SEAL by Fate

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  “Make a wrong move and I’ll show you. Got it?” Duncan directed his next words to Stormy. “If you try and get out of the chair, well, none of us will need any bullets tonight. Understand, sweetheart?”

  She could only stare. Her heart beat so fast she thought it would bounce outside of her chest. Gray looked like a real-life hero. His feet were shoulder-width apart and his hands were clenched into tight fists, no doubt he wanted to use them to pummel Duncan. Wearing gear and guns, gloves on and Gray’s hat tugged low, he looked dangerous, but she knew he was a savior. Her savior. How lucky she’d been to meet him.

  “Let her go, Phantom. You have me now. That’s what your plan was, right?” Gray said calmly.

  “And what fun would that be? We’re not negotiating, lawman. I have the gun in my hand and you stupidly laid your aside.”

  “You won’t get out of this alive.”

  “What big threats you have.”

  26

  ALTHOUGH SKILLED IN circumstances like this, Gray wasn’t prepared for the woman he loved to be in danger too. This changed everything, but he forced himself to remain calm. He managed his breathing and his expression. It wasn’t too late for this to end without her being harmed. He could get her out alive…he knew it.

  As for Phantom, he wouldn’t be walking away today. Gray would probably lose his job, but at this point he didn’t give one flying fuck.

  “You should put your weapon down and put your hands up. You’re under arrest,” Gray said coolly.

  Phantom’s eyes widened and then he laughed. “And why would I do that?”

  “If you don’t I’ll shoot your head off your shoulders,” Cade said from behind a stunned Phantom.

  Several expressions fluttered over Phantom’s face. “You can’t shoot me. You have to take me in, remember?”

  “Cade, tell asshole here what we do to a man who fucks with our loved ones.”

  “Sure. We make him worm bait.”

  Phantom blinked and pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed by Gray’s head at the same time he reached for his own gun form the holster and pulled the trigger, shooting the man between the eyes.

  “I told you I was a good shot,” Gray said.

  “The mother fucker fell for it. Did he really think I wouldn’t watch your six? You two okay?” Cade asked, pushing his weapon back into the holster.

  Panic washed over Gray. They weren’t out of the water yet. “Cade, you have to go.”

  The man looked from Gray to Stormy, and then back to Gray. “I’ll see you on the flipside, brother.”

  With Phantom gone and Cade out of the house, Gray turned all his concentration on the bomb attached to Stormy. His temples throbbed, but he sucked in a breath and exhaled through clenched teeth. He looked up and saw that she had tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I had no choice but to shoot him.”

  “I-I’m not crying because of that. He killed Lola. This is all my fault,” she said through sobs.

  He cupped her cheek. “Listen, that dead bastard is the one who is at fault. I don’t want to come off as insensitive, but we’ve got to get moving.”

  “What do we do, Gray?” she asked.

  “I’m going to dismantle this thing.” He reached into a pocket and withdrew a special pair of pliers. “This ain’t nothing. I’ve done this a thousand times.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be wearing one of those fancy outfits for protection?”

  “Nah.”

  “Wait. Stop.”

  He held the pliers in his shaking hand and looked up at her. “Wait for what?”

  “What if…well…”

  “Do you trust me?”

  Without hesitation she nodded. “I do.”

  “I can do this.” He started to move in again…

  “But hold on.”

  “Yeah?” He needed to get her out fast. The longer she sat in the chair hooked to the explosives, the less likely they would walk away alive.

  “Just in case, you know…I want you to know that I care for you. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but I do. I’m not fishing for your feelings, or expecting anything, but I had to tell you.”

  He bent in and carefully kissed her fully on the lips, then pulled back. Sweat beaded on his forehead and on his armpits. He was freaking out, but he couldn’t let her see. He steadied the pliers over the wires, remembering everything he’d learned in the military and the years he’d spent as a Ghost Hawk. He’d done this before.

  “Where do you want to go on our honeymoon?” he asked.

  “What? Our honeymoon? We’re not even married.”

  “We will be. I want you to decide. Anywhere your heart desires.” He looked up at her, seeing the trembling of her bottom lip, but at least the tears had dried.

  “Bora Bora. I’ve always dreamt of going.”

  “Your wish is my command, sweetheart.” He swallowed and finally decided which wire he’d cut. The set up was professionally done and it came down to Gray thinking like Phantom. He’d learned the man over the last months.

  “I love you, Gray. Is that possible?”

  “Better be because I love you too.” He placed the nose of the pliers on the wire and said a little prayer then squeezed the handle together and…

  27

  GRAY JUMPED OUT of the helicopter followed closely by Jamison and Cade. They hunkered down low as they made their way across the courtyard of the concert hall. Inside they could hear the roar of the crowd as the drummer played a solo.

  “And she’s sure Phantom has set up a live bomb here? If we have to evacuate, it’ll be a mob,” Jamison said.

  Gray squeezed his hands around the rifle he held against his chest, keeping it aimed at the sky. “He told Stormy his plan, showing off. My guess is Maldez is the trigger man. We can do this without one person getting hurt.”

  “You better be right, Gray. If this goes down wrong, we’ll all find ourselves working at a fast food restaurant.”

  “Don’t humor me. We already know I’ve lost my job after planting a bullet in Phantom’s skull.”

  “He shot at you. You did what the hell you’re trained to do,” Cade said.

  “Do you realize how much we’ve broken protocol without calling in the local authorities so they can evacuate?” Jamison gritted his teeth. “I’m going to have some political bullshit I have to get through to explain this one.”

  “Evacuation can’t happen. If we do that Maldez will know we’re onto him and he’ll detonate the explosive. This is the only way. Come on, boys. We got this.”

  “We have to split up,” Jamison said. “Cade, you take the west entrance. Gray, you take the east, and I’ll shoot straight in between. Keep it low. Chins up. Shoulders back. Let’s roll.”

  Gray understood a lot rode on this mission. The team could be crushed by the “higher ups” if they fucked up and an innocent person was hurt. Any time a mass population was in danger, the team was mandated to call in locals to help make the decisions. For now, all Gray could think of was saving lives.

  At least Stormy was safe. Abel would stay with her and Colette, waiting for this to all be over.

  As Gray moved through the darkness, dressed in all black, he searched the area, every nook and cranny without being noticed by anyone attending the event. Making his way slowly down a quiet corridor, he heard mumbling coming from the utility closet.

  He opened the door and found a partially dressed man tied up on the floor. Pulling out the cloth from the man’s mouth, he said in a shaky voice, “A man…held me up. He took my clothes. I’m the security guard here.”

  “Okay. You’re safe now. It’s important that you stay put. Many lives are in danger. Are you hurt? Do you need medical?” Gray asked.

  “No, I’m okay. He went to the roof.”

  Gray nodded and closed the door to the closet. Finding the back stairs and taking them two at a time, he made his way through the door that led outside to the roof. With back to the wall, Gray crept his way around until
he saw Maldez on his knees holding a controller in one hand and his phone in the other. Sweat poured down his face.

  “The call won’t come, Maldez,” Gray said from the shadows.

  The other man stood, shot his jerky gaze around the rooftop. “Who’s there?”

  Gray took a step, rocks crunching under his boots as he slowly moved out into the open. He saw Maldez’s eyes widen, but he recovered quickly. “Surprised to see me?”

  “Don’t come any closer,” he said in his thick Arabic accent. The man had only been in America for less than two years after being recruited by Phantom.

  “Phantom is dead, Maldez. This is over. No one has to die here tonight, not even you.” Gray stayed calm, although the other man was shaking. He couldn’t be any older than twenty-five, but he looked like a brute that had aged rather quickly.

  “You lie!” Maldez took a step back.

  “I’m not lying. If he was alive, wouldn’t he have called you by now?”

  The man seemed to think Gray’s words over.

  He could hear the faint sounds of his team approaching, boots hitting metal steps and then the squeak of the door, but Maldez had no clue because he was panting now. Motioning for his men to stay back, Gray had to try to talk the man down. “Think about it, Maldez. He’s gone. The plan is snuffed. Let’s put the detonator down and talk over things.”

  “Why would I? I will not sit in jail for my life,” he growled the words.

  “You know I won’t let you do this,” Gray said flatly.

  “You have no choice.” Maldez lifted the remote detonator and a second later his eyes widened as blood poured from the bullet wound on his forehead.

  Jamison and Cade moved in and Gray lowered to his knees, finally able to breathe. “That was close,” he muttered.

  “No, not at all.” Jamison laughed. “I knew hitting him in the right spot would paralyze his trigger finger. It’s a chance we had to take to save thousands.”

  *

  “You don’t like me much, do you, Abel?” Stormy whispered so she didn’t disturb Colette who was cuddled up on the couch in the office of the Ghost Hawks. They had been waiting for hours for the other men and the sun had come up long ago.

  Abel brought his gaze upward. He was a nice-looking man with stunning eyes, but he’d barely said more than two words to her since they’d arrived. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’re mistaking my feelings.”

  Stormy paced the floor, then stopped in front of Abel. “Then maybe you think I’m at fault like the rest of your team.” Why was she pushing for answers? Shouldn’t she be glad that Duncan was dead and she and Colette were safe? No…she needed more answers.

  He sat straight and swiped a palm down his cheek. “I have nothing against you, but…” he gave his head a shake.

  “It’s okay to tell me.” She took a seat and clasped her hands nervously in her lap.

  “Listen, Carlisle and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, but we have each other’s backs. It isn’t that I have anything against you as much as what the team is losing. He’s a damn good agent and they’re hard to find.”

  She blinked. “What do you mean? What you’re losing?”

  “He’s screwed up on this assignment and because of that, he’ll be pushed out. Whether he acted in self-defense or not, this is serious.”

  “And you think I made his do these things.” She lowered her eyes.

  He shrugged. “You don’t get it, ma’am. In this career we need a clear head. He thinks he fu—" He squinted. “Sorry. I mean, he messed up. What will he do if he leaves the team? Become a rancher? It doesn’t work like that, not for SEALs—not for members of an elite team. We live and breathe this work and so does Carlisle. Don’t let him fool you.”

  Wrapping her brain around his words, her heart skipped several beats and her palms became clammy. What Abel was telling her was that Gray could never be happy doing anything but being on the elite force. It wasn’t as if she wanted him to lose his job. He might never forgive her.

  “Storm?”

  At the sound of Colette’s soft voice, Stormy went to her sister. “It’s okay, Colette. We’re fine. Let’s go home.”

  “Wait. You’re supposed to stay here,” Abel said.

  “Look, Phantom is dead. The woman Natasha is dead. We need to go home.” Stormy helped Colette up from the couch. “I’m taking my sister to have her checked out to make sure she doesn’t have any serious injuries. You can tell Gray that we snuck out of you have to.”

  He stood and opened his mouth, but the words didn’t come. He nodded his understanding. “I’m sorry.”

  She nodded. “Thank you for bringing us here.”

  28

  COLETTE PASSED STORMY the bowl of popcorn as they watched the scary movie. “Gray called again today.” When Stormy didn’t respond, Colette looked at her sister’s profile. “Did you hear me?”

  “Yes. I’m not deaf.” A month had passed since she’d spoken to or saw Gray. She’d rejected all his attempts to talk to her.

  “Why are you being so stubborn? Obviously, he cares for you.”

  Stormy frowned. “Sure, maybe, but I’m doing the right thing. He’s a lawman and I’m…well, I’m the woman that almost got him killed.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. You had no clue.”

  Shaking her head, Stormy grabbed a piece of popcorn and popped it into her mouth. “Think about it. He just felt sorry for me and that’s why we—”

  “Tell me all about it.” Colette curled closer.

  “Nope.”

  “Why the hell not? We’re sisters.”

  “I don’t want to ever talk about it.”

  “You’re spending a lot of energy flogging yourself over things that you had no control of. Ask yourself what his feelings were like before he knew you were Duncan’s ex.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbled.

  “Maybe you’re just afraid.”

  She then turned and looked at Colette. “Afraid?”

  Shrugging, Colette sighed. “I mean, he was different than all the other men you’ve dated.”

  “I dated a criminal, so yes, Gray is very different.”

  “I’m talking character and looks. You’ve always gone for the clean cut, safe men, but Gray is far from being safe.”

  “I think it’s understandable why I’ve always gone for the “safe men” as you refer to them.”

  Colette sighed. “Oh no, here we go again.”

  “What?” Stormy scrunched her brows.

  “I’m a woman now, sis. It’s time you stop thinking you’re the mom and more a woman who has needs.” Colette popped a kernel into her mouth.

  Stormy let her hand drop to her lap. “You’ll always be my sister.”

  “Yes, and I love you, but I want you to be happy. Tell me you didn’t care for him.”

  “I cared for Gray a lot, but…”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know.” She placed the bowl on the table.

  Colette groaned. “Yes, you do.”

  “I had hoped that Gray and I could see each other after all this. He even asked me to marry him.”

  “He did?” Colette shifted, turning to face Stormy.

  “In a way, yes, he did. He asked me where I wanted to go for our honeymoon.”

  “And you’re not jumping all over that hot, sexy man? You should trust me. After all, I did tell you that Duncan was a jackass.”

  “It’s not that simple. Abel told me that he was giving up everything for me.”

  “Pfft!” Colette moaned. “Abel is one man who doesn’t seem very in tune with his emotional side, so are you going to listen to him?”

  A knock sounded on the door and they both looked.

  “Are you expecting someone?” Stormy asked.

  “No, but you are.” Colette jumped up from the couch, wearing a telltale smile.

  “What. Have. You. Done?”

  “You’ll thank me later.” Colette leaned over, kissed Stormy
on the cheek, and said, “Better get that.” She strolled down the hallway.

  Standing, Stormy sighed. “Colette? You better get back here.” But she received no answer, of course.

  Another more persistent knock sounded.

  *

  Gray hadn’t slept for more than sixteen hours. He really hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since he held Stormy in his arms. He hadn’t gone five minutes without thinking of her. After learning his fate that he was suspended from the Hawks until further investigation, Gray had been working the ranch.

  After speaking to Colette, she told him to show up at her apartment that she and Stormy were sharing. He didn’t like cornering Stormy, but he had a right tell her what was on his mind.

  The door came open and the beauty came into focus. His heart hammered his chest. He’d missed her so much.

  “Gray…” His name slipped from her sweet lips.

  “Stormy, I know you didn’t want to speak to me, but you need to hear what I have to say. Abel told me about your conversation. He has no clue how I feel, or what I’m giving up.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d never ask you to give up anything—”

  “And yet you are because you’re asking me to give you up. That’s unfair.”

  “I-I…well, this is all so crazy, Gray. You can’t give up something you love.”

  “You’re right. I can’t.” He moved his hungry gaze over her. “Can I come in?”

  After a slight hesitation, she stepped aside.

  “Colette shouldn’t have gone behind my back.”

  “She loves you. And so do I.”

  Stormy blinked. “But…but…”

  “I’m not giving up the Hawks, at least until I know how the investigation turns out.”

  “Investigation?”

  “It’s protocol when something like this case happens.”

  “This again is all my fault.” She crossed her arms over her waist.

  “It’s not so bad. I need surgery on my knee and I can’t put it off much longer. I’m crazy over you and if you’re with me that’s all that matters.”