?

  As if knowing that she was thinking about him, he strode over. Sweat glistened on his skin. “You found my surprise?”

  “I did. Thank you.” It touched her, but she treaded lightly around Mack. Was he still mad at her? She didn’t want to think that she’d given away their location and gotten all those men killed. Questions and doubts poured acid in her empty stomach.

  Mack stood over her. “You eat. I’ll put on your make-up.”

  She stopped mid-chew. “Excuse me?”

  He lifted a small shiny box and smiled. “Your war paint. We all need to be as camouflaged as possible. Your face stands out in a crowd, babe. It’ll be a beacon in the jungle. Relax. It won’t hurt.”

  She took another bite. No one had ever put make-up on her before. Not even her mother. And did he just compliment her?

  He dipped his finger in the camouflage paint. “I’ll darken the light spots on your skin and lighten the dark to make you look less like a human, more like a tree, or shadow. Lift your hat.” She did. “Move your hair. Good. Your forehead will be dark green.”

  His fingers felt so good on her skin. She finished chewing as fast as she could and held still.

  “Shadows pool around the eyes. I’ll paint your eye sockets light colors. Get it? The coloring is the opposite of what faces usually look like. Close your eyes.”

  Taking a soft breath, she let Mack touch her wherever he wanted.

  “Now your cheeks.” His voice was softer now too. She kept her eyes closed and focused on his touch, his voice, the heat coming off him. “Your cheeks, nose and brow are all dark green. Wait, okay. There you are. You’ll blend in now.”

  Surprisingly, he touched her lips with his finger. It was almost a kiss. She opened her eyes.

  “Gorgeous,” he said quietly.

  So was he. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. “I wish I had a mirror.”

  “Here.” He turned the silver face paint canister around and she could see her distorted image in it.

  “Gorgeous? I’d say I look perfect for Halloween.”

  “I’ve got another surprise. Hold out your hand.” When she did, he put a little present in her palm.

  “Oh, Mack. A Snickers bar?” Her favorite candy bar of all time was melting and a little misshapen from being jammed down in one of his pockets, but she ripped it open and savored the first bite. “Oh…this is…mmmm.”

  He chuckled. “Later, we’ll break out the MREs.”

  “You’re not hungry?” she said with a full mouth. She licked each of her fingers.

  “Babe, I’m starved.” His gaze traveled down to her breasts and back up again. So that’s what he was hungry for. “Nothing I can do about it right now.”

  “Can I have a bite?” Willy asked.

  She choked. “Pardon? Oh, the candy bar.” She lifted her empty hands. “Sorry. It’s gone.”

  Willy laughed. “Dang, Jenna. That was two seconds.”

  “Woman likes her chocolate.” Mack winked, sending heat between her legs. “Charlie, any new intel? Movement on the LST?”

  And just like that, the sweet moment was gone.

  “Not a lot of movement. I’ve intercepted a few signals that don’t amount to much yet.” To Jenna, he explained, “I’m scanning cells, radios, all electronic signals. The directional microphone is up and running to pick up communication. If they fart, I’ll hear it.”

  “Before we go, someone should scope the trail from above,” Mack said.

  “On it.” Ty grabbed a pair of high-powered binoculars and headed up the ridge.

  “I’ll send the satellite data to your phone,” Charlie called after him.

  Ty waved and disappeared.

  Charlie shrugged. “Dude doesn’t say much, but he’s the best tracker I’ve ever seen. I’ll have the satellite feed up in two and send the video to him. Ty will compare the video to what he sees out there and we’ll have a plan in no time.”

  “Good. Everybody ready to roll once Ty gives the signal?” Mack asked.

  Tavon nodded. “We’ll be ready.”

  “Hey, Jenna. Come here,” Willy called.

  She had the distinct impression the guys were trying to make her feel better. Did they think she’d snap? Break? Her insides were still quivering from the guerilla attack, but she wasn’t fragile. She’d prove to them she wouldn’t get in the way or slow them down.

  She walked to a tarp that had been spread on the ground. Across it were a mind-boggling amount of guns and ammunition. “Wow, looks like we’ve got an arsenal.”

  Willy rubbed his hands together, as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. “Here we’ve got our grenades, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, combat shotguns, handguns, stun guns, knives of various shapes and sizes, and the most important thing of all is—”

  “This!” Charlie produced a black tablet.

  “An iPad?” Jenna asked.

  “I was going to say my one-of-a-kind Willy’s Special. The best explosives around,” Willy said.

  Charlie punched Willy in the arm. “Nah, that’s old school. Not nearly as impressive as my iPad. Wait until you see what this baby can do.”

  “What’s going on here?” Mack’s voice came from behind, sending flames licking up her spine.

  “Charlie is trying to make Jenna believe his sissy computer has more boom than my Willy’s Special.”

  “Yep. In the right hands. Well, my hands, to be exact.” Charlie casually draped his arm over Jenna’s shoulders.

  “Why don’t you take those hands off Jenna and show us what you mean?” Mack hadn’t raised his voice, but she heard the possessive rumble in it.

  Charlie raised his arms as if he was being arrested. “Sure thing. I need to send Ty the current satellite pics first, and then it will take only a few minutes to demonstrate my genius.”

  Willy snorted. “Gonna take a lifetime, bro.”

  Mack stepped closer to Jenna so that his shoulder bumped hers. She looked into his impossibly deep blue eyes. They had that edge to them that made her insides go mushy. Lord. Had she given him a hot look?

  “How are you holding up?” His gaze traveled to her lips and back up to her eyes.

  Her lips parted of their own accord. Wait, he got to touch her and look at her that way? That wasn’t fair after he made her promise to keep her eyes and hands to herself.

  She leaned slightly, very gently bumping his shoulder back. “I’m okay. I just—” She blinked away the vision of Roberto’s pale lips and the blood… “I want this to be over. Let’s find the Harmonds and go home before anyone else gets hurt.”

  Charlie rummaged around inside a black bag. He pulled out three rifles. “Gather around kiddies, the mind-blowing iPad show is about to begin.”

  “Whatever, genius,” Willy said.

  “A start-up company in Texas needed a weapons specialist with extensive computer software and hardware experience. So brilliant genius did his work, people were amazed, miracles performed, yada-yada, and I created this.” Charlie waved the tablet.

  “You created the iPad?” Mack asked.

  Willy snorted. “Sort of like Gore creating the Internet.”

  “No, no.” Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “I created the smart weapon. With this baby, I can turn an ignorant, half-blind, weak-ass slob who can barely aim a rifle—let’s just call him Willy—into an elite, long-range marksmen.” He flexed his biceps. “Who’s the man now?”

  Everyone stared at him.

  His face fell. “You guys don’t get it?”

  “Sorry, Charlie. Maybe if you slowed down a bit for us mere mortals,” Jenna said.

  “You, Jenna, are a goddess. But for the others I’ll speak slowly and use sign language. You’re looking at the world’s first integrated system—hardware, digital optics, and tracking technology designed to guide a firearm to hit a long-range target. P
recision aiming skills not required. The iPad tells you where to point and you shoot.”

  Jenna scrunched her nose. “You can shoot with the iPad?”

  “Once you download the interactive tracking mobile app and use the rifles I brought with me.” He tossed one to each of the three men.

  Mack, Willy, and Tavon all studied their rifles while Charlie rocked on his heels with anticipation. Jenna peeked over Mack’s shoulder. “What’s different about these rifles from say the ones you can buy at Wal-Mart?”

  “These rifles have a network tracking scope with a digital display interface. The laser tags moving objects. Sort of like painting them. It’s really cool. A guided trigger releases only when there is a high percentage shot. If everything lines up, the shooter fires as well as Mack does.”

  “It sounds like a video game,” Willy said.

  “It is! The scope on the rifle connects by Wi-Fi to the iOS app on the iPad. You could use your iPhone too if you download the app. You watch the scene like a live video and line up the target accurately. How would you like to be my beautiful assistant, Jenna?”

  “Mack?”

  “You sure this is safe?” Mack growled at Charlie.

  “They’ve been tested. The smart weapon goes on sale this summer at your local retailer.”

  “Freakin-A. Just the kind of thing I want to see in the hands of street thugs.” Tavon growled. “Cops barely have a chance as it is.”

  Mack gave his rifle to Jenna. “It’s okay, babe. We might need you out there to cover us. Or if things fall apart, you should know how to protect yourself.”

  She gulped. It had been a long time since she held a gun. “What do I need to do?”

  “First hold the weapon properly.” Charlie tried to step behind her, but Mack beat him to it.

  Mack pulled her against him. “Relax, babe. I’ll show you how.”

  With her back pressed into his chest, her body melted. She was able to block out the ugly visions running amok through her brain and concentrate on his strength, his warm breath in her ear. How did he do that? He calmed her nerves just by touching her. The air got hotter and sweat ran between her breasts.