POTTER (The Trident Series Book 2)

by Jaime Lewis

  “Don’t be sorry for doing your job, Ace. We knew there was always a possibility this could happen,” She told him, looking up at him and giving him a small smile. “I told you when we decided to pursue our relationship that I would support both you and your career, and I meant that, and always will.” She leaned forward and kissed him.

  He eased back and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “I love you so much. You know that if there was a way I could change the timing of this, I would, right? I hate having to dump everything here at home on you. Derek was pretty pissed off as well. He tried to get Bear’s team cleared to take this mission, but they’re doing some mandatory training for another upcoming mission. He feels like shit and somewhat responsible for ruining our wedding.”

  “I love you too, but don’t worry about things here. And nobody ruined anything. Things happen. We knew there was a possibility this could happen, and we prepared for it using that catering company that’s owned by veterans who cater to military families for functions. They understand these kinds of things happen, and they won’t charge us for having to cancel at the last minute like most companies do. At least the only guests traveling here were your family. I’ll call them tonight and let them know. Mia was planning on staying an extra week after the wedding. She is due to arrive tomorrow morning and was excited to get here. Would you be okay if I still asked her to come and stay?”

  He smiled, running his fingers through her long brown hair. “I think that’s a great idea. She can help with whatever you need. Just promise me that you and Tenley won’t corrupt my baby sister.” He told her, trying to act serious. A thought then occurred to him. Something that had been bothering him since he last saw his youngest sister when she came for Christmas.

  “Maybe you could use your investigative skills and find out more about that boyfriend of hers. When she was here for Christmas, she didn’t seem herself, and anytime I brought him up, she quickly changed the subject.”

  “The Army guy? Are they even still dating? Her and Stitch seemed to hit it off at Christmas. She could have mentioned something to him. Try asking him, maybe?”

  Ace rubbed his chin. “Really? I didn’t notice. Shit, it’s too bad she couldn’t hook up with him.”

  Alex gave him an odd look. “I thought there was an unsaid code amongst SEALs that says sisters were off-limits to other team members.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t believe in that shit. If my sister was interested in dating one of the guys on my team, I wouldn’t blink an eye. As long as he respects and takes care of her, then I don’t see any problem. Those guys are like brothers to me, and I trust them completely, even with my family.

  “The last I spoke to my mom, she said Mia and the dude were still an item, but she noticed a change in her as well, and so have my sisters. Now that she is living in New York, they don’t see or talk to her as often. The guy is a former Green Beret.”

  “Hmmm…I’ll see what I can find out. But no promises.”

  “The only promise I want from you is what I said; I don’t want you corrupting her. You and Tenley are bad enough together. Mia has the same personality as you and Tenley, so it wouldn’t be hard for your tactics to rub off on her.”

  “That is something I cannot promise.” She said in between laughs as he pulled her on to the bed and started tickling her. She reached up and pulled his head down, so they were face-to-face. “When do you have to be at the base?”

  “Not for another two hours. Potter and I are going to ride together. Why? What did you have in mind?” He leaned down and kissed her neck. He smiled when he saw the goosebumps erupt along her skin.

  “I was hoping I could get some lovin’ from my fiancé before he had to leave.” Her eyes were sparkling and filled with lust and desire.

  He moved his body over hers, placing his thigh between her legs. Goddamn, he was a lucky son of a bitch to have a woman who supported and loved him like she did. “I think your fiancé can accommodate your request.” He stated before his lips descended to hers and ravished them.

  ◆◆◆

  Potter sat on the coffee table across from the couch where Tenley and Alejandra sat. Explaining his job to a seven-year-old was a little more complicated than he thought it would be. The part she was having trouble with was the length of time he would be gone.

  “When you travel, you have a schedule to follow. You have tickets you have to buy, so I don’t understand why you don’t know how long you’ll be gone.” Alejandra said, giving Potter a look that said she was right.

  Potter gave Tenley a pleading look to please help him out, but all she did was raise one of her eyebrows at him, telling him that he needed to do this. Fuck! Put him in the middle of a battle with bullets flying all around him, and he was great. But, sitting here being grilled by a seven-year-old, he couldn’t get a handle on.

  He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked back at Alejandra and fuck if she wasn’t giving him the evil eye. She certainly had picked up that trait from Tenley.

  “Alejandra...What I do is classified.”

  “What does classified mean?”

  He could do this… “Classified means I can’t tell you.”

  “But that would mean you aren’t being honest with me. You told me that honesty was one of the most important qualities in a person.” She huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Potter’s eyes widened, and then he took notice of how she looked exactly like Tenley when she was pissed off. Just fucking great! I’ve got two of them now.

  He looked at Tenley again and damned if her eyes were not laughing with amusement. She was enjoying him being interrogated by Alejandra. He smiled sarcastically at her. Yeah, enjoy the fucking show, baby. Paybacks are a bitch!

  He looked back at Alejandra, who was still giving him the stink eye.

  “Honey, it’s not that I’m not being honest with you. My boss at my job says I can’t tell anyone about what the guys and I do.”

  He watched as she scrunched up her nose while she thought about what he said. She locked her brown eyes on his. “Do you mean it’s like a secret?”

  He smiled and nodded his head. “Yes, exactly. It is a secret.”

  “Oh, why didn’t you just say that to begin with, silly. You should never tell a secret.” She was giggling now, and all Potter could do was shake his head. Tenley couldn’t hold back anymore and started laughing her ass off at his expense.

  I guess my seven-year-old daughter just schooled me. Fuck me.

  “Okay, Ace is probably waiting for me out front.”

  They all stood up, and Potter lifted Alejandra into his arms, squeezing her tight and then kissing her cheek. He positioned her, held her with one arm, and used his other arm to wrap around Tenley’s waist and pull her into him. He closed his eyes and cherished the feeling of having his two girls this close to him.

  “You both take care of each other, okay?”

  Tenley lifted her chin and stepped up onto her tiptoes and gave him a chaste kiss. Except when she tried to pull away, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Thank goodness he heard the little giggle coming from his little girl in his other arm. He smiled down at Tenley, and she smiled back.

  “Be safe. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  He turned his attention to Alejandra. “I love you, too. You listen to Tenley, okay kiddo?”

  She giggled again, and he couldn’t get enough of hearing that sweet sound. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ll miss you. I will see you when your boss tells you that you can come home.”

  Potter snorted out a laugh, and Tenley chuckled as well. Damn, this girl was too much. He set her down and gave them each another hug before leaving their home.

  Ace was already in the truck.

  “How did Alex take the news?”

  Ace shook his head. “She is a fucking trooper. She was more worried about me.”

  “I sure as hell hope you gave her a little somethin
g for being so supportive of you.” Potter raised an eyebrow.

  Ace chuckled as he put the truck in gear and pulled out of the driveway. “Oh, yeah. I made it up to her.”

  As they drove down the road and out of the subdivision, Potter got a queasy feeling in his gut. He wasn’t sure why, but a sudden uneasiness overcame him. The closer they got to the base, the more the feeling worsened. He shook it off as nerves of leaving Tenley and Alejandra for the first time. He knew they were safe with Derek and his buddies around. Plus, now that Frost was staying behind on this mission, he knew Frost would keep an eye on them.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was getting late as Tenley finished stocking the supplies in one of the exam rooms at Alex’s clinic. With a grand opening scheduled in two months, she’d been helping with the long checklist of items that had to be done before the doors opened. It had been a tiresome process for Alex, but Tenley was so proud of her friend and what she was doing for the military community.

  It had been almost two weeks since Potter left. She and Alejandra had been having a blast. Every night they had gone over to Alex’s house for dinner, or Alex came over their house. She was grateful for Alex being there the one night Alejandra was in one of her interrogating moods. Tenley swore she took after Potter. She was asking about Potter’s job again. For a seven-year-old from Ecuador, she sure knew about the American military, particularly Navy SEALs. When Alex asked Alejandra where she learned so much about Navy SEALs, she spilled the beans that Derek and some of the other guys had told her. Tenley loved her second family and was grateful to have such caring friends.

  She looked down at her watch. She needed to head to her mom’s soon to pick up Alejandra. Her mom had been watching Alejandra when she had to work or helped Alex at the clinic. Her mom and Derek had both unintentionally stepped into a grandparent role for Alejandra.

  She thought about Derek and wished he would just ask her mom to marry him. They were dating now, but Tenley and Alex both knew for years that they were in love with each other.

  Alex stuck her head in the room. “Hey, friend. You ready?”

  “Yeah, let me just grab my bag, and we can head out. All the exam rooms are stocked and ready for patients. I can’t believe the doors will be open soon.”

  “I know. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

  Tenley shook her head. “No, it’s not. I know you, Alex, and when you put your mind into something, you do it. There might be setbacks along the way, but you always come through in the end.”

  “Thanks, Ten.”

  As she and Alex walked to the front door, they were met by Weston. Weston was a former Army Ranger turned SWAT team member now. A large number of local law enforcement in the area were military veterans. When Ace and Alex had approached the Virginia Beach PD about getting security assistance at the clinic during business hours, they were more than happy to oblige.

  “Are you ladies finally calling it a night?” He asked as they approached.

  “Yes. Thank you again for hanging around with us today. Especially since its Saturday and your day off.” Alex replied as they exited the building and she locked it up.

  “Are you kidding? What you’re doing here is extraordinary. And what a humbling tribute to your late father. He’d be so proud of you. I’m honored to be a part of it. Even if it’s just making sure things run smoothly on the security front.”

  As the three of them walked across the street to the parking lot, Alex and Weston were in a heated discussion on the upcoming baseball season. When they entered the parking lot, Tenley noticed two large male figures standing by her car. Weston also took notice and pulled both Tenley and Alex behind him, acting as a shield.

  “Can I help you gentlemen with something?” Weston asked in his deep, cop voice.

  When the man leaning against her car stepped forward and into the light, Tenley gasped and stepped back. Alex peeked around Weston to get a better look at the guy. Tenley gripped Alex’s arm as they stood behind Weston.

  “Ten, who is that man?” Tenley looked at Alex and saw she had her phone out. She knew she was probably getting ready to text her dad. Since Potter and the guys were out of contact, Derek was the next person to be called in case of an emergency.

  She watched Weston eyed the men as he approached them. He had his hand resting on his gun and knew he could draw it quickly if needed. “Do you make it a habit of loitering in dark parking lots?”

  “I have some business with Ms. Cortez and need to speak with her. It’s a private matter.”

  Weston positioned his body so he could see Tenley without taking his eyes off the man. “Tenley?”

  She looked at Miguel and knew he meant her no harm. She swallowed hard.

  “It’s okay, Weston. I know him.”

  “You do?” Alex asked, looking at Tenley with a concerned look.

  Tenley stepped forward and looked back at Alex, then over to Weston. “Alex, meet my biological father.”

  Tenley heard Alex’s “what” that left her mouth and knew she was definitely on the phone with Derek now. But what she didn’t miss was the look of surprise on Miguel’s face. He had no clue she knew his real identity.

  He stepped forward, holding her gaze. “Tenley?”

  She smirked. “Yeah, I know, Miguel. Or should I call you Dante?” She looked at Miguel, taking in the sight of him. She appreciated him keeping his distance. “Why are you here?”

  “I came to warn you. You are in danger, Tenley. Esteban and Chaz are planning on taking you to try and bait me into giving them the heroin they think I have.”

  Something in his eyes told Tenley he was being honest. She stepped forward. “I know you are working with the FBI.”

  “How do you know?”

  She laughed, thinking of how Potter worded it. “We have mutual friends. I told you Chaz had been hassling me for a few months now, but since I’ve been back from Ecuador, both Esteban and Chaz’s tactics have been more on the aggressive side.”

  “What do you mean by that? Have they hurt you?”

  Tears started to form in her eyes as she thought back to the night she had narrowly escaped their grasp.

  “Tenley…I’m so sorry. I tried to keep you out of this business. It’s why I left your mother.”

  “So, I’ve heard.”

  She may have, but he wanted to be the one to explain to her why he left her and Juliette and disappeared. His time for doing so was running out, and if he didn’t tell her now, he’d never get another chance to. In a few days, Miguel Dias and Dante Cortez would cease to exist.

  Tenley, can we please talk privately, just for a few minutes?” When she gave him a questionable look, he added. “Just right over there on the bench,” He gestured to the bus stop bench a few feet away. “The officer and your friend can be right near you. I swear I just need to clear some things up.”

  When she looked at Alex, she was shaking her head no. Weston, however, never took his eyes off Miguel. She turned back to Miguel. “I’ll give you ten minutes.” He nodded his head and motioned her toward the bench.

  As they sat down, Miguel took ahold of Tenley’s hand and touched her wedding ring. She tried to pull away from his grasp, but he stopped her. “I’m happy for you, Tenley. You found the happiness you were looking for,” He said, releasing her hand.

  She looked down at her ring and smiled. “Yes, I got married a few weeks ago.” Miguel smiled, but she had a feeling he already knew that.

  “What’s your last name now?”

  “Richardson.”

  “It suits you,” He took a deep breath. “Tenley, I left your mother before I knew she was pregnant with you. I didn’t even know you existed until after you were born.”

  “Why did you leave my mom?”

  “I left to protect her. My family back in Colombia are not good people. My father, your grandfather, was an evil man and was involved in many illegal dealings. When he became ill, I was summoned by him to come home and take over the family busines
s. However, once I was too far involved, it was too late for me to get out. I’ve tried over the years to turn the business to the legit side of the law, but along the way, things happened, and I knew there were men inside the business that I trusted who have betrayed me.

  Tenley, when I found about you, I wanted to come and see you, but I knew that would be a mistake. I didn’t want to lead any danger your way. I stayed away to protect you from my enemies. But that didn’t stop me from watching you grow up into who you are today.

  “When I found out you were going to be in Ecuador, helping with the relief effort, I had to meet you. But, I will admit that I also wanted information on Chaz. I’m sorry for bringing this on you, Tenley. This is an example of why I couldn’t be a father to you, though I wanted to so badly. You have to know that.”

  Tenley thought about what Miguel was saying, and she understood. If she were in his shoes, she probably would’ve done the same. Leaving to spare the life of the woman you loved was somewhat commendable. And then to know he had fathered a child and couldn’t be involved in the child’s life must have been terrible.

  She looked up and saw the sadness and regret in his eyes. “Miguel, I think I understand.”

  Miguel squeezed her hand and stood up. “Do me a favor, okay?”

  “That all depends on what the favor is.” She said with a smirk.

  He laughed. “Live life to the fullest and love those who love you.”

  She stood up. “You are acting like I’ll never see you again.”

  She caught something that flashed in his eyes. “One day, maybe. But for now, this is where we say goodbye. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Tenley.”

  He dropped her hand and turned to walk away. “Dante!” She called out to him.

  He spun around surprised but with a grateful expression by her calling him by his real name. He lifted his chin.

  “What about Chaz and Esteban?”

  He smiled. “Trust me. They won’t be bothering you anytime soon.”

  She nodded her head, and he reciprocated the gesture before getting into his car and driving away. She watched the car until she couldn’t see the taillights any longer. When the last flicker of the light disappeared, she wasn’t sure why she felt sad. He was her father by blood, but then again, he was a stranger. Maybe it was his goodbye that made her sad.