Protected in His Arms: An Elite SEAL Rescue (Texas Elite Seals Book 3)

by Holly Castillo

  Protected in His Arms

  Elite Texas SEALs

  Microsoft Office User

  Contents

  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 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 1

  Evie Gordon blew a blond curl out of her face as she flipped through the papers on her desk, trying to make sense of the various notes Judge O’Connor had left for her. Evie lived by structure and organization. Everything she touched became color-coded, alphabetized, and keyed into an elaborate database she managed on her computer. She only wished Judge O’Connor could see the benefit of such organization.

  The stack of papers in front of her had been taken woefully out of order, with notes from multiple different files attached to the wrong folders, and her carefully programmed color sequence stood in disarray. Fortunately, the judge’s handwriting wasn’t hard to decipher, and she set about the process of getting things in order once again.

  Evie grabbed a stack of papers to make copies and spun around away from her credenza. She stood, and charging forward without looking up, she gasped when she slammed into a firm, warm wall. Large hands grabbed her upper arms, steadying her as she tottered in her heels and the papers flew from her hands as she grabbed the only thing she could—the muscular cowboy blocking her path.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She felt the rumble of his deep voice in his chest where her hands lay. His words held a hint of an accent and an unexpected flutter of excitement rushed through her.

  “I-I’m the clumsy one. I didn’t even see you there.” She certainly saw him now, though. She had never seen a more imposing man in her life. Standing easily over six feet, he had large, broad shoulders. Even in his casual business jacket, she could tell his torso was full of muscles that didn’t stop at his flat stomach. He had a strong, chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, and bright hazel eyes that seemed to be like a kaleidoscope of colors. His hair was thick and a little long, curling slightly at his collar.

  If it weren’t for the bump in his nose, obviously from it being broken at least once, and a scar that ran along the left temple towards his ear, he had to be the most handsome man she’d ever met. She wondered if he had earned the injuries in a bar fight. He looked very capable of stirring up trouble, or, at least, of trouble finding him.

  Her heartbeat kicked into overdrive. She had met many handsome cowboys over the years, but none grabbed her imagination as much as this one.

  She blinked rapidly, painfully aware she had been staring and forced herself to take a step backward out of his embrace. Focus! There’s nothing special here—move on. There were plenty of good-looking cowboys in Hebbronville and the surrounding towns, and she never lost her cool around them. Today would be no exception.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” she asked as she kneeled and began to pick up the papers. Much to her surprise he kneeled with her and helped her gather up the pile. Cowboys were plentiful, but gentlemen weren’t. She hoped he didn’t see the fine tremble in her fingers.

  “I’m here to see Judge O’Connor.”

  Instantly, warning bells went off and the excitement she had been feeling turned to frustration. She prided herself on being the gatekeeper for Judge O’Connor and often had to make sure the riff-raff that expected favors from the judge left without receiving the slightest ounce of encouragement.

  She gave him one of her strongest professional smiles and took the stack of papers from him. She stood, shifting into a strictly business mode. “I’m afraid Judge O’Connor is booked for the day.”

  His full lips curved into a smile and, to her shock, she didn’t want to turn him away. “What do I need to do to be able to see her?”

  She sighed heavily and set her chaotic stack of papers on the edge of her desk before looking back at him. “To get to her, you have to get through me.”

  “Okay. What do you need from me?”

  “Do you have an appointment?” Of course he didn’t. She managed Judge O’Connor’s day with a firm hand. Evie prepped the judge before every meeting and even scheduled her breaks so she would have enough time to catch her breath, eat lunch, and read emails. With the judge always working so hard, Evie felt it her responsibility to make sure each day ran smoothly.

  “She’s expecting me,” he replied, his lips twitching slightly as if he attempted, and failed, to hold back a smile.

  Evie stood to her full five-foot-six inches in height and angled her chin upwards to look at the intriguing man in front of her. She wanted to dismiss him the way she did all of the unscheduled visitors trying to grab some of the judge’s time. With this man, though, she struggled with the idea of him leaving before she could know more about him. She felt comfortable with him, even though they’d barely met.

  “Mr.…” she began, tilting her head slightly as she waited for his answer.

  This time he did smile, and it brought out a small dimple in his right cheek. “Santo. Just call me Santo.”

  Evie quirked an eyebrow at him, wanting to ask a million questions. “You’re a saint?” she asked, fighting the genuine smile brewing inside. She had to be careful. She already felt far too comfortable and safe around him, and she’d learned the hard way that letting a man into her world only led to betrayal and pain. She had to keep her guard up because if she let Santo in, he could very well destroy her already scarred heart. “We don’t have very many saints come to the courthouse. Exactly what are you the saint of?”

  His smile became more forced and his eyes narrowed slightly as if evaluating her. She didn’t like his scrutiny. “Death,” he said softly, his gaze fixed on her reaction.

  It was the last thing she had expected him to say, and a slight shiver ran down her back. “Death,” she repeated slowly. “You’re the Saint of Death. How fitting. Well, Mr.…. er, Santo, in light of that information, I’m afraid Judge O’Connor is extremely busy today. I manage her schedule, and you aren’t on it.”

  “So you’re the woman she speaks so highly about.” His smile vanished and his expression became dark and intense. “She says that without you, she doesn’t know how she would be able to get through her days.”

  Evie forced her smile to stay in place. He’d transformed into a determined, potentially threatening giant man in place of the charming, charismatic gentleman making her emotions run wild. “That’s very kind of you to say, Santo. Surprisingly, she’s never mentioned you.”

  Santo rubbed the back of his neck and she caught a whiff of his cologne. The warm, spicy scent mingled with the smells she always associated with cowboys—leather and hay and sweet feed. She needed to get him to leave before she lost the ability to form a coherent thought.

&
nbsp; “Would you like to schedule a time to come in and visit with her?”

  He shook his head. “As I said, she’s expecting me.”

  He turned and began to walk towards the judge’s closed door and Evie suffered a moment of shock, then felt her blood pressure surge and had no doubt her face had turned three shades darker. How dare he dismiss her! How dare he even consider bypassing her to barge into the judge’s chambers!

  She moved quickly, her high heels clicking on the hard floor as she dashed in front of him and put out her hand to stop him. For the second time in only a few minutes, she collided with the large man, and his hands, the gentle, large hands that her body seemed to respond to against her better judgment, reached out to steady her. Her hand pressed against his chest and she could feel his heart beating beneath her fingers.

  She had to work moisture into her mouth before she could speak. “You can’t just walk into her office. Everyone who sees Judge O’Connor goes through me first, and I’m sorry to tell you, but you haven’t passed my test.” She glared up at him, pleased that her voice came out strong and determined while her senses went into overdrive from being so close to him.

  His smile was slow and very male and she suddenly wished they weren’t touching as all of her nerve-endings came alive. “I wasn’t aware you were testing me.”

  The infuriating man had the gall to laugh at her! The realization that he must think of her as some sort of joke snapped her out of whatever trance she had fallen into when staring up into his eyes. Glowering at him, she snatched her hand back so she no longer pushed against his chest, and his hands slowly released her, gently caressing her arms as he did so. She needed to send him on his way—immediately.

  She drew a deep breath and pulled herself to her full height, even standing slightly on tiptoe in her high heels so she didn’t have to crane her neck back so far to look at him. “You don’t have an appointment. You haven’t even tried to tell me why you’re here to see Judge O’Connor. It’s my job to make sure she is undisturbed during the brief times she has a break from all of her meetings. I won’t allow you to disturb her.”

  Santo took a half step backward so he could look at her more thoroughly. “You take your job very seriously, don’t you?”

  Evie felt her hands trembling slightly and she clasped them together tightly. She didn’t want this man to know that he caused her emotions to swirl in the pit of her stomach. Somehow he hit all of the right buttons for her and made her crave things she couldn’t have with a local cowboy.

  “I think it is time for you to leave, Santo. Feel free to call me when you are ready to schedule an appointment.”

  “I don’t want to have to move you to get through that door, but I will if I must.”

  Evie’s eyes widened. “Are you out of your mind? Do you even realize where you are? If I call for one of the guards, your visit here will come to an immediate and unpleasant end.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “No, Mr. Santo. Telling me that you are willing to move me to get at the judge is a threat. If I were to threaten you, it wouldn’t be with the guards. I don’t want to have to use my Taser on you, but I will.”

  His eyebrows lifted and he looked amused. “Would you, now? Do you even know how to use one of those things?”

  Suddenly, the door behind her swung open. “Evie, I was expecting…oh, there you are, Santo. Is everything alright?”

  Santo looked over Evie’s head and smiled at Judge O’Connor. “You were right about her.”

  Judge O’Connor laughed. The warm, heartfelt sound surprised Evie. If this man could elicit such as a response from the tough woman she knew, they must be incredibly close. That would explain the lack of a formal schedule, and would certainly explain the judge’s nervous excitement all morning. Judge O’Connor usually shared her private schedule with Evie, but, given Santo’s ability to muddle her own mind, Evie could see how the judge could forget to mention his arrival.

  “She’s great, isn’t she? Evie, I’m sorry I forgot to tell you, but Santo and I planned to meet this afternoon. Please hold all of my calls and remind me when it is time for my next appointment. I’m not sure how long we’ll be talking. And we’re already running more than five minutes late.”

  Evie clenched her hands into fists and glared up at Santo, before turning to face the judge. “That’s my fault, Judge. He arrived on time. But since he wasn’t on your schedule, I refused to let him in.”

  The judge arched an eyebrow and her eyes skimmed Evie, then drifted to the very large man that stood directly behind her, so close that Evie could feel the heat of his body through her clothes.

  Judge O’Connor returned her gaze to Evie and shook her head, a hint of a smile on her lips. “You kept him from coming into my office?”

  “She can be quite tenacious,” Santo said, and she could feel him watching her. She refused to give him the satisfaction of returning the gaze. With determination, she slid back into the cool and aloof persona she had built for herself after her world had come crashing down, ignoring Santo and the havoc he caused to her nervous system.

  “Let’s not waste any more time,” Judge O’Connor said, stepping back into her office and motioning for Santo to follow.

  Santo hesitated as he began to move past Evie. “I did tell you she was expecting me,” he reached up as though to touch the curl that had fallen loose from the tight bun she wore at the top of her head.

  Her eyes widened in surprise at the intimate gesture, and he slowly tucked the loose strand behind one ear. She wanted to shake herself. Staying remote and distant with her emotions with this man seemed to be an impossible feat. His eyes searched her face for several long moments, and she wondered if he expected her to say something. Before she could, though, he gave her a curt nod, and slowly lowered the hand that hovered near her face. Without another word, he stepped into the judge’s chambers, and, to Evie’s surprise and shock, the door locked behind them.

  She leaned against her desk for several moments, trying to catch her breath. The last time a man had looked at her the way Santo looked at her, she had fallen for a fairy tale. Unfortunately, hers had been more like the original Grimm Fairy Tales where people suffered horribly than the sweet, whimsical fairy tales people loved. She’d be damned if she let a smooth-talking cowboy with the most incredible eyes she had ever seen send her down that same torturous path again. She had decided to create her destiny—to chart her path without anyone pulling her back or slowing her down. She certainly didn’t need the Saint of Death changing her plans now.

  “How are you, Francis?” Santo sat down in one of the soft leather chairs that adorned her office, placing his cowboy hat in the second chair near him. “Getting face-to-face time with you has been a real challenge. Are you too busy to see an old friend these days?” Their brief phone calls for the past two weeks had been good, but he had needed to catch her in person. He felt she’d be far less likely to dodge his questions face-to-face.

  Francis shrugged as she shifted some papers around on her desk and fidgeted with pens and highlighters as though attempting to clean some of the clutter. She wouldn’t make eye contact, which disturbed him. “I’m not the only one that’s been busy,” she commented. “Don’t forget, I hear about everything you do around here.”

  Santo leaned forward in the chair, placing his forearms on her desk, drawing her attention. Her eyes darted to his face and for a brief moment her guard came down. “You know why I’m here, Francis. You know I will help you no matter what the situation.”

  She flashed him a trembling smile. “There’s no situation to even talk about. Everything is fine. I haven’t had any really intimidating criminals come through my courtroom in nearly a year. Even if I had, there are systems in place to protect me should someone want to lash out at a ruling I make.”

  The image of a quick-witted blond holding a Taser as she stood guard outside Francis’s office almost made him smile. Evie captured his imagination in more than one way and he l
ooked forward to talking to her again when he left. He’d always been disciplined enough to keep his mind focused on his objective and never let a woman distract him—until now. With effort, he forced his mind back on the immediate conversation.

  Santo pressed his lips together tightly and continued to stare at her. She could only hold his gaze for a few moments before looking away. “We’ve known each other too long to play this game. I can tell something is bothering you. I can tell you’re afraid. What have you discovered?”

  Her gaze shot back to him at his last comment, her eyes widening. She swallowed hard and shook her head, her shiny black hair brushing her shoulders with the movement. “Nothing you don’t already know about.”

  “You’ve always been a terrible liar.”

  A weak laugh escaped her before she drew in a deep breath and clasped her trembling hands tightly in front of her. “Santo… There are things I have done… Events I’ve already set into motion. You wouldn’t understand. If I tell you…” She closed her eyes and let her breath out slowly. When she opened her eyes she seemed to have regained some of her composure. “Everything is going to be fine. You need to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Do you? Admiral Haslett seems concerned. I get the very strong feeling that you are in way over your head.”

  “You know, our roles used to be reversed as I tried to make sure you were always okay and not putting too much on your plate by being the star athlete and the class president and the FFA President and anything else you could dive into.”