Sworn to Honor, page 8
“Yes, sir. Love my carbine and MK 15, but I’m never outside the wire without my 9-mil.” He could feel Sam’s gaze on him. They’d never discussed his job before now, but for some reason, he wanted to make an impression on this man because he was important to Sam.
Fred let out a long whistle. “What branch, son?”
“Navy.”
Fred looked him over and smirked. “You’re no ordinary sailor, though.”
“No, sir,” he said, not missing the way Sam looked from him to Fred and back.
The man nodded, newfound respect reflected in his eyes. “I’m 5th Marine Regiment. Vietnam.”
He rocked back on his heels. “The Fighting Fifth,” Julian said, referring to the regiment’s nickname. “Buddies call me Joker.”
“Mine called me Axe. Not too many of ’em left.”
“Well, anytime you feel like shooting the shit, you can borrow mine.”
“Appreciate it.” His voice was gruff like he was hanging on to his emotions with every fiber of his being. “You take care of this one. She’s special.” He passed Sam the dog. “Lock up when you go inside tonight.”
Sam rolled her eyes but smiled. “I know, I know.” She kissed the dog’s face as she walked down the steps, but Julian went forward, holding out his hand.
“Good to meet you, Axe. My friend’s hosting a Halloween party for his teenage brother and some friends. I’m going to try to convince Sam to come along, and I know the guys would love to meet you. Let her know if you’d like to come, and I’ll pick you both up.”
The man jerked his head back and scoffed. “I may be old as shit, but they haven’t taken my license from me yet. Samantha says she can go, I’ll drive us both. I know how pretty my girl is because my Maria was a looker, too, and I could hardly keep my hands off her.” Axe nodded at him and shut the door without another word.
“What just happened?” Sam blinked a couple times.
“Your neighbor is a badass. That’s what happened. Now tell me about this dog because something that looks like that has a hell of a story behind it.”
“Shush.” Sam glared at him. “She has ears, you know.”
“She also has three legs, a grizzly snaggle-toothed underbite, and a combination of skin and a mane. Are you sure that’s a dog?”
“I’m positive, and she’s unbelievably courageous. She was found with her leg in a coil spring trap, and it was so infected it had to be amputated. The shelter thought she was a mix of Chinese crested, a mostly hairless breed, and maybe Brussels griffon and some Chihuahua.”
“Well, Angel. It’s nice to meet you.” He held his hand to pat the dog just as Sam drew a quick breath and began to turn, but the dog simply licked him and wiggled in her arms.
“I thought you were going to lose a finger.” She put her hand on her heart, and her shoulders visibly relaxed. “It typically takes her a while to warm up.”
“Maybe she likes military men,” he chuckled and opened the passenger-side door for her. “Hand her over. I’ll hold her while you hop up.”
Sam seemed to contemplate this before handing Angel over to him. The dog wiggled up his shirt and began licking his face. “Hussy.” She laughed as she climbed up. Despite Axe’s warning, he couldn’t stop his eyes from doing an appreciative once-over of her ass in those snug jeans. When she was buckled, he passed the dog to her and walked around the back of the truck.
“You don’t seem surprised that I’m in the military.” He started the engine and glanced over his shoulder to back out of the driveway.
“I saw your dog tags in the bathroom.”
At her hushed tone, he looked over. Sam was staring at the canine in her lap. “Does it bother you?”
She shook her head. He’d drop it for now, but he had a sick sensation in his gut that whatever she needed to tell him about her past was linked to him being a SEAL. Maybe she had an ex-boyfriend or husband in the military. Or had lost someone she loved. “What time do you start your day tomorrow?” The stretches between houses seemed to get longer and longer with each one they passed.
“I’m scheduled to be at the hospital at nine o’clock, but I can call my boss and let them know I’m having trouble with transportation.” She absently pinched the skin at the base of her neck, a worried expression pulling her brows together.
“I meet the guys at five o’clock to work out. When I leave the base, I’ll come here and pick you up for work, then check on the status of your car. We can look over the best options to either fix your vehicle, get a rental, or buy a new one when I come to get you after your shift.”
She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I want to make sure you get to work safely, which gives me an excuse to see you. Now, about the Halloween party, did Brynn mention it yet?”
“Yes, she asked me, but I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for you.”
God, she was killing him. Aside from Addy, no one had ever considered his feelings as much as Sam. “Those are your friends, too. No matter what happens between us, I never want you to sever those connections because of me.”
They drove farther down the street, his twin headlights cutting through the dark.
“That’s it. Right up there.” She gestured to a tiny home that looked more like a backyard cottage.
The size wasn’t what triggered the nagging sensation in the back of his mind, though. “You have an alarm system?” Her house was so far down the street from the rest that it was like she was on a road all her own. A sense of isolation shrouded the area, unsettling him. It would be easy for someone to sneak up on her under the cover of darkness.
“No. I’ve never felt the need for one. This is a quiet street, and although I’m only close with Fred, I still know my neighbors.”
He parked the truck, and Angel skittered across the truck bench, jumping to lick his face. “Someone’s happy we made it home safe. Did you doubt my driving skills, girl?” He rubbed the dog under the chin, and she looked at him with adoring eyes. Between the crooked little underbite and the wild puff of wiry hair surrounding her face, while the rest was totally hairless, he couldn’t help but smile. Even though Angel didn’t look like the most intimidating guard dog, she’d probably make some noise to alert Sam if someone was approaching the house. Still, he was going to talk to his team about it. They at least had some dating experience and would be the first to tell him if he was overstepping or being an overbearing prick.
“Stay there. I’ll come around.” Before she could protest, he was out of the truck, carrying Angel and the casserole dish with him.
She slid out of the cab before he even rounded the truck, and he swore a triumphant smile played over her lips when she stepped past the glow of the headlights. He walked her to her door, noting that the porch light was burnt out. At least she had a dead bolt in addition to a traditional lock. She turned her keys in the knob and pushed open the door, reaching inside to turn on a light before shifting to face him. “I owe you. Thank you so much for today.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Sam.” He wanted to kiss her, but if she asked him to come inside, it would be difficult to deny her anything once he was past the threshold. When he said sex was off the table for now, he meant it. His woman had some hang-ups and self-esteem issues. He needed her to know he was spending time with her because he liked who she was as a person a hell of a lot. “Lock that dead bolt before I leave. I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
He swore a flash of disappointment crossed her face, but maybe that was wishful thinking on his part. As much as he wanted to fall asleep with her in his arms like that first night, the urge to show her he cared won out.
“Night, Julian.”
He’d never liked his name, but hearing it on her lips? That he fucking loved.
“Night, Starburst. Sleep tight.”
He waited for her to step inside. Waited for the slide of the dead bolt before he returned to his truck. Lifting his phone, he pulled up the number to a former SEAL who had opened an auto repair shop when he received an honorable discharge from the Navy. Iron had been Ransom’s former teammate on an op that went sideways. A young SEAL named Scooter had sacrificed himself for the rest of the team, and Iron had lost a leg trying to save him. Iron would help him with a rental so Sam didn’t feel dependent on him while she sorted out what to do about her car. While caring for her today had given him a deep satisfaction, he didn’t want her to think he was trying to take over her life. He just wanted to be part of it.
Chapter Eight
Sam opened the door to the hospital and sucked in the fresh coastal air. She scanned the parking lot and spotted Julian backed into a space close to the door. He gave her a wave, then jumped out to meet her halfway. She’d didn’t have much relationship experience, but she had enough to know that the way Julian showed he cared was rare. They were both wading through uncharted territory, but sometime between when he showed up early this morning to change her burnt-out light bulb to when she opened the lunch he’d packed for her—complete with a caricature of her and Angel—she decided to come clean about her past. If she waited and told him when she was in any deeper, and he recognized that she wasn’t worth the trouble, her heart would break.
“Hey,” he said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “How was your day?”
“Busy, but nothing near as difficult as yesterday. Just a lot of new patients and requests for music therapy. Tomorrow I’m off at the hospital, but I have five clients through the early intervention program I work for part-time. How was yours?” she asked as they walked toward the truck.
“Ransom busted our asses this morning during our workout. Says he’s getting soft because of all the baking Brynn and Jacob do, so the rest of us had to suffer with him.” He opened the truck door for her and kept his hands hovering around her waist as she climbed up. She buckled as he got behind the wheel. “I spoke with the mechanic about your car.”
She bit her bottom lip between her teeth. “Any idea how much it would be to replace the transmission?”
“Unfortunately, he confirmed what I suspected. About five grand.” Julian pulled out of the parking spot. “Your tires are also due for a replacement, and your brake pads need to be changed.” He put his directional on and drove out onto the main road.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat. The last thing she wanted was to seem ungrateful for all Julian had done, from taking her car to getting estimates on the cost, but she wanted to burst into tears.
“The repairs would far exceed the value of the car. Iron, the mechanic who’s also a former SEAL, said he could get about a thousand for your current vehicle, and then you can put it toward a new or used car. He’s having his guys drop off a rental at your place, might even be there already. You can use it until you decide.”
She could feel the heat tingling in her cheeks, prickling up to her ears. There was no money available in her savings to cover the rental cost. “Will he bill me for the rental, or do you need a credit card?” Please say credit card. Although, between some recent vet bills for Angel and repairs to her furnace, there might not be much credit left, either.
“I never would’ve reserved a rental if it was going to cost you, especially without speaking to you first. This one is an emergency loaner, and it’s nothing fancy, but it’s safe, and it will get you from point A to point B.”
“I don’t understand. Why would the mechanic let me borrow a rental free of charge?”
“Like I said, Iron is a former SEAL, and we’ve helped each other out a time or two in the past. He knows you are important to me, so by extension, he’s happy to help you as well.”
There was a flutter in her belly. He knows you are important to me. Warmth seeped through her chest, then was quickly doused with a shock of cold as her mind went to another boy who’d said kind words and then betrayed her trust. Sam glanced at Julian. His back was straight, eyes focused on the road ahead, nothing to indicate he was joking. She’d learned the hard way, though, that if things were too good, they probably weren’t real.
“Are you messing with me?” She cringed at the hollowness of her voice. Might as well tape a sign to her forehead that said “easy target.”
His head flinched back. “Messing with you? About what?”
“About the rental car and your friend letting me borrow it.” She folded her hands in her lap as her stomach churned. The sandwich, potato chips, and cookie Julian had packed her roiled in her belly. Julian was too good to be true. Never mind the rental car.
His mouth opened like he was going to speak, then he closed it. After a few moments, Julian puffed out his cheeks and released the air. “That would be a really shitty thing to joke about.”
“It’s just… It seems hard to believe someone would go out of their way to help a stranger. It’s not only the rental car. It’s you, too. You’ve given me more thought and kindness in the past twenty-four hours than I’ve had my whole life—and that’s after I treated you terribly at Brynn’s house. Did she mention what my father did? I wouldn’t blame her. I’d be pissed, too. So if this is some kind of joke in retaliation—”
“Sam, stop,” Julian demanded. “I’m trying not to take offense to the words coming out of your mouth by reminding myself that if you believe I’m being nice to trick you, you’ve been through some fucked-up shit.” He took a few long breaths before continuing. “I didn’t decide overnight that I wanted to be with you. Two months ago, when I woke up to an empty bed, the sense of loss I felt, like I’d let something precious slip out of my grasp, gutted me. For over sixty days, I thought of you, and when I heard your voice in the foyer of Ransom’s place, I knew if I didn’t try to talk to you, it would be the biggest mistake I ever made. I showed up with a sandwich and made you dinner because I wanted to. Because I like the person you are a hell of a lot.”
Sam’s gaze clouded. Part of her felt the conviction in Julian’s voice while the other more bruised part of her was remembering the boy who broke some of her spirit, not because she’d loved him, but because he’d concocted a cruel plan that lasted over a month and ended with her being publicly humiliated.
“If I tell you I’m going to be somewhere or do something, that’s what’s going to happen,” Julian continued. “I don’t know who your friends were in the past or what relationships you’ve had or who you’ve relied on, but baby, I’m telling you right now, if someone tries to deceive you at your expense for some kind of laugh, you haul ass out of there.”
“I learned that lesson the hard way. It makes you feel sick inside to be the object of a joke. When you know everyone is laughing at your stupidity, and you wish they could see how hard you were trying to hold it together. How much it hurt.” She was so engrossed in their conversation that she hadn’t realized they’d driven onto her street. He jerked over to the sidewalk and threw the car in park. One moment she was sitting in the passenger seat. The next, he unbuckled her seat belt and slid her over the bench. He angled his body, cupping her face.
“No one will disrespect you when you are with me and get away with it. My team and I might be rough around the edges, blunt, and not the best at sharing emotions, but I know we would never get off on hurting someone emotionally or physically. Sometimes on a mission, taking a life so others can be spared is necessary, but there’s no perverse pleasure in doing so. I can’t sit here and tell you I won’t fuck up and accidentally hurt your feelings or piss you off, but I expect you to call me out so I can fix it.”
“I’m sorry. I had no right to accuse you of anything. When we get to my house, do you have time to come inside and talk? There are some things I’d like to tell you sooner rather than later.”
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. You were trying to protect yourself. I do the same, always thinking the worst of people, so I’m not disappointed or caught off guard. A form of self-preservation. With you, though, that need to uncover your darkest secrets to prove myself right, to find an excuse to push you away isn’t there. Being with you settles something inside of me. I’m more than ready to listen if you’re ready to share, but there’s no rush.”
“Julian.” This man was ruining her for all others. Making the defenses she’d built up crack. When he reached across her and drew the center seat belt over her lap, those walls fractured a bit more. She had to remind herself that he didn’t know about her past. Things might change, and she’d have to brace for the impact. Julian started to drive with one hand on the steering wheel, and the other slung around her shoulders.
Fred had a doctor’s appointment today, so Angel stayed home. She was typically very well-behaved, but it was nice for her to have the company of Fred, who peppered her with attention and snacks. When her house came into view, she drew in a quick breath. There were two cars parked in the driveway. One was a newer model four-door sedan, which might’ve been the rental car, but it was her mother’s rusted hatchback that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up.
“You know who that car belongs to?” Julian’s posture had stiffened as he scanned the area.
“My mother. If she’s here, now’s not going to be the best time to talk. Will you drop me off? I’ll give you a call later.”
“I can feel the anxiety pulsing off you, so no, I’m not going to leave you in the driveway and go.”
Sam bit down hard on her lip, and the metallic tang of blood trickled into her mouth. She didn’t want Julian to meet her mother. Didn’t want him to know the type of people she came from. Her mother was slumped at the front door, slouched against the frame with her feet planted on the first stair. Plumes of smoke came from a cigarette hanging between her lips. If the pile of burned-out filters was any indication, she’d been waiting there for a while. Waiting made her especially nasty. She couldn’t tell from here, but it was a fair assessment by her posture, like she’d melted against the door and slid down, that she was high.
