Saving the Seal 2: A BWWM Navy Seal Interracial Romance

by Cristina Grenier

  “I’m going to a lot of the workshops.” He murmured. “Well…some of them at least.”

  “And you’ll be glad you did, Jonas. We’re all very proud of how quickly you’re moving forward.”

  For the first time in the weeks that she had known him, the young man’s lips turned upwards in the slightest ghost of a smile. “Everyone here has been really nice to me. Very supportive.”

  “Of course. Stella speaks very highly of you.” Genny put her friend in charge of scheduling all of Jonas’ workshops. She had dedicated herself to the task, even staying late to make sure that everything was in order. Since Jonas had started making progress, Stella was the one who devoted the most time to helping with his case. Genevieve wasn’t in the least bit surprised, however. As one of her closest friends, Stella understood how important Jonas’ case was to both her and the department.

  At the mention of the redhead’s name, Jonas cheeks pinkened slightly and he looked away. “I like Stella. She buys coffee for me.”

  Genevieve chuckled softly. Her friend mentioned that she brought Jonas a latte every once in a while when she looked in on him during his sessions. It was just a small gesture, but he obviously appreciated it greatly. “She is a gem. She and I have spoken a lot about your treatment, you know.” The psychiatrist mentally steeled herself to talk to Jonas about the next stage in his recovery. “We were thinking it might be best to get you into an intensive rehabilitation program to help you out a little more with your Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I know we’ve got you on lose doses of a few drugs now, but at the rate you’re improving, I think you could soon be off them. What do you think?”

  The dark-haired man was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. The next time he spoke, his words were barely audible. “My father liked to prescribe drugs, didn’t he?”

  Genny winced inwardly. Jonas mentioned his father at least two or three times every session, and when he did, the fear in his tone was palpable. She cleared her throat. “He did, Jonas. But drugs aren’t always bad. Sometimes people need them to make it to the next step of their journey. They’re like a crutch, while we’re mending a break.”

  Almost a minute ticked by on the clock before Jonas answered her. “I want to get off them.”

  Of course he did. “We’ll help you, Jonas. I promise. Just be patient with us, and be patient with yourself.”

  He nodded slowly. His downtrodden face made Genny’s heart ache, but she told herself that she just had to work harder. She would help Jonas rise above what his father had done to him – as a further blow to the man who had ruined so many lives.

  She left the session that evening with her heart light. Jonas had agreed to start his intensive treatment. In two weeks, he would board a bus with a number of other patients who qualified for the month long retreat by the sea and he would begin a new stage of his life.

  Genny was elated to have helped him reach that stage.

  She got into the car with her police escort, grateful that she had the weekend ahead of her. Despite the difficulties involved, Owen and she had planned another getaway – two days in the mountains. They would be all alone, and, as winter approached, there would be no heat in the cabin. Normally, the prospect of freezing weekends would have her headed for the hills, but when Genny imagined the creative ways she and Owen might keep one another warm, it made her glow with anticipation.

  When her phone buzzed in her bag, she extracted it. It was no doubt Owen, making sure that she was on her way home. When she looked at the Caller ID, however, she saw the number was unlisted.

  Genny’s heart sank. Though she was in a squad car with two cops, she suddenly felt naked. The young woman’s notification bar indicated one unread picture message.

  Her heart pounding in her chest, Jenny opened it.

  Her eyes widened. There was a blurry image of her through the back window of a vehicle – the very car in which she currently sat, dated just seconds ago. Beneath the picture were four words:

  I’ll get you, whore.

  A choked sound of alarm escaped her. He was close. Close enough to see her from wherever she was. Her heart in her throat, she immediately alerted the officers in the car with her.

  All hell broke loose. The two cops immediately called for backup, making a detour from their current route towards Gina’s house, which was closer. The siren atop the car flared to life and Genny tried to keep calm. The officers took her phone from her in an attempt to get a fix on where the message had come from, which kept her from getting in contact with Owen.

  It took them barely five minutes to reach Gina’s modest little ranch home. By the time they arrived, however, there were no less than four cop cars in the front drive. Genny was quickly ushered from the squad car and into the house.

  Gina was clad only in her nightgown, clutching a wailing Luis to her breast. She quickly explained that the baby had been woken in the madness and demanded to know if Genny was alright.

  While the psychiatrist was trying to modulate her breathing, she was perfectly fine. There was someone following her – someone hell bent on hurting her – but at least she was in a home surrounded by the authorities.

  Both women were assured several times that they were safe – that a perimeter had been made and there were cops out in every direction for a five mile radius combing the streets for the predator. As Gina’s phone had been confiscated as well, in case the stalker tried to use it to contact them, it was a long while before either of them had access to a phone.

  After a tense hour and a half during which no information was provided to them, Gina excused herself to feed Luis and put him back to bed. She left Genny alone to tap her toes and bite her lip raw as she waited for something – anything – that would help her relax.

  How the hell was this guy getting so close to her? That shot of her in the car couldn’t have been taken from more than one hundred feet away. If that was the case, there was no way the perpetrator could have escaped the net of cops that grew ever thicker in the area.

  Genny was on pins and needles for at least two hours. A combination of nerves and knowing that Owen was probably out of his mind with worry was enough to make her queasy. When Gina made her coffee, however, she couldn’t make herself drink it.

  At around ten o’clock that evening, Detective Miller finally showed up at Gina’s address. The man did not look happy. He greeted both she and Gina before beginning to explain the situation. “Ms. Thomas, I’m afraid that we haven’t been able to catch anyone. We weren’t able to trace the number from which the picture was sent to your phone and, after combing the area and performing several searches of homes, we haven’t turned up any suspicious characters. They’re watching both Trace and Kant like hawks upstate, and there isn’t any sign that they’ve tried to make moves from the inside.”

  Genny wanted to scream in frustration. Instead, she merely took a deep breath, appreciating Gina’s calming hand on her shoulder. “Can I please call Owen? They took our phones.”

  “I’ve already taken care of it. He’s on his way.”

  Well, there was at least that. The young woman’s expression must have spoken volumes on how helpless she felt. Frowning, Detective Miller apologized again. “Genevieve, we’re doing all we can to find this guy. I know it isn’t easy for you.”

  Suddenly exhausted, Genny sank down onto the sofa, covering her face with her hands. She was tired of this. Tired of always looking over her shoulder and having her every step haunted by surveillance. Tired of her privacy being stripped away and having ten calls a day from people who just ‘wanted to see if she was alright’.

  “Genny.” Gina’s usually brash tone softened as the Latina woman took a seat next to her. She rubbed over the psychiatrist’s back soothingly, not unlike Owen did when he knew she was stressed. “It’s going to be OK. At least you’re safe for now. Owen will be here soon and then you can go home and get some rest.”

  At that precise moment, a solid knock came on the door, capturing ev
eryone’s attention. Detective Miller quickly answered the door to admit Owen, who looked about on edge as Genny felt. He was at her side in an instant. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine.” She managed. “Everyone’s fine.” She just felt like she wanted to crawl in a hole and sleep for the next hundred years. Maybe by that point, whoever was obsessed with her would lose interest.

  “Genny, you’re tired.” Owen murmured quietly, as Detective Miller and Gina moved away to give them a bit of privacy. “You’ve had a long week and you need a break.”

  Speaking of, what was going to happen to their weekend now? Her expression forlorn, Genny rose from the sofa to let Owen pull her into a brief embrace. She stood by him as the police asked him a few questions and checked over his phone. With the Detective’s permission Gina bid them a quiet goodnight and they were given leave to go.

  “Detective Miller?” Before they left, Genny called back over Owen’s shoulder. “I’m assuming this episode means that we can’t go to the mountains tomorrow.”

  The graying man’s eyes showed sympathy for her current plight and Genny sighed. She wasn’t looking forward to spending the entire weekend inside, looking forward only to the ten minutes she’d get each day to walk Eddie.

  After a short pause, he answered her. “Ms. Thomas, I believe that you can still go on your trip.”

  Her heart leapt. “We will, of course, have to take several extra precautions, but as long as you don’t mind, I think it should still be alright.”

  Oh, thank God. She was beginning to think she was going to go stir-crazy at home. “Thank you, Detective.” The smile she gave him was the first earnest one that evening. “Thank you so much.”

  She took Owen’s arm, letting him lead her to his truck. Once he started the engine, while they were waiting for their police escort to back out of the drive, the SEAL’s hand curled into her thigh, rubbing there in a mixture of comfort and suggestion. “I know this is shitty for you Gen. Trust me, I want to catch this guy just as much as you do. But, we’ll do our best to try and enjoy ourselves this weekend.” Leaning over, he whispered his last statement discreetly in her ear. “And I fucking swear, I’ll have you screaming so loud those cops will know exactly what I’m doing to you.”

  His dark promise was enough to make her shiver, her libido momentarily overwhelming her nerves.

  Despite what had happened today, she still had the weekend to look forward to. Two days alone with Owen to pretend they existed in a little bubble of perfection.

  She would have to take what she could get.

  **

  Owen didn’t like it.

  He didn’t like that their little security detail had been increased from one unit to three, that they’d been told they had to leave before dark Sunday night, and that he was going to have to make love to Genny knowing that someone was probably whacking off to the mental image they provided.

  This was supposed to have been a quiet weekend getaway…and he supposed it still was. Owen was going to have to do the best he could with what he’d been given.

  He knew that the past couple of weeks had been difficult for Genevieve. She’d been under close scrutiny at the hospital, a lot of her time had been consumed with finding suitable treatments for Jonas Kant, and she could barely step outside of her house without someone trying to cover her ass. She was exhausted, and he felt for her.

  Which was why he’d done his best to make this weekend nice.

  Owen wasn’t a bleeding heart romantic. He didn’t know how to pick the perfect bouquet of flowers or plan a candlelit dinner. He’d never bought anyone jewelry or sprung any awe-inspiring surprises.

  But he was glad he’d made the preparations he had before Friday had gone down the toilet.

  When Genny hadn’t called him on her way home, he had, of course, been worried. When fifteen minutes after the time she usually arrived at the front door passed, he’d called Detective Miller, only to find the line busy. Thankfully, the cops posted in front of the house had let him know what was going on.

  The SEAL’s hand curled tightly around the steering well as he took a turn up a gravel road.

  The creep was still hard on Genny’s heels. He wouldn’t give up. What’s more, he seemed to have some magic ability to get close to her without alerting anyone who was supposed to be protecting her. Because this bastard had made a move the day before they were supposed to go away, no less than three cop cars trailed them on the way up into the mountains.

  Detective Miller assured him that the men on duty would form a loose perimeter in order to give he and Genevieve the privacy they needed, but their presence still rankled him somewhat. When he’d told Sean what had happened that morning, before they’d left, the man had met his statement with a mixture of empathy and amusement. He warned Owen not to go in too hard on Genny if he didn’t want everyone to know their business; but he sure as hell wasn’t going to heed that advice.

  Not after what he’d promised her.

  Owen glanced over at the woman fast asleep on the passenger side of the truck. Genny tossed and turned the previous night, only drifting off close to dawn, and they left the house around eight thirty. Naturally, she’d knocked out the moment she set foot in the truck.

  She was gorgeous – her hair mussed, without the slightest stitch of makeup on. Her leggings, thermal and plaid vest gave her a cozy, relaxed vibe that he liked. She was always so high strung. Even before this whole stalker issue, she worried about one thing or the other because of her job. If he had his way, she’d never have to worry again.

  It killed him every time that lovely mouth of hers turned down in concern.

  They’d been on the road for about three hours, which meant they were drawing relatively close to his father’s hunting cabin. The old man reluctantly allowed them to use it for the weekend, insisting that if one thing was out of place when he came up next month, he was going to tan Owen’s hide. The SEAL took his father’s words pretty seriously. This was, after all, a man who hardly batted an eye when Owen had told him his girlfriend was head of the psychiatry department at a Vet hospital and currently being stalked.

  Eli Sinclair merely grunted and told him that there were two loaded rifles in the cabinet and to clean up whatever mess he made.

  When Owen thought that one day Genny would have to meet his father, he grimaced. That was likely to be interesting. As stubborn and anal as he could be, his father had helped him acquire those exact traits.

  As they drew closer to the cabin, the squad cars fell back one by one. Owen knew they would be looking for places to post up with good lines of sight and easy access, just in case. Somehow, however, Owen doubted that whoever was after Genny would come all this way.

  If they had, well, he had easy access to two Remington seven hundreds.

  Within minutes, they pulled up on the small three room dwelling. It was bare bones basic, Owen knew from his numerous weeks up here with his father as a child. No running water, no electricity, but they would make due. When he cut the engine, he took a moment to simply stare at the sleeping woman at his side.

  Genny shifted slightly, her lips parting as she drew her legs up beneath her protectively.

  He hated to wake her.

  Owen brought her around as gently as he could and they grabbed their bags from the back seat. Normally, he would have tossed them in the bed of the truck, but currently the space was piled high with junk that Sean had made him promise not to move. He had started to build a Gazebo in the backyard of the ranch and never finished. If he hoped to rope Owen into helping him when he returned in a month, he would have to think again.

  “I know it’s nothing special.” Owen cleared his throat, retrieving the keys from his pocket as she crested the few steps to the front door. “But it’s private.”

  Genevieve merely responded with a sunny, sleepy smile. “No, it’s really nice. It’s so fresh here.” She took a deep breath, her nose reddening at the temperature of the crisp mountain air.

 
Owen definitely agreed with her there. It was one of the reasons he thought to bring Genny here in the first place. This little secluded piece of land was unspoiled. It would just be them, the trees, and the occasional deer or rabbit.

  And, of course, their surveillance team, but they had promised to give them as much space as humanly possible. “Well, we can get settled.” Owen jiggled the key expertly in the old lock. “Then maybe go for a little hike.” He opened the door to admit her inside and Genny took one step before pausing on the threshold.

  When she spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. “Oh, Owen…”

  He’d done his best to fix the place up. Owen cleared all of his father’s hunting gear out of the way and cleaned the windows. He’d dusted off the old furniture and arranged a bed of blankets in the middle of the floor before a fireplace piled high with wood. Next to the blanket were two bottles of wine, kept chilled by the cold temperatures, along with a box of Genevieve’s favorite chocolates. Scattered throughout the small den were red and white rose petals – Gina’s idea – and candles waiting to be lit.

  Yeah, he wasn’t a romantic, but he had driven up here during one of Genny’s work days and set this up, because he knew she needed it.

  They both needed it.

  “Do you like it?” He inquired gruffly, somewhat embarrassed.

  “Owen, it’s gorgeous.” Dropping her bag in the entryway, the young woman threw her arms around him, pressing her mouth to his eagerly. Owen’s body reacted immediately as heat surged through him. He barely took a moment to close the door before his hands found the swell of her behind, cupping the hottest part of her against him.

  When Genny’s ice-cold fingers crept under his shirt to touch his bare skin, however, Owen hissed out a breath of discomfort. His lover laughed, drawing away from him guiltily. “Sorry, sorry. Maybe we should warm up a little first.”

  “Maybe.” He replied, smirking, before hoisting her neglected bag over his shoulder to carry to the bedroom.

  They passed a leisurely rest of the afternoon. After lighting all the candles and getting a fire going in the den, they had chocolate and champagne for lunch. When they were warm from alcohol and the flames, they raised each other’s temperature to a fever pitch in the circle of blankets on the floor. Owen savored every moan and every gasp he elicited from Genevieve. He didn’t stop until she begged him for mercy.