She laced her fingers with his and tipped her head to the side. The thought of leaving and never seeing him again didn’t sit well. She’d had lovers before, in different locations where she’d worked. Moving on had never been an issue—until now.
Sensing the direction of her thoughts, he asked, “What’s your next assignment?”
“Suicide among Native American teens.”
“Is that a thing?” he said, frowning.
“The statistics are startling.”
“Where are you going?”
“South Dakota.” She released one of his hands and ran her fingertips over his beard. She’d loved how it had felt when he’d opened her legs and . . .
“You could come with me.” The suggestion came without thought, surprising her.
He picked her up, carried her to the bed and sat with her in his lap. “So, you’re open to having me around?”
She put her lips on his neck because she couldn’t help herself. “What can I say, you’re growing on me.”
“I’ve been gone for years. The plan was to stay—put down some roots.”
She kissed him. “Was?”
“Did I say was?”
She nodded.
“Huh,” he said. His eyes on her were serious.
“I know I promised to stay, but at some point, I’ll have to move on,” she said.
When he didn’t respond, she added, “I’m not the traditional sort,” she said. “Settling down and staying in one spot has never been something I’ve wanted.”
“Would getting married be so bad?” he asked.
What was he suggesting? “I’ve told you my views on marriage.”
Then he kissed her, and she got lost in the feelings that swirled between them. Jake was addictive. And it wasn’t just his looks. She admired things about him that had never mattered to her before: his strength, the fact that he was a gentleman with impeccable manners, his sense of honor and duty, his love for his family, the way his children adored him despite the fact that he’d been largely absent from their lives. Jake Stanton was a special man. She broke the kiss and held his face, staring at him. “Since I agreed to stay for a while, do you think you could consider my offer, too?”
He didn’t speak for quite some time. She waited, content to stare into his hazel eyes.
“Okay,” he finally said, softly.
That one word made Soleil very happy. She kissed him again. “Okay,” she repeated.
* * *
An hour or so later, they were in a two-person kayak paddling north on the Indian River Lagoon. The saltwater estuary, located between the mainland of Florida and an area that went as far north as Cocoa down to Melbourne Beach and further south, was largely shallow, twelve feet or less in a lot of areas. The surface was flat and calm all the time and home to dolphins, manatees, and a number of fish varieties. From June to September, when the water was warm, the water was bioluminescent at night. Soleil couldn’t wait to see it again with Jake.
“Are we looking for anything in particular?” she asked.
“No. Just out for a nice, relaxing paddle.”
“Right,” Soleil said, certain he was on the lookout for something specific. But they looked like locals or tourists out for the afternoon. They’d packed a cooler with water, and Jake had put snacks, along with his pistol, in an unzipped backpack that was within arm’s reach. Soleil had brought her camera along, of course. She never went anywhere without it.
“Look,” he said.
He pointed his paddle to the left, and Soleil saw a manatee come up for air. “They’re so adorable,” she said, grabbing her camera.
Jake turned the kayak so they could move towards the animal.
“You know, they come up for air every two to five minutes,” she said, “but they can stay under for as long as twenty minutes if they need to.”
“I always wondered how they sleep.”
He or she was close to the surface, so Soleil started snapping photos. “They don’t rest for long periods of time like we do. They sleep on and off all day.”
“Interesting,” Jake said. “Why are they endangered?”
“Their habitats are being destroyed by shoreline development and boat motors. And when water temps drop in the winter, even in Florida, there’s no warm water for them to move to. They congregate near power plants, but that’s not a safe environment, and there’s not enough food there.”
The manatee poked its big nose out of the water, curious about them. They laughed, and Soleil rubbed its nose.
“Must be male. Like me, he can’t resist you.”
When Soleil glanced back at him, Jake winked. The big, black animal nuzzled her hand. Soleil snapped some more pictures before it went beneath the surface again.
“What’s the solution?” Jake asked.
“Developing areas where the manatees have plenty of seagrass to feed on, and where building, shoreline destruction, and prop motors are prohibited.”
“You do important work,” Jake said, serious.
Soleil glanced up at him. “Yes,” she agreed. The fact that he acknowledged that reminded her of the pride she felt in what she did.
“What drives you to do it, especially when you’re in danger?”
“My parents set an example of recognizing injustice and helping people in need. So, I’ve always been aware of what a privileged life I’ve led, only because I got lucky enough to be born in a country where there are opportunities and many rich resources. And I can’t stand to see anyone, human or animal, suffer needlessly.”
They sat idle, watching the manatee swim under their kayak and circle around. She trailed her hand in the water, and the manatee surfaced again. When the manatee dove beneath the surface, they started paddling again, moving parallel to the shore, away from Jake’s house.
The manatee swam next to them.
“Look at that,” Jake said. “He’s already in love with you, too.”
Soleil turned at his words, surprised.
He flushed. His dark sunglasses hid his eyes, making him harder to read. “You know what I mean. He’s under your spell, just like me.”
“Are you saying I’m a witch?”
“I think the Sirens were considered witches, weren’t they? Beautiful women whose song lured sailors to their deaths?” he said, laughing.
“If you’d heard me sing, you wouldn’t say that.” She splashed water on him with the paddle.
“Hey!” He splashed her back.
The sound of something high-pitched whizzed between them. “Get down,” Jake said.
She ducked. “Was that a bullet? I didn’t hear a shot.”
“They’ve got a silencer.”
Soleil looked around. Jake had grabbed his gun, but it flew out of his hand into the water. “Unh,” he grunted.
Blood immediately soaked his t-shirt. He’d been shot in the shoulder. “Jake!”
“Get in the water,” he said, grabbing her arm. She barely had time to take a breath before he took her under.
9
As they went under, Jake was glad they hadn’t put on their life vests. God damn it—twenty plus years in the military, and he’d never been shot. Home less than a week, and he’d taken a bullet to the shoulder. Soleil pressed her hand to the wound, her eyes on him worried. He grabbed her hand and swam for the shore.
Soleil pointed up, letting him know she needed air. They angled up, got a quick breath and went under again. It felt like time dragged, but they finally reached the shore. “Stay low and run,” Jake said. Thank God they’d both worn water shoes.
“Are you okay?” Soleil asked.
His arm hung limp at his side while he pushed the heel of his other hand against the wound to staunch the bleeding. “Feels like the bullet hit my collarbone. I’m pretty sure it’s broken.” Every step he took jarred it and pressing on the break hurt like hell. The pain was so bad, his vision blurred.
They made it to the trees without any more shots being fired. Maybe the gunm
an or gunmen hadn’t seen them get out of the water. That would be a lucky break. Jake sat and leaned against the trunk of a live oak. “Get the phone out of my pocket,” he said.
Soleil unzipped his pocket and got the phone. “How is it not destroyed.”
“Hank sent—waterproof. Call 9-1-1.”
She made the call and waited. “A companion and I are being shot at on the Indian River Lagoon, on the north side of the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge—We swam to shore and are probably a few miles north of there, and we’re hiding in the trees—My friend was shot in the shoulder. He needs medical attention—No, we didn’t see them—I’m not sure—Yes. Thank you.”
She disconnected the call, and said, “I’m going to try and find a house.”
“No, it’s not safe.” He looked down at the wound. Blood was oozing out around his fingers. “Get some Spanish moss hanging from this tree. I can use it to put more pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.”
She stood and did as he asked. “Good idea. I read once that this has medicinal properties. The salt water should have disinfected the area.” She wadded up a good amount of moss and flattened the prickly plant between her hands. “Here.”
He moved his hand, and she pressed the moss to the wound. Jake winced. “Damn it.”
“I’m sorry,” she said but applied more pressure.
Jake closed his eyes, willing himself to remain conscious.
“Should I call Hank?” she asked. “Or A.J.?”
“Text Hank. Ask him to ping the location and get it to the local P.D.” he said, feeling weaker.
“God, I’m so sorry,” she said as she sent the text.
After she’d finished with the phone, she took over holding the moss to his injury. That’s when he noticed she was crying. He wiped the tears away. “Not your fault.”
“How can you say that?”
“I’m fine.”
“You were shot,” she enunciated quietly. “You are not fine.”
“Better me than you.”
“I’m not so sure,” she said and sniffed.
He looked at the moss she pressed to his wound. It was already saturated with blood.
“Stay,” he said. He didn’t want her running off through the woods alone. The shooters were out here somewhere. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
He nodded, and the world went black.
* * *
When he woke, he was in a white, dimly lit room. He turned his head and saw his daughter asleep in a chair. Bags of clear fluid and dark platelets dripped into tubing attached to needles in his hand.
“Jake.”
He felt a cool hand on his face and smelled jasmine. Soleil. He turned his head and locked in on her big, beautiful eyes. God, he was a goner. He’d never believed in love at first sight, but he’d never met anyone like Soleil either. They were kindred spirits. He reached out to touch her, but the pain in his shoulder was excruciating.
She put her hands on his forearms, pressing him to the bed. “Don’t move.”
“What happened?”
“Daddy?” Caroline said from the other side of the bed. “Oh my God, you scared the shit out of us.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek, tears in her eyes.
“Hey, honey.”
“Hi,” she said, her smile watery.
“Don’t cry. I’m fine, right?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding.
“Dad! You’re awake.” Charlie stood at the end of the bed.
“Where did you come from?” Jake said, confused.
“I came as soon as Caroline called.”
Soleil squeezed his hand. “Do you remember being shot?”
He nodded. It was coming back to him. God, his head was so foggy.
“You had surgery to remove the bullet. You’ve been out for a while.”
“What time is it?” he asked.
“Just after midnight,” Caroline said.
“You got shot, Dad. That’s badass,” Charlie said.
“Charlie, shut up,” Caroline said. “It’s not badass. It’s terrifying. He could have been killed.”
Jake turned to Soleil, but she wasn’t there. She’d retreated to the corner of the room when two nurses wearing blue scrubs came in.
“How are you feeling, Mr. Stanton?” the older nurse said.
“Fuzzy,” he said.
“That’s the anesthesia wearing off. You’re going to sleep most of the night, which is a good thing because you’re going to feel like hell tomorrow.”
He might be out of it, but wasn’t that a strange thing for a nurse to say to the patient?
“How’s your pain level?”
“Fine as long as I don’t move.”
“Your left arm has been immobilized to prevent that.” She checked his IVs. “This is Luna. She’s a RN who just started with us, and I’m showing her the ropes.” To Luna she said, “Why don’t you do his stats.”
“Luna?” he said.
“Hello, Mr. Stanton.” She pushed a few buttons on the pole that held his IVs. A blood pressure cuff tightened on his arm. She waited until the cuff released, then turned to type a few notes into a laptop on a rolling cart he hadn’t noticed before. “Can I get you anything?”
“Some water?”
Luna poured water into a plastic cup and held a straw to his lips. The cool water tasted good. His mouth was so dry.
“Your family should go home so you can get some rest,” the other nurse said, looking at the three people in the room.
“I’m not leaving,” Caroline said.
Soleil hadn’t moved. He wasn’t thinking straight, but he knew she shouldn’t be alone. To his daughter and son, he said, “I need a minute alone with Soleil, and then I want you both to go home. There’s no point in you standing around here watching me sleep. You need your rest, too.”
“Mom, he’s awake,” Caroline said just before his ex walked in. She’d cut her brown hair short, but she didn’t look a lot different than she had when they were teenagers in high school.
“Thank, God,” MaryAnn said.
“Five more minutes, then I want this room cleared,” the older nurse said. “Let’s go, Luna,” she added before walking out.
Luna looked at Caroline and then Soleil, eyes wide, and said, “It’s always a treat working with Nurse Dragon—I mean Darcy. Later,” she added and left, pushing the laptop cart.
“Say your goodbyes, kids,” MaryAnn said. She squeezed his hand and leaned down to say. “I’m glad you’re okay, but tomorrow, you’re going to have some explaining to do. Frightening us this way is unacceptable, Jake Stanton, especially when I hear you’re supposed to be retired.”
“I know,” he said. “Something came up.” He glanced over at Soleil. She stood quietly, waiting. “Talk tomorrow,” he said to MaryAnn.
MaryAnn backed away so Caroline could lean down and kiss his cheek. “I’m going to need you to let Soleil spend the night with you,” Jake said.
Caroline frowned, but said, “Of course.”
Jake nodded. MaryAnn was right. There’d be questions tomorrow.
Charlie came over and put his hand on Jake’s good shoulder. After he’d kissed him on the forehead, he said. “I’m glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do without my hero.”
Jake’s throat constricted. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
When everyone had left the room, he held his hand out to Soleil. He didn’t miss that she wiped her cheeks before she came to his bed. When she got close enough, she put her hand in his. He wanted to pull her down beside him, but there were rails on the bed. “Get rid of these things. I need to feel you.”
She found the release on the rail, lowered it, and then sat on the bed.
“I’m sorry I passed out,” he said.
Another tear, warm with emotion, fell and splattered on his arm. “Stop,” she choked out.
“What happened? Please tell me the police found the sons of bitches and arrested them
.”
“I wish I could. They searched until dark and found nothing but a few bullets. They’re going to keep an eye on the area tonight. I told them about the activity Hank caught on camera last night.”
“Good. You talked to Hank?”
Soleil nodded. “A.J. and his friend, Nate, are coming tomorrow. I think Hank is coming, too. They said something about shutting these assholes down.”
“I should help them instead of being stuck in this bed.”
“You heard the nurse. You need to rest.” She stroked his beard. “You were right. The bullet hit your collarbone and broke it, but there wasn’t any other damage besides blood loss.” She swallowed hard and added, “The bullet was so close to hitting your carotid. You could have bled out before they found us.”
“None of that happened.” He squeezed her hand. “How long were you out there alone?”
“Not that long. Hank pinged our location through your cell and got it to the rescue personnel.”
“Thank God.”
“I don’t mind telling you, I’ve never been so scared. Seeing you pale, bleeding, and unconscious—not knowing if . . .”
“Come here.”
Soleil resisted. “Your family could come back.”
“I don’t care. I need to hold you.”
She dropped her bag and got into bed with him. When he felt her against his side, his world righted. He hugged her tight and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’d take a hundred bullets if it meant you were safe.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I mean it.”
She fisted the front of his hospital gown and got a few chest hairs in the process, but he didn’t care. What slayed him was the feel of her tears soaking the damn thing.
“I’d feel better if you stayed here tonight,” he said.
“I’d feel better, too. I don’t want to go.”
“Good.”
“But what will your family think?”
Several responses came to mind, but one stood out. One he couldn’t share with her yet because it was too soon. It didn’t make sense. He was still grappling with his feelings for her. So, he said, “I don’t care. I need to know you’re safe. When I wake in the middle of the night, I want you here, beside me.”
“I feel the same way,” she said. For a second, he was sure that she saw through his words to what he really felt.
Brotherhood Protectors: Exposed (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Scandalous Moves Book 4) Page 9
