Joe turned to the guard and said in a low voice, “See to it we’re not disturbed.”
The bulky guard nodded and pulled the door closed. Joan crossed her arms and stared at Gail, trying to figure out what was going through her head. She appeared to be sweating, her eyes widened, and she jerked her head over to the XO now standing beside Joan. Joan lifted the thick manila folder against her chest, and Gail’s eyes flew to it immediately. Of course she was wondering what was in it—who wouldn’t?
Joan cleared her throat. “Do you understand why you’re being confined to your quarters?”
Gail looked straight at her and shook her head. Joan could see the heavy lump in her throat and that she was having trouble swallowing. Joan let her gaze flicker to Gail’s sides, and she realized her fists were clenched.
Joan tapped the folder with her fingers. “We’ve collected statements from several crewmembers. First of all, they address your public admission that you wanted to get back at the captain. Second, we have a witness to the day and time in question who corroborates the captain’s report of the incident.”
Joan watched the shorter woman’s eyes widen, and her face tinged pink. Gail leaped at Joan and scraped her fingernails down her cheek, and Joan fell back over the chair beside her to the floor. The file spread everywhere. All Joan could hear was the filth that was Gail shouting at her like some raunchy sailor. It was hurtful, and Joe grabbed Gail and dragged her back right before she tried to hit Joan with her fist.
Joe launched his body between them, giving Joan a moment to rise. Her blouse was open. The top two buttons seemed to be missing. She pulled the cloth closed as the lace of her bra showed, and maybe that was what distracted Joe, as Gail kicked him and wrenched free, grabbing Joan’s hair. Joe pulled her off and slammed her into the locker, holding her there. Joan got to her feet and set the chair back up. Then Joe heaved Gail into it and yelled, “Just stay down there if you know what’s good for you, and keep quiet!” His voice was controlled, but the warning was clear.
“That is bullshit. I’m being railroaded. Who dreamed up the conspiracy against me? You?” She aimed a finger at Joan, but Joan did nothing but pull her shirtfront closed again. Gail then shouted at Joe, “Or was it you? There was no witness; you know it and I know it. There was just that—”
Joan watched the instant alarm fill her expression, and then she snarled, “There is no way that woman saw anything. She was practically unconscious. Anyway, she would lie and say anything he wanted her to. She’s nothing but a terrorist and is probably in cahoots with that guy she says kidnapped her. I bet she made the whole thing up.”
Joe’s hand shot out and grabbed Gail by the shirtfront. He yanked her from the chair and held her mere inches from his face. “Shut your mouth, you lying piece of trash.”
Joan pushed herself between them. “Put her down, please.”
He did, and Gail sank to the floor, her knees buckling under her weight. Joe’s expression changed, and he stared with such disgust that Joan prayed he’d never look that way at her.
“It was you who started that rumor that Abby was a terrorist,” Joe said. Gail looked away and appeared to clamp her mouth closed.
“Gail, I’m giving you a chance to come clean,” Joan said. “A second chance, as it were. We know you filed a false report. The evidence and statements we’ve gathered—several of them, in case you’re interested—support that. What I don’t understand is why.”
She wouldn’t answer, but tears were now swimming in her dirty brown eyes.
“Gail, we will be bringing charges against you, but we’re willing to be lenient if you’ll confess to what you’ve done and show true remorse.”
Still, Gail didn’t speak. Joan looked over to Joe, who was standing much like a fighter does, waiting for his opponent to lunge. Joe offered a slight shrug. With a sigh and shrug of her own, Joan turned back to Gail. She was done. She’d given this girl all the chance she could stomach.
“We’ll leave you to think about your choices. You are relieved of duties, confined to quarters. Under no circumstances are you allowed to leave this room.”
Joe followed Joan out the door, and before the door closed, a pillow was flung. In the hall, Joan winced and touched a hand to her stinging cheek. When she pulled her hand away, she saw traces of blood. She tossed a sheepish look at a silent Joe beside her.
“Thank you for your help in there. I guess the captain was right about sending you with me, huh?”
“He generally is right, regardless of his views. There are just some things with him I’d never question.”
***
The wardroom was full that night, the mood considerably lighter than it had been since Gail’s ugly accusation. There was a steady buzz in the room, as the officers present were all discussing Gail Carruthers, everyone with a different theory on why the woman had filed her complaint and on how many other women in the Navy would do that. The captain had not officially been cleared, as of yet, but every one of the officers remarked that this was a mere formality.
Joan felt awkward and smiled stoically while she received appreciative thanks from many of the officers and made excuses for her wounded face. She took her hat off to this man. He was well respected by his crew, even with his primitive views of women. It still set her teeth on edge that he had evidently read a situation better than she had. Where she should have used better judgment, he had the foresight to recognize a problem situation. Although she was still sporting a bruised pride at the upbraiding she had received from him, she realized it was time to swallow it and congratulate him.
Joan spotted the captain across the room, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He wasn’t mixing with his officers. He was thinking, doing, overseeing, and for a moment she found herself a little in awe of the man who towered over her. Why hadn’t she noticed before? He was one of the hottest men she’d ever met, and his brown eyes shimmered with something that appeared deep and old, like a survivor who had seen far too much. That deepened the aura of mystery around the man.
She glanced at his full lips and wondered how it would be with him, to be kissed and held in those powerful arms…consuming was the word that came to mind. He had a deep tan, with tiny lines around his eyes, a dark shadow of hair on his cheeks. As he stood there watching her, she could almost feel his power, and she wondered if this was how Abby saw him. God, any woman would be lucky to have him, but it would have to be on his terms, with no compromise. That was so clear. He didn’t even have to open his mouth for her to get that. She also realized he was unavailable—he had found his mate, and that was stamped all over him.
She cleared her throat, preparing to speak, and he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something. “Captain, I wanted to thank you for having the foresight to send Lieutenant Commander Reed with me to see Gail Carruthers. I underestimated the situation, and…”
He set his coffee down and touched her elbow, gesturing across the room, where there was more privacy to talk. “Commander, you don’t need to thank me, but understand it’s my responsibility to see to everyone’s safety on this ship. And that does include you. Don’t be too hard on yourself for misreading the situation, but when you don’t play by the rules, that’s when slip-ups happen. Remember that.”
Joan stopped for a minute when his meaning set in. He was angry still for what she’d done, slipping in early to see Abby, his Abby. She started to leave but then said, “Oh, and Captain, I understand the admiral will be in touch with you. I have filed all the reports to have the charges dismissed against you.”
The Captain inclined his head. “Thank you, Commander, and good luck to you.”
“Thank you, Captain, and may I say good luck to you, too, sir.” Saluting him, she watched as he strode from the wardroom, stopping only for an instant to accept someone’s congratulations before leaving.
Joan smiled and waved at an officer across the room who called her, beckoning her to come over. Joan just gestured to her watch and gave Joe only a p
assing glance as she too left the wardroom. She had packing to do and would be leaving in the morning along with Gail, who was to be transferred to the base in Bahrain before being shipped back home to await trial.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The call from the admiral was expected, but Eric was unable to control the tension that was biting all the way up his back. It had been over a week since Commander Foxworth had left with Gail Carruthers and two days since he’d been officially cleared of any wrongdoing. He remembered the sense of relief he had felt when he heard she had admitted the lies, if only to help officially clear the other three officers and the allegations she had made against them. Even though there were no charges, there was still that tainted question that lingered as to whether they had done it. When someone created those kind of lies about people, they never really went away.
Over the last week, Eric had spent only a brief visit each day with Abby and Rachel. The admiral, as promised, tried to stall having her brought to the base in Bahrain, but the Admiral confirmed Eric’s fears: The CIA wanted Seyed Hossein, and since Abby and the baby were, according to them, the only motive he had to come out of hiding, they were willing to sacrifice her to catch the elusive man. Even Langley had called and said he had to hand her over. They were now sure that Seyed Hossein had been a part of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole.
When the phone buzzed beside him, he lifted the handset with a heavy heart, because they were coming down to their last fight. “Admiral, I hope you have good news for me,” he said. Hearing the sigh on the other end, the bottom fell out of his stomach. Eric shut his eyes.
“They’re unwilling to budge. They want her and the baby, and they want them now.”
For a minute, a powerful jolt went right through him, because he was facing two things: He could either pull something that would anger a group of people who could be an angry hornets’ nest when were denied what they wanted, or he could lose the only woman who’d managed to creep inside his heart and fill the big empty void that had always existed inside him. Both could kill him.
“Admiral, I can’t let her go. You and I both know what will happen. She’s a US citizen who was abducted.” He heard a sharp intake of breath and, before the admiral could send a direct command over the wire and leave him with a choice he didn’t want to have to make, he added, “No. I have to stand firm. She’s under my protection. I won’t turn her over to them. Please, you have to help me out on this.”
As he gathered a deep breath, an idea sparked in his head. “I also want to run something past you. If I keep Abby and the baby here, the CIA could let it slip that this is where she is. Of course, this means exposing the ship and crew. Ideally, it would draw Seyed out where they could set a trap for him. It’s a win-win for them, Admiral. Let them have all the credit. I just want Abby safe.”
“It will be a tough sell,” the admiral replied. “Exposing the ship and crew to these dangers may not be an option. I would have to get approval from Washington.” There was the sound of a chair squeaking. “You should know I’ll have a quick answer from Washington, and then they’ll be sending someone for her. They’ll order you to turn her over.” The admiral cleared his throat, and Eric could hear someone whispering in the background. “Oh, I meant to tell you that the chaplain is still on the Vincent. He’s planning on leaving today, though, to return to Washington. You may want to consider having him aboard before he flies off.”
Eric was still holding the phone in his hand when Joe knocked, and Eric watched him shut the door and lean against it. Maybe it was the look on his face that had Joe looking grim.
He gripped the back of the chair and said with concern, “Eric, it didn’t go well, did it?”
Eric swallowed the lump in his throat. “No, it didn’t, and it doesn’t sound like I have much time.” Taking a deep breath, he looked at his watch, stood up, and turned toward Joe. “Can you track down the chaplain, Commander Julian Dobson? Find out if he’s still on the Vincent. Then get him over here in the helo—” He stopped talking and jammed all ten fingers in his hair. Then he blew out a hard breath. “I need to go talk to Abby.” He started for the door. “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
Joe’s eyes widened, but he didn’t speak.
“I…I’ve thought about it. Never thought it would happen like this, but it’s the only way to protect her.”
“To keep her on board?” Joe said.
Eric nodded. “Partly, but it’s the only way to keep them from using her as a guinea pig.”
“Do you think she’ll agree?”
Pausing for a second with his hand on the door, Eric lowered his head before pulling it open. “I don’t plan on giving her much choice.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
She was wearing the jeans and taupe button-up shirt that Eric had arranged to include in the supplies that arrived the other day. He’d guessed on her size, but just seeing her face light up to have regular clothes to wear was worth the effort and favors he’d had to call in.
Even though she’d just had a baby a few weeks ago, she really looked good. She had the most amazing figure, long blond hair that almost reached her waist, a sharp set of cheekbones, and lips that he wanted to lean down and taste every time he looked at them. He also thought her ass was amazing, with the way she filled out a simple pair of jeans.
He leaned against the door, and it clicked closed. Abby watched him from where she lingered in the corner, where she and Rachel had a bed out of the way. The first moment her eyes connected with him, her face lit up. Then she seemed to think about something, and she frowned and wrapped her arms around her middle. He started across the room, straight for her, giving a passing glance to the sailor lying on one of the beds. “I need to talk to you,” he whispered.
She was searching out his face as if she knew something was wrong, and her expression immediately leaped to fear. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me!”
When she touched his arm, he could feel how she struggled to stop the tremble, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her. He knew all too well the places she’d go in her head, so he guided her to edge of her bed. “Sit down,” he said. Then he covered her mouth with his fingers, feeling the softness against his roughness. “Shh, don’t be scared. We don’t have a lot of time. There is something going on, and we need to be married now.”
She stared at him, and he’d swear she stopped breathing for a second. “What did you say?”
He set both hands on her cheeks. “Abby, I need you to marry me right now. Don’t say no or that you have to think about it. I just need you to trust me and nod once, a simple yes.”
“Married. Why would you want to marry me?”
It was the first time that he had seen her doubt herself, and he was shocked. Didn’t she know what she did to him? Why, she’d all but wrapped him up in a knot! He couldn’t go back to his lonely, isolated life as it had been before. He didn’t want to go there, and he wanted her with him, to be his, only his.
“Abby, don’t you know the way I feel about you? I want you somewhere safe where I can protect you and Rachel.” He didn’t let her respond, because he didn’t want her to start questioning what and why and who the big bad wolf was who was pounding at the door. He knew that knowledge would tip her right over the edge. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, so soft and hesitant, but she didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away as he feared she would. He didn’t push the kiss, although he wanted to trace his tongue over her lips to taste her. He realized he needed to take it slow. “Please, Abby, just trust me. Please say yes.” He rested his forehead against hers and took in her warm breath. “Abby, do you trust me?”
“Yes, I trust you. You already know that.”
“Then will you marry me right now, no questions, just be my wife?” He held her face and then slid all his fingers into her glorious hair, holding her head still as she looked at him. He didn’t know what he saw there, and that worried him.
So slowly, her eyes filled with a
shimmer of tears, and she blinked to hold them back and whispered, “Yes.”
Eric wasn’t about to give her time to change her mind. What he did was scoop up Rachel, snuggled in her makeshift cradle on the floor beside the bed. She was sleeping soundly, and his heart tripped each time he touched that innocent bundle. He loved her scent, how content she was, and how she gazed up at him with those dark eyes, not those of a monster but something so innocent. She was looking to him to keep her safe.
“The way you are with Rachel…you want her, don’t you? You’ll also keep my daughter safe, raise her as your own?”
When he glanced over at Abby, he saw the question she asked as the uncertainty flickered in her expression. “Abby, how could I not want to protect something so innocent? A child should never have to worry about whether she’ll have a parent to protect her, to care for her, where her next meal is coming from. I want to do everything in my power to make sure nothing bad can ever touch her.”
“Well then, we should go. Eric, Rachel and I would very much like to marry you.”
He slid his other hand behind her neck and pulled her against him. “Let’s go.”
***
Abby settled Rachel in the bedroom of Eric’s cabin. She used the drawer they’d used during her first few days after giving birth. It had stayed here, and Eric couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he hadn’t moved it. Maybe it was because he knew deep down that he wanted them back here. While Eric fumbled with something on his dresser, he watched Abby study the room as if it were the first time she was in here.
“Will I share this room with you, or will I have to stay in sickbay still? When I came up to see you a few days ago, Petey told me I was not allowed to wander the ship and had to stay in sickbay, so I need to know.”
“Petey was right, and you’re not wandering the passageway, although I love seeing you. I’m sorry, but you need to understand you’re not in the military. You can’t wander around with a baby. You could get knocked over. The ship makes sudden turns.”
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