Seth (In the Company of Snipers Book 17)

by Irish Winters

  “Yes, I do. Come,” Eric pleaded. “It’s not enough. Trust me, Seth. I need every man standing. You should see these guys. They’re Arabic, every last one of them, and they’re trained killers.”

  “But Eric, the Marines of FAST are better trained.”

  “But they’re not enough, buddy. I need every last gun in this fight or we’ll lose Cassidy and…” A shudder raced through the line between Eric to Seth. “She’s hurt, Seth. I know she’s been hit, and she’s a woman, and… Shit. I’ve got to get to her.”

  Eric’s anguish for this captured teammate radiated within the chambers of Seth’s heart. Cassidy was one of the few non-military members on The TEAM. This might’ve been her first time in combat. Yes, she was one of those types who thought she could fight the world alone, but she was still a woman, and tough guys like Eric and Seth had grown up with an inherent chivalry woven into the deepest threads of their all-male American souls. A man’s primary job on Earth was to protect and serve his women and children. End. Of. Story.

  Seth relayed what he knew, including where Lianna Khadeem was and who was keeping her safe. He ended the conversation with, “Watch for me, Eric. I’m bringing the heat.” I only hope I’m bringing enough.

  Turning off his satphone, he popped the battery free of its compartment. Alex would be flaming mad, but he wasn’t here, was he?

  Swallowing hard, Seth opened the bathroom door and prepared to confess what he’d done. Devereaux might be angry, but she knew the rules. A man never left his buddies behind. Even now, two of Cord’s guys had already reinserted into Cuba to rescue that Julio fellow. Yeah. She’d understand.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “No, I don’t understand! You told your boss everything? How could you betray me like that?”

  Seth’s palms came up to placate Dev, but the steadfast glint in his eyes hadn’t wavered since he’d told her he’d spoken with Alex Somebody-Or-Other in Somewhere, Virginia. He’d said sorry a couple times, but sorry didn’t change the fact that someone else now knew where Princess Lianna was—had been—safely hidden. What if that bigmouth talked to another bigmouth, and word got out to the wrong people? Cord would be so, so angry, and he’d blame her and...

  “I’m not asking again,” Seth said firmly. “I need Cord’s help, so please, what number can I reach him on?”

  Dev paused, then flounced out of bed and tugged into her shorts and shirt, knowing that Seth’s heated gaze tracked every move of her naked body as she slid into her clothes.

  “Humph,” she snorted. He’d turned into as bossy a man as Cord. Still… Seth’s reason was sound, just like every last one of Cord’s. These two guys were cut out of the same, know-it-all piece of cloth.

  Reluctantly, Dev told Seth how to contact her brother, then crossed her arms over her breasts and waited while he replaced his satphone’s battery and made the call. This ought to be good.

  Her bra was nowhere to be found. Just when she needed to be tough, her girly parts jiggled under her too thin t-shirt. The room had gotten chilly and holding her arms as tight as she was only squeezed her nipples together until they were pointing at Seth. Of course, he noticed. His gaze hadn’t strayed for one second from her chest, not even when his voiced rose with a snappy, “Because I don’t leave a man down, that’s why, Shepherd!”

  Or a woman in this case, Cassidy Dancer, one of Seth’s agent buddies. Why’d Cord only have men on his team? Not that it mattered, but still, a female tough enough to work with a guy like Seth, huh? Dev wanted to meet this Agent Cassidy Dancer.

  Cocking her head, Dev studied the new dimension to the man she was pretty certain she was falling in love with. Seth had changed since he’d spoken with his boss. His back seemed straighter, more erect—or something. He carried himself differently, with confidence and power, as if he knew perfectly well where he was going and what he’d do when he got there. Even the blade of his nose seemed—sharper. Put a uniform on that rugged man’s body, and he’d be Cord all over again, on his way to fight the world—or die trying.

  She settled onto the corner of the bed nearest Seth, not going to argue with a good man just doing what he knew how to do. But Cord was still Cord. She could hear him yelling over the line, something about ‘cowards who run at the first sign of trouble’, about being ‘spread too thin across too many fronts.’ As usual, complaining and throwing acronyms until Dev had no idea what he was talking about. Cord could be such an ass.

  “Trust me, I know,” Seth replied evenly, “but FAST is involved. A hundred or so guys just like you are on their way to rendezvous with my guy. Are you coming with me or not?”

  That grabbed Dev’s heart and her attention. A hundred men? Seth wasn’t just marching off to save a buddy. He was marching off to war. More telling was when the conversation turned from a yelling match into Seth relaying more practical intel like, “Ammo, already have lots of it. Bring what you can, but yes, I’ve got enough weapons to arm a small army. I’ve got you covered there, too. Uh-huh, sure, there’s a raft, but it’s smaller, six men tops. Bring enough staples to last a couple days. Okay. My boats tied up across from Molly’s. Key’s under the floor mat beneath the wheel. Sure. The pontoon’s water supply ought to last until we get back. Camelbaks? Sure. I’d prefer the smaller version. Water’s heavy. Thanks, Cord.”

  Whatever Cord said next, sent Seth’s hand scraping over his head to the back of his neck as he disconnected. His handsome face twisted with a grimace that could only mean Cord was still being himself—a jackass. Seth stared at his phone before he popped the battery out and pocketed it.

  “I’m on your side, Seth,” Dev told him quietly. “I know you have to leave, and I understand why you did what you had to do. It just surprised me, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, well, sometimes there are bigger things at stake than pride.” His right shoulder lifted, no doubt because of the pain in his neck called Cord Shepherd.

  “What’d my brother tell you?”

  With a big huff, Seth expelled his long-suffering patience. “The usual. That I’m a dickhead. A loser. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before.”

  She nodded. Cord was a tough nut to explain—and live with. Tender with Scottie one moment but puffed up with toughest-guy-on-the-block bravado the next, he never relaxed enough to enjoy life. “He believes in himself, Seth,” Dev said quietly. “He has to, or he’d never be able to do what he does.”

  “Understood, Devereaux, but a man’s got to unwind between deployments or he’s a danger to his team.”

  “But he thinks he is the team,” she offered for lack of understanding how Cord’s hard head worked.

  “And that kind of attitude will get a man or his buddies killed in a firefight, Devereaux. I’m not trying to scare you, but Cord will work with me on this, or I’ll bench his ass and go it alone.”

  Whoa. Who is this guy to think he can bench a behemoth like Cord? Something had definitely changed inside Seth. The gentleman was still there, but the persona of a wickedly dangerous—and sexy-as-hell—badass now radiated from deep within those whiskey-brown eyes. Seth had a mission, and every fiber of his being was tuned to accomplish his task.

  “You left your boat at Molly’s?” She had to ask. “You swam all the way out here? Why, Seth?”

  His gaze lifted, snaring hers, and she knew why. Like a fool, she’d listened to her bossy brother and in doing so, she’d hurt Seth.

  “Yeah,” he admitted, his head cocked as if he thought he needed to defend himself. “I’ve been known to do a dumb thing, now and then.” His chin came up. Yes, this man wasn’t going to apologize for anything.

  Easing off the bed, Dev took a step into him. “Is drinking all by yourself one of those dumb things?” She hadn’t forgotten the taste of the first kiss they’d shared, but how sad. Seth had beaten himself up with a long, hard swim, then drowned his sorrows last night, all because of her.

  He had the grace to blink and nod. Yet he said, “I do,” withou
t hesitation. “Once in a while, yeah. I drink too much.”

  “Last night? Did you get drunk last night? Because of me?”

  Seth cocked his head the other way as if he might ask, ‘What do you care?’ Instead he said, “I quit the drugs and cutting, but a drink now and then…” His right hand took a swipe at his forehead. “Never mind. It’s not your problem.”

  Oh, yes, it is. Dev closed the distance, needing to put her hands on this lonely man. She’d hurt him enough that he’d needed to deaden the pain in his heart. That was why he’d been drinking last night. It wasn’t something she was proud of, but he had to know that she’d never do anything like that again. From now on, Seth came first. Scottie and Seth. They both came first.

  Snaking her arms around his waist, Dev pressed her ear to his heart, content with the steady beat. “I am the stupidest woman alive,” she told him. “Don’t ever drink alone again, Seth. Promise?”

  His hands settled on her waist, but no answer rumbled from his throat. And that was fine. Her request had sounded as if she’d always be there for him. He might not be ready to believe that just yet, and she didn’t blame him. Actions spoke louder than words. She had to prove she meant what she said. And she would.

  “When will Cord be here?” Dev asked, changing the subject.

  “As soon as he contacts his guys in Cuba. Wonder and Sonic?”

  “Stevie ‘Wonder’ James, Ryland ‘Sonic’ DeLorenzo, and Cleveland ‘Rabbit’ Miller,” Dev translated as she took a step back to gauge the look in Seth’s eyes. There was no anger there, just a tender, sad shadow she longed to erase. “Those are the guys Cord works with most often, but I think Rabbit’s working a different angle. I don’t think he’s in Cuba.”

  “You’re right. Cleveland Miller’s in Washington D.C., negotiating with his father, Ambassador Miller, who’s been fighting an uphill battle for years now to get Khadeem and the Saudis to come together in peace,” Seth said, his chin up again. “Khadeem’s not only pissed off the US of A with this stunt in Cuba, he might just have bitten the royal hand that feeds him. The King of Saudi might cover his ass because Khadeem’s another Arab, but once the king discovers what he’s done to his only daughter...”

  Seth shook his head. “The Saudis treasure their families, Dev. Things could turn ugly damned fast. The Persian Gulf’s a strategic asset the United States can’t afford to lose, but now—”

  “Rabbit’s dad’s an ambassador?” Dev interrupted. “Really? Does Cord know?”

  Both Seth’s shoulders lifted. “I don’t know. Ask him when he gets here, but for now, I’ve got packing and stacking to do.”

  By then, the thunder had ceased, and the rain was lessening. Instead of pounding, it had reduced to a chilly drizzle. Dev shrugged into her wet rain slicker to give Seth a hand. In no time, the dock was piled high with heavy ammo boxes and assorted, plastic wrapped weaponry from Uncle George’s shed.

  “I had no idea your uncle was behind this,” Dev told Seth.

  “Don’t feel bad, neither did I.”

  “You need a jacket.”

  “Nah. I’m fine,” he insisted, his hair gone curly wet, but his jaw was firmly set. He’d been careful not to bump her in passing while they’d transferred the gear, but he’d be leaving soon. Dev wanted him in her arms where she could taste his handsome body one last time.

  Sure enough. The second she thought that, an outboard motor buzzed over the waves to the west. Had to be Cord clearing the western edge of Drunken Sailor Island, flying to the rescue in Uncle George’s pontoon.

  Standing on the dock, Seth glanced from the pontoon boat to the stacked supplies as if calculating their weight against what the boat could carry.

  “Seth,” she said, her heart up high in her throat. The day that began so incredibly fine was slipping away, and there was nothing Dev could do to hold onto it.

  Her single word brought his head up and she was in his arms. “I’m here, baby,” he whispered as if he’d known what she’d needed all along.

  “But you’re leaving.” And I’m staying.

  “Shhh. I know. I know.”

  No, you don’t. Not yet, because I haven’t told you what I need you to know before you leave. Dev buried her face in his chest, inhaling the unique scent of his skin, while her fingers roved around his waist. Clutching his back, she pulled herself into the warmth and strength of his body. Paradise. She’d found paradise, and she was losing it all in the same day.

  Dev bit her lip. Cord had taught her well. Saying goodbye would be as hard, maybe harder, on Seth than for her. Instead of baring her heart and breaking his in the process, she murmured, “Please be safe out there,” instead of screaming, ‘I don’t want you to go!’

  “I will,” he promised, his breath warm at the top of her wet head, the hood of her slicker long ago tossed back when she’d carried box after box, helping Seth, readying him to—leave.

  The words she didn’t dare whisper burned her throat and eyes. What if this were their last moment together? What if he never knew how much he meant to her before he left? What if—he didn’t come back?

  Brushing her cheek against his chest, she stifled a sob, her throat squeezed tight and her heart breaking. Of all the men in the world, she’d fallen in love with one of the few, the brave, and the proud. There were damned few of men like Seth out there. She would know.

  Tenderly, he cupped her chin in one palm, his other hand skimming over her head, his fingers threading the strands and chunks of her wet hair as he held on tight. Slowly, his mouth descended on hers, and he kissed her with so much passion, it brought tears to her eyes. It was as if he poured every last piece of his heart into hers… as if he knew something she didn’t… as if he were saying goodbye.

  And Dev broke. “No,” she cried into his lips. “You’re coming back to me, I know you are. I… I love you, Seth McCray. I know it’s too soon, but I don’t care anymore. I love you, damn it. You are coming back to me. I know it because you have to. You just have to.”

  They stood there trembling together in the chilly cold, his nose pressed to the top of her forehead, one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist, holding onto her as if his life depended on hers. Breathing each other’s air. Sheltering each other against what, Dev didn’t know, nor did she care. He was her refuge and her strength. Her world. And this was too hard. She needed him! Only him! Here with her and Scottie, not lost in some scary part of Cuba where anything could go wrong.

  Biting her bottom lip to control her panic, Dev clung to him, memorizing everything. The scrape of his whiskers on her skin. The scent of soap drifting up from the hollow of his neck. The way he held her as if he’d never let her go.

  That he hadn’t returned her impulsively spoken sentiment meant nothing. Men were slower thinkers than women. It took them longer to get in touch with their feelings. Everyone knew that, but not once did she doubt the tenderness she found within his steady hold. Seth loved her, which was why he had to leave. He wouldn’t be the man she wanted in her life without the blazing streak of honor running through his soul like a wellspring of strength and courage to others in need. That was Seth to his true, blue core, and because Cassidy Dancer needed what only he and men like him offered, Dev would let him go. Any. Minute. Now.

  ‘Please, God, bring him home safely to me,’ she prayed.

  Long after the pontoon sidled up to the dock and Cord cut the motor, Seth stood there holding her. Rocking as if Time stood still. If only Cord’s big mouth would. “Sis!” he snapped as one big boot hit the dock like an exclamation point to the order she’d better obey.

  ‘Not now,’ she thought, still tucked under Seth’s chin and wrapped up tight in his arms. ‘Maybe never again.’ From now on, Cord would have to learn to wait.

  “Sis! Enough already. Break loose of Soldier Boy and give me a hand.”

  “No,” she whispered. “I’m staying.” Right here where I belong. For as long as I can.

&n
bsp; Seth’s big warm hand splayed into the curve of her back, pulling her in tight for one last kiss. It was everything, and more. Her soul absorbed the essence of his taste as their tongues tangled. Her nose drew the spicy, soapy scent of his skin into her heart. This was the man she wanted in the rest of her life.

  Too soon, Seth relinquished his hold, and whispered, “This isn’t goodbye, Devereaux. I will be back. You can count on it.”

  Blinking like a total sap, she met his gaze. The hard, determined man was gone, replaced by her tender lover, and that lover was blinking as fast as her.

  “I’ll be waiting,” she promised.

  “Aw, for shit’s sake, you two idiots—!”

  And Dev lost it. “Will you shut up?” she told her loud-mouthed brother without breaking eye contact with Seth. “Just… just hush, Cord. I’m… I’m busy.”

  Seth’s fingers tangled into her short locks before they dipped down to caress her cheek. “It’s getting dark. Will you be safe getting to Molly’s all by yourself?”

  “Sure,” she said, wishing this moment would never end. “I’ve done it plenty of times. Just need to run the bilge pump before I get underway.”

  “But how will you transport Gru?”

  She shrugged that one off. “Same way I brought him out here when I thought he was dead—in a bag. He won’t like it, but he’ll be okay once he’s in his habitat again. He’ll forgive me. You’ll see.” Because you are coming back to me, aren’t you?

  “You’re something else, Devereaux,” Seth murmured before he landed one small kiss on the end of her nose. “Tell Scottie I’ll read ‘Old Yeller’ to him when I return, if it’s okay with you. I don’t plan to be gone long.”

  “I will,” she told him obediently. “That’ll make Scottie happy.”

  Seth surely said all the right words to make Dev believe he was different than the others. That he meant what he said. Stepping aside while the guys finished loading, she kept her mouth shut and the pain in her heart to herself. There was no sense making things more difficult for Seth. He had a job to do, and she wouldn’t stand in his way.