On it went with my thinking in tiny circles and dismissing one idea after another and explaining actions away time and time again. I sat and thought until my head throbbed and my eyelids grew heavy.
8
Grant
I didn’t want to leave her alone, but I knew she needed space, so I texted Ashley to meet me at Point Loma Seafood in twenty minutes.
When she got there, I was already seated. She was out of her NCIS business suit and back in her Autumn summer casual clothes. I ordered us some fish tacos, and we sat and gazed at the pelicans and seals playing in the harbor.
Ashley’s eyes narrowed in on my hand. “Please tell me you didn’t marry her.”
I flashed my band at her. “Best decision I’ve ever made. You know where I stand. You’re wrong about her.”
She shook her head. “Grant, look, I hope you are right, for your sake, and your son’s, but something isn’t adding up.”
“Look, I need your help getting my son back. You said you are working on it, but honestly, that’s not good enough. Joaquín is a psychopath. I’ve learned some new information, which is so fucked up I won’t repeat it.”
“Come on, spill.”
“Nope. It’s not about drugs or the Teams, so none of your business. Do you have a date for offering the plea?”
“Sometime in the next month. We are still negotiating the offer with his lawyer. He does have a pre-trial hearing tomorrow, so I think everyone is waiting to see what happens with it.”
A month? My son could be dead in a month. No way. “That’s not acceptable. I need to find my son now.”
“I’m well aware, Grant. I need you to trust that we are doing our best. We can’t jeopardize the investigation. You have no legal claim over the child at the moment. Third-party testing isn’t admissible.”
Fuck this shit. I stood. “What’s the time of the hearing?”
“Nine in the morning, but I won’t be there.” Her eyes narrowed, and she added, “If I hear that you try to interfere with the proceedings, I’ll have you arrested.”
“On what charges?”
“Obstruction of justice.”
“Do what you got to do.”
I walked away from her and got in my borrowed truck. I stopped at Liberty Market and picked up a vegan tofu bowl for Mia and some flowers.
When I showed back up at our place, she greeted me with a sleepy kiss and an apology.
“I’m sorry. I know you are just trying to protect me. I still think you are wrong. By the way, Joaquín called while you were gone.”
I ground my teeth. “Yeah. What did he want?”
“Just to talk. I asked him why he name dropped Julián. He said it was because he wanted me to find him. Don’t you see? He told us about him so we could discover him. I’m more certain than ever. I think that maybe Rafael kidnapped him, and Tiffany told Joaquín that she had his nephew and he lost it.”
I understood how Mia thought that. But she didn’t know that Tiffany was working for NCIS. And I wasn’t at liberty to say. “Did he say anything else?”
“I asked him to tell me where Julián was, but he refused. Said he would take me to him if he was free. I think that’s the only way we are going to see Julián again. We have to get Joaquín out of jail.”
And for once, I agreed with her.
“I already ate. I’m going to take Hero on a run. I’ll be back in a bit.”
I leashed up Hero and left again.
I made several calls and put my plan into action. No longer would I be the pawn in Joaquín’s game.
I was done letting everyone else make the decisions.
9
Mia
Grant came home an hour later, but we didn’t talk anymore about Joaquín, which was fine. At least he wasn’t pushing any more of his theories down my throat.
At bedtime, he pulled me to him. “I need you tonight. This may be the last time for a while.”
“What? Why?”
“I may be going away for a bit.”
I didn’t question him. He’d taken so much time off work that I knew he had to pick up the slack. His lips reached mine, and we kissed for what seemed like a blissful eternity. It always amazed me how such a strong, masculine man could kiss me so softly. I loved his contrasts. He pressed into my body, and we made love, so tender, so beautiful.
The next morning, Grant woke at seven and pressed his uniform.
“You going to work?”
“No. We’re going to court. Joaquín has a hearing today.”
I stuttered. “Wh-why didn’t you tell me? He didn’t mention it to me yesterday. How did you find out? What’s the hearing about?”
He shot me a cold stare. “It’s a pre-trial hearing. Get dressed.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I hurriedly put on my most conservative outfit. Maybe today would be the day that this nightmare ended. Joaquín would be freed. Without the bars that separated us, he would be able to explain everything. What he know about Julián. How he met Rafael. How he found out that Tiffany had my child. Why he never told Grant that I had been raped.
And even worse, why he had never told me that he knew.
Grant tossed me my keys. “We’re taking your car.”
I squinted at him. “Why? You told me I wasn’t allowed to drive it because you thought it was tracked.”
“I changed my mind.”
“You don’t want to drive that truck you borrowed?”
“Nope.”
Okay. That was incredibly odd. Grant always wanted to drive, everywhere. I didn’t question him about his reasons as he squeezed into the passenger side of my car.
As I drove to the courthouse, a knot built in my stomach. I felt like after all this time I was finally on the cusp of getting the answers that I needed in this puzzle.
We parked in the parking garage. I opened the door to get out but Grant reached over me and pulled it shut.
“What?”
He clutched my shoulders. “Mia, I need you to listen to me. I want you to know that I love you. I’ve always loved you, no matter how hard I tried to deny it. I’m not going to be around for a while to protect you after today.”
“What? What are you talking about? Why are you saying this?”
“Just listen to me. I’ve left you all the passwords to my bank accounts in my nightstand.” He shoved three hundred dollars into my hand and then handed me a gold band. “I want you to wear this. It has a tracking device on it.”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it. Please. When I come back, you can chuck the thing.”
“Okay.” His pupils were dilated, but he remained calm. Too bad, I wasn’t. I removed my wedding band from my finger, and for the first time noticed that it had been engraved with the words, “worth fighting for.”
I gulped and put the band in a zippered pocket in my purse before sliding the tracking band on my right hand instead of my left. I didn’t want Joaquín to see it and find out that way that Grant and I were married.
“I want you to know that I’ve never killed anyone outside of combat. I need you to tell me that you believe me.”
My hands shook. “Yes, of course I know that. Grant, I need you tell me what is going on right now.”
He didn’t answer me and just cupped my face and kissed me. His lips crashed on mine in an urgent kiss. He’d only kissed me like this once before, the day he and Joaquín had left before their first deployment. A kiss to last me through the nights without him.
As if it could possibly be the last time he ever kissed me.
We exited the car and walked up the court steps, Grant holding my hand. When the metal detector didn’t beep when Grant passed through, my nerves calmed a bit. He didn’t have a gun or a knife on him. But he was a SEAL—he could kill a man in three hundred different ways. He didn’t need a weapon. He was one.
Daniel Reed, Joaquín’s lawyer, sat at a table but there was no sign of Joaquín. After an agonizingly long hour, Joaquín walked in.
He was wearing a suit, his face was cleanly shaved, and his neck tattoo peeking out from his collar. He smiled when he saw me, and I gave him a wide smile back. For a moment, I could pretend he wasn’t imprisoned. He was just my handsome brother. He was not behind bars, not in handcuffs. He was momentarily free.
But then I noticed the way he was looking at me. Studying my body. Giving me a slow eye fuck. I had dismissed Grant’s theory, but maybe I had been wrong. Did my brother covet me?
A female judge walked into the court and began the proceedings.
“For the hearing of The People vs. Joaquín Elías Cruz. Would the prosecution like to begin?”
The DA stood and then Grant stood as well. I attempted to pull him back to his seat, afraid he was going to lunge at Joaquín, but he remained at attention.
The judge did not look amused. “Excuse me, sailor. Please sit down, or I’ll find you in contempt of court.”
“Your honor, I’d like to address the court. My name is Grant Joseph Carrion. I was at the party the night of Tiffany’s murder. I was the one who killed her.”
What the fuck? It was all I could think as the court erupted into chaos. The judge pounded her gavel.
Daniel stood. “Your honor, with the new information I’d like to motion for my client be released immediately.”
“What have you done? Take it back. It’s not true.” I tugged on Grant, pleading him to retract the lies he had just said, but he wouldn’t even look at me.
I caught a glimpse of Joaquín’s face. I knew my brother better than anyone. But the look on his face wasn’t one of relief—it was one of shock.
Holy fuck. Joaquín was shocked by Grant’s confession, because Joaquín knew Grant was lying.
The judge finally spoke. “Bailiff. Take Mr. Carrion in for questioning immediately. Council, please see me in chambers in five minutes.”
The bailiff walked over toward Grant, who pulled me into an embrace.
“Grant, why are you doing this?” My voice cracked over the words as tears stung the backs of my eyes.
“Don’t be scared,” he whispered. “This is the only way we can find our son. You can do this. I believe in you. You are strong and brilliant. I love you. Mitch will follow you to make sure you are safe. Promise me you won’t lose him, Mia. And wear that ring.”
“Yes. Yes. I promise. I love you. You didn’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I did.”
One final kiss, and he was taken away.
Daniel and the DA exited the courtroom to go to chambers with the judge.
I leaned over to Joaquín, not knowing what to say.
He turned to me, a devilish smirk on his face. “Good job, sis. When you pick me up, I’ll take you to meet our son.”
Wait, what the fuck did he just say?
Before I could react, the bailiff led him away, leaving me to stare after him with a slack jaw.
Our son? Did he say our son?
Which meant . . . it could only mean one thing.
I stood in the empty courtroom, tears welling in my eyes. I knew these two men. Grant had just lied and confessed to a murder he didn’t commit. A murder my brother had likely committed.
Grant had been right.
Joaquín raped me.
And he thought Julián was his son.
TO BE CONTINUED
Covet
Se7en Deadly SEALs have all betrayed me
6ix months of my life have been wasted on a lie
5ive minutes since I learned the truth about my brother
4our hours ago Grant confessed to murder he didn’t commit
Thre3 years ago I was raped by a man I trusted
2wo days since I married the love of my life
1ne shot to rescue my son
Zer0 chance Grant can save me now
My son’s life is in danger and his survival depends on me pulling off the most important performance of my career. I must convince a psychopath that I covet him.
Available soon: Covet
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading my book.
If you liked it, would you please consider leaving a review?
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About the Author
ALANA ALBERTSON IS the former President of RWA’s Contemporary Romance Chapter. She holds a M.Ed. from Harvard and a BA in English from Stanford. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, she lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and five dogs. When she’s not saving dogs from high kill shelters through her rescue Pugs N Roses, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.
For More Information:
www.alanaalbertson.com
[email protected]
Also by Alana Albertson
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Meet Shane! I’m America’s cockiest badass. Badass (co-written with Linda Barlow)
Love Marines?
Meet Grady! With tattooed arms sculpted from carrying M-16s, this bad boy has girls begging from sea to shining sea to get a piece of his action. Beast
Meet Bret! He was a real man—muscles sculpted from carrying weapons, not from practicing pilates. Grunt
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Acknowledgments
To my fabulous cover designer, Regina Wamba for these incredible covers.
Ashley Williams—#teamjoaquín! Thanks for saving this series from my craziness.
Deb Nemeth—for being there for Grant and Mia from day one. This series would completely suck without you.
Julie Titus—for your beautiful formatting, your warmth, and for always fitting me in.
To my husband Roger—for loving me in sickness and in health. Even when I’m writing all day in my fuzzy pajamas.
To my two beautiful sons, Connor and Caleb. You are my world. I love you more than anything. To my two unborn daughters who I lost while writing this series and will never meet, I love you both and wanted you so much.
To my betas:
Jen Negron—you are the bomb. I adore you. Thank you for believing in my writing. I can’t wait to read these books in Spanish.
Storm Bayraktar—thank you for your kind words and reading Carnal.
To all the wonderful bloggers who review my books.
To all the fans that have written me about this series.
Consume (Se7en Deadly SEALs Book 6) Page 4
