Her Lieutenant Protector

by Lara Lacombe

  She decided to play dumb. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said sweetly.

  Avery lifted one eyebrow, dropping the subtle approach. “It seemed you and Everest had a bit of a spark,” she said.

  “Think so?” Mallory asked.

  Olivia nodded. “Yes. And since this is the first time we’ve seen you interested in anyone, we just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  Mallory felt a flash of gratitude, touched by their concern. Her friends knew her so well, and even though they were here on vacation with their men, they still worried about her. It was enough to make her tear up, and she blinked hard to clear the stinging wetness from her eyes.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  Avery tilted her head to the side but said nothing. “Really, I am,” Mallory assured her. “I do feel a pull toward Everest, which is something I haven’t experienced in years. It’s strange, but also a little exciting.”

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I think he’s interested in you, as well,” said Olivia.

  “I kind of figured that out,” Mallory admitted.

  Avery leaned forward, a grin tugging at her mouth. “Does that mean you guys have had a moment? You have, haven’t you? Did you kiss him?”

  Mallory laughed and shook her head. “No—”

  “Did he kiss you, then?”

  “No,” Mallory said, a bit more firmly this time. “There has been no kissing.” Except for the one I planted on his cheek, she thought, but that hardly counted.

  “Bummer,” Avery said, her shoulders slumping a bit. “I had my fingers crossed for you.”

  Mallory squirmed a bit in her chair. “To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready for that kind of physical contact. I know that sounds crazy, but—”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Avery said, interrupting her. She reached out and grabbed Mallory’s hand, her touch supportive. “Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. If Everest is as good a guy as he seems, he won’t push you. And if he does...” She trailed off, but her meaning was clear.

  Mallory smiled, feeling a little foolish. “I can’t help but think I should be ready by now. I mean, it’s been eight years since I was assaulted! Shouldn’t I be over it?”

  “Not necessarily,” Olivia said, her voice kind. “You were raped. That’s not the kind of thing you just shrug off.”

  “I know,” Mallory said. “This is the first time I’ve felt any kind of interest in a man since the attack. It’s a bit overwhelming, because I don’t know how to act. I feel torn—I want to get to know him better and maybe try to date him, but I’m also scared of what might happen. What if we start to get physical and I can’t handle it? What if I tell him about the rape and he decides he doesn’t want to get involved with me and my baggage?” She glanced from Avery to Mallory, searching their faces for answers. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Olivia’s eyes were full of sympathy. “We can’t tell you what the right choice is here. But I think the fact that you’re attracted to Everest is a good sign.”

  “I agree,” Avery said. “Look, I’m not going to pretend that the issues Grant and I faced were anything like what you’re dealing with. But I can tell you that the fear of the unknown, of rejection... It’s there in the beginning of every relationship. At some point, you have to decide if you want to take the chance and risk your emotions, or play it safe and maintain the status quo.”

  Mallory nodded, knowing she was right.

  “What is your gut telling you?” Olivia asked. “I know you’re worried about how Everest will react to the news of your attack, but how do you feel when you think about telling him?”

  Mallory closed her eyes, trying to picture the conversation. Her stomach tingled with nerves, but as she imagined herself speaking the words, a great sense of relief swept over her.

  “I feel relieved,” she said, her eyes popping open in surprise.

  Olivia and Avery exchanged a smile. “I’d say that’s a good sign,” Olivia said encouragingly.

  “But don’t you think that’s a pretty weighty piece of information to drop on someone?” Mallory asked. “I mean, I can’t guarantee I’m not going to pull away from him at some point, if it all gets to be too much. Is it really fair for me to ask him to put up with that?”

  “Hell, yes,” Avery said, her tone indignant. “First of all, you are an amazing person and you deserve a supportive partner. If he can’t be there for you while you navigate these uncharted waters, he’s not worthy of you. Second of all, you’re not asking him to ‘put up with’ anything.” She scrunched her fingers into air quotes as she spoke, the movement of her hands matching the intensity of her words. “You’re communicating your needs, and if he’s a grown man, he’ll respect and understand that.” She sounded so protective that Mallory half expected Avery to storm out of the office in search of Everest so she could light into him for these hypothetical crimes.

  “I appreciate the sentiment,” Mallory said. “I’d just hate to find out the hard way he’s not the right guy for me.”

  “I can understand that,” Olivia said. “Believe me, I know how scary it is to take that leap.”

  Mallory studied her friends’ faces, wishing they had some magic insight that would tell her what to do. “How did you get over your fears?”

  Olivia smiled. “I didn’t,” she said simply. “But I decided I’d rather live with the pain of rejection than miss out on the opportunity to be with Logan.”

  “Same here,” Avery said quietly. “I don’t want to dismiss your concerns, but at the end of the day, that’s really the only question that matters.”

  “You’re not going to tell me what to do here, are you?”

  “Nope,” Avery said with a smile.

  “Definitely not,” added Olivia. “That’s for you to decide. But whatever you choose, we’ll be here for you.”

  “I’m counting on that,” Mallory said. “I’ll need you both, now more than ever.”

  “You don’t have to make a decision right away,” Avery said. “Are you feeling rushed for some reason?”

  Mallory shook her head. “Not especially. But...I’m tired of feeling scared. I’m at the point where I’m tempted to take a chance just because it means a change. Even if things don’t work out between us, at least I’ll have tried something new.”

  “From what I’ve seen, and from what you’ve told us, I think Everest is a good prospect,” Olivia said. “And if it makes you feel any better, Logan’s a pretty good judge of character, and he likes him.”

  “So does Grant,” Avery said.

  “That does help,” Mallory admitted. “It’s nice to know what other guys think.”

  “Speaking of guys,” Olivia said, pushing out of the chair, “we should probably let you get back to work and go find them before they get into too much trouble.”

  Mallory rose as well and reached out to hug Olivia. “I’m glad they get along so well,” she said.

  “Like peas in a pod,” said Avery. “Sometimes I think Grant would rather hang out with Logan than with me.”

  Mallory laughed and hugged Avery. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  “I’m not,” quipped Olivia, her brown eyes flashing with humor. “I feel the same way about Logan.”

  The three of them left the office and walked through the clinic, coming to a stop before the entrance.

  “Thanks for dinner,” Mallory said. “And for listening.”

  “Of course,” Olivia replied. “We’re always here for you, you know that.”

  “I do.” Mallory nodded. “But it’s nice to hear you say it.”

  “I guess we’d better start packing,” Avery said. “Let us know if you need any help with your other worries. Grant can pitch in if you need a hand with patients, and I’m happy to map out exposure patterns.
”

  “I appreciate it,” Mallory said. “I hope it won’t be necessary, though.”

  “Hang in there,” Avery said.

  “I will,” Mallory promised. “Tell Grant and Logan I said hello.”

  “We’ll come see you in the morning,” Olivia said.

  With a final hug, her friends left the clinic and Mallory returned to her office. It seemed paradoxically smaller now that she was alone. The walls closed in, making her feel claustrophobic. She tried to focus on her computer, but sitting at her desk left her feeling restless and unsettled. She needed to move so she could think.

  Things were quiet in the clinic. There hadn’t been any new patients in over an hour, and the nurse practitioner was also on duty right now. It was the perfect time for her to slip away to the gym.

  The promise of a workout put a spring in her step, and it didn’t take long for Mallory to find the nurse practitioner and let her know she would be gone for a bit. Then she headed for her cabin to change clothes.

  Talking with Avery and Mallory had given her a lot to think about, and their unconditional support made her realize that no matter what she chose, her friends would be there for her. It was a comforting point of stability in her life, one that she didn’t take for granted.

  Especially since this voyage was shaping up to be so unusual.

  Chapter 12

  The morning sky was a vibrant blue as the Abigail Adams docked in Charleston. Everest stood at the railing, enjoying the cool breeze on his face as the ship completed the delicate maneuvers required to snug up to the dock. He never got tired of watching this process; it was amazing how the officers on the bridge could coax such a large ship with a little nudge here or a thrust there.

  Probably a lesson to be learned in that, he mused. But he wasn’t in a philosophical mood at the moment. Now that they had docked, he had an hour to get the police on board before the passengers lined up to disembark. He hoped they would take their time gathering evidence. It would create a PR headache if the vacationers saw the police wheeling a sheet-covered body through the halls. Maybe he could convince them to wait to do that until after everyone was off the ship. It was a cold case, after all, so a few more hours wouldn’t make much of a difference.

  A small cluster of people stood on the dock next to a gurney. Light glinted off the lenses of their sunglasses as they stared up at the ship. They all wore navy windbreakers with the word Police printed on the back in bright yellow, but Everest would have recognized them without the identifier. It was the way they stood—feet braced, arms folded, their bodies relaxed but wary. It was the default body language of cops and soldiers the world over. Even now, years after getting out of the service, Everest caught himself assuming a modified parade rest stance whenever he stood. It was habit, a pose so ingrained into his muscle memory that he did it without conscious thought.

  The group gave him a friendly nod as he approached. “Morning,” said one of the men.

  “Hello,” said Everest. He introduced himself, shaking hands and filing away names. “Thanks for coming out this morning.”

  “No problem,” said Will, the officer who seemed to be the leader of the small group. “We’re happy to help with all your body disposal needs.”

  Everest chuckled, appreciating the gallows humor. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble,” he said, leading them up the gangway. “We figured you would need a lot of time to collect evidence, so we’re going to terminate the voyage here and evacuate the ship.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Will said. “Our orders are simply to retrieve the body and take it to the morgue.”

  Everest stopped walking and turned to stare at the man. “Are you serious? You’re not worried about evidence collection?”

  Will shook his head. “Norfolk PD has already reached out to us. They feel the scene has been too compromised to yield anything usable, so they just want the body.”

  Everest had a hard time believing that, but elected to keep his mouth shut. He wasn’t a cop. He didn’t know all the policies and procedures they had to follow when confronted with a murder victim. It did seem strange that they appeared so indifferent to the prospect of actually investigating the area, though.

  “Is that the normal course of action?” he asked, resuming his progress onto the ship. “Leaving the scene untouched, I mean.”

  Will shrugged. “It’s a little unusual, but this comes straight from the top.”

  “I see.”

  “Between you and me,” Will said, his voice taking on a confessional quality, “I think the boss doesn’t want us to open up any kind of case here. It would mess with our stats, and we don’t need that kind of publicity right now. Better for us to pass things along to Norfolk and let them deal with the fallout.”

  It made sense, but Everest didn’t like it. It felt wrong somehow for the police to simply collect the body and leave. He’d hoped they would find justice for this man, whoever he was. But how could they do that when they weren’t going to try to obtain any kind of forensic evidence that might point to his killer?

  Maybe I’m wrong, he thought as he led them through the ship. Maybe there was enough evidence on the body itself to solve the crime. He hoped so, for the unknown victim’s sake.

  He nodded at Taylor Higgins, the young man he’d asked to watch the room overnight. Since the motivation for the attack on Mallory was still unknown, he hadn’t wanted to take any chances by leaving the room unsecured. He wanted to believe the man who had hit her had simply been looking to rob the room, but this voyage was shaping up to be so strange anything was possible.

  Everest unlocked the room and held the door open for the officers and their gurney. Once they were inside, he closed the door and led them to the closet. “The body’s in here,” he said, pointing to the wall.

  Will knelt and pulled his phone off the clip on his belt. He flipped on a spotlight and aimed it inside the shadowy gap, leaning in close to see. “Yep,” he said, standing up and reholstering his phone. “You’ve got a body.”

  He gestured to the other men on the team, and they stepped forward with a black bag that Everest quickly learned was full of tools. It took a matter of minutes for the police to cut the panel of drywall free, exposing the sad scene beneath.

  Everest forced himself to look, to register what he was seeing. Based on Will’s earlier words, he didn’t have a lot of confidence this murder would be solved. The least he could do was pay respect to the victim, before he was taken away and passed from one police department to another.

  It was a depressing sight. The body was wrapped in a thick plastic tarp, which obscured the man’s features. Everest could see snippets of fabric pressed against the wrap, along with fine granules of what looked like rock salt. That would explain the lack of smell, he thought. No wonder no one had noticed this addition during the construction of the ship.

  A pang of sadness hit Everest as he watched the police arrange the body on the gurney. If this really was the missing employee, that meant he’d been hidden away in the very place he’d worked. How many times had his friends walked past this spot, oblivious to his presence on the other side of the thin wall?

  It didn’t take long for the team to place the remains in a thick, black body bag and secure it to the gurney. One of the men drew a white sheet over the bag, a small gesture that somehow softened the horror of the moment.

  They opened the door and wheeled their burden into the hall. Everest glanced at the damage to the wall, then turned to Will. “You guys sure you don’t want to take a look around?”

  Will shook his head. “Not necessary. We got what we came for.”

  “Okay.” Everest knew it would be pointless for him to argue further. Will wasn’t going to contradict any orders he’d been given simply to make Everest feel better about the poor man who’d been trapped in this
room.

  Everest escorted the team off the ship. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said.

  Will stuck out his hand, and Everest shook it. “Appreciate it,” Will said. “I don’t think I’ll need to call you, but I’ve got your number just in case.”

  Everest watched the team load the gurney into the back of a white van, feeling at a loss. He’d spent about an hour last night working on a response plan to investigate the communication hubs after the passengers had disembarked. Even though he didn’t know what the mysterious gray substance was, he wanted to act as though it truly was radioactive to ensure the safety of his team and anyone else who came into contact with it. But now that the passengers weren’t going to leave the ship, it might not be safe to go forward. It might be better to leave the material undisturbed, so as not to increase the risk of exposure to those on board.

  Mallory wouldn’t be happy, he mused. And he couldn’t blame her. She’d outlined her concerns to the captain, but he hadn’t seemed to take her seriously. Still, she didn’t seem like the type of person to simply roll over and accept this turn of events, and he could only imagine what her response would be.

  The thought of her brown eyes sparking with temper was enough to make him smile for the first time that morning. He admired her spirit and liked the way she carried herself, especially in response to the unexpected. She was strong and sure of herself, and she would have made one hell of an army officer.

  He needed to inform her of this turn of events. She deserved to hear it from him, and the sooner the better. Then he’d seek out the captain. Even though the police didn’t need the Abigail Adams to stay in port, Everest still felt the journey should end here. The presence of the mystery material made him uneasy, and he couldn’t shake the unnerving sensation that he was missing something. He’d learned in Iraq to trust his instincts, and he couldn’t start ignoring them now.

  One man had already died, but there were hundreds of other lives at stake. And while he hadn’t known about the first victim, he was determined to do everything in his power to ensure there weren’t any more.