by Rebecca Deel
She eyed the forest again. The shooter could still take potshots at them from the trees, like he had the night before. Unlike her and Ivy, Josh and his team had guns and could shoot back. Best not to put a weapon in her hands unless it was a book. A spark of humor lifted her spirits. A heavy hardback dictionary ought to do the trick. Webster’s unabridged dictionary could stop even a tough guy like Granger in his tracks. “Ivy’s inside already?”
“Alex carried her in a minute ago. Feel better, babe?”
She took stock of her aches and pains. “Minus the arm pain, I’m a little stiff.” She smiled. “I’m excellent considering where I was last night.”
“You mean you didn’t like the accommodations in the cave?” His eyes twinkled.
“My idea of roughing it is the Holiday Inn.”
“Guess I’ll have to think of something other than camping for a date.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I’ve had all I want of communing with nature for a while.”
Josh grinned. “Why don’t you go inside and check out the place? I’ll bring in the backpacks along with the rest of our gear.”
“Need help?” She eyed the bags in the cargo area, skeptical of her ability to lift anything Josh and Alex had brought.
“I’ve got help.” He inclined his head toward the porch where, one by one, his team members came through the door. All but Quinn swarmed the back of the SUV and hauled in bags of equipment. Quinn remained on the porch, rifle in hand, eyes scanning the area.
Despite the humidity and heat, Del shivered. Though Josh didn’t believe Granger could have located them this quickly, she couldn’t help but feel as if he were hidden in the trees, watching every move, waiting to kill her and Ivy.
She drew in a deep breath, opened the passenger door, slid to the ground and made for the porch. She wanted to run. A lot. Because of that, with her jaw clenched, she forced herself to walk as if nothing were amiss, as if she didn’t feel a killer zeroing in on her back, bringing his target into focus, caressing the trigger. Del didn’t want to tangle with another bullet.
Quinn stopped scanning long enough to grin at her and wink.
Dismay wound through her. So much for acting like a courageous woman. Hey, she was only a bookseller, after all. Her greatest adventures came inside the covers of a book. Inside the front door, she stopped. Wow. The living room was spacious with an open floor plan, tall ceiling, and a large staircase leading to the second floor. The sun-drenched interior looked warm and inviting.
Ivy sat in the recliner, footrest propped up, an icepack on her ankle. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Amazing.” Her visual sweep came to a halt at the river stone fireplace. “Wish I had one of those.”
“As small as your place is, a fireplace that size would take up most of one wall and heat your house inside of ten minutes.”
She grinned. “Think what a small heating bill I’d have each winter. More money to buy bookshelves.”
“And put them where? You don’t have any walls available.”
The men muscled through the doorway, each bearing at least one bag. Josh brought up the rear, backpacks clenched in one hand, cell phone pressed to his ear with the other. He didn’t look happy.
“Appreciate the info, Jon. Email me whatever you learn. See you at 7:00.”
Alex strode into the room, a bottle of Coke in each hand. He handed one to Ivy, the other to her. “Jon already doing his thing?”
Josh nodded and positioned the backpacks against the wall, out of the path of foot traffic. “Granger’s already burning up the phone wires and Internet. He’s searching for our Delta unit.”
Rio grimaced as he stowed one of the equipment bags near the stairwell. “Knew he would, Major.”
“I hoped he’d look for me and Alex, not all of us. He won’t miss the significance of you, Nate, and Quinn being out of circulation.”
“No spec ops soldier would go into battle for him,” Nate said, “but Durango’s known for having each other’s backs, anytime, anywhere. Might be more suspicious if we weren’t with you.”
“Our real advantage isn’t hiding our presence,” Quinn added. “It’s the fact we worked as a team for years. We’ll take him down, Major. He’ll have to go through us to get to Del and Ivy.” His lips curved upward. “We’ll make it hurt when he tries.”
“Jon and Eli are stopping by tonight.” Josh rubbed the back of his neck. “Is there food in the kitchen?”
“Already made a grocery run, Major,” Nate said. “We’re stocked for a few days. If this op runs longer, I’ll buy more supplies.”
Del exchanged glances with Ivy. Wonder what quiet, intense Nate had put in his grocery cart? Frozen food? Canned stuff? “Do you cook, Nate?” Were they expecting her to cook for this crowd? Josh’s unit were all big guys in fabulous shape. They probably ate like a bunch of linebackers for the Cowboys.
“Nate’s parents own a restaurant,” Rio said. “He’s been cooking since he was a kid. Makes the best beef stew I’ve ever eaten.”
“He’s no slouch at anything to do with food,” Quinn said.
“I don’t bake.” Nate’s mouth moved into a crooked smile. “Never could get the hang of delicate stuff like cakes or pies. I’ve a fair hand with cookies, though.”
“He’s neck-in-neck with Serena,” Josh said. “We never worried if our rations ran out while in the field. Nate made almost anything taste good. Did amazing things with whatever wildlife was at hand.”
Del grinned at Nate. “I hope you didn’t buy anything too exotic at the grocery store. My food tastes are pretty tame.”
“Well, I did catch a deal on rattlesnake.”
When the rest of the team laughed, she figured he was teasing. Two could play at that game. “I have the perfect recipe for rattlesnake. I do some mean stuff with curry powder.”
He wagged his finger at her. “Not nice, Del. Just for that, I might send Alex hunting in the woods.”
She waved her hands in front of her. “Sorry. Don’t make me eat Bambi or his friends.”
Nate chuckled. “She’s a keeper, Major.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.” He winked at her and turned his attention back to his team. “Anything from the marshals?”
“An hour out,” Quinn said. “Deke drove for an hour like they were headed back to D.C. Ditched a tail. Drove in circles for a while to make sure they were clear.”
A nod from Josh. “How many bedrooms do we have?”
“Four,” Rio said. “We’ll put the women in one room. Figured Stella would prefer that. The rest of us will split up in the other rooms.”
Alex and Quinn almost bristled with tension. What was up with that?
“You okay staying with Deke?” Josh asked.
“As long as he doesn’t snore the roof down on me.”
Del blinked at the exchange, the room awash with subtle undercurrents. Something she couldn’t put her finger on. Did Alex and Quinn not trust the marshal? Her stomach churned at that thought. She liked Deke and Stella. Had the men picked up an attitude or behavior that raised a red flag in their minds?
“Move the equipment upstairs. Harry packed surprises for us.”
“Yes!” Quinn pumped his fist, grabbed a couple bags, trotted toward the staircase. Nate and Rio grabbed the rest of the bags and followed their teammate. Alex picked up the backpacks and left the room.
“You know how to clear a room,” Ivy said, a smile curving her mouth.
“What wasn’t being said about Deke?” Del asked. “Is there a problem with him?”
“Why?”
“Alex and Quinn don’t want to stay in the same room with him,” Ivy said.
“Alex and Quinn have had each other’s backs in some tight places and don’t trust others easily. Neither would sleep well with a stranger in close quarters.”
“Would you have a problem with him?” Del’s eyebrows rose.
A slight smile. “He’s not in my room, either, is he? Rio’s more
easy going than the rest of us. He’s as tough as they come, but not as alpha as the rest of us.”
“And if you do learn there’s a problem with the marshal?”
“You’ll be among the first to know. No secrets, baby. I promise.” His gaze shifted to Ivy. “How you doing, kitten?”
Her cousin bared her teeth. “Grumpy. What’s that tell you?”
“That I should stay out of your way, let you sharpen your claws on Alex.”
“I heard that,” Alex said. “Mean, Major.”
“To survive, I’d happily throw you under the bus.”
Nate and Rio returned, smirks on their faces. Must have heard the volley between Josh and Alex. If these guys were anything like her brothers, it wouldn’t be long before mud slinging devolved into wrestling on the floor to determine superiority. “Nate, should we start on dinner?”
His eyes lit. “You cook?”
“I’m not a chef, but I know my way around a kitchen.”
“Great. The rest of these slobs don’t know a spatula from a strainer.” Amid a chorus of protests and Ivy’s laughter, he waved his hand for Del to follow him.
Ninety minutes later, while spaghetti sauce simmered in a large pot on the stove, the marshals arrived. Stella breathed deep, moaned. “That smells amazing. You cooking again, Del?”
“Nope. This is Nate’s work. I was the gopher this time.”
Stella smiled. “Hi, Nate. I’m Stella.” She shook his hand. “I’m glad to know someone else in this group can cook besides Del. Got a feeling you guys can put away the food.”
“That’s why the pantry and refrigerator are stuffed.” He tilted his head. “We’re growing boys.”
Del burst into laughter.
“When will dinner be ready? Deke hasn’t fed me for hours.”
“As soon as our guests arrive.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Guests?”
“Big, bad Navy SEALs.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Josh greeted Jon Smith and Eli Wolfe on the driveway. Like every other time he’d been in their company, Eli was the more outgoing. Jon Smith was one intense, scary man, a lot like Alex. Come to think of it, every sniper of his acquaintance shared the same qualities. Chaos might break out around them and, instead of panicking, they grew calmer. None of them broke a sweat on missions. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear ice water ran through their veins.
“Looking good, Cahill.” Eli clapped him on the shoulder, a grin on his face. “It’s great to see your homely face. How’s the family?”
“Doubled in size. My sisters are married and Serena’s going to make me an uncle.”
“Congratulations, man. And your folks?”
“About like you’d expect with a loon like Granger prowling around.”
“Worried about their boy, huh?” The smile slid off Eli’s mouth. “Good reason for concern.”
Josh held out his hand to the other man. “Jon.”
The former Navy SEAL’s eyes changed from ice cold to moderate warmth. Amused, Josh grinned. Guess that was the best he would get from the sniper.
“He wasn’t that funny, Jon. Show a little restraint, why don’t ya?”
The response was a snort and lip curl. Yep, same old Jon. “Dinner’s ready. Come eat.”
“Real food?” Eli’s gaze brightened. “Not the frozen kind? Or the kind covered in paper and delivered in a bag by a perky teenager?”
“Smelled real to me. Del mentioned spaghetti and salad, maybe dessert.”
“Who’s Del?” Jon asked.
“She’s amazing.” He paused, shrugged. “Mine,” Josh finished.
“Yeah?” Eli’s eyebrows rose. “Now my curiosity’s buzzing. Let’s meet the lady who captured our boy’s heart, Jon.”
Josh led them through the door. His team stood as Jon and Eli walked into the room, all except Quinn who patrolled the perimeter. After dinner, Rio would take his place while the rest of the team plus the SEALs talked strategy.
One glance at Jon and Eli had Ivy’s eyes widening. She cast an uneasy glance toward Alex. His partner, though he claimed to have no sensitivity where women were concerned, winked at her, then stepped forward to greet his fellow sniper with a grin and handshake.
Durango didn’t trust easily. When they did, it was a long-term deal. His team greeted Jon and Eli like they were long-lost friends back for a visit.
“Where’s Rio?” Eli glanced around. “My second favorite medic’s here, right? And what about Quinn?”
“Rio’s stirring the sauce,” Nate said, “and trying to make time with our pretty U.S. marshal. Quinn’s on the perimeter.”
Eli laughed. “Ah. The medic must be doing a good job because the food smells great. I assume the meal is your handiwork, Chef Nate?”
“Had help. Josh’s lady is handy in the kitchen.” He frowned. “Gave her sissy work this time, though.”
Josh straightened. “Why?”
“Arm.”
“Pain bad?”
“Enough. She hasn’t complained. One tough lady.”
“And that’s why Rio stayed in the kitchen. I’ll talk to her.”
A smirk from Nate. “Yeah, good luck with that, Major. Your woman has a stubborn streak like the Cahill women.”
Josh flinched. Not what he wanted to hear. If Del was anything like his sisters, he might have to get creative.
“And who is this beautiful lady?” Eli asked, his gaze on Ivy.
Alex laid a hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “Ivy Monroe, meet Eli Wolfe and Jon Smith. Eli’s the mouthy one. You almost can’t get anything out of Jon.”
A smile from Ivy even as she settled deeper into the couch cushions. Her grip in the empty Coke bottle whitened her knuckles. Jon zeroed in on her hands. A raised eyebrow was the only response.
“Looks like you’re the walking wounded, sugar.” Eli tilted his head to get a closer look at her ankle without moving nearer. “What happened?”
“I fell running from Granger,” she whispered. “Twisted my ankle.”
“How did you escape?” Jon asked.
His voice was so gentle Josh did a double take. He’d never heard that tone from the cold, focused sniper. Of course, the few times he’d been around Jon when he was interrogating terrorists, the man never raised his voice. He didn’t have to. Never failed to get information, either. Had to admit, he wouldn’t want Jon Smith questioning him about anything.
“Del harassed me into running anyway. I tried to get her to leave me behind, save herself, but she wouldn’t.” She grinned. “Told me to shut up and get moving.”
A nod from Jon. “Soldiers do the same for each other, Ivy. We never leave a man behind.”
Josh swallowed hard. Ivy had no clue she’d connected with one of the most dangerous men on the planet. She also had no way of knowing what Jon had gone through in recent months. Captivity at the hands of human traffickers had left indelible marks on his soul and body. Word was Jon’s team had been sold out to traffickers. Eli had sustained injuries himself rescuing his partner.
Rio walked in, wiping his hands on a towel. He brightened at the sight of the two newcomers. “Jon, Eli.” Another handshake with Eli, a nod at Jon. Very few people risked touching the SEAL sniper.
“Table’s set,” Rio said. “Don’t let the food grow cold. Hate to disrespect Nate’s work.”
Eli stopped by the couch. “Need help to the table, sugar?” he asked, southern drawl pronounced.
Alex waved him off. “I’ll carry her.”
Eli trailed his partner. Alex lifted Ivy, her arms locked around his neck.
Josh’s lips curved. Guess Ivy trusted a few men. He heard the introductions for Del, Deke and Stella. Someone found four extra chairs for the table. Tight quarters. Instead of waiting on the others to decide the seating arrangement, he signaled Jon to take the end seat so his back was to the wall. Eli dropped into the chair on his left. When the subtle tension in Jon’s body disappeared, he caught a slight nod from Eli. If Josh didn’t trust t
hese men to watch his back, he would have the same fake spiders crawling over him, too. His gaze stopped on Deke and Stella, not sure about them. He’d wait until the reports came back before relaxing his guard.
He slid an arm around Del’s shoulders. “Sit down, beautiful,” he murmured. He guided her to a seat across from Rio and seated himself next to her. The medic watched her, eyes narrowing.
“How long ago did you take pain meds, Del?”
She remained mute.
“Too long,” Josh said.
“Don’t wait. If you let the pain get ahead of you, it’s harder to kill. Eat something so the meds won’t upset your stomach.”
“What’s up with your arm, sugar?” Eli asked.
“Ran too close to Granger’s bullet.”
That’s what he wanted to hear. Smart-mouthed attitude. Mindful of the women’s recent trauma and need to rest without more nightmares, he said, “Shop talk after dinner.”
From that point on, every topic introduced fell on the light side. Unfortunately for him, several discussions centered on some of his less-than-notable escapades in the military. Alex shared about the time Josh had been treed by a wild boar the size of an SUV. Rio contributed the story of his ignominious fall into a briar patch. The rest of his unit tattled about his encounters with snakes, scorpions, and aggressive children looking for American money. “Thanks a lot, guys. Way to impress Del with my abilities.”
“Sorry, Major.” Nate grinned. “You should have told us to stretch the truth.”
Del and Ivy sported broad grins on their faces. He hated being the center of conversation, but if airing his more ridiculous exploits gave them respite from the tension and fear, Josh would take the abuse.
After finishing his meal, Rio stood and gathered his plate and utensils. “I’ll send in Quinn. Del, take your meds.”
She saluted. “Yes, Doctor.”
He laughed and strolled out of the dining area. Josh and the rest of his team rose and gathered dishes and plates. When Del started to rise, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll clean.” He turned his head to eye Eli. “Ask Eli about the time a village elder decided he was the perfect husband for his granddaughter.”
