His Soldier Under Siege

by Regan Black

  “What I was or wasn’t then is between my brother and me.”

  She’d offended him. Great. “My family bleeds army black and gold,” she explained. “And navy blue, if you count my SEAL brother.”

  “A SEAL? I sure wouldn’t count him out,” Derek deadpanned.

  She shoved to her feet, away from him, his touch, the temptation he presented at every turn. “Then why come to the beach house?”

  “Aside from the fact that Hank practically ordered me to report there with you in tow?”

  “Yes! Aside from that.”

  “Because I...you...” He stared at her with an intensity that sizzled over her skin. “Because you’re important to me,” he finished at last. “I want to be with you, wherever you are.”

  Her heart simply soared, refusing to be grounded by logic. Chalking up the change in their relationship to bizarre and intense circumstances wasn’t fair to either of them. Yes, they’d been coping with serious trouble, but no one had forced him to keep going the extra mile, to take such care with her. For her.

  She thought about the way he’d touched her last night as they made love. The tenderness he’d shown on her couch. He’d soothed her out of a nightmare that would normally have left her shaking for hours. Her heart and soul seemed to flow toward him with total trust and no regard for common sense.

  Her body followed and she hugged him hard. Yes, she was more than halfway in love with him already but it felt like the wrong time for that declaration. “Oh, I hope you don’t come to regret it.”

  * * *

  A few hours later their impromptu road trip ended as Derek parked his car in line with several others already tucked between a three-car garage and a sprawling, stilted beach house. Assuming one car per sibling, they were the fourth party to arrive. He assumed Hank would be last, and recalling how they met, he had to wonder if he was about to walk into an unyielding wall of Riley men, or if her mother or sister would be more amenable to meeting him.

  “You’re nervous,” Grace Ann observed.

  He froze in the act of pulling the key from the ignition. “I am.” Why deny it?

  “Well, that makes two of us,” she admitted. “In case Hank hasn’t told you, my mother’s been worried about my mental health since I came home from the last deployment. I’m hopeful that our heroics last night will ease her mind. She hasn’t used the term PTSD, but I know she’s thinking it.”

  “Do you think you’re dealing with PTSD?” he asked.

  “That’s a trick question,” she replied. “Isn’t denial one of the classic symptoms that actually confirms the diagnosis?”

  “You’d know better than I would.” He studied her. Her eyes were clear, her lips curved in a self-deprecating smile. He wasn’t sure she realized it, but he’d seen her when she was overrun by the worst of her memories. What he saw now was merely surface-level discomfort. “Would you tell a friend in your situation, dealing with the things you’ve seen, that she had PTSD?”

  Her lips parted, then closed. “I might.” Instead of enlightened, she appeared defeated.

  “Would you hold that against your friend?”

  Her brow puckered as she frowned. “Of course not.”

  “Then why hold yourself to a higher, impossible standard?”

  “I’m a Riley.” She sighed and glanced toward the house. “Military is part of the DNA around here. You know Dad’s a retired general and my mother an accomplished army nurse.”

  “I’ve heard,” he teased. “What’s your point?”

  “They both saw a bunch of crap along the way and they’re fine. They cope like champs. Me?” She twisted her hands together in her lap. “Not so fine apparently.”

  “You’re in the midst of it, and being harassed by someone with an ax to grind,” he said. “I think processing what you’ve seen over there takes time. The current circumstances only compound the issue. You’re handling things with amazing courage and steadiness.”

  She gawked at him and he wished he had the guts to risk a kiss right here. “I was eighteen and thought I knew everything when the police showed up on our doorstep,” he said instead. “Kevin was a kid, in bed asleep, when our world dropped off its axis.”

  “Derek.”

  He plowed on. “Do you know how hard it was for me to get behind the wheel of a car and drive Kevin to the morgue? To the hospital?” He gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “My parents died in the act of driving down a road.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, laying a hand on his wrist.

  He hadn’t given a voice to this pain in more than ten years. “It’s impossible to describe how terrified I was about killing Kevin or myself. How certain I was that we wouldn’t make it home every time we went out. And I wasn’t even in the car when it happened. I was nothing but a big ball of stress and grief and fear for months.”

  “Please, don’t do this.”

  The crack in her voice only confirmed she needed to hear him. “Your parents love you, Grace Ann. I’m sure they had their share of tough stuff, too. They probably just want you to trust them to help. They want you to trust yourself.”

  “Maybe.” Her gaze drifted to the house again.

  “I imagine coping with this stuff is the lesser-known part of deployment.”

  “Being overseas has an impact on everyone,” she admitted. “Most soldiers find a way to keep going.”

  “You’ve kept going.” He shifted in the seat, caught and held her gaze. “Do most soldiers work with wounded warriors stateside?”

  “Most in the nursing corps do,” she replied.

  “Stop being obtuse.” It pleased him to see a tiny smile tug at her lips.

  “I do hear what you’re saying.” She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. “Giving all these difficult feelings a label like PTSD bugs me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I was raised in the heart of the army. I feel like the Riley name on its own indicates an immunity or genetic predisposition to handling things better.”

  “And would you say that to a sibling?” he asked.

  “No.” Defeated, she dropped her head back against the seat. “You’ve made your point.”

  “Then can we go inside before your parents decide I’m a freak?”

  Her grin flashed. “Even though that would take some pressure off me?”

  “You handle pressure.” Tossing away the worry of first impressions, he leaned over and kissed her until her gaze went dreamy and soft. “Whatever the situation, you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”

  “That, my friend, is about to change.” With a wistful smile, she opened her door and shouted a greeting.

  He stepped out of the car and saw her family gathered on the landing, each eyeing him with a different expression.

  As Grace Ann made the introductions, her mother, Patricia, wrapped him in a warm hug, while General “Call Me Ben” Riley gave him a cool, hard handshake. Her younger brothers, twins Mark and Luke, followed their father’s lead with a cool assessment. Her sister, Jolene, looked like a younger version of their mother and she studied him with a gleam in her eye he wasn’t sure how to interpret. Apparently Matt and his family were still en route and Derek expected Hank to be the last one in later tonight.

  There was no mistaking Grace Ann had the best of her parents. An inch taller than her mom, she had a similar build. But it was clear Grace Ann’s intelligent gaze and deep brown eyes came straight from her dad.

  “Come in, come in.” Patricia nodded at Ben to open the front door. “Grace Ann can show you to the bunk room when Hank arrives with your things.”

  “Derek and I are staying in my room,” Grace Ann stated.

  Mark, or maybe Luke, gave a low whistle while Ben pinned Derek with a disapproving scowl.

  “I don’t want to bunk with the boys.” Jolene’s exagger
ated complaint failed to sufficiently hide her amusement.

  “Too bad,” Grace Ann said. “He’s here as my guest. We’re together and I don’t want my little brothers to drive him away. He’s endured enough turmoil already, thanks to me.”

  Mark and Luke visibly bristled at her description or her declaration, but Grace Ann ignored them.

  “It is our house,” Patricia reminded her. “Our rules.”

  Grace Ann’s bravado held. She raised an eyebrow. Patricia mirrored her daughter’s expression.

  “I, um, saw there were vacancies at the hotel we passed,” Derek offered. Everyone ignored him.

  Grace Ann looked to her siblings, particularly Jolene, for backup. “We’re all adults, right?”

  “A mother can dream,” Patricia allowed as they poured into the big kitchen. “Forgive them, Derek. They know not what pains they are.” Her laughter filled the house and broke the tension. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Water would be great.” Uncomfortable as he was, being even a smidge off his game seemed like a dangerous option. He tried to stay out of the way as Grace Ann’s family surrounded her in a swirl of concern, questions and obvious affection.

  “Patricia’s been watching the news all morning,” Ben said while his wife simultaneously juggled three different conversations with her children. “You and Gracie were quite a team out there.”

  “It was all her,” Derek replied. “She was snapping out orders. I just followed them.”

  “She has a way,” Ben said.

  “She does,” Derek agreed.

  “I’d say she gets that from me, but now, having met her mother, you’ll know it’s a lie.” With a smile, Ben wound his way through his family and pulled a bottle of beer from the refrigerator. “Walk with me,” he said to Derek.

  It was easy to see how naturally Grace Ann came by her authority and leadership ability. Ben showed Derek into a masculine office space off the family room. Though it was tailored to the general’s tastes, with dark wood wainscoting and framed awards, it didn’t feel as if he’d stepped away from the airy design of the rest of the house. He assumed that was due to the expansive view of the ocean through the wide windows.

  “You have a beautiful home,” Derek said.

  “Patricia had a vision,” the general replied, closing the door.

  Derek hoped this wasn’t about to turn into a “what are your intentions with my daughter” talk. Although after Grace Ann’s declaration about the sleeping arrangements it would be a valid question. If it came to that, he hoped the general would give him points for honesty. Derek knew what he wanted for his future with Grace Ann; he just didn’t yet know if Grace Ann might want that, too.

  Ben sank into one of the leather club chairs positioned to take full advantage of the view and motioned for Derek to take the other. “Grace Ann is convinced I run a background check on every man she looks at twice.” A grin tilted at one corner of his mouth. “If only I was that connected.” He set his drink on the table between the chairs. “Through your brother, I know you understand the commitment our soldiers make.”

  Derek took a sip of his water, waiting for the general to make his point.

  “I wanted to thank you for what you’ve done for my daughter,” Ben continued. “Especially in light of your brother’s injury.”

  “Kevin seems to be on the mend and in good spirits.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Ben leaned forward. “You’ve been caught in the middle of a tough situation and for that I’d like to apologize.”

  That wasn’t at all what Derek had expected. “Sir?”

  “Ben, please.” He relaxed back into the chair again. “Hank said he and Gracie gave you the basics. Apparently there is a vindictive man out there hunting my children to settle a grudge he holds against me. You have no idea how eager I am to figure out who is endangering my family. Can you tell me how Gracie is doing?”

  Derek barely kept himself from fidgeting like a kid called into the principal’s office. “I’m not sure what you’re asking,” he began. “She isn’t thrilled with the circumstances or the injuries to others, but she’s holding up.”

  Ben tapped the arm of the chair. “Is she? You’ve been with my daughter for a few days now. I’d hoped maybe she would talk to you. She sure won’t talk to any of us.”

  “Would you like me to get out of the way?” Even making the suggestion cost him. He didn’t want to leave Grace Ann, despite her now being surrounded by her far-more-qualified family. What happened if the nightmares came back?

  “No, no. Stay. Hank is convinced the bastard has you in his sights now, too.” Ben stood, crossing to the window. “Patricia and I saw you with Grace Ann after the bombing. The one thing this country seems to agree on at the moment is that you’re both heroes.”

  “Grace Ann is remarkable,” Derek murmured. “I just tagged along.”

  “You didn’t leave her side.” Ben let loose a heavy sigh. “Being a father is a lifelong challenge, Derek. You’ve had a taste of it, raising your little brother.”

  So the man had done a bit of digging. He wasn’t sure muddling through those years qualified as parenting. He’d been tossed into the gig unwillingly, in the midst of heartbreaking grief.

  “Being an officer is a similar challenge,” Ben continued. “I’ve made my share of mistakes with both my family and with troops under my command. Sometimes you see those mistakes immediately, sometimes it takes years for perspective and hindsight to kick in.” He turned his back on the ocean. “Sometimes your hands are just tied.”

  “True enough.”

  “Hank and the investigators have concluded that all of this is connected. From the bogus accusation of Grace Ann’s misconduct right up to the bomb last night.” Ben reached across his desk for his cell phone. “I’m inclined to agree.”

  He tapped the phone screen and held it out. Grace Ann’s voice filled the room. It was a recording of the “confession” she’d given for the sake of whoever had planted the bugs in her house. Derek’s palms went damp. He said a prayer this Riley Hunter creep hadn’t sent the recording of them making love, too.

  “When the person behind this revenge turned Matt’s life upside down, he made sure I had pictures proving how close he could get. Now it seems he’s making his point that he knows more than I do. How did he figure out that Grace Ann has never talked so freely to us about any of this?”

  “Hank asked her to do it,” he began after Ben seemed to expect an answer. “I doubt she would’ve opened up to me otherwise.” In fact, she hadn’t.

  Ben stared at his phone. “The parts that are false don’t worry me.” His gaze lifted and the sorrow Derek saw in his eyes was overwhelming. “I haven’t let Patricia hear this. She’s already concerned that Grace Ann is trying to ignore symptoms of PTSD.”

  Derek felt completely adrift. He was a brother of a soldier in the nursing corps and his law degree was no help here. He supposed her reaction when the car backfired could be interpreted as a PTSD symptom. Then again, with so much going on, she’d had every right to be edgy.

  “She’s steady,” he replied when the silence got uncomfortable. “Whether or not she has PTSD.” What reassurances could he give her father without breaching her trust? “She’s aggravated, of course. Sad about the village school and the kids she couldn’t save over there. But she’s rock-steady. It makes her furious that this Riley Hunter is using her to cause you grief.”

  “She’s her mother’s daughter.” Ben’s weary smile held a wealth of pride. “The way they think is remarkable. There are few lines they’ll cross and then only with good reason.” He sighed. “I am sorry your brother was injured. I want you to know we’re doing everything possible to identify the culprit who put all of this into motion.”

  “Maybe the man Hank has in custody can shed some light on the insider feeding intel to the man targeting your fam
ily.”

  Ben’s eyebrows snapped together. “Insider?”

  Derek shifted in his seat. “I’m sure Hank is going through the unit roster with a fine-tooth comb,” he said. “When Grace Ann apologized to me and to Kevin for the training accident, she said she was on the roster for that event, pulled at the last minute,” he continued. “Who else but someone within the unit, an insider, would know that?”

  Ben swore. “This bastard has reach and influence. He’s been far more aggressive with Grace Ann.”

  “I’m no investigator,” Derek said, “but the more I learn, the more it feels personal.”

  “Oh, it’s personal,” Ben agreed. “Hank will be here soon and we’ll all move forward together.”

  “Anything I can do to help,” Derek said, hoping that didn’t include leaving. Through the window, he saw Grace Ann and her siblings heading down to the beach.

  “Grace Ann introduced me to your brother at his first pre-deployment family picnic,” Ben said, his gaze following Derek’s. “I don’t recall seeing you there.”

  “A late arrival,” Derek admitted, hoping that error years ago hadn’t just destroyed the general’s opinion of him. “I wasn’t so sure about how to support Kevin back then.”

  “Are you sure now?”

  “I’ve had more practice,” he replied.

  Ben nodded. “Family serves and sacrifices, too.” Ben’s eyes were suspiciously bright. “My wife did her best to get that through my skull when our family was young. Being retired now, I have a better idea of what families go through. It isn’t easy knowing what our soldiers are up against and having no way to affect the outcome.”

  A chime sounded, saving Derek from finding a response as a monitor behind the general’s desk flickered to life. A video from a camera aimed at the driveway showed a minivan parking behind Derek’s car.

  “That’s Matt and his family. As much as we enjoy our empty nest, Patricia loves having all her chicks under one roof.” At the sound of footsteps rushing by and boisterous greetings, Ben grinned. “Gracie warned you we’re loud?”