Her Relentless SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 10)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  She believed him.

  But what fucking passports was he talking about?!

  “Sure, I’ll make another movie, if you’ll tell me what passports you’re talking about,” Evie said.

  “Still playing dumb, are you?”

  “You can say I’m playing or you can just call me dumb. I don’t care which. Just explain to me why I’m lying on this dirty floor with the threat of death hanging over my head.”

  “Your lovers are working with Nathan Alderman and have eighty blank South American passports that I’ve paid for. I want what’s mine.”

  Evie looked at the man incredulously. First, the fact that the committed gay couple could be her lovers was crazy town, then the idea that they would traffic in something as dangerous as blank passports, was crazy town squared.

  Holy shit on a cracker. No wonder she was lying on hard cement and pissing in a bucket.

  “You’re wrong,” she finally croaked out.

  “I’m not wrong. It’s time to up the incentive for them to give me back my property.”

  He went back to the door of the cell and threw it open. He muttered in Turkish and in walked another man. The man who spoke in English held up her phone. She recognized the pink covering.

  “Action!”

  The second man grabbed her by the hair, lifted her off the ground and hit her across the face.

  Evie grunted in pain.

  He hit her again. This time she cried out.

  The third time he punched her, she screamed.

  Evie didn’t know when she started to cry.

  She reached out for a happy moment to cling to and found herself back in Tennessee.

  He continued to hit her until she finally passed out.

  ***

  Flashback - Three Months Ago

  He was beautiful. All that luscious blond hair and blue eyes. Come to find out he was half Mexican and half Irish. What a gorgeous combination. Then the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at her. She was in heaven. Not that she ever intended to let him know that.

  “You’re our guard dog?”

  “Evie, be nice,” her baby sister, Piper, said. “This is Aiden. He’s staying with us. He’s going to help me with my homework.”

  “I’m going to go make dinner.” Evie stomped past Aiden and Piper in the great room and headed for the kitchen. She needed to take a breather before she drooled on the carpet. God, he was like something out of the romance novels she read.

  Her head in the refrigerator, she took stock of what was available to make a meal. She grabbed the first thing that looked promising.

  “Hey, what’s your problem?”

  Evie jumped damn near four feet and dropped the roast she’d been holding. She whirled around.

  “What in the hell are you doing sneaking up on me?” She stared up and up and up so that she could face the man who must be a foot and a half taller than she was.

  He squatted and picked up the roast, and stayed there so they were nose to nose.

  “What’s your problem, little girl?”

  “Stud muffin, I’m not your little girl. We have Piper and my niece, Bella, to take that role. I’m the one who will poison your food, put nettles in your bed, and put Nair in your shampoo if you mess with me.”

  The man’s eyes lit up, then he threw back his head and laughed.

  “How old are you? Five?”

  “I’m seventeen, old man. Are you feeling like a perv?” she taunted.

  He chuckled again. “Are you twenty-six yet?”

  Shit, how did he know how old she was. Her eyes narrowed. “Have you been checking up on my family?”

  “Like you said, I’m the guard dog. Gotta know what I’m guarding, Evalyn.”

  “Call me Eva.” He stood up and handed her the roast. “You cook?”

  “Well duh.”

  “I promised Piper we’d watch a movie after her homework was done, do you want to join us?”

  She worked hard to keep her eyes on his face, and not let them drift to those wide shoulders that were showcased in the blue turtleneck that matched his eyes.

  “You’re not letting her decide what to watch, are you?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “It’ll be sappy,” Evie noted.

  “I can do sappy.” He grinned.

  Damn, he had a dimple.

  Evie felt her girl parts tingle. She could do sappy too, she just didn’t tell many people that. Okay, she didn’t tell anyone. She always pretended she only did shoot-em-ups.

  “Let me get dinner started.”

  “Need some help?” Aiden asked.

  “Do you know how to cook?”

  “Do I look like I’ve gone hungry in the last few years?”

  She lost the fight and took in the breadth of the man’s shoulders. His eyes gleamed. He noted her perusal. Her cheeks pinkened.

  “You don’t look like you’ve missed a meal. Okay, we’re having pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, creamed corn, and peach cobbler for dessert. Think you can help with all of that?”

  “Lady, I’m your slave.”

  If only he’d said love slave.

  ***

  Next Day – San Diego, California

  Mason gave him a considering look.

  “You’ve got plenty of leave available, but you and I know that it’s not going to help. Now, if you were running to something, instead of away...” Mason let his words hang in the air.

  “I’m not running away from anything. I’m taking some time away to think.”

  Mason raised his eyebrow. Finally, he said, “I’ll approve it.”

  Aiden’s head whipped around at the sound of Mason’s office door slamming open. Drake stormed into the office and took all of the oxygen out of the room.

  “Mase, I’ve got to leave now.”

  “Karen?” he and Mason asked simultaneously. They both knew that Drake’s fiancée was five months pregnant.

  “She’s fine.” Drake waved his hand. “It’s Evie. She’s missing.”

  Before Aiden could say a word, Drake continued. “She went to Italy and Greece a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, she’s been missing for the last few days. She hasn’t checked in with Trenda like she’s been doing every day.”

  Aiden stood up and shot Drake an icy glare. “Just what the hell do you mean your little sister went to Europe? She’s never been out of the state of Tennessee.” Aiden was quickly processing the information. Missing. Europe. Bloody hell! As much as he tried to keep calm, all he could think was that Eva Lavender’s ass should be firmly planted in Tennessee with the rest of her eighty sisters.

  Drake’s palm shot out, shutting down his question. “I wasn’t talking to you, O’Malley.”

  Well, there went the three months of faking it in front of Mason.

  Drake turned toward their commander. “Mason, she’s not in Greece anymore. Six days ago, they went to Turkey.”

  “Who’s they?” Mason asked.

  “Jim and Blake,” Drake answered.

  “What was she doing in Turkey with her two bosses?” Aiden demanded. He immediately went through what he knew about the two men. Jim was a former Army Ranger and Blake a former Marine. They were lovers. They owned the small, exclusive hotel where Evie worked.

  “According to Trenda, they took her along on vacation. Everybody knew that she was in bad space because of you, and they took pity on her.” Drake glared at Aiden.

  “So, have you gotten in touch with either of them?” Aiden asked.

  “Don’t ask stupid questions.” Drake glared at him. “Of course, I’ve tried to get ahold of them. Blake talked to Trenda yesterday. He said not to worry about Evie. She was indisposed and that she would call tomorrow. Which is today. When she didn’t call, Trenda tried to get ahold of Blake and Jim, but neither of them is answering. That’s when she called me.”

  “She should have called you the first day that Evie didn’t check in with her,” Aiden said.

  “Don’t you g
et on Trenda’s case,” Drake growled, but he was rubbing the back of his neck. It was clear that he agreed with Aiden. He turned to look at Mason. “Mase, I need to leave now. Can you and Sophia look in on Karen and Piper?”

  “You’ve got it. Are you going to Turkey?” Mason asked.

  “Before I head half-cocked to Turkey, I’m going to Tennessee and do a quick recon of Blake and Jim’s office at their home and hotel.”

  “I’m going with you,” Aiden said.

  Drake turned on him. “I wasn’t fucking talking to you, O’Malley. This is family business, so stay the hell out of it!”

  “Can it, Avery,” Mason said quietly. Drake went silent, his entire focus on Mason. “Is there anything else to tell?”

  Drake breathed in through his nose.

  “I didn’t even know that Evie had left the country. For fuck’s sake, if she wanted to take a vacation, why didn’t she start with California? Trenda said that Blake and Jim arranged for her passport to be fast-tracked so she could go to Italy and Greece with them. Then they suddenly decided to go Turkey.”

  “Evie had been calling Trenda every day. She had some kind of international calling plan. That’s all I’ve got. I need to get a flight to Tennessee.”

  Mason nodded.

  “You’ve just gained yourself some company,” Aiden said.

  “Fuck that noise.” Drake didn’t even look at him.

  “I’m going to Tennessee, and then to Turkey, and then to wherever else it might lead.” They all knew that Turkey butted up to Syria and Iraq. God knew what in the hell mess Blake and Jim had gotten into.

  “I can’t hear this. All I can hear is that you are going to Tennessee. But if you need back-up, let me know.” Mason said to Drake.

  There it was. Once again, Mason Gault proved himself as a friend and a commander. He’d go into the fire with his men just like Gray. He’d fight to the death for either man.

  “Thanks, man. But I need to know you have my back with Karen, Piper, and the baby. I need you here in San Diego taking care of them.”

  “They’ll be taken care of.” Aiden heard the subtext. There were the five women of Midnight Delta who would circle the wagons and take care of Drake’s woman and youngest sister. Meanwhile, the men of Midnight Delta would be on call to run to the ends of the Earth and help Drake find his other sister.

  “I’m going with you, Drake. When are we leaving?”

  “Are you for real? I don’t want you within a thousand miles of this. We work together, that’s it.”

  Aiden chuckled. “Stop sounding like a girl. Hell, not even Evie sounds as whiny as you do.”

  “You motherfucker. She cried. You made my little sister cry.”

  “That’s between me and her. Her safety is all I care about. Don’t be a hotheaded asshole who turns down help. We’re out of here yesterday.” He turned to Mason. “My leave starts now. Sounds like I have something I’m running to.”

  “Sounds like,” Mason agreed grimly.

  ***

  As soon as they rounded the corner in the hallway, Drake turned on him. “We’re taking this outside.”

  “You dumb son-of-a-bitch. We’re taking this off-base. As a matter of fact, it’ll be decided in Tennessee.”

  “You’re crazy if you think you’re going.”

  Aiden looked at Drake. They were damn near the same size, so it’d be close. They might actually end up killing one another.

  “We’re on the same side,” Aiden said evenly.

  “I’m on Evie’s side. You fucked her over. I don’t know what happened. Hell, I don’t want to know what happened. But my ball-busting sister ended up crying. The last thing I want is you within a hundred miles of her. Capisce?”

  “Not capisce. I admit I fucked up. I’m going to fix it. In the meantime, Evie needs help. I’m going whether you approve or not.”

  “You’ll find the doors closed.”

  “Not when I say I’m sorry and I’m there to help. Not one of your sisters will turn down an iota of help. They have more sense than you do.”

  Drake stared at him.

  “They’ll back Evie,” Drake said decisively.

  “Why are we standing here? Don’t we have a plane to catch?”

  Drake turned and walked down the hall, leaving Aiden to stare after him. Jesus, the man was stubborn.

  Chapter Five

  Same Day – Somewhere in Turkey

  “You’re lucky. It seems that your friends are going to come through for you.”

  Evie could only hear every other word. Something about being lucky and her friends? Where was she? She was cold. Something tasted coppery.

  “I need you to open your eyes and talk.”

  Pain streaked through her scalp.

  “Woman, are you listening to me? Open your eyes!”

  The evil man’s face swam in front of her. She had always liked shows like Downton Abbey, now the English accent was going to make her throw up.

  “Good, now say something.”

  Evie swallowed and tasted blood. Finally, she was able to form a word.

  “Something,” she gasped out.

  The man laughed. “You have spirit. I like that.”

  She didn’t want him to like her. She wanted him dead. She spat out the blood, gratified when it hit him in the face. He slapped her.

  “Bitch, don’t make me really hurt you. Now, it’s time to make another video. Your friends are worried about you. If you do what I ask, I’ll get you some water and food.”

  She didn’t want anything from him, but if she was going to survive this horror, she needed food and water.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “Sit up against the wall.” He propped her up against the wall. It was hard to stay upright, but she managed. He pointed her phone in her direction. He must have a charger, Evie thought. She rolled her eyes. What a weird thing to think of now. How was he using it? Oh, yeah, she’d given him the passcode the first day when he kept yanking on her arm.

  “Tell Richards that you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay,” she croaked out.

  “Say more than that,” he commanded.

  She looked at the man holding the phone in confusion. What else was there to say? Then she realized what she wanted to say.

  “Tell my family I love them. Please, Blake. Tell my sisters and Drake that I love them.” Evie paused. “Tell Aiden I was thinking about him, too.”

  “That’ll do.”

  The man turned around and left the room.

  Evie slipped down the wall and fell sideways onto the dirty mattress. She coughed out a laugh. How lame was that? Tell Aiden I was thinking about him.

  A tear dripped down her face. No matter how angry, how hurt, how everything, she was always thinking about Aiden O’Malley. That was why she was halfway around the world in the first place.

  She closed her eyes and slipped back to Tennessee.

  ***

  Flashback, Tennessee, Three Months Ago

  She glared at Aiden.

  “This is my bedroom. Did you get lost, Kitten?”

  “Did you just call me Kitten?”

  He grinned at her.

  “Oh my fucking God, you did. Are you out of your ever-loving mind?”

  She stormed across the room to where he was putting his clothes into a drawer, and stared up at him. He looked down at her, his eyes dancing.

  “It seemed more politically correct than hell cat, but if you would prefer...”

  “I didn’t come up here for you to call me dumbass names, I came up here to demand that you follow my brother. He shouldn’t go out on his own. You should be watching his back.”

  “No,” Aiden said calmly. “I’m right where I need to be.”

  “Are you a coward?” Evie taunted.

  “You just don’t back down, do you?” He chuckled

  The man didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by her comment. Damn, she really thought that calling a Navy SEAL chicken would get
under his skin.

  “I need you to get out there and catch up with Drake. He’s walking into a trap!”

  “There isn’t a chance in hell that your brother needs my help. He is more than capable of handling things on his own. What’s more, I need to play my position. I’m responsible for protecting you, Karen, your sisters, and your niece. I take that responsibility very seriously.” His blue eyes gleamed.

  “This place is a fortress. We’re on lockdown. Give me a weapon, and we’re good.” Evie thought about her big brother, and it was killing her. She hadn’t seen him in over a decade. The idea that he might end up dead was too much for her to handle. Aiden had to go and help him.

  He must have seen her anguish.

  “Kitten, it’s going to be alright.”

  “No, it’s not. Please, go, before it’s too late.”

  “There is no one I would trust more than your brother. He’s got this.”

  Ah God, she could feel tears beginning to form. Aiden put one hand gently on her shoulder, and his other hand brushed back her hair. “Eva, I have to stay here. I need to make sure all of you are safe. Drake couldn’t do what he needs to if he didn’t know that you were taken care of.”

  “Please, Aiden,” she begged. “I can’t lose him.”

  “You won’t. You have to believe me. You don’t know him like I do. He’s a legend.” Aiden gave her a half grin. “But I’ll deny it if you ever tell him I said it.”

  Evie felt the knot in her belly begin to dissolve as she looked up into Aiden’s blue eyes.

  “Anyway, he’s too much like you to ever let anything happen to him.”

  “Huh?”

  “Eva, you have no fear, you came at me today like a virago. I thought you were going to take my head off with that damn mop.”

  Her lips twisted. “Yeah, sure.”

  “Seriously, you actually took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting that swing of yours. I wouldn’t kid you.”

  “You were able to sidestep it easily enough,” she said wryly.

  “For God’s sake, I would hope so. It still surprised me.” His thumb brushed her cheek. “Tell me, how often have you had to defend yourself like that?”

  She couldn’t help the betraying flinch, and the damned perceptive man caught it. “Tell me,” he persisted.

  “Not often,” she said softly.