He didn’t want to go. He’d have to be social, have to pretend nothing was eating him up inside while he laughed and flirted with the waitresses.
And then, because it pissed him off that he’d even considered saying no when he never would have before, he said, “Yeah, I’m going.”
Cash did his workout, cleaned up, and headed out for Buddy’s. Everyone was there when he walked in. The noise practically knocked him back through the door when he opened it. Laughter and voices swarmed over him in an aural wave that froze him on the spot. He started to turn and go, but Viking waved at him.
Cash walked inside, let the door shut behind him, and headed over to their group, which was gathered around a couple of tables. Alpha Squad was there and Echo as well. The tables were packed with operators and their significant others. Cash surveyed the scene as he strode over.
Viking and Ivy. Cage and Christina. Cowboy and Miranda. Richie Rich and Evie. Knight Rider and Georgie. Billy the Kid and Olivia. Kev and Lucky. Hawk and Gina, as incognito as she could possibly be in a bar with a hat hiding all that famous blond hair. Brandy and Victoria. Iceman and Grace. Flash and Emily. Fiddler and Sophie. Double Dee and Annabelle. The only ones missing were Mendez and Kat, but nobody really expected the commander and his lady to hang out with the operators.
Ghost was there too, but over in a corner with a leggy brunette with long, daggerlike nails. The deputy commander liked to drop in from time to time, check things out. At least Ian Black wasn’t there, though Cash wouldn’t put it past him to show up. Not that anybody really liked Black.
Especially not Cash, since one of the times he’d been on an operation with Black, he’d taken a shot in the arm when a group of tribal nomads tried to kill them all in the desert. That was when they’d rescued Christina and a group of civilians who’d gotten caught in Qu’rim when the rebels took the capital city of Baq.
“Hey, Cash Money,” Camel said, ambling over from the pool table, cue stick still in his hand. Blade was still playing pool with their other teammates, Ryan “Dirty Harry” Callahan and Zack “Neo” Anderson.
“Hey, man.”
Camel had a beer in his other hand. “Remember those girls I told you about?”
Cash frowned. “Not really, no.”
Camel tipped his head to the bar where two busty blondes with short skirts sat drinking fruity drinks.
“Not interested, Camel. Get one of the other guys to join you. Or, hell, take them both home and have a great time.”
Camel shook his head. “Dude, you still pining after your princess?”
Cash’s gut boiled. “Nope, not pining at all. Just not interested.”
Camel closed the distance between them until they were inches apart. Cash didn’t move.
“Know what I think?” Camel asked.
“Nope. Don’t care either.”
“Man, you’re an idiot, you know that? Ella is amazing, and you’re the lucky jackass who got to pluck her off that road and marry her. You spent a whole week using every excuse in the book to be alone with her—I know you weren’t playing checkers in that bedroom—and now you aren’t interested in hot, easy, no-strings sex when it’s staring you in the face? Yeah, you’re hung up over your princess. Wishing you could take her to bed and do every dirty thing you can think of with her instead of one of those ladies at the bar.”
“Camel,” he growled, considering punching the dude in the nose and to hell with it. “Get out of my face with that shit. And don’t talk about Ella like that.”
“Like what, jerk-off? I got nothing but mad respect for that gorgeous babe. You’re the one with the dirty mind where she’s concerned.”
“She’s still my wife. I’m allowed.”
Camel snorted. “You’re in over your head, Money. I don’t know what the hell you did, but you need to pull your head out of your ass and get to her hotel room before one of Hawk’s dudes romances her out from under you.”
Cash blinked. And blinked. His heart twisted in his chest. His belly churned. He thought of Ella beneath him, her eyes closed in blissful enjoyment, her lower lip caught between her teeth before she stiffened and let out a short, sharp cry of pleasure. Her breasts jiggled, her pussy gripped him hard as her orgasm rolled over her, and he couldn’t get enough of her reaction.
He’d made it last on purpose. Teased and tormented her into just one more second of bliss. He’d thought, when his dick was inside her body and his tongue in her mouth, that there was nowhere else he’d rather be in this world.
He missed that feeling. Wanted it back again. Hell, he didn’t know if it was love—didn’t think it was, actually—but he was willing to find out. Or maybe he didn’t know shit and this was love. He still didn’t trust that the rug wouldn’t be yanked out from under him. He didn’t trust because he’d learned not to as a kid. His mother leaving. His stepmother ignoring him unless she wanted to prove to his dad that she cared before ignoring him again. People who were supposed to care couldn’t be trusted. They had agendas, and not one of those agendas was in his best interest.
But Ella. Jesus, sweet Ella. She had no reason whatsoever to need him now. To want him. She was a princess with money of her own. She didn’t need a Navy SEAL. She needed some dude who could treat her right.
You can treat her right, Cash. Wealth or lack of it has nothing to do with this.
He glanced at Hawk and Gina. They were happy. Their hands were always entwined, or their arms were around each other. They touched and kissed. And Gina had more money than God. Didn’t seem to bother Hawk.
“Hey, man—you okay?” Camel asked.
Cash shook his head and focused on his teammate. Clarity was a blinding thing when it finally struck—and it had thanks to this dumb jerk. Cash grinned. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I could totally kiss you right now.”
Camel backed up a couple of steps. “Dude, you’ve lost your mind.”
“No, I think I’ve found it.” He settled for wrapping a shocked Camel in a quick bear hug. And then, because Cash loved a good joke as well as anyone, he planted a kiss on Camel’s cheek.
“Aw, fucking hell,” Camel said. “You just cost me a hot night with those two ladies.”
“Nah, I doubt it. They might even think you’re hotter now.”
Cash strode over to where Alpha Squad sat. Hawk looked up at him with interest. Gina stood and gave him a hug.
“Honey,” she said softly. “How are you?”
“Fine, thanks.”
“But not with Ella.” She sighed. “I had such hopes.”
Cash shook his head. “You always have hopes. You’d pair off everyone in this bar if you could.”
Gina flashed her megawatt smile. “I’d like to try.”
“How’s it going, Money?” Hawk asked.
“I need to see Ella. Can you get your guys to let me in? But don’t tell her I’m on my way,” he added.
Hawk took out his phone. “Sure. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”
“Thanks.”
Cash took his keys from his pocket and flipped them around his finger while waiting for Hawk to give him the all clear. A few seconds later, it came.
“Good luck,” Hawk said. Gina smiled a knowing smile and Cash gave her a salute.
“You’re diabolical,” he told her. “But smart.”
Gina laughed. “Go get your girl, Cash. You can thank me later.”
Cash headed out to the parking lot and climbed into his Mustang with the bullet hole he hadn’t gotten fixed yet. He needed to, but it was like erasing Ella somehow. He took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was going to say to her when he got there, or if she’d even listen.
Still, it was a twenty-minute ride. He’d think of something. He had to.
* * *
It had been a long day. Ella kicked her shoes off and walked into the exquisite master bath of her hotel suite. When she got there, she frowned at her reflection. Her eyes were sad, her expression dark and unhappy.
W
hy?
She’d gotten more than she’d hoped for when she’d run from her wedding day. She’d just wanted her freedom. She’d gotten so much more—and with it came restrictions of a different kind.
She was sought after by reporters, bankers, lawyers, companies wanting sponsorship deals. She had to deal with the tangled mess of the Rossi estate while also trying to discern if the people advising her were giving the best advice. Since they’d come with a recommendation from Gina, she thought they were.
Yet after so many years of being uninvolved, it was her responsibility to make sure she understood everything her lawyers wanted.
First there was the Virginia estate to deal with. She thought of keeping it but ultimately decided it had to go. She’d never been happy there. Why prolong her memories by tossing out her aunt and uncle and cousins and moving back in? She hated the place and all it represented, so it was going on the market.
Then there was the purchase of a new home. She didn’t want a mansion. She wanted something much smaller, more easily managed. She’d been to Gina and Hawk’s home on the Eastern Shore. She liked it. It was a big house, but not a huge house. Built in the style of a historic home—or renovated, she wasn’t sure which—it was classic and elegant. A real home instead of a showy place meant to impress guests.
That’s what she wanted, so she set her lawyers and her real estate agent to the task of finding such a place—or finding property where she could build. A view was imperative. Security was imperative.
There was the money to deal with as well. Her aunt and uncle had run down the family fortunes quite a bit, but only so far as they could get their hands on it. There were vast sums they’d been unable to touch. She didn’t know how they’d intended to obtain them, though she thought it might have had something to do with her marriage. Perhaps they’d agreed to split the money with Sheikh Fahd.
She’d come into her fortune at the age of twenty-one, but there were other sums in trust that she could not reach until she was twenty-five. Perhaps her parents had known what kind of people her aunt and uncle were after all.
Whatever the case, Ella now had more money than she could ever spend. She was rich—and she was still alone. Her parents were never coming back. Her aunt and uncle and cousins despised her.
And Cash… Oh God, Cash. The man she loved with all her being, even though she’d been telling herself for a week now that it wasn’t real. That she’d been silly and virginal and that he was right after all. She needed more experience. More time. She should totally be fucking the hot bodyguard that Hawk had provided her—
But she couldn’t. She wanted Cash, not Ben. Ben was indeed hot—but he wasn’t Cash. Wasn’t the man who’d been so sweet and tender with her, who’d taken her virginity and still made the experience pleasurable.
Oh God, she missed him.
Ella pinched her cheeks to stop the tears and dragged in a few deep breaths. She would get over this. She would.
She changed into a pair of silk pajama pants and a silky tank, then tied a robe over her sleepwear. She slipped on a pair of fuzzy mule slippers, feeling decadent in the small heel with the furry pom-pom on top.
Tonight she was reading a book and going to bed early. Tomorrow she’d start again with the estate management.
Ella settled onto the couch. There was a knock on the door of the suite. Her bodyguard was in the living area and would answer it. It was probably room service. She’d ordered a salad and steak—she’d wanted the pasta, but it made her think of Cash so she’d impulsively picked steak. She waited for Ben to let her know her food was here.
There was a pop and a crash and Ella shot to her feet, her heart pounding. A moment later, the door burst open.
It wasn’t Ben at all. A man dressed in hotel livery stalked toward her. Except he held a gun instead of a steak. And it was pointed at her.
Chapter 28
Cash took the elevator up to Ella’s floor. His heart had started to pound when he walked into the lobby. This place was for rich people, not people like him. Ella was not only rich, she was also royal. What the hell would she want him in her life for?
Still, he was determined to see this through. If she told him to get out when he stood in front of her again, well, he’d know, wouldn’t he? He’d know he’d been right all along and that her love for him had been a scam.
He more than half expected her to kick him out. Ella was young, inexperienced, and there was no way she’d be satisfied with a man like him for the rest of her life. She only thought she was in love. Probably, in the past five days, she’d realized she’d only been infatuated. She had a new bodyguard now, a guy with all the same basic equipment Cash had—maybe he was warming Ella’s bed and making her body sing every night now.
The thought was an acid bath to Cash’s stomach. He didn’t want anyone else touching Ella. The idea of it made him want to smash something.
He reached her floor and headed down the hallway. Before he got to her door, however, some instinct he’d honed over years as a SEAL ghosted through him. He drew his weapon. A moment later, her hotel door loomed ahead, a slice of light coming through the cracked opening. Cash charged, sweeping the gun around him as he went.
He flattened himself against the wall and waited. What he really wanted was to kick the door open, but he told himself to be calm. To assess the space first. He spent a few seconds peering inside, shifting his angle until he made out a hand. A male hand.
Fuck.
He kicked the door open and burst into the room, sweeping it with the weapon as he moved quickly through the suite.
There was no Ella. Her bodyguard lay on the floor, a room service cart upended beside him. Blood spilled in a puddle around his body.
Cash returned and stooped to check the guy’s pulse. It was there, but thready. He dialed 911 as he ripped the tablecloth from the cart wreckage and went to work trying to stabilize the man on the floor. Once he’d stanched the blood flow, he dialed Hawk.
“Hunter,” the former HOT sniper said.
“Got a situation here,” Cash replied. Then he reported in rapid succession what he’d found and what the status of Hawk’s man was.
“Be right there. Don’t move.”
Cash let his gaze slide over the room, looking for anything he might have missed. Panic clamored on the other side of the walls he’d erected, trying to get through and rattle his calm.
Where was Ella?
Who had her?
Was she still alive?
The paramedics arrived, along with hotel security, and went to work. Security peppered Cash with annoying questions that weren’t going to help find Ella. By the time Hawk arrived, his man was being wheeled out. Hawk burst inside, looking like a thundercloud.
“Where’s Robert?” he asked.
Cash blinked. “Robert?” Hawk couldn’t mean the man on the gurney because he’d seen his face and would have known who it was. “That guy was the only one I found. Are you telling me there was another?”
Hawk nodded. “I had a two-man team on her. Fuck!”
Cash was trying to stay numb. Trying to stay cool. “Think he did this?”
Hawk looked furious. “Maybe. I hope to hell not.” Hawk swore again. “All my guys undergo rigorous background checks.”
About that time, a man rushed through the door, looking a bit wild-eyed as he surveyed the scene. He wore dark jeans and a button-down shirt. There was a holster on his belt with a Glock tucked inside.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You tell me, man,” Hawk said, his jaw clenched. “Where the fuck did you go? Two-man team at all times,” he finished, his voice hard and unforgiving.
“I—” The guy, whom Cash could only assume was Robert, swallowed. “My wife’s cheating on me,” he said. “I got a text that she was headed for a hotel with her lover. I went to get evidence.”
Hawk exploded. “You never fucking leave a mission until it’s over. Jesus Christ, Robert, you know that. You were a Ranger.”
“She threatened to take my kids,” Robert yelled back. “I can’t let that happen.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to follow her around now. You’re fired,” Hawk ground out.
Cash wanted to go medieval on the guy’s ass, but there were more important things to worry about.
“Fuck him,” Cash said to Hawk. “We have to find Ella.”
Hawk nodded, his eyes still flashing with anger. “We’ll start with the security footage. I’ll get my team on it.”
Cash started for the door.
“Where are you going?” Hawk asked.
Cash turned back to him. “HQ. I need to get my team—and prepare for a mission.”
* * *
Ella managed to stay cool—in spite of the man with the gun, in spite of the hood over her head, in spite of the fact she’d seen Ben sprawled on the floor and clutching a gunshot wound.
But the minute she realized she was inside a plane was the minute her cool evaporated. The plane sped down the runway and then lifted into the air. A few minutes later, the hood was yanked from her face. Her hair covered her eyes, but she blew it away until she could see.
Aunt Flavia stood there with a sour look on her haughty face, her arms crossed, anger evident in every tense muscle of her body.
“You little bitch,” she hissed. “How dare you think you can steal from us! After everything we did for you. After we raised you as our own and tried to give you a good life.”
Hot outrage bubbled inside her. “I did not steal anything from you—you stole from me!”
Ella didn’t see her aunt’s hand dart out until it was too late. The slap across her face knocked her head to the side. Her bones rattled and a throbbing began in her left temple. Her hair was in her face again, but this time she didn’t get a chance to blow it away.
Her aunt slapped her from the other side and then grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked hard until Ella saw stars.
“Ungrateful, evil little bitch,” her aunt spat out. “You don’t deserve the Rossi name. You never have. That horrendous mother of yours—” Aunt Flavia gave up trying to speak and made angry noises instead.
HOT SEAL Bride Page 20
