Navy Seal Security

by Liz Johnson

  “This is Ray Fletcher.”

  “It’s Mandy Berg.”

  “I was just going to call you.” His voice held a note of happiness, and his words tumbled out faster than she’d ever heard him speak before. “I’m on my way to the interview room right now. Camilla Heusen was picked up at the airport today on a return flight from Brazil.”

  “She’s been in Brazil? But my office manager said she saw her…”

  “Maybe just someone who looked like her. Mrs. Heusen has definitely been in Brazil for two weeks. Her passport stamps prove it.”

  Mandy’s mind sped back over all of Gary’s stories, trying to decipher the lies from the truth. “Can you tell me, is she wearing a wedding ring?”

  “She is.”

  That jerk. Gary had lied about the whole thing. He’d lied about his divorce. He’d lied about being free to pursue her. Again. He’d lied about Camilla still being furious.

  “Thank you. I think after you ask her a few questions, you’ll find that she’s completely ignorant of anyone stalking me.”

  He let out a low whistle. “You don’t say.”

  “I’m pretty sure her husband set her up so that I’d feel sorry for him.” She had a sudden urge to spit, her blood running so hot her head was nearly ready to fly off. “I think the woman after me is Laney Tract’s sister. Can you look into her for me, see if you can locate her?”

  “And why is she after you?”

  Mandy propped an elbow on the desk and rested her face in her hand, the words making her entire heart twist. “I think she blames me for her family’s deaths.”

  “I’m on it. I’ll be back in touch. Stay close to that SEAL of yours until you hear from me.”

  She had to fight a smile as she hung up. Deep down, she liked the idea of Luke being her SEAL. Even if she’d told him just that morning that the kiss—kisses—had been a mistake. What her head knew to be true was a far cry from what her heart wanted.

  And when she reached for her phone to find three missed calls from the object of far too many of her thoughts, she rubbed the back of her neck and hung her head. No call should elicit a flutter in her stomach like just seeing his name on her screen did.

  “Hey, boss!” Tara called down the hall. “My car won’t start, and I have to get to an appointment. Could you give me a jump?”

  She glanced toward the hall, then back at the phone. She’d call him back as soon as she helped Tara.

  Beach bag squarely on her shoulder, her manager stood by the back door, hands lifted in a what-are-you-going-to-do stance and a half smile in place. “Sorry about this.”

  “It’s no problem,” she said as they stepped outside.

  Mandy slipped between their cars and opened her door to pop the hood. “Do you have jumper—” She turned to glance at Tara.

  And she fell to the ground.

  She’d been struck by lightning. It had to have been that. Everything inside her was on fire, explosions on every nerve. She curled into a ball, twitching hands covering the side of her neck, which somehow hurt worse than the rest of her. But how was that possible when she was already at a twelve from head to toe?

  She tried to cry out for Tara’s help, but her voice and all of her breath were gone.

  A shadow stepped in front of the low-hanging sun, and she squinted at it, reaching for help.

  Then the figure squatted in front of her. Blinking hard, she managed to bring Tara’s face into focus. “Help. Me.” The words didn’t even make it past the ringing in her own ears.

  “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”

  Mandy twitched, trying to pull away, but she seemed to have lost all of her faculties.

  “Don’t be afraid, Dr. Berg.” Tara patted her head, and fireworks exploded behind her eyelids. “You’re only getting what you deserve.”

  No. No. No. This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t right. It couldn’t be Tara. She was a coworker. A friend, even.

  “Why?”

  “Oh, we’ll get to that soon enough. But first.” She waved a Taser in her left hand before pressing it against bare skin.

  Mandy’s entire world exploded.

  FIFTEEN

  After the third call to Mandy with no answer, Luke chucked his phone across the car and slammed his fist against the steering wheel, hitting yet another red light. He revved the engine as sweat poured down his neck.

  He had to get to her. He had to find her before Tara made her last move.

  How had he missed it? How had he not seen the bitterness simmering below the surface? Or the rage in her eyes? She’d lost all connection with truth and blamed Mandy for the loss of her family and the pain that had followed. Tara had targeted one woman because she couldn’t face the true source of her anguish—she’d been driving the car in the accident that paralyzed Laney.

  It had been there in Jimmy’s picture of the revenge tattoo. So clear, so obvious.

  Tara was an incredible actress. That was all there was to it. She’d put on a production better than anything he’d ever seen on a stage. And she’d been playing the role for well over two years. She knew her part inside and out, and she’d fooled them all.

  He slammed on the brakes again, waiting for the light to change.

  Suddenly his phone buzzed from the passenger seat. He scooped it up and glanced at the text from Mandy.

  Going for a walk. See you tonight.

  That wasn’t what they’d talked about. It wasn’t what they’d agreed. She’d said she’d wait at the office. That she’d be safe.

  With Tara.

  His stomach rolled. When he covered his face, his hands shook like they never had in Lybania. And as he tried to take a breath, he choked on a sob he hadn’t even known was there.

  This wasn’t like him. It wasn’t normal.

  Then again, this mission was as far from normal as he could get. Always in the field he could focus on getting the job done. He followed his training, watched his brothers’ backs and finished strong.

  But he’d never before been in love with the hostage. He’d never had to imagine the rest of his life without the most important person in it. Like a desert with no oasis, he already felt dry, sucked clean of the refreshing joy Mandy supplied.

  “God, how can this be your plan? Any of this.” He flung an arm around the car, encompassing the whole messed-up situation. His knee. Mandy’s troubles. Laney’s death. Tara’s break with reality.

  “What’s going on?” He stared at the cloudless blue sky, hoping for an answer, even a sign he’d been heard. When nothing happened, he hung his head, his tone softening. “She needs me, and I can’t get to her. Please just let her be at the office when I get there. Don’t let Tara have taken her. Keep her safe.”

  As the light changed and cars parted, he peeled off the line. Zipping between other vehicles, he sailed onto the freeway, ignoring posted speed limits and praying again and again. Keep her safe. I need her in my life.

  As he swerved off the freeway, his insides pulled into a knot. There was no telling what he’d find at the office.

  Flying into the parking lot, he sped past Mandy’s rental car. Tara’s red hatchback was nowhere to be seen.

  He galloped up the front steps and swung the front door open, his heart thundering and blood roaring his ears. “Mandy! Mandy! Are you here?”

  Nothing.

  Either she’d been taken.

  Or worse.

  He pounded down the hallway, poking his head into every room and closet, slamming doors behind him until he was sure. The place was deserted.

  And Mandy never would have willingly left it open and unattended.

  His phone rang, and he snatched it out of his pocket. “This is Dunham.”

  “Ray Fletcher here. I’m trying to reach Mandy Berg. Have you seen her?”

  “I’m at her office right now, and she’s gone. Kidnapped, I think.”

  Fletcher sucked in a harsh breath and slammed something that sounded like a desk
drawer. “Laney Tract’s sister fell off the grid just over two years ago.”

  “Yes. And she popped back up as Mandy’s office manager right around that same time.”

  “Office manager?” Fletcher smacked his keyboard as if it had personally offended him. “Tara Sumner?”

  Luke stood in the middle of the waiting room, turning a slow circle and praying for some clue that would point him in the right direction. “That’s her. I think she’s taken Mandy.”

  “Where would they have gone?”

  “I have no—” Luke bit off his words, his mind flying back.

  He had been standing in this very room, leaning against the front desk and talking with Tara. He’d been looking for a way into Mandy’s affection. Tara had asked about his favorite beach spot. The deserted one where he had trained. She’d said she was looking for the perfect spot.

  To do what?

  His gut squeezed, and he nearly spit on the floor. “I think she took Mandy to this beach. It’s pretty far off the beaten path, and the nearest lifeguard tower is blocked by a jetty, and the rocks keep the surfers away.” He gave Fletcher the same directions he’d given Tara, every word grapefruit bitter as he prayed both that he was right and that he was wrong.

  Mandy had to be there. He didn’t know where else to look for her.

  And if she was there, he’d given Tara the perfect place to dispose of a body.

  “I’m on my way with backup.” Fletcher ended the call before Luke could respond, which was probably better. Because no one was going to talk him into staying away.

  *

  “Get out of the car.” Tara’s growl was right next to her ear, and Mandy jerked away from the hot breath on her neck. She tried to wiggle deeper into the backseat of the car, but her shoulders ached from being tied behind her back. And the rest of her still thrummed to the tune of fifty thousand volts.

  Tara grabbed her arm and yanked her from the car and into a deserted gravel lot. The rocks skinned her knees as she fell forward. Unable to stop herself, she tumbled face-first. Strangely, she couldn’t even feel the abrasions on her cheeks and nose. They weren’t enough to register when all she could think about was getting free. She had to find a way to run.

  “Lord, help me,” she whispered.

  “Oh, He’s not going to help you. Not after what you did, all the lives you ruined.”

  “What I did?”

  Tara wrestled her to her feet and pushed her toward the sandy expanse at her back. Her blue eyes were wild, filled with a hatred unlike anything Mandy had ever seen. She snarled and snapped, a rabid dog finally released from its cage.

  “Four years ago you refused to help my sister.”

  Mandy’s foot slipped in the sand, and she went down on her knee. With a kick to her shoulder, Tara sent her all the way down. Spitting out sand, she tried to cry out, but only received another foot to her stomach for her trouble.

  “Almost two years I’ve had to watch you pretend to be compassionate. Two years of you putting on this facade of kindness. You act like you really care about people, but when someone in real need comes to you, you toss her away like she’s nothing. Nothing.”

  “Laney.”

  Tara flew at her, pinching her chin painfully between her thumb and forefinger. “No. You don’t get to say her name. You don’t even get to think about her.”

  Wrestling her way to her knees, Mandy nodded. There would be no negotiating or logical discussion. Right now Tara could see only the pain of loss, but maybe if Mandy kept her talking, she could survive until Luke found her.

  Oh, Lord, how is he ever going to find me here?

  She didn’t even know where here was.

  “What happened? After I saw La—” Mandy quickly changed direction at the fire in Tara’s glare. “What happened to your family?”

  “You know what happened to Laney.”

  She did. The poor girl had been heartbroken and chosen a bottle of pills over life in a wheelchair. “And your dad?”

  “He started drinking—hard—after Laney died. Guess his liver couldn’t take it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Getting right into her face, Tara swore vividly. “You think that apologizing is going to make up for my little sister or my dad? You think it’ll make up for my mom, who just couldn’t live without them? She gave up after dad died. Quit sleeping and eating. I moved her to San Diego with me, but she was already half-gone. And do you know who found her in her bed that morning? She was so cold and her skin was white.”

  “Oh, Tara.”

  “If you had only given Laney a chance. If you’d just tried to help her…” Tara’s mouth pinched with hatred, and she spat the words like venom. “If you had done your job, none of this would have happened. I’d still have my family. All of them.”

  Tears rushed to Mandy’s eyes, and with her hands pinned, she let them flow uninhibited.

  “Oh, what? Now you want me to feel sorry for you?”

  “No. I’m just so sorry about what happened to your family.” Her lip quivered and she bit into it, tasting the sand and seawater.

  Tara hitched her arm through Mandy’s and dragged her back on her heels. “You took everything from me, so I set out to do the same to you.”

  Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle fit. Tara, who had sorted her office mail and had access to all of her personal information, had stolen her identity and tried to get her accreditation revoked. Tara had been making her life miserable, but why try to kill her now?

  “And then you think you’ll just run away to Miami and all your problems will stay here?”

  The flowers. The job offer. She’d only halfway considered it, but she’d mentioned it to Tara. Right before the attempted hit-and-run.

  All of this was because she couldn’t help a young woman who wasn’t stable enough to take on the pressures of physical therapy. And because she’d thought running away from her problems might have been easier than facing them.

  Her stomach heaved. She was going to be sick.

  “You still owe me for the pain you caused. When that stupid Gary showed back up, I knew it was time to make you pay. And when they find your body, they’ll think it was an accidental drowning.”

  “But the stun-gun marks. There’ll be an investigation, an autopsy.”

  Tara leaned in close, her breath hot and moist. “I’ll be long gone by then.”

  Waves lapped at her feet, and Mandy wrenched herself free, scrambling for safety but falling in the shifting sand. In a split second Tara was on her, shoving her toward the water. “You deserve this. You should have helped my baby sister.”

  “There was nothing I could do.”

  “You could have fixed her!” Tara jabbed a finger into her chest, forcing her into knee-deep water. Cold waves crested and pushed against her, and she had to hold herself together, every muscle tight, just to stay standing. “I’ve seen you fix those ungrateful rich snobs. Why didn’t you help Laney?”

  A groan from deep within tore out of her, and Mandy doubled over at the pain in her heart, the aching in her chest. “I didn’t want her to give up.” She hadn’t. At all. And she’d tried to get the girl help. It just hadn’t been enough for a heart that had been more broken than her body. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s too late now.” With a snarl, Tara lunged, tackling her in the water and holding her under.

  Mandy thrashed and kicked, squirming and fighting for air. But with her hands tied and already depleted from Tara’s abuse, she knew she couldn’t keep it up for long. Her muscles grew numb from the cold, and her lungs screamed for oxygen. Just a breath. Anything but the endless expanse of the Pacific.

  She swallowed a swimming pool’s worth of water, gagging and choking in even more.

  But she couldn’t die yet.

  Not while Luke thought she believed what she’d told him that morning.

  She’d been trying to protect herself. To protect him. She’d been terrified of repeating the mistakes that she’d made w
ith Gary. Afraid that she’d lose herself again.

  Except Luke didn’t make her disappear, he gently prodded out the very best, the bravest, the truest parts of her. She was the best version of herself with him because he asked nothing, but he’d given everything.

  Why had she been so scared? Why hadn’t she taken every single opportunity to hold him tightly and to tell him that she loved him?

  And she did love him!

  She wasn’t afraid anymore. And now she had nothing to lose. She was dead anyway.

  With a spin and a kick to Tara’s stomach, she sailed through the water, surfacing a few yards away. The water tossed her about as she gulped the salty air and fought to find her footing. Splashing and writhing toward shore, her foot caught on a patch of slimy seaweed, slowing her down just enough for Tara to shove her below the surface and hold her there.

  *

  Luke spied Tara’s car as soon as he rounded a bend in the road. He sent gravel flying as he skidded to a stop beside it. No sign of the cops yet. Slamming his car door, he scanned the horizon. There, on the other side of twenty yards of sand and silhouetted by the setting orange sun, two figures thrashed in the water.

  Mandy didn’t seem to be using her arms, but other than that, she was putting up a pretty good fight.

  His foot slid in the dry sand, and he stopped with jarring speed. Mandy had warned him off unstable ground again and again. It wasn’t safe. His knee could be twisted and the ligaments torn. And if he injured his knee a second time, his chances of returning to the teams would disappear.

  Gazing from his knee brace to the sand to Mandy, he knew. There wasn’t even a question in his mind.

  He could figure out civilian life.

  But he couldn’t begin to imagine his life without Mandy.

  Sprinting across the sand was both familiar and frightening. He’d run hundreds of miles on the Coronado Beach. His feet knew how to land, his muscles remembered how to move. But he couldn’t help the voice in his mind reminding him that if he fell, he wouldn’t reach her in time.