Protecting Ainsley

by Jen Talty

  Protecting Ainsley (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

  search and rescue book 1

  Jen Talty

  Contents

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Jen Talty

  More Special Forces: Operation Alpha World Books

  Books by Susan Stoker

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  © 2019 ACES PRESS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.

  Dear Readers,

  Welcome to the Special Forces: Operation Alpha Fan-Fiction world!

  If you are new to this amazing world, in a nutshell the author wrote a story using one or more of my characters in it. Sometimes that character has a major role in the story, and other times they are only mentioned briefly. This is perfectly legal and allowable because they are going through Aces Press to publish the story.

  This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I might have assisted with brainstorming and other ideas about which of my characters to use, I didn’t have any part in the process or writing or editing the story.

  I’m proud and excited that so many authors loved my characters enough that they wanted to write them into their own story. Thank you for supporting them, and me!

  READ ON!

  Xoxo

  Susan Stoker

  Praise for Jen Talty

  "I positively loved In Two Weeks, and highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, the story is fantastic, and the characters will keep you coming back for more. I can't wait to get my hands on future installments of the NYS Troopers series." Long and Short Reviews

  "In Two Weeks hooks the reader from page one. This is a fast paced story where the development of the romance grabs you emotionally and the suspense keeps you sitting on the edge of your chair. Great characters, great writing, and a believable plot that can be a warning to all of us." Desiree Holt, USA Today Bestseller

  "Dark Water delivers an engaging portrait of wounded hearts as the memorable characters take you on a healing journey of love. A mysterious death brings danger and intrigue into the drama, while sultry passions brew into a believable plot that melts the reader's heart. Jen Talty pens an entertaining romance that grips the heart as the colorful and dangerous story unfolds into a chilling ending." Night Owl Reviews

  "This is not the typical love story, nor is it the typical mystery. The characters are well rounded and interesting." You Gotta Read Reviews

  "Deadly Secrets is the best of romance and suspense in one hot read!" NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst

  "A charming setting and a steamy couple heat up the pages in an suspenseful story I couldn't put down!" NY Times and USA today Bestselling Author Donna Grant

  "Murder in Paradise Bay is a fast-paced romantic thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. You won't want to miss this one..." USA Today bestselling author Janice Maynard

  About the book

  After a mission gone bad, Navy SEAL Keanu Kalen is forced into an unwanted vacation. He finds himself in the arms of a gorgeous woman in the sun and sand in Mexico thinking he doesn’t have a care in the world. That is until his superiors inform him that she’s a terrorist and he’s ordered to bring her back to the states.

  When Ainsley Emerson let her twin sister take her place in a scuba dive, she had no way of knowing that would be the last time she’d see her sister again. Nor could she predict that months later, she’d be accused of treason. After waking up in Mexico, broken and without identification, she begs a total stranger to help her get back to the states so she can prove her innocence.

  When Keanu’s plan to bring Ainsley in ends in tragedy, he seeks the help of old friends, only to find out he is now considered a traitor to his country.

  Keanu and Ainsley will have to work together to prove they are innocent of all crimes and in the process, they will uncover a sinister plan with an unlikely twist that will change their world forever.

  To the Writers with NAC! You ladies rock!

  Chapter 1

  Navy SEAL Keanu Kalen adjusted his night-vision goggles and scanned the beach. Right about now, all he really wanted to do was call his old buddy Wolf Steel and beg for his help, but Keanu got himself into this mess, and he’d have to get himself out.

  He blinked his eyes. He reminded himself he had no choice. This was his job, and his team was the best. They would get the job done.

  The salty air stung his nose as the cool ocean breeze rolled in. He lay belly down against the warm sand and surveyed the area.

  The darkening Florida sky glistened against the shore, but he didn't care about the scenery. He was more interested in the woman pulling into the Oasis Resort parking lot.

  He gave the signal to the new man on the team standing outside the lobby doors, as Sandra—no, wait—Ainsley Emerson turned off the lights to the vehicle. He’d said a lot to Ainsley in their short two-week affair. Stuff he wished he could take back now that he knew her real identity: a traitor.

  Ainsley shut the car door. With her thumb to her mouth, she looked over her shoulder, then the other way. Her curly dark hair bounced over her shoulders as she scurried across the pavement.

  “That’s her,” he whispered into his mic. Her tanned legs shimmered in the moonlight. Pushing aside the memories of her lips pressed firmly against his mouth as they ravished each other’s bodies under a sky blanketed with stars, he focused on the task at hand.

  She snapped her head around as she reached for the main doors. Everything was going as planned. But it wasn’t his plan, and that made him nervous.

  Everything about the CIA made him jittery, especially when they added a new team member that he hadn’t had a chance to vet. Not all Navy SEALs were created equal.

  “Going in,” Keanu said. “Everyone in place?” Hard to believe it would take six men to pick up one female terrorist. Then again, after his last screwup, he was surprised he’d been opted in for this mission in the first place. Of course, being bed partners with the suspect might have had something to do with it.

  Keanu had no idea how his superiors knew about his romp in the sack during his time off, but when all was said and done, he’d call Tex. If anyone could find out why someone was spying on him during his vacation, it would be Tex. He could find a needle in a haystack from the space station using only a magnifying glass.

  All five of his team had responded. Time to confront Ainsley.

  The hotel sat between two other buildings on the main drag in St. Augustine. It had that cheesy southern feel, pink flamingos and all. The greenish stucco laced with pink trim didn’t help. Having grown up in Florida, he swore he’d never return. The sand clung to his feet, tickling his soles, only it didn’t feel good.

  He pus
hed back the lobby doors and stepped onto the salmon-colored tile. He only knew this color because his sisters had corrected him numerous times when he called it pink. His oldest sister always told him that his taste in women was worse than his decorating style. After this mishap, he tended to agree. “I’m headed toward the room,” he whispered with a scratchy throat. He blamed it on lack of sleep.

  He reached into the back pocket of his new Bermuda shorts and pulled out a plastic key. He’d left her at the airport with a rental, as instructed. Why the CIA wanted to see if she’d run, he had no idea.

  But what really got under his skin was why hadn’t she? Ainsley had to know she was wanted for espionage. And if she had planned an attack, why was she continuing with the ruse?

  Too many questions, and not enough answers.

  Suddenly, his pulse slowed, indicating he’d finally entered his zone. He rolled his shoulders and inserted the card. A green light flashed at the same time the door clicked. He inhaled the sweet smell of tropical fruit as he stepped into the room. Dealing with women was such a pain in the ass.

  She stood three feet from him. She twisted her black hair between her fingers. The orange-scented body spray he’d woken to every day for the last couple weeks assaulted his senses.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d actually be here,” she said.

  He glanced over his shoulder and shut the door. “I told you I would be.” He swallowed, trying to act as if all was good in the world. He’d once heard his commanding officer say that if you ever found yourself enter a room where the enemy was a man and a woman, shoot the woman first.

  He couldn’t decide if he wanted to strangle Ainsley or toss her on the bed and have a repeat performance from last week.

  “Who are you? Really?” She stared him down. “You took off, and I thought I’d never see you again after what I told you, then bam. You show up a day later with a fake passport, ID, and a plan.”

  “Your confession freaked me out." Too bad the confession was a total lie. He examined the room again, looking for anything out of place. He couldn’t rid himself of the nagging sensation that this was all wrong, but he had no way of reaching his team without blowing his cover, and he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He took another step in, trying to get a better look at the bathroom. While his men had cleared the room before he landed, he’d long ago learned never to expect your surroundings to be safe when dealing with the enemy. Regardless of how good she was in bed, she was a traitor. "I needed some time to think and also contact a friend of mine to make sure I could get you the necessary documents you needed.”

  “Somehow I doubt that. Tell me who you are.” She sat down on the corner of the bed and crossed her legs, never taking her eyes off him. “I’m not stupid. Average people don’t just come by all that stuff overnight.”

  He lowered his eyes, and he took a long pause before he spoke. “I’m in the military, and someone who says they evaded taxes for years tends to piss me off.” He moved toward the window and took a peek through the curtains. Everything looked clear. “That’s my paycheck, if you know what I mean.”

  “You lied to me,” she said.

  He wanted to laugh, but that wouldn’t be such a good idea.

  “So did you.” He lifted a brow, already tired of the game. They both knew who the other was. Might as well get on with it.

  “What kind of military?”

  “Military enough. Care to tell me your real name?” He kept his back against the wall to the right of the window so he could see all aspects of the room. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “And what you really did?”

  “If you don’t already know my real name, then it isn’t important.” She looked up at him with those sparkling blue eyes and a seductive smile. There was no room for emotion. Or even lust. She was a terrorist and probably trained in military tactics. She’d do whatever necessary to succeed in her missions.

  Well, so would he.

  “Come on. We shared a bed. I smuggled you back into the States, putting my career on the line. You owe me. Now tell me your real name.” He watched with a mixture of excitement and sadness as her face drained of all color.

  She narrowed her eyes. “You already know, don’t you?”

  He glanced out the window, then turned his attention back to her and smiled. “I think I’m the one who got played here.”

  “Maybe. But you’re my last hope.”

  “I’m not your anything, honey.” He’d been her ticket back to the States, and maybe a good roll in the hay, but he doubted he was anything else. “If you were smart, you wouldn’t have gotten on that plane with me, much less come here.”

  She let out a long slow breath. “I didn’t do what I’m accused of, and I need your help to prove it.”

  “Why the hell would I do that? You’re a damned traitor.”

  “That’s not true!” She leaped from the bed. A hint of anger flickered in her cool-blue eyes.

  He yanked his weapon from behind his back and pointed it dead center between her breasts. “Sit down.”

  “Keanu.” She froze, terror washing over her face. “Is that your real name?” The way her mouth parted in shock, and her fear-stricken eyes, didn’t make her look like one of the FBI’s most wanted.

  “Yes,” he admitted. He’d dealt with the enemy before. In the name of his country, he’d killed the enemy. It was either them or him. He always preferred them. It wasn’t that he liked the killing. He didn’t. It was a necessary evil.

  She looked like an angel.

  But he’d pull the trigger if he had to.

  His heart pounded against his chest in a painful beat. “Sit down, Ainsley,” he repeated. He just needed to focus on the mission, then let everyone else deal with her. Just bring her in. That was his job.

  “So, you do know who I am.” Her hands shook as she reached behind her and sat on the bed. “Please don’t point that thing at me.”

  “Don’t give me reason to do it again.” He tucked the gun back into his shorts, this time leaving it where she could see it. “I’ve been ordered to bring you to the base in Guantanamo Bay.”

  “Oh, God. Don’t take me there.”

  He thought he might have heard a whisper or two on the radio in his ear. Must have been his cue to get her talking. Keep her talking. Get her to open up. Trust him. Tell him what his superiors wanted to know. Then take her in. He pulled out some papers from his back pocket about her dealings with known terrorists. “Explain these.” He tossed the documents at her.

  The papers shook in her hands. Her eyes shifted as she glanced over them. “Andrew is behind this. Andrew is the traitor.”

  “That’s not what he says.” Keanu didn’t trust Andrew Johnson as far as he could toss a sea lion. Andrew had been on a watch list ever since he started doing business with some known foreign companies who backed terrorist groups, but Naval Intelligence couldn’t find anything concrete.

  “You talked to Andrew?” Her voice rose, and her body trembled, but her eyes were set and determined.

  “Not personally.” He lifted the curtain again. He could no longer see one of his men. That was a problem.

  “I didn’t do this. I wanted to come back here and prove it.”

  “Prove what?” He had to get her to say it.

  “That I’m not a traitor,” she said with a shaky voice. Her eyes welled with tears.

  “I’ll give you five minutes.”

  “It’s going to take longer than that. You’ll just have to believe me,” she said.

  “No can do.”

  “When did you figure out who I was?” She dropped the papers to the floor, stood, then glided across the room. She placed her shaky hand on his forearm.

  With his hand on the butt of his pistol, he searched the bluest set of eyes he’d ever seen. He saw confusion. “Don’t give me a reason to shoot you.”

  “I don’t believe the time we spent together was part of bringing me in,” she whispered.

  “Doesn’t matter.” He ke
pt his mind focused. “You gave information and money to people who blow up innocent citizens for fun. It’s my job to bring you down.”

  “You can’t just forget everything we felt?” Her cinnamon breath bathed his skin with heat.

  “Don’t play games with me.” He lifted his pistol and pushed the barrel in her belly. “I trained for war; I fight to win, and I defeat our Nation’s enemies. That, little girl, is you.”

  She leaned against the wall. “Do I still get my five minutes?”

  He glanced at his watch and pressed a button. She better let it all spill. This mission needed to end. Technically, he was still on leave. “Clock’s ticking, sweetheart.”

  Ainsley cupped her cheeks and slid her back down the wall until her butt hit the floor. “I’ve known Andrew my whole life," she began.

  “Four minutes,” Keanu snapped. He didn’t give a shit about Andrew Johnson at this point. He wanted her confession and wanted to get fuck out of Dodge. He glanced out the window, still unable to see anyone, but he knew they were out there; otherwise, they’d be busting down the door.

  “I can’t do this in four minutes.”

  “Tell me what I want to know.”

  “I don’t know what you want.” Her voice rose to a painful screech.