Extreme Honor

by Piper J. Drake

He snorted. Once in a while—okay, more than sometimes—she sounded like a textbook waiting to be written. If it’d been anyone else, Cruz would’ve probably rolled his eyes. But from her, he’d kind of gotten to enjoy listening. It wasn’t as if she was wrong.

  Occasionally. But not always.

  A movement at the edge of his peripheral vision drew his attention. “Why don’t we talk about it more after you get back to the kennels? You and Sophie must have more shopping planned.”

  As much as he hated to cut this conversation short, there was something not right out here.

  Lyn’s smile faded a fraction. “Oh. Yeah.”

  On one hand, he hated to dim her happiness even a little bit. On the other, if she was somewhat disappointed to have him suggest she go do other things—especially after a week of working side by side with him from dawn to dusk—maybe she’d reconsider her decision to keep things just professional between them.

  Something to file away for later. For now, he wanted to send her and Sophie safely on their way so he could satisfy curiosity.

  “I’m glad I ran into you today, though.” He made sure to catch her gaze and hold it until the blush came back into her cheeks. He might be pushing his luck but hopefully it didn’t harm his chances to let her know he was still interested.

  “I am too.” She ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip.

  Instant hard-on. Even more because it’d been a self-conscious reaction on her part and not a purposeful invitation. Lyn didn’t do coy as far as he could tell.

  He watched her head on down the street and disappear into the same store Sophie had gone back into. He’d bet money Sophie had been in there watching them the whole time. Childhood friend of Forte’s or not, she’d become a little sister to all of them. Complete with the nosy tendencies.

  With both of them occupied, he started his own easy walk down the street toward his car.

  His friend, the tourist who was not a tourist, finally left his perch by the wall and meandered off on his own. Only the man’s path took him toward the stores.

  Cruz let a group of passing tourists obscure his line of sight for a minute and cut down one of the small alleys. Two minutes later he was back on the main street a couple of blocks up from where he’d been with a clear view of the stores where Sophie and Lyn were shopping.

  The other man’s target might not be anyone Cruz knew. But he was too close to the ladies.

  A minute later, Cruz was on another one of those little side streets coming up behind his not-a-tourist leaning against the wall pretending to wait for someone inside a store.

  Cruz advanced at a leisurely pace so his footsteps wouldn’t cue his target in and deliberately shoulder-bumped the guy as he passed.

  “Oh, sorry.” He turned to face the guy, looking him straight in the eye.

  The man stood straight, balanced forward over his toes, definitely ready for action. “No worries, man.”

  Cruz studied him. “You sure about that?”

  A pause. The man’s eyes narrowed. “Just out for a little sightseeing.”

  “This small town is good for that.” Cruz was absolutely sure the guy couldn’t care less about small-town atmosphere and historic points of interest.

  The man smiled, the kind that left a greasy sort of residue impressed in the mind. “Ex-military, right? You’ve got the look. What service?”

  Yeah, the other man had the look, too, despite the unkempt facial hair and generally sloppy way he dressed. Far away, he’d appeared fine, but up close his t-shirt was stained and left partially untucked. His jeans were torn in places no fashion designer would’ve planned.

  “Air Force.” Cruz left it at that.

  “Navy SEAL.” The other man jabbed his own chest with a thumb.

  Well, said a lot about a man when he felt the need to specify Special Forces. Cruz was willing to bet the other man wasn’t active duty anymore. Wouldn’t be hard to find out.

  Either way, even a man who could reach the level of skill to be Special Forces could decline, lose his edge. Combat shaped soldiers in a variety of ways and as much as people wanted to think it was for the good, sometimes men got twisted. Or they already were and service had brought out the jagged edges in them. This man was not a shining example of a military hero by anyone’s definition.

  “What brings you to New Hope?” Cruz genuinely wondered.

  “Ah, let’s be real. I’m following your girl.” The other man shrugged. “You’d already figured it out or you wouldn’t have dropped by for this…discussion.”

  He’d guessed. Had been hoping not. Cruz was glad they weren’t going to pretend coincidence. But then again, the guy being forthright was its own kind of message.

  “Why?” Cruz was getting tired of the chitchat.

  “She’s working with a dog and that dog is carrying a whole lot of trouble along with it.” The man spat on the sidewalk without ever taking his gaze off Cruz. “Anyone with a brain should stay far away from that shit.”

  Charming. Message received.

  “What’s it got to do with you?”

  The man tilted his head. “Look, I’m just keeping an eye on things here, making sure no one gets too nosey. It’s what guys like us do, right? Guys like you and me, we keep an eye out for trouble to ourselves and our own. Nothing wrong with that.”

  He paused.

  “You understand, don’t you? You’d have a brother’s back, wouldn’t you?”

  Cruz considered. There was a whole lot of meaning in those questions. Overseas, deployed out in the middle of nowhere, a serviceman had to rely on his fellows to keep him safe. No man could survive in the middle of that chaos alone for an extended period of time without someone to watch his back.

  Normally, it went unspoken. If someone had to ask the question, it was a threat.

  From then on, the soldier had to wonder if the people around him really had his back. Or if they’d let him take a bullet and become just another casualty of war.

  “Look, I’m just watching.” The other man held up his hands. “I won’t bother you, you don’t get in my way. Agreed?”

  “Look but don’t touch.” Cruz kept his tone pleasant. “Always happy to meet another serviceman.”

  The guy smiled again. “I owe you a drink sometime. You have a nice day.”

  Cruz turned on his heel and walked away.

  Pulling out his phone, he texted Sophie.

  Shopping trip is over. Need you two to head back to the kennels. STAT.

  In less than a minute, Sophie responded.

  ???

  Irritated, he typed faster.

  There’s something wrong here. I need you to go home now. I need to know you are both safe.

  Sophie was strong-willed but she also knew when to listen.

  Headed to the car.

  That taken care of, Cruz circled around yet again. He wanted to know if his newfound friend had a partner in town. It shouldn’t have been as easy as it was to sneak up on this guy. If he was a Navy SEAL, he wasn’t the best of the best. Cruz had worked with a few teams in his time deployed and guys like this one made it into the Special Forces teams but they didn’t last. If Cruz could figure out who this guy was—and he intended to—he was willing to bet the man had a dishonorable discharge. There were bad apples even in the most elite parts of the service. Sad reality. And obviously, the man had either thought Cruz wasn’t worth the effort of even trying to mislead or he’d been sent to give Cruz the threat in addition to keeping an eye on Lyn.

  Finding a good vantage point, Cruz pulled out his phone.

  “Yeah.”

  “Beckhorn, you know if there are any parties particularly interested in Atlas’s case?” Cruz asked the question quietly. The line could be tapped but he doubted it. At least not yet. This would let Beckhorn know that there were indeed interested parties.

  “Can’t imagine why,” Beckhorn responded in an uninterested drawl.

  “He’s been in the papers and all.” Cruz watched Sophi
e and Lyn emerge from another store, chattering as normal as you please. They headed straight for the parking lot and got in Sophie’s car.

  A small amount of tension unwound as they headed home toward safety.

  “I get the occasional inquiry about him. Nothing outside the standard check-in.” Beckhorn snorted. “Come to think of it, you owe me a progress report.”

  Perfect opening.

  “I’ll get it to you this afternoon.” And Cruz would send along a couple of encrypted pictures of his new friend, too.

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  “Yup.” Cruz ended the call.

  Now all he had to do was be prepared for Sophie and Lyn when they caught up with him later. They’d be expecting answers once he got back.

  Chapter Eight

  I’m glad I ran into you today.

  Every time she remembered those words—and the look in David’s steel blue eyes when he’d uttered them—Lyn’s cheeks burned and other parts of her did things she didn’t ever talk about to anyone.

  Maybe she should feel uncomfortable. Or intimidated.

  Nope. What she wanted to do was rewind back to the day she’d asked him for professional space and take back what she’d said. Or better yet, go back to the moment he’d almost kissed her and take things into her own hands.

  Because every day she got to know David Cruz, she wanted him more.

  If he’d been the least bit bitter or defensive or even indignant about her turning him down, she could dismiss her attraction to him and convince herself he was just another guy. Instead, he’d not only honored her request for professionalism but he’d gone on without any of the distance any normal person would create after the rejection. He’d made it easy for her to continue working with him. And she’d learned so much about him because of it.

  And now she was pacing in the cabin again—his cabin—because he’d been concerned for her safety. For Sophie, too.

  Sophie hadn’t argued, only driven straight back to the kennels. When they’d returned and Sophie had explained to the guys, Brandon had insisted on seeing Sophie home—in a different car. All Sophie had told Lyn was that the men of Hope’s Crossing Kennels didn’t make requests like that unless there was a real issue.

  Great. So now what? She’d have to wait until David returned to find out.

  ’Course, considering his military background and habits and…everything, he’d probably only tell her what he thought she needed to know. Which was next to nothing. As generous as her thoughts had been toward him a second ago, now she was thinking about him from this perspective and everything about David Cruz shouted military for all that he was honorably discharged.

  Military equaled distance. Military meant you were never equals. Military meant you were forever shut out of a part of his life.

  She’d spent her childhood watching her mom wait for her stepfather to come home. And when he was home, he wasn’t. Not really.

  Gah. Frustrating. So much of what she respected about David had roots in the deeply ingrained military honor he embodied. He wasn’t just a man who used to wear a uniform. He was a man who made a uniform what it was. She couldn’t help admiring the qualities. And she couldn’t help being wary of what it’d mean to get involved with a man like that.

  She’d hated it in a stepfather and sure as hell wasn’t looking for it in a relationship of her own.

  Her phone rang and she rushed to answer it without even checking the caller ID, hoping it was David. Impulse now. Logic later. “Hello?”

  “Miss Evelyn Jones?” An unfamiliar voice was on the other end of the line.

  Her heart dropped into the bottom of her belly. Why was she so disappointed? “Yes?”

  “I’m Officer Hanley.” The man cleared his voice. “I was responsible for taking your report from the night of the attack.”

  “Ah.” She vaguely remembered the man. Sandy blue hair. Light-colored eyes. It’d been a difficult night, one she’d been actively trying not to dwell on. “Hello, Officer.”

  It wasn’t her intention to sound flat. All the warmth got sucked out of her voice. Her mouth had gone dry. Maybe he needed to ask her a few more questions about the night at the hotel.

  He went on when she didn’t say more. “It’s not normally our practice to call, and you seem to be with good friends, but in a situation like this I felt you would want to know…”

  She waited as he trailed off. After a long, drawn-out second she grew impatient. “Yes?”

  “The man who was taken into custody the next morning made bail today.” The words came out in a rush, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

  Stunned, Lyn almost dropped the phone. Cold fear twisted her gut and her heart rate kicked up until she heard it beating in her ears.

  It’s really too bad you came back.

  She did a slow turn, frantically scanning the room. Alone. But the curtains were all open and the night was dark beyond the windowpanes. Any minute his face could appear, peering through the glass. The hunger in his eyes. She remembered…

  “Miss Jones?” Officer Hanley sounded concerned, maybe regretful. He hadn’t wanted to give the news to her.

  “I’m here.” She yanked her thoughts into place, tried to pitch her tone to calm and grateful. “Thank you for letting me know.”

  “Like I said, miss, it’s not something we usually do but all things considered…” He cleared his throat again. Maybe it was a nervous habit. “Anyway, the guys at Hope’s Crossing are good men. Stick close to them and you’ll be fine. The man will see his day in court.”

  Of course. Officer Hanley couldn’t refer to him directly as the man who’d attacked her. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. “I understand. Thank you again.”

  He blurted out a few more reassurances then ended the call.

  Lyn clutched her phone to her chest. After a moment she shook her head, pocketed the phone, and rubbed her hands together. Nervous. Scared.

  This entire trip had spun her world around. She traveled alone all the time! Now, she was jumpy in a cabin on private property with better security than any hotel had. She wanted to be mad at somebody. The men who’d attacked her—there’d been two, not just the one—and whoever had sent them. Thugs like that had to have some sort of boss to tell them what to look for.

  Only she didn’t know what she could possibly have. None of her clients gave her anything of value in print. They arranged for direct deposits to her bank accounts for her training and rehabilitation services. She never had access codes to their property or to any sorts of diagrams of their estates.

  There was no reason for those men to have been looking through her things that night. And now, they were both out there. Loose. And angry with her.

  Stars shot through her vision and she realized she’d been holding her breath. She let it out in a whoosh, then deliberately took air back in slowly. Hiding in the cabin like a mouse was a bad idea. They wouldn’t need to come find her. She’d terrify the life out of herself.

  She snagged a jacket and a small flashlight David had left for her before heading for the front door. Her hand on the doorknob, she froze. Maybe he’d known. That would explain why he’d sent her and Sophie back from New Hope earlier.

  It didn’t make sense, though. Telling her and Sophie would’ve precluded any hesitation. Not that they’d been slow to follow his request. There just wasn’t any reason she could think of for him not to tell her. Unless he hadn’t wanted to frighten her.

  But he’d been so serious, with so much conviction in his statement about her safety. His expression alone had been enough to unsettle both her and Sophie. The actual reason couldn’t be much more of a leap. Could it?

  No way to know while she was still in the cabin. It might be dark outside but all the paths between the buildings were well-lit and the dog kennels and main house were in clear line of sight. Anyone on the paths would be seen by the people in the main house and most of the dogs on the property. She’d walk quickly and get from point A to po
int B. Calling one of the guys to come get her seemed like overkill.

  As she stepped out into the night, the dark didn’t close in on her. Solar lights lined the walkways and there were overhead lights at intervals along the paths, too. She headed directly to the main house but paused as she heard the low tones of David’s voice over by the kennels.

  Instantly calmer, she turned toward the sound and followed the covered walkway along the side of the main house. David was within shouting distance. The others probably were inside or similarly close by. Everything was a lot calmer. All she needed to do was not be alone.

  “You can’t be mad because we left you alone all day.”

  She stopped in her tracks. It hadn’t been all day. Then she realized he was talking to Atlas.

  Leaning against the dog’s kennel with his broad back to her, David looked as relaxed as she’d ever seen him. Was there a single t-shirt he owned that didn’t fit him like a second skin? If there was, she’d hide it or give it to Atlas to sleep on. Fitted clothing suited her just fine.

  “Everyone needs a day off, including you.” David carried on his conversation with Atlas. “Definitely her. She works hard as any person I’ve ever met, in or out of the service.”

  She couldn’t help a smile. Funny, but the casual talk probably got Atlas used to the sound and cadence of David’s voice. After all, she did the same thing. Dogs were good listeners.

  “Besides, she took you for a walk before she left. It’s not like you didn’t get time with her.” He might’ve sounded jealous. Maybe.

  Or wishful thinking on her part. Hard to tell.

  “At least she likes you.” Definitely some chagrin there. “I might’ve broke the camel’s back today. Situation came up and no time for an explanation. She’s the kind of lady who likes to be informed when things are happening. So I’m betting she is not too happy with me now.”

  Well, she hadn’t been a while ago. Then there’d been a phone call and panic and she’d been reserving real anger until she found out if he knew what was going on and hadn’t told her. But this, this didn’t sound like the same thing.

  David pushed off from the kennel and squatted, resting his elbows on his knees and balancing easily on the balls of his feet. “You and me, Atlas, we know what it is to be sent out into unsecured territory. Overseas, we went in ahead of anyone else. Drop zone, airfield, absolute middle of fucking nowhere. We went in to pull others out. And we’re okay with it. It’s what we signed up to do.”