Sam decided then and there she’d never understand the way the two men acted, but if she needed someone to call on it would be these two, Beck being at the top of her list.
“Okay, you’ve managed to avoid it all night. Dish big sis. What’s going on with you?” Rayne asked as she bathed Billy. “For over a year you’ve avoided being anywhere near your family. You missed my wedding and Billy’s birth. And what’s the deal with you and Beck?”
Sam had insisted on Ghost and Rayne staying with her. She didn’t think Amberley’s parents would mind that she had some guests, as they’d told her the first day she moved in that she was to treat it like her own home.
And Rayne was correct, she’ d been putting off answering any questions about her avoidance of her family and Beck and their relationship status. Hell, she didn’t even know if what they had could even be described as a relationship. And where was Beck going to sleep tonight? Would he go back to his room or would he sleep with her? Her body warmed at the latter and wondered if she could convey to him that she wanted him with her and not in a separate bedroom.
Also, she still hadn’t told Rayne and Ghost about the threats. Beck had warned her on the drive from the set to the house, that she’d have to spill the beans. The last thing she wanted to do on their first night visiting was unload all her troubles on them. It could wait another day. She’d deal with the relationship question first. That one she could handle and hopefully it would satisfy Rayne’s curiosity.
“There’s really nothing going on. Beck is a former SEAL and he’s helping on the film. Amberley offered him a place to stay here because she didn’t want me being alone.”
As white lies went, it wasn’t the worse, but it also wasn’t the best.
Rayne lifted Billy’s squirming body out of the bath and deftly wrapped him in a towel. Her heart filled with joy seeing the love shining in her sister’s eyes. Motherhood suited Rayne and the way Ghost looked at her, it wouldn’t surprise Sam if Rayne wasn’t expecting another baby pretty soon.
“Try again, Sam. We may not have spent much time together the last few years, but I know you. Something’s going on between the two of you. The looks you shared over dinner could’ve set the room on fire.”
Sam’s cheeks burned and she was sure if she looked in the mirror they’d be bright red, and no way could she use the excuse of heat from the bathroom, the room wasn’t hot at all. No point denying the obvious, but she still wasn’t going to fill Rayne in on everything going on in her life. “If it was so obvious, why did you ask?”
Rayne hoisted Billy up on her hip, the little boy snuggled into her neck, his eyes drowsy. “Because I’m your little sister, it’s my job to torment and tease you. Like you didn’t do that to me whenever I had a crush in high school.”
Sam chuckled as they made their way to the room where Rayne, Ghost, and Billy were going to spend the night. “I suppose I deserve a little payback.”
“For what it’s worth, Sam, I like Beck. He’s got that air of protection around him like Ghost and the rest of his team has. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to love my sister.”
“Rayne! He doesn’t love me. We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”
“And I only had one night with Ghost and I couldn’t forget him. I was only half living until he saved me in Egypt.”
A visible shudder went through Rayne and Sam hugged her. “I’m so glad he got to you in time, Ray-Ray. I’m glad he’s yours, too.”
“My life is so much better with Ghost in it. Not to mention the fact that my best friend is married to one of the guys on the team and all the other guys and their partners are great too. We’re one big happy family. Can’t complain with having Chase and Sadie close by, too.”
A pang of jealousy stabbed at Sam at Rayne’s happiness with having such an extended family. Had she done the right thing by moving to Hollywood to follow her dreams? With her part in this movie, a cool sense of achievement swept through her, yes her sacrifice to her personal life would be worth it. Prior to getting this role, she had been second guessing herself. But she also couldn’t deny that she loved acting and would shrivel up inside if she lived back in Texas. As much as she’d missed out on so much, she wouldn’t trade it for a moment.
“I’m glad you’ve got that.”
Rayne placed a now sleepy and dressed Billy in Sam’s arms. “Just because you’re here and we’re there, doesn’t mean you can’t visit us or we can’t visit you. I miss you. I shouldn’t have had to turn up unannounced, surprising you. You could ask me to visit anytime and you know I will.”
Sam sighed and breathed in Billy’s unique baby scent. Part of her wished for her own Billy. Now she wondered if she’d waited too long. “You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just, well, I’ve never lived in the best places for you to come and visit me.”
Rayne plopped her hands on her hips, her gaze narrowing and Sam braced herself for a blast, one she probably deserved. “Do you think that really matters to me and Ghost? We could’ve got a hotel. How do you think I felt when we caught up with some friends and I had to find out from Amberley that you’d landed a lead role in a film she wrote? She totally thought I knew about it. This piled on top of everything else you’ve missed, Ghost could see how upset I was and booked tickets for a flight two days later. Which gets us back to the question of why you missed the wedding?”
Again another stab of guilt pierced Sam’s heart. She couldn’t change the past but she could change the future. The time had come to tell Rayne the reason for the distance. “You’re right I haven’t answered, but I will. Let’s put Billy down and I’ll tell you everything.”
Beck took another swig of beer, Ghost repeated his action. He could hold his own with the Delta. If Ghost thought he could intimidate Beck, he could think again. He was a SEAL and he was just as badass as a Delta. But he wouldn’t get into a fight with the man, not while Sam was out of the room. He cared too much for her. When she’d looked at him in her dressing room, tears shining in her eyes and trying so hard to swallow down her distress, he knew what she meant to him. He could no longer ignore the way seeing her lightened his mood on a daily basis. The instinctive need he’d had to protect her from hurts and the way his heart skipped a beat when he saw her, could no longer be denied.
He was falling for her. No doubt about it.
Even though the thought should’ve scared him and have him running for the hills, all he wanted to do was run to her. Keep her close and never let her go. Maybe he could speak to Ox about a position with the LA office of Alliez instead of returning to New York after all.
“I recognize that look,” Ghost said, amusement lacing his voice.
“What look is that?” he asked, even though he had a good idea what Ghost was talking about.
“The look where everything inside of you is aching to be beside your woman. That the thought of anything happening to her means your life isn’t worth living. The look that says you’ll slay any dragon that crosses her path.” Ghost leaned forward and held out his hand. “Welcome to the club. And, regardless of what my wife and her sister said, Sam is family and mine to protect. But if she has you by her side then you’re my family, too.”
Beck looked at Ghost’s hand then back up to the man’s face. His stare was intense and serious but also open. He grasped Ghost’s outstretched hand and shook it. “I’m sure it’s a relief to Sam to know you have Rayne’s back. She misses her a lot.”
“There’s a reason for that?” Ghost asked.
Beck lifted his beer to his mouth and took another drink. No way was he going to tell Ghost anything. He wouldn’t break Sam’s confidence in any way. He was also well aware he couldn’t leave Ghost’s question unanswered, the other man wouldn’t let him get away with it.
He opened his mouth to answer but a hand landed on his shoulder, he turned and spied Sam standing behind him. Beck stood immediately, concern zooming through him at the way her eyes were serious and her lips were pressed together. “Wha
t is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s time, Beck.”
Without Sam saying anything more he knew exactly what she meant. “Are you sure?”
“No, not really. I can’t keep it quiet anymore.”
“Can’t keep what quiet anymore, Samantha? What have you been keeping from me?” Rayne demanded, narrowing her eyes at her sister. Beck saw the way Ghost kept his wife snug and safe by his side.
Knowing how hard this was going to be for Sam, he copied Ghost’s action and led Sam over to the couch. “Why don’t we all have a seat. Then Sam can tell you what’s on her mind.”
Once they were all seated he grabbed Sam’s hand, squeezing it. She looked over to him and once their gazes connected the other couple in the room faded. He reached out and brushed his fingers down her cheek. What he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her. Bring back the sparkle in her eyes. Make her forget all the bad stuff and replace it with memories of him and her together.
Yeah, he was so far gone.
“I’ve got your six, Sam.” He repeated what he’d said earlier and she smiled.
“Thank you.” Taking a deep breath she faced her sister and brother-in-law. “For the last eighteen months I’ve had someone texting me off and on. I ignored the earlier texts because I thought it was because I’d inherited a number, but then they became more personal. More threatening. To both you and Chase and your families. To keep you guys safe, I cancelled any plans I had of visiting you. I had tickets booked for your wedding to surprise you. But the day before I was due to fly out I received a text with a picture of you and all your friends leaving a bridal salon you all looked so happy. The message attached said if I showed my face at the wedding then you and your friends would pay the price. What else could I do but cancel my flight? I had to keep you safe.”
Rayne threw her hands up in the air. “Sam, that makes no sense. Why didn’t you say something sooner? I’m married to a Delta Force soldier for goodness sake. And he’s part of a team made up of more kick-ass Deltas. You should’ve said something.”
Beck could see the frustration and confusion in Rayne’s eyes. He could understand it because it wasn’t anything he hadn’t thought when Sam told him her story. “I had the same reaction as you, Rayne. But before you make any snap judgements, I think you should finish listening to Sam.”
Sam squeezed his hand in thanks. “Rayne, I know who you’re married to and what he’s part of. But what I couldn’t do was take the risk that my presence would cause harm to you or your friends on the biggest day of your lives. Yes, maybe I should’ve told you and yes, things might have turned out to not be as bad I thought if I had. But you have to understand, ever since our parents died, you and Chase are the most important people in my life. I know Mom and Dad would expect me to step up to the plate to ensure you were both safe. I would do anything to protect you from harm, even keeping my distance.”
Her voice broke on the last word and Beck rubbed his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion, wishing he could make this easier for her. He hated seeing her upset. The primal need to conquer the damned and distressed that had lived inside of him since he joined the Navy, burst to life and he wanted to find out who the fucker was that was threatening Sam and eliminate whoever it was.
“If I had to do it all over again,” Sam continued quietly, but with steely determination. “I wouldn’t change how I handled the situation.”
Silence fell on the small group and Beck, conscious of his woman beside him, observed the interplay between Ghost and Rayne. Ghost had his arm firmly around Rayne’s shoulders, squeezing it on and off. But it was the look in the man’s eyes that struck deep in Beck. He was looking at Samantha with admiration and understanding. As if he knew how hard it was to keep her distance and how he would do the same.
Just like Beck would’ve.
If he didn’t have the resources and knowledge he had, there’s no doubt he’d have put as much distance as possible between him and the ones he loved if they were being threatened.
Finally Rayne looked up at her sister and Beck braced himself to defend Sam if he had to.
“Sam, I’m trying to understand your decision making. We all have this weird sense of protection that leads us to make decisions that may not be the most ideal. Hell, Ghost refused to tell me when he’d been injured after we got back together out of a misguided sense of doing the right thing. Tex had to call me to let me know what had happened to him.” She got up walked over to where they sat. Beck stood to let the sisters be close to each other. “Do I wish you’d told me so you could’ve come to my wedding? Damn right, I do. And as much as I could get really angry with you for missing my big day, I understand why you did what you did. I also understand why you weren’t there after I had Billy.”
The two women hugged and relief swept through Beck. Everything was going to be okay.
“You wanna tell me the rest?” Ghost asked Beck quietly from beside him. He hadn’t heard the other man come up beside him.
Beck eyed him. “What makes you think there’s more?”
Ghost pierced him with a gaze that basically said don’t fuck with me. In the end Beck nodded, as much as he wanted the person harassing Sam to be Miles, all indicators pointed to the man having a case of unrequited love.
“Come with me,” Beck stated, before looking over to where Sam and Rayne were talking, their heads close together. “We’re just going to shoot the breeze and leave you two to talk.”
Sam waved that she’d heard him. Beck canted his head and walked out of the room, knowing, without question, Ghost would follow him.
They headed up the stairs toward Beck’s room where he’d kept a file on the case. The box containing the doll was safely locked away in Alliez’s Security safe. Ox had said that it was probably best to keep the evidence away from Sam.
Once the door was closed behind them, he grabbed up a file and handed it to Ghost. “This is everything we have. Sam deleted the earlier messages because she thought they weren’t for her.”
“Why didn’t she block the number?” Ghost asked as he flicked through the pages.
“I think because there was always a large time gap in between each message. Look at the date stamps on them. Once there was even four months between the messages. I think that’s when she decided to go to your wedding. She figured it was safe. And well, she explained why she didn’t end up at the wedding.”
Beck kept still and observed Ghost as he read through the file, the only indication he gave that he’d come up to the pictures of the doll was the way his lips firmed and the paper crinkled in his clenched fist.
“Motherfucker. Who does this shit?”
Beck sighed. “I wish I knew. I thought I had someone but he’s come back clean.”
“I take it you’re more than a technical adviser to the movie.”
“Yeah, to all who matter, that’s what I am, but I’m really there as Sam’s bodyguard.” And his plan to join the New York office was now up in smoke. As much as he’d wanted to get as far away from his former life in San Diego and that of a SEAL, the thought of not being able to be near Sam was worse.
Much worse.
“Why’d you leave?”
It was a simple question, there was no accusation or anything in his tone, but still the question cut deep. “Medically retired.”
“Fuck, sorry man.”
Beck gave the other man a chin lift. Nothing more needed to be said. Ghost understood.
“So what’s the plan now?” Ghost asked as he handed the file back.
“Well, I’ve got another guy working on the set to keep an extra eye on Sam. She doesn’t know who he is either. She’s aware of the extra detail but hasn’t met him and it’s better if she doesn’t. That way he can find out things I wouldn’t be able to.”
“You think it’s someone involved with the movie?”
Beck thrust a hand through his hair. “That’s the thing. I have no idea. Whoever this person is, they’re fucking clev
er at making sure their tracks are covered.”
“Perhaps I could talk to Tex. You know the guy’s a fucking genius when it comes to computers and finding people. All it takes is one call and he’ll do whatever is necessary.”
“Yeah I know but Alliez has opened a LA office and one of the staff members is supposedly a computer genius, too. She’s looking into Miles, even though it looks like it’s not him.”
“Tex would be able to find out who owns the number the messages are coming from.”
Beck chuckled, they were almost having a pissing contest as to which computer genius was the best. “True, but Cass has already done that. Whoever is sending the messages is scrambling their location. It’s pinging all over the place.”
“Right.”
The two men kept quiet, each lost in his own thoughts. Finally, Ghost peeled himself away from the wall where he’d been leaning. “It’s getting late. Why don’t we sleep on it and see if we can see it from a new angle in the morning.”
“Sam’s got an early morning call. They’re winding down the filming. I think Pascal said they had another two or so weeks to go before they’re done.”
“Okay. I know Rayne wanted to check out Rodeo Drive so maybe we’ll do that tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. How long are you guys here?”
“A week. And call on me if you need me.” Ghost left and Beck breathed out. It shouldn’t matter if Ghost liked him or not, but if he and Sam had a future together, the possibility of seeing Ghost and Rayne would increase. But it wouldn’t happen unless he caught the fucker who was messing with his woman. When he did the person would wish they hadn’t tried anything with Sam.
10
Sam lifted her hand over her mouth, hiding yet another yawn. It had been a late night, made even later with her creeping into Beck’s room and climbing into bed with him. After Ghost had commandeered Rayne away from her, she’d gone to bed and waited for Beck to turn up. When he hadn’t she’d taken matters into her own hand. Not to mention mouth.
Rescuing Samantha Page 11
