He motioned for them to have a seat.
“We are here to ask you some questions about Sanjay’s disappearance before. During that time, did you have contact with him at all?” Agent Rice spoke, while Austen sat studying his home and him. What did the man see, but a man? A man broken by loss. His son was gone. His wife, obsessed by the fear of losing their remaining child, had turned away from him. Amira, his daughter was the only one who still spoke to him, still showed him affection.
“No. We had not spoken to him until he was returned to Baghdad by the Navy SEALs who rescued him.”
“Mr. al-Yussuf, do you have a cell phone?”
“Yes.”
“May I see it, sir?”
“Certainly.”
Yasin rose to remove the phone from his belt and hand it to him.
“This is the only one you have, sir?”
“Yes.”
“Might I write down the number, sir?”
“Certainly.” Rice removed a small notebook from his pocket and wrote the number down. Then handed it back to him.
“We have discovered that calls made from America came to a phone close to your location. We’ve been able to trace it to a cell tower nearby. Do you know a man named Tabarek Moussa?”
Yasin had been waiting months for someone to come to him with questions. “No. I do not know that name.”
Rice mentioned three other names that truly were unknown to him.
“No, I do not know those men.”
“We know you have done business with the American military units and that is not a popular thing to do in this area.”
“But it brings money to those who need it.”
“Are you aware of anyone who would have had a reason to direct al-Qaeda to your son in order to hurt you?”
Was that what had happened? Had his son been targeted in order to punish him? His throat hurt. Why had he not thought of that? “I know of no one.”
After a few more minutes, the men rose to leave and Yasin showed them to the door.
“Thank you for allowing us into your home, sir.” Rice said. “Have a good evening.”
Yasin closed the door and locked it once more. The Americans did not suspect him. With the phone destroyed, there was no connection between him and Tabarek. He turned from the door. Amira stood in the hallway. Her dark eyes held a question.
“You did not tell them of the phone you hit with the hammer,” she said.
“That was long ago, Amira.”
She continued to stare at him for a long moment. “You spoke to one of those men on the phone. I heard you. You said his name.”
Yasin’s heart plunged.
“It is your fault Sanjay is gone, Baba.” The conviction in her face, in her voice, pierced him like a knife.
“No.”
“Yes, it is.” As he read the sadness in her face, so much a mirror of her mother’s, he stepped toward her to explain his mistake, to beg her not to look at him with such disillusionment. She was all he had left.
Amira turned and walked away from him.
The silence of the house settled around him.
***
Hawk and the doctor stood outside the labor room door. “This isn’t normal, is it?” Hawk asked. “I read about labor and delivery while I was in Iraq, but nothing I looked at said anything about this.”
Dr. Lester, a woman of about fifty, seemed friendly and competent. “It’s called a precipitous labor and it’s a complication we didn’t expect for Zoe, since this is her first child. It’s a frightening and intense situation for a first time mother,” she explained.
Well it hadn’t been too great for him, either. He was sweating, and though they’d made it to the hospital and were surrounded by medical help, his heart kept up a pace just short of a gallop. His legs shook as though he’d run a five-mile race.
“The nurse will bring you a paper gown in a moment. You’ll have to hurry and put it on if you want to stay with Zoe while she delivers.”
“I’m staying,” Hawk said. His insides twisted with fear at the idea, but he was sticking it out. Seeing her in such pain—Jesus. He hadn’t been prepared for that. He’d thought he was going to lose her. And it wasn’t over yet.
“We’re taking her to a delivery room instead of allowing her to stay here in the labor room and deliver.”
He nodded. Did that mean they were worried about complications? Oh God, don’t let anything happen to her. He should be thinking of the baby, too, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Zoe had to be okay.
Hawk forced himself back into the room. They’d made him leave while they prepped her. The lights overhead glared and stung his eyes.
“I have to push. You have to let me push,” Zoe begged from behind the curtain.
Jesus. He couldn’t take this. It was torture hearing her hurt like this.
The nurse thrust a paper gown, at him. “Get a move on, Papa. This baby wants to come now.”
Hawk shook the garment out and put it on the best he could. He shucked his boots and put the booties on over his socks.
Another nurse jerked the curtain back and started pushing the bed out of the room. Hawk fell in beside Zoe and covered her hand with his as she gripped the bars.
Her cry of pain as she fought the contraction kicked his fear up a notch. God, he’d rather be facing down armed terrorists than see her like this.
They shoved through a door into a room all white walls, steel tables, and large lights. When the nurses asked Zoe to slide over on the table, he went around the delivery table and lifted her onto it.
“Hold me Hawk. Please hold me,” she begged.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He raised her, wrapped his arms around her above her belly, and held her back against his chest as they pulled out the stirrups, positioned her feet, and covered her with a sheet. He had never been more aware of Zoe’s vulnerability. The scars on her legs stood out stark white. He wanted to cover her, protect her from the other people in the room.
The doctor finally appeared, gowned and gloved. She scooted the stool close to the end of the table.
“I’m going to do an episiotomy, Zoe. This is a big baby, and we don’t want you to tear.” The nurse handed the doctor a syringe.
Nausea struck Hawk. His baby was going to tear her. It was his fault they were here. His fault she was hurting. They were never going to have sex again without a condom. He’d see to it.
“You’re fully dilated and can push with the next contraction, Zoe,” the doctor said.
Every muscle in Zoe’s body seemed to tighten as she pushed. Each time she bore down, he caught himself holding his breath along with her. He’d never felt so useless in his life, so he changed tactics, adding his encouragement to the nurses’. And with every push, he prayed for it to be over. Twenty minutes later, he understood what the word labor truly meant.
“The head’s out. I see dark hair, just like papa’s.” The doctor smiled up at Hawk.
He couldn’t return the gesture. If it had taken her this long to deliver the baby’s head—What if she couldn’t do the rest? Damn, this had to end.
“Really big push, Zoe.” Dr. Lester encouraged.
“I’m so tired,” Zoe said. He could feel her panting for breath, could see her red cheeks and the sweat-darkened hair clinging to her face.
“We’re almost there, Zoe,” Hawk said, against her ear. “One more big one and you’ll be done. Just one more and it’ll be over.”
She caught her breath, and Hawk laid his hand on her belly, putting steady pressure against the muscles, giving her something to push against. He felt the baby leave her body the moment it happened. Tears of relief burned his eyes and he blinked.
Thank you, Jesus.
“It’s a boy.” Dr. Lester said. She suctioned the baby’s nose and mouth and he let out a high-pitched squeal of protest. She lifted the baby, wrapped in a disposable chub, onto Zoe’s stomach. Hawk slipped from behind her to allow her to lie down. He placed a protective hand agai
nst the wrapper, holding the baby in place. His son. His hands were fisted and waved in the air. His tiny, features swollen from the ordeal, crumpled, and he began to cry as though someone had pinched him. Every finger and toe was exactly where it was supposed to be.
“Would you like to cut the cord, Lieutenant?” the doctor asked.
“Uh—” He shook his head. “No.”
The nurse whisked the baby away as soon as the cord was cut.
Hawk focused on Zoe. She cheeks were still flushed, her eyes swollen, and her hair lay in a tangled mess about her shoulders, but she’d never looked more beautiful to him.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
“He’s fine, he’s perfect.” He bent to kiss her forehead, her cheek, then her lips. “I’m sorry you had to go through this, Zoe. I’m sorry I wasn’t here with you.”
“You’re here now. And I couldn’t have done it without you. I knew as long as you were holding me, we’d be okay.”
Humbled by such trust, Hawk’s eyes blurred with tears. He pressed his face against her breast and felt her fingers run through his hair.
“We have to clean you up a little, Zoe,” Dr. Lester said.
Hawk straightened and found a nurse standing beside him with the bundled baby. “Here, papa. You can hold your son while Dr. Lester finishes,” she said. Hawk automatically closed his arms around the tiny package she thrust into his arms.
With the crisis over, he was finally able to focus on this new little creature. His son. The baby yawned, exposing a tiny tongue and gums. And a smile curved Hawk’s lips. Oh, man. He was beautiful.
***
Zoe studied Hawk’s face as he looked down at the baby. She’d never seen anything quite so perfect as the sight of him holding their son. As protective and loving as he was to her, he already had everything he needed to be as good at fatherhood as he was at being a SEAL.
She flinched as she felt the pull and release of the afterbirth. When Dr. Lester started putting in the stitches, she was able to relax.
The doctor looked up and nodded toward Hawk. He was doing a rock and sway movement while he held the baby, “The bigger and badder they are, the harder they fall,” she whispered.
Zoe smiled. Amen to that.
***
Brett paced the floor in the waiting room, just outside the OB area. “You’d think somebody would come tell us something,” he complained.
“They will as soon as there’s something to tell,” Tess said. “Come sit down. You’re making the rest of the guys nervous.”
Brett tried to curb his impatience and sat next to her. He scanned the room, full of military camouflage uniforms. Everyone invited to the house had postponed the party and come to the hospital to wait for news. Bowie and Doc sat slumped half-asleep across the room. Now and then Doc would rouse and look inquiringly across the room at him and Tess. Logan and Tyler, though they didn’t know Zoe very well, were there to support Hawk. Lang and Trish were sitting with his mom and Russell. Greenback and his wife Selena were cuddled up in the corner, enjoying each other. They were a family. His family. And that included the woman sitting next to him.
Doc wandered over and sat down next to Tess. His eyes were swollen from jet lag and rust-colored whiskers stubbled his jaw. “There’s something I wanted to say to you, Legs,” he said. “I guess this is as good a place to say it as any.”
“Me?” Tess pointed to her chest with her fingers, surprise in her expression.
“Yeah, you.”
“The cover you and your dad gave us after we rescued those kids made the legal crap go away. You saved our butts. And it was a bonus when you put Senator Welch and his followers under a microscope and made them back off. We owe you, and your dad, Legs. You need anything—all you have to do is say the word.”
Tess cheeks were bright red with embarrassment, but there was a gleam in her eyes, and her smile was something special. “Thanks, Doc. I’m glad I could help.”
Doc rose to his feet. “I need some caffeine before I fall asleep. Can I get you guys anything?”
Brett shook his head.
“No, but thanks for asking,” Tess said.
Doc sauntered down the hall.
Brett turned to study Tess’s face. “Doc’s right. Hawk’s in there with my sister without any kind of legal bullshit hanging over his head because of you and your dad, Tess. I’m sitting here, instead of facing a court-marshal or prison, or both, because of you and your dad. This is my family and you gave them cover. You gave me cover.”
“I did it because it was the right thing to do, Brett, and I believed in you. I did from the start.” She smiled. “And it hasn’t hurt my career any either.” She ran her hand down his thigh. “But mostly I did it because I love you.”
Brett cupped her face and brushed her lips with a kiss, soft and tender. “Have you ever thought about having kids?”
“Eventually, one day.” She looped her arm through his and rested her head against his shoulder. Her red hair fanned out, gleaming with copper highlights against his sleeve.
“We could do it, Tess.”
“Do what?” she asked.
“Make beautiful babies together. But we’d have to get married first.”
Her eyes widened, and she studied his expression.
“I love you. And I want to have a family with you. You can let me know when you’re used to the idea.”
“The idea of getting married, or of having babies?” she asked.
Always the stickler for details. That was another thing he loved and appreciated about her. “The marriage thing has to come first.”
She studied him, speculation in her gaze. “I never knew you were so old-fashioned, Brett.”
“It isn’t old-fashioned for a man to want to lay claim to the woman he loves, honey. That’s just man stuff.”
Tess laughed and shook her head.
Hawk shoved through the door. He wore a paper gown over his cammies and paper booties covered his stocking feet. He looked as though he’d just taken a beach single-handed, but he was smiling.
Brett hustled to his feet taking Tess with him. Everyone in the room followed suit.
“Zoe’s fine and so is the baby. It’s a boy,” Hawk announced. “Eight pounds, six ounces.”
A happy cry went up and everyone converged on Hawk offering congratulations.
Smothered with relief for his sister, Brett barely caught Tess’s words. “What?” he asked.
“I said, I love you, and I think I could be convinced about the marriage thing,” Tess said, then smiled.
Brett scanned her face and a slow smile built across his features as excitement leapt inside him. Yes! He molded her against him, bent his head, and kissed her with more than a little heat, until she hummed beneath the pressure. He drew back to look into her flushed face. “I’ll get right on that.”
Books by Teresa J. Reasor
Breaking Free Book 1 of the SEAL Team Heartbreakers Series
Breaking Through Book 2 of the SEAL Team Heartbreakers Series
Timeless
Highland Moonlight
Captive Hearts
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Epilogue
Other Books by Teresa Reasor
Breaking Through (Book 2 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers) Page 40
