Tempted by a SEAL

by Cat Johnson

  “Yeah, I’m done.” Marissa planted her hands on the table to stand just as the door of the cafeteria crashed open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

  Lydia jumped in her seat. “What the hell?”

  Who would be such an ass as to act like that? She swiveled to look toward the noise but couldn’t see from her seated position.

  It didn’t take long for her question to be answered. The rapid pop-pop-pop and accompanying screams had her blood running cold.

  Marissa dropped low, crouching between her chair and the table. “Oh my God. Lydia, he has a gun. He’s shooting people. What do we do?”

  Her best friend’s barely contained panic was worlds better than the screaming and gunshots and chaos surrounding them as the packed room erupted into Armageddon.

  Somehow, Lydia’s brain gave her the information she needed to survive.

  Run. Hide. Fight.

  Mack’s impassioned words from what felt like so long ago echoed in her head.

  As the sporadic bursts of gunfire and the constant screaming continued, Lydia grabbed for Marissa’s hand. “Come on!”

  CHAPTER 18

  Mack believed in few things beyond a shadow of a doubt. Following his instincts—believing in his gut feelings—was one of those things.

  Right now his sixth sense was kicking in strong.

  It had been for the entire last leg of the trip home. He couldn’t put his finger on what had him antsy and agitated. He also couldn’t ignore it any longer. The moment the transport hit the tarmac he had his cell out.

  Powering it on, Mack stared at the screen, waiting for it to come to life. What he was looking for he couldn’t imagine, but he’d know it when he found it.

  Finally, the phone connected him to the outside world, something he hadn’t been able to do during the past couple of weeks.

  Nothing came up immediately. No texts. No phone messages.

  There wasn’t a whole lot he could do right now anyway. Mack didn’t have time to investigate further at the moment. He had to unload from the transport, grab his bags, check in and stow his shit—all before he could leave.

  The quicker he got it all done, the sooner he could satisfy this feeling of unrest. He’d call his dad. Hearing his father and Laurie and Lydia were all right would go a long way to helping to settle this restlessness inside him.

  It had to be nothing. How much trouble could his family get into in the Virginia suburbs in the few weeks he’d been gone?

  Had something happened with his old unit? That thought caused a rock to settle in his gut. If that were the case, there was nothing he could do from here to help, which only ramped up his agitation.

  He’d just have to wait and see. With a sigh, Mack followed the rest of the guys.

  Moving on autopilot, he went through the motions, queuing up with the others, following procedures his muscles remembered well even if his brain was distracted.

  The bags were just being pulled out of the transport and tossed onto the tarmac for each guy to claim when Mack decided to check the cell he’d shoved in his pocket one more time.

  This time there was one text message showing. It was from his dad. Mack hit to read the text.

  Call when you can. Dad

  The message didn’t seem incredibly urgent.

  As itchy as he was to do as his father had asked, not to mention calling would do a lot to satisfy his curiosity, Mack saw his pack on the ground. He moved to grab it, promising himself he’d call as soon as he got his shit settled.

  Time got away from him. It always did when there was a lot of procedural bullshit to deal with. It wasn’t until Mack was done on base and ready to get on his bike and head for home that he got around to pulling out his cell again.

  Perched on the seat of the bike, he scrolled through the contacts list and finally hit to dial his father.

  He answered quickly. “James. Where are you?”

  “At base. Why?” The feeling of dread he’d managed to sideline while doing what he needed to hit him full force. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Liddy.”

  For a second Mack feared he’d dump the bike as the world tilted.

  “What about Lydia?”

  “You haven’t seen the news?”

  What the fu— Couldn’t the man just tell him what was wrong instead of playing guessing games?

  Suddenly sick to his stomach, Mack swallowed. “No. I was in the air for most of the day. Dad, what happened?”

  “There was a shooter at her college.”

  Now he did fear he’d fall over as the blood drained from his head.

  He remembered their conversation late that night. Her worst fear was an active shooter and it had happened at her own school.

  More afraid than he’d been in recent memory, Mack drew in a breath and asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. “And Lydia? Is she—”

  Christ. He couldn’t even finish the sentence. He gathered himself and tried again. “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  The relief was as overwhelming as the fear had been. Mack gave up trying to straddle the bike, even while not moving. He swung his leg over the seat and stood on two unsteady legs.

  Pacing in a small circle, he asked, “Where is she now?”

  “The hospital last I talked to her.”

  “The hospital? And what do you mean, the last you talked to her? You’re not there with her? Is her mother at least there with her?”

  “James, relax.”

  What the hell? Mack grit his teeth. “Don’t tell me to relax—”

  “She wasn’t hurt. Liddy’s fine. She got out. Her and her roommate both got out safely.”

  Still, whether she was physically injured or not, Lydia would be traumatized after that experience.

  Christ, an active shooter in her own school. Her family should be with her. This kind of thing could cause PTSD. It had effects on survivors others who hadn’t been through it couldn’t even begin to imagine.

  He should be with her too and he would be, as soon as he confirmed where exactly she was and could get off the damn phone. “If she’s not hurt, why is she at the hospital?”

  “Classes have been cancelled. She’s at the hospital with the other students having some sort of prayer rally or vigil or something while they’re waiting to hear about the injured.”

  “And why aren’t you and her mother there with her?”

  “She told us not to come. She said she was fine and just wanted to be with her friends right now. And that she’d be driving home tomorrow to spend the weekend with us. You should come too. You can see her then.”

  Mack would be seeing her, but he sure as hell wasn’t waiting until tomorrow. “Text me Lydia’s cell phone number.”

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks. Look, I gotta go. Don’t forget to text that number and send me her address too, if you have it.”

  “I will. So you think you can make it this weekend?”

  “Probably.” Mack didn’t have time or patience for making brunch plans right now. He needed to see Lydia. Needed to see for himself she was fine.

  “Please try.”

  “We’ll see.” Barring getting called in, Mack planned on being wherever Lydia was.

  If she was with their parents, so would he. If not, there wasn’t anything barring the risk of being AWOL that would keep him away from her—and maybe not even that.

  “I’ll talk to you later.” Without waiting for a response, Mack hung up the call and then navigated directly to the map app on his phone. He punched in the name of the college and waited without a shred of patience left for the map to load.

  While he was searching, the text from his father came through. He hit to call Lydia’s number, but it went right to voice mail.

  Pocketing the panic, he reminded himself she was fine. She’d gotten out. She might have her phone off for the prayer vigil or whatever was happening at the hospital.

  Another search brought
up the nearest hospital to the campus. He had no doubt he’d find her one place or another.

  Before he put the phone away, he did a search for William and Mary shooting. The horror of the headlines that filled the screen had him clenching his jaw.

  He needed to be with her now. That was impossible, but he’d get to her within the hour, if he didn’t get pulled over for speeding.

  At the moment, an hour seemed like forever.

  CHAPTER 19

  It was getting dark out and chilly. Not that it was that late. It just got dark early this time of year.

  Lydia’s fingers were getting cramped and numb around the thick wax candle she clutched between her hands, but she barely noticed. After the shooting, her mind felt as numb as her body had become from standing outside the hospital.

  Around her the crowd rustled. Some praying. Some singing. Some crying. She hadn’t cried yet.

  She wondered at that. Shock, maybe?

  It would probably hit her later when she was in her bed alone with nothing to do but think.

  She’d survived. Marissa had too. And amazingly enough, Lydia didn’t know any of the dozen souls fighting for their lives inside this building.

  Most were students, but one was a cafeteria employee. She’d recognized him in the pictures on the web. He’d been mopping up a spill as she’d walked by him today. He’d apologized for blocking her path. She’d smiled and told him it was all right. That she could walk around. No problem.

  That man’s condition was critical. At least, that’s what the news was reporting. Lydia was happy she’d taken the time to smile at him today before his whole life had been altered forever.

  Did someone ever fully recover from being shot and surviving it? Would she ever recover from just being in that room?

  Suddenly, it felt as if she couldn’t stand another moment. She was literally swaying on her feet. If not for the press of the crowd surrounding her, she’d probably have fallen down already.

  She bumped her shoulder against Marissa’s. “Would it be horrible if I left? I think I need to go home and lie down before I fall down.”

  Marissa shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t be horrible at all. Half of these people here weren’t even on campus at the time. Most of them weren’t in The Caf. I think it’s understandable if we wanted to leave.”

  “Are you coming?”

  “I think I’ll hang out a little longer.” Marissa hesitated before adding, “It feels better being with people, you know?”

  Marissa was probably as afraid of the demons that would haunt them at home as Lydia was. She understood, but her body wasn’t cooperating. It felt like a hundred pound weight pressed down on her shoulders, making her body sag beneath the pressure buckling her knees from under her.

  “All right.” Lydia blew out her candle and looked around, wondering what to do with it.

  Marissa reached out and took it. “I’ll hold on to it in case someone needs it.”

  Lydia nodded. “See you at home.”

  “Okay.” Marissa accepted the quick one-armed hug Lydia wrapped weakly around her roommate’s shoulders. “You okay to drive?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Lydia answered with more assurance than she felt.

  She would be fine. Eventually.

  First she needed to get home and take off these clothes that reminded her too much of today. Maybe throw them out, because she’d never be able to put them on again without remembering everything in horrible detail.

  The hospital wasn’t too far from campus. It wasn’t long before Lydia was in the apartment, flipping every light in the place on to chase away the darkness.

  She ditched her clothes on the floor. She’d decide what to do with them later.

  After pulling on yoga pants, her oversized William and Mary sweatshirt and thick fluffy socks, she was ready to curl in a ball on the sofa and try to not remember anything.

  Grabbing the biggest, softest of the couch throws, Lydia clutched it to her chest, more than ready to be snuggled under its warmth.

  She was just looking for the remote control when a bang had her jumping.

  It was followed by two more bangs that had her heart pounding. The sound brought her right back to that cafeteria and the horrors of today.

  It took her a few panicked seconds to realize it wasn’t gunfire. It was someone knocking on the door.

  She reached for the back of the sofa to steady herself. Her delay only meant the person decided to knock more, and louder this time.

  The only way for her to get peace and stop the horrible noise that was making her feel like she needed to vomit would be to open the door.

  She was torn about the prospect of having company. Her exhaustion warred with her anxiety and the last thing she wanted to have to do was entertain someone.

  But the prospect of being completely alone until Marissa got home might be worse than having to deal with a visitor.

  Either way, she had to open the door before the knocking frayed the last nerve she had left.

  With the blanket half wrapped around her and half dragging on the ground behind, she padded to the door and peered through the peephole.

  She saw the leather jacket first, then his face. Even distorted by the rounded glass, there was only one man that strong chin could belong to.

  Mack.

  Shaking, Lydia reached for the lock and worked to get it open one handed as she clutched the blanket. She’d barely cracked the door when it was pushed open by a force stronger than herself.

  Already shaken, she squeaked in surprise and fear that she might have been mistaken and it wasn’t him. What if it was someone else? Someone bad.

  All those fears got pushed aside as familiar arms encompassed her.

  The strength of the embrace held her upright as she sagged against his body. “Mack.”

  “Lydia. Oh my God. I’ve been crazy since I heard.” He pulled back enough to look down at her. “Are you really all right?”

  “Yes.” But now he was here, and she was completely safe, she felt the crack in her composure begin and widen.

  She started to shake as the tears welled in her eyes.

  He cussed and she was vaguely aware of his slamming the door. The next sensation was that of being lifted as he carried her to the sofa.

  “I’m fine.” She didn’t sound very convincing, even to herself, as she sobbed between words.

  “I know you are.” Mack sat on the sofa with Lydia in his lap. He cradled her against his chest. “Just humor me and let me hold you for a little while.”

  She drew in a shaky breath and let out an even shakier one. “Okay. I’ll do it for you.”

  The short laugh he let out rumbled through his chest. “Thanks.”

  Nuzzling deeper against him, she finally felt safe for the first time since that horrible moment the door to The Caf slammed open and the whole world turned upside down.

  They stayed just like that. His holding her. Quiet. No talking or noise except the sound of his heartbeat and breathing against her cheek pressed to his chest.

  Finally, she couldn’t control her curiosity any longer. “Where were you?” she asked.

  “I thought you were sleeping.”

  “Nope.” She pulled back so she could look at him. “Where were you?”

  “I came directly here the moment I heard.”

  “I don’t mean today. I meant before. For the past weeks since I saw you last.”

  He pressed his lips together and took his time answering. “You sure you want to talk about this now?”

  His avoidance raised her guard. What was he hiding? She couldn’t take any bad news right now. “Why not now?”

  “You’ve been through a lot today.”

  “Which is exactly why I don’t feel like wondering about you anymore. You disappear for weeks and then ride in here like a white knight to swoop me up in your arms and save me.”

  His lips twitched. “That’s quite an image. Very dramatic. But I think I’m more of a blac
k knight than a white one.”

  “I’m serious. Does it take me being on the wrong end of target practice for a crazy person with a machine gun for you to show up?”

  All humor fled as he sobered. “No. It doesn’t. I was away. I’d just gotten back when I heard what happened from my father, but I was planning to see you either way . . . And it wasn’t a machine gun. It was a semi-automatic from what reports I was able to find.”

  “Sorry. We’re not all so well versed in heavy artillery.” She wanted to believe him, but he needed to give her more. “You just got back from where?”

  He paused long enough she wasn’t sure he’d answer. “I can’t tell you.”

  That was it. She couldn’t be falling for a man who couldn’t meet her half way. She struggled to get off his lap, only to find herself imprisoned by arms of steel.

  “Stop. Listen.”

  She pouted, but stopped struggling.

  “I can’t tell you exact details but I can tell you I was overseas. From that morning I left you in my bed, all the way until this afternoon I was out of the country.” Mack continued right through her doubt filled scowl. “I was leaving the base to go find you when I called my dad and he told me what happened. I came directly here. You can call my father to confirm if you’d like.”

  He moved, jostling her as he reached beneath him for his back jeans pocket and, she assumed, his cell phone to call his father for proof.

  She stopped him with a hand on his arm. Her mother had called her half a dozen times already today—begging her to come home, offering to come pick her up.

  Lydia needed the support of family, yes. But today, after spending hours waiting to be interviewed by the authorities and reliving the events for them, she needed space. Needed to be with the other students who were going through the same thing she was. For just a little while, she needed time to process all that had happened without her mother’s smothering.

  “Don’t call them. I believe you.”

  Mack cocked a brow. “Do you believe me?” He sounded doubtful.

  “Yes . . . but I don’t get it. I talked to a few people who have family in the Navy and none of them—”