The Storm Within

by Christa Ann

  The Storm Within

  Christa Ann

  After Glows Publishing

  The Storm Within

  © 2017 by Christa Ann

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  Published by

  Davis Raynes Publishing Group, LLC

  After Glows Publishing

  PO Box 224

  Middleburg, FL. 32050

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  Cover by: LKO Designs

  Formatting by AG Formatting

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  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  About the Author

  Note From the Publisher

  The Storm Within

  Sergeant First Class Trevor Evans is up for re-enlistment. His last mission went downhill, leaving him wounded and hanging on for dear life. Finding out there is a possible leak within his team, his current mission is canceled. Now suffering from extreme nightmares because of the missions, Trevor heads out on his annual trip to see his old military buddies and to make a final decision regarding his re-enlistment.

  Therapist Skye McKenzie enjoys helping her patients. But, when one of her patients, who suffers from PTSD, loses control and attacks her in her office, she’s injured. Reliving the attack each night has prevented her from returning to work, and now she doesn’t know if she can go back. Skye leaves for her vacation to see her old college sorority sisters needing the change of scenery to help her heal.

  Trevor sees Skye and everything in him tells him she’s the one. Skye can’t get past the dog tags and doesn’t want to get involved with anyone in the military. Her heart overrides her brain and demands her to trust. Can they both overcome their issues to give this relationship a try? Will Trevor re-enlist or stay in? Can Skye return to work and trust Trevor?

  1

  Skye McKenzie pulled into a welcome center to walk off the stiffness in her back and legs from driving too long. After walking around, she sat down at a picnic bench not far from where she parked. With her eyes closed, Skye lifted her face to the sky, feeling the breeze caress her face and play through her hair. The sun warmed her skin as she slowly opened her eyes to watch families come and go. Being a therapist, she could tell a lot from just observing people. The way they walked, looked, or even talked could tell her a lot about someone.

  To the right, a man caressed his wife’s face after opening the car door. He kissed her forehead while she placed a hand on his chest and smiled. He pulled her close, placing his arm around her as they made their way to the building. The love they shared was clear in every touch without saying a word.

  Another couple nearby must be fighting; not only wouldn’t they look at each other, but they weren’t touching or talking. The coldness radiating from them made Skye shiver.

  Hearing the squeal of a little girl coming from behind her, she turned in time to see a father chasing the little girl and her mother. His hands up and fingers wiggling, he yelled out in a playful voice, “The tickle monster will get you both.” And then he laughed wickedly. The love they had for one another showed in the smiles, laughter, and voices. She couldn’t stop the smile and chuckle at the loving family clearly enjoying spending time together.

  She knew she needed to get back on the road before she received a phone call from her sorority sisters wondering where the hell she was. She’d almost canceled out, but her mom had convinced her this was what she needed. Skye knew she had about an hour and a half drive. But, now she was feeling a little guilty about never telling them about what happened. Well, hopefully they would never know. She didn’t want to relive that day anymore, not even in her sleep.

  Getting into her patriot blue metallic Equinox, she played her favorite CD and sang along with Celtic Women’s “When You Go.”

  When she finally got to the beach, her back was sore again and so was her side. She could hear her friends laughing from outside and shook her head. There were voices coming from the house next to them. I wonder who rented that house. Fourth of July week and there wasn’t an empty house.

  She was greeted with “Hey”, “It’s about damn time”, and a few “Get your ass settled and get in here.” How she enjoyed being with this group of ladies and had missed them. They all talked on the phone when they could, and she even got to see some of them from time to time. But their annual trip was when they all got together and partied hard and talked. Maybe she would let them know what happened. But then they’d know she’d let her guard down and had paid dearly for it. She didn’t want to see pity on any of their faces.

  The house was amazing. They each had their own room with a TV mounted on the wall and DVD player. A door on the opposite side of the room led to the en suite bathroom. That was perfect. This way no one would see the scar that ran from the middle of her back to her right hip. The knife had cut deeper on her hip, and it still gave her some pain at times. She’d had to buy a new bathing suit to ensure the scar wouldn’t be seen.

  After unpacking, Skye went out and caught up with her friends then went outside to walk on the beach. Slipping off her shoes, she let the water roll over her feet as the sand covered them. The water was cool, and the sand was smooth. She found some shells that she planned on washing off and taking home. Heading to the pier, she glanced around her: Families playing with their children, some walking dogs, some jogging or swimming, and other walking like her. The ones she tried not to notice were the couples holding hands or sitting together lovingly. It was a reminder that she was alone again for another holiday.

  Could she really be with a man after what happened to her? She didn’t think so. The man who had hurt her hadn’t even been a boyfriend or friend; he was only a patient she was treating. How was she going to trust having a man close to her without reliving it over and over? She still wasn’t sleeping well; closing her eyes, she risked seeing him with that knife in his hand as he came after her.

  Skye hadn’t realized she’d made it to the cashier by the entrance of the pier. After she paid the fee to walk on the pier, she walked to the end and sat on the bench, bracing her back on one of the wooden posts. There was no one near, and no one could sneak up on her without her spotting them. I’m safe. I can’t get hurt. The breeze off the water, the birds singing in the air, and the sound the water crashing against the piling lolled Skye into a peace that almost had her falling asleep.

  Hearing a slapping sound, Skye jolted her eyes open with a gasp. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” said the man with a pair of hazel eyes and short brown hair standing at the railing. My god. He is gorgeous and those hazel eyes.

  Trevor slept in for once; well, he’d also been up late due to another nightmare. Still being in the military, he was usually up almost every day between zero four hundred and zero five hundred in the morning. He needed to eat and go for a jog. He had a PT test when he got back to the base, and he had to decide whether to re-enlist or not.

  He really needed to get out; the walls were starting to close in on him. The last mission, he just couldn’t stop thinking about. Trevor had even walked in his sleep twice. One of his buddies recorded him on his phone then showed it to him. That had scared the shit out of him. It showed him stalking through the hall, looking around, and giving an all-clear sign. That’s when he knew he suffered from PTSD. He hadn’t wanted to full
y believe until then; he’d had to set aside his pride. The therapy had helped him to cope and understand his what ifs wouldn’t have prevented what happened.

  Getting up, he changed into his black running shorts, green t-shirt, and running shoes. Walking into the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water and headed out to run on the beach. Stepping on the deck, he took a deep breath and inhaled the salt water. Seeing the pier down the far end of the beach, he decided to head in that direction and end by walking on the pier.

  Jogging along the beach with the sun heating his skin eased his mind of the stress from the nightmares. The more he jogged, the more endorphins his body released to help him relax. By the time he reached the pier, Trevor felt stress free and was ready for whatever happened today.

  As he walked down to the end of the pier, he passed some people fishing, couples holding hands smiling at one another, and some just relaxing. When he got to the end, he placed his hand on the top of rail, looked out at the open ocean, and breathed the salt air into his lungs.

  Bending his head to clear his mind of all the negative thoughts, he focused on the sounds of the water, birds singing to one another, someone playing music, and conversations between couples. He slapped his hands down on the railing and turned around. That’s when he noticed he wasn’t alone.

  Sitting on the bench with her back against the post was a beautiful woman with red hair and crystal blue eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” He didn’t realize that he’d stepped forward until she put a foot down and her back went ramrod straight. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Slowly, she stood. “You didn’t scare me.” He knew she was lying; for some reason she feared him. He’d never thought he was that scary.

  “This is the best place on the pier. I’m surprised no one else is here to enjoy the scenery.” Trevor backed up and leaned against the railing. For some reason, he didn’t want her to leave. This is crazy. I can’t be with anyone until I get these nightmares under control. Why do I want to talk to her?

  She didn’t take her eyes off him. “Yes. It’s peaceful here.”

  He needed to get out of there before he did something stupid like ask her out on date. “Well, I’m sorry I intruded on your time. I’ll see you around.”

  Damn it, he needed to move faster but didn’t want to run. As soon as his feet hit the sandy beach, he ran for the beach house.

  Entering the house, he went to his room to take a cold shower. Just that short amount of time with the gorgeous red head had hardened his cock painfully. Why would his body react to someone now when he couldn’t act? He had too many dark demons chasing him in his dreams.

  He would love seeing her flaming red hair over his pillow as he explored that body. To see those eyes filled with passion would be a sight to behold. Fuck. No. I can’t.

  He needed release, but refused to do anything about it. If he did he would want her naked, lying on his bed, waiting for him, telling him to come to her now. He would do anything to keep her stated and satisfied. They’d glide their hands over each other’s body exploring, memorizing. Would she enjoy being on top or bottom more or on her hands and knees? His hands would move from her breasts to the v at her apex. Trevor would love to have her hands caressing his skin from this chest to his cock. During these mental images, he didn’t realize his eyes were closed, his cock in his hand, squeezing and stroking. As soon as he realized what was happening, he came all over the shower wall with a shout. Fuck.

  Going out to the other room, he saw some of the guys were playing pool. “I’ll play the winner.” Grabbing a beer, he sat down and watched his friends play, joke with one another, and just have fun. Normally, he was a pretty good player. But, his mind wasn’t into the game; it was somewhere it shouldn’t be. The pier. So, why was he hearing his buddies but not listening? Trevor smiled when needed, laughed when everyone else did, and nodded when it was required. But his mind was on a redhead with haunted blue eyes, and he wished now he’d gotten her name. Later on, they all went out to eat at a local pub.

  That night, when he went to bed his dreams hit him hard.

  His team eased down the hall, checking each room, looking for insurgents. They knew they were in the building somewhere. Their informant told them about the meeting happening with the leader, the one they searched for. They needed to find him, get out of this damn country, and go home.

  Entering the last door on the right, a man stood in front of a man tied to a chair. He had bruises and cuts. Before he could draw his weapon, a shot rang out and the man fell. Walking over, he raised his head and recognized their informant. Trevor screamed, “This mission has been compromised. Clear out, now!”

  That’s when it happened: more gunfire rang out. His team took position and returned fire while Ron, known as Radio, called in for emergency extraction under enemy fire. “Take cover.”

  As soon as Radio said those two words, the building shook. “Rocket launcher.” One by one, his team went down, either shot or killed. Radio was shot in the shoulder and looked at Trevor. “Extraction team will be here in five minutes.”

  Trevor knew they didn’t have that long. With a rush of speed, he ran out of the building with as many grenades as he could get; he needed to stop them from getting hit with another rocket launcher. That’s when he felt the first hit on the back of the leg, and he fell to one knee. The next one hit his shoulder, throwing his arm back, breaking his balance. Pain rushed through his body with a force of a tidal wave. Lying on his back, he knew he might not survive. The team had been betrayed, and they might never find out by whom. “Mom, Dad I love you.”

  Trevor woke up seeing lights shining in his eye, too many voices asking questions at the same time. That’s when the pain hit again and...

  Trevor shot out of bed with a gasp, looking around at his surroundings. Realizing he wasn’t overseas and it was a dream, he concentrated on his breathing and slowing his racing heart. Getting out of bed, sweat ran down his shaking body, and he needed a cold shower.

  He hung his head as the water washed away the memories. He just wanted to sleep all night without the nightmares haunting him. Why couldn’t he get over this and move on? Damn it. Fuck. He slapped the shower wall in frustration.

  After drying off, he sat on the bed, his elbows on his knees, taking deep breaths to calm his mind. Realizing he had no clothes on, he put on his shorts and t-shirt and went back to bed.

  2

  Trevor woke up feeling refreshed and hungry. When he got to the kitchen, his buddies were all talking and joking around. He needed this; he needed to feel whole just for a little while. Being with these guys made him feel normal. They made plans as they ate, cleaned up, and then headed out the back to throw the football around on the beach.

  Walking across the back deck to the sandy beach, he didn’t notice the ladies next door were outside watching them. As he took off his t-shirt, he turned around and caught sight of the gorgeous lady from the pier.

  He stood there staring into her face, wanting to know what she was thinking. Those blue eyes and red hair had him wondering if she had Irish blood. An army buddy on base had the same flaming red hair, and he was of Irish decent. He knew not all red heads had Irish blood, but he wanted to find out. Why do I want to talk to her or even get to know her? I’m screwed.

  “Hey Trev, you playing or what?” his buddies called to him.

  “Yes,” he yelled back, heading to his friends. “Not a single word from anyone. Got it.” They’d noticed how Trevor glanced at the women next door.

  Trevor had fun tossing the football around. At times, a tackle turned into a wrestling match. He never had this much fun with the team he worked with on his base. Just being away from everything there took the weight off his shoulders. He knew the only thing he had to do on this vacation was make a decision whether he’d re-enlistment or leave the military.

  If he wanted to re-enlist, he needed to finish the program with the therapist he was currently seeing. After finishing, he wo
uld be evaluated to determine if he could return to active duty or be medically released.

  His parents just asked what he wanted. His sisters, they were all about telling him what they wanted. “Get out, Trev. We don’t want to worry about you getting deployed again. We want you here and safe.” He wondered if he would ever feel at peace.

  The game done, he could feel someone behind him and swirled around. “Fuck Gannon. You should know better than to sneak up on me.”

  “Edgy. You been like this since you got here. What the hell is going on?” Gannon was not only a Navy buddy but also a close friend.

  “You damn well know I can’t tell you.” Running his hand over his face, he looked at his friend. “I wish I could. All I can say. My last two missions went to shit fast, and we got our asses handed to us. Lost some.”

  Gannon eyed him and made him want to look away. “Noticed the two shot wounds. Had to have hurt like bitch. Is that what you dream about?” Trevor’s eyes widened, and he started to open his mouth. “I came out of my room needing a drink and heard you. Have you talked to anyone besides the therapist? Just asking, so don’t be an ass. If you need to talk, I’m here.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Trevor looked over to make sure she was still outside.

  “Go over and talk to her. Ask her out, man. Have fun. The military is a career, not your life. See you later.” Gannon tapped his back as he headed toward the house.

  Trevor retrieved his shirt, put it back on, and headed over. Okay, I can do this. Damn, I’m nervous.