Securing Avery, page 16
She looked up into Cole’s eyes and saw respect. And something more. Something more intense that frankly scared her to death.
She was exhausted, worried about Phantom, being able to identify the traitor, and excited about seeing her parents. She didn’t have the brain power to even begin to understand what was happening right now.
“Take it,” Cole urged softly.
Slowly, Avery reached out and picked up the small pin. The eagle’s wings bit into her palm as she closed her fingers around it.
“As you probably know, the Budweiser is one of the most treasured and honored traditions the SEALs have,” Gumby told her. “But we all talked about it, and we decided that since you embody everything that is sacred to a SEAL—honor, bravery, strength, stubbornness, and the ability to stay calm under extreme pressure—that you deserve to have one of these just as much as each of us do.”
“I…I can’t take this,” Avery stuttered, shocked beyond words.
Cole reached out and took her hand in both of his. “You can, and you will,” he told her firmly. “You can’t exactly wear it on your uniform,” he said wryly, “but knowing you have it means the world to my teammates and me. It’s important to us.”
She couldn’t look away from him. Cole’s hair was falling in his eyes and his beard seemed even bushier than it had just a day ago, but to her, he was absolutely gorgeous. And if he wanted her to have this pin, then she’d be an idiot to refuse it.
“Thank you,” she said, not taking her gaze from his.
Then he shocked the shit out of her by leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
Avery closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent of Cole filling her nostrils, and her soul. He smelled so good. Even after traveling for as long as they had, she could still smell the soap he’d used the last time he’d showered on base. It smelled so much better on him than it did on her.
Then Cole peeled her fingers away from the pin and picked it up off her palm. “The clasp on this is a bit tricky. Be careful not to prick yourself when handling it.” A thought struck Avery as he undid a few buttons on her camo top and gently pinned the Budweiser to her T-shirt underneath, careful not to touch her inappropriately in the process. She couldn’t help but ask, “Is this yours?”
It was as if they were the only two people on the plane at that moment. He finished attaching the pin to her shirt, then pulled her uniform top closed and buttoned the front once again.
“It was. Now it’s yours,” he told her. “Phantom and I played rock, paper, scissors to see who got the privilege of giving you their pin. I won.”
“He cheated,” Phantom grumbled from nearby, but Avery barely heard him.
“I can’t take your pin,” she protested. “I know how much these things mean to you guys. They’re sacred.” Unconsciously, her hand came up and covered the spot on her uniform where the pin lay underneath.
Cole placed his hand over hers and said, “I’m here because of you. Phantom is here because of you. Nothing’s more sacred than that.”
Avery didn’t want to cry, but she knew if he said one more word, she was going to lose it. She squeezed her eyes closed and willed herself to get her emotions under control. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“No, thank you,” Cole returned softly.
“You’re all set,” the pilot announced loudly, breaking the intense moment.
Before she knew it, Avery was being hustled off the plane. She walked across the tarmac toward the building. As they walked, Cole said, “If it’s okay, I’ll stop by your apartment around eleven tomorrow to pick you up and bring you to the police station. That should give you some time to sleep in and chat with your parents. All right?”
“Do you know where I live?” she asked as she looked over at him.
He shrugged. “No, but I’ll figure it out before eleven o’clock tomorrow.”
She grinned and shook her head.
They arrived at the door to the hangar, and Avery knew that, in a second, she’d have no more time to talk to Cole. It felt weird knowing she wasn’t going to be with him later. They’d been together every minute of every day since he’d removed that last rock. He’d been the first person she’d seen after being buried alive, and for some reason, she felt extremely uneasy at the thought of separating from him.
She put one hand over the Budweiser pin on her chest and the other on his arm, digging her nails in. “Cole?”
“What’s wrong?” Cole asked, immediately looking around for whatever had spooked her.
“I just…I don’t know how to get in touch with you,” Avery said lamely.
His eyes gentled, and he pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. “Give me your number. I’ll send you a text so you have mine. No matter what time it is, if you need me, all you have to do is call or text me. Okay?”
It was silly, but knowing she’d have even that small connection with him made her feel one hundred percent better. She gave him her number and watched as he dialed it. Then he pocketed the phone again and reached for her.
Avery willingly went into his arms. She turned her face into his neck and felt the warmth of his skin against her lips. His hold on her felt good, intimate. They held each other for a moment, then he pulled back. “You ready?”
Taking a deep breath, Avery nodded. “Ready.”
“I’m always just a few clicks of your phone buttons away,” he reminded her.
“I know. And I’m going to see you in,” Avery looked at her watch, “fifteen hours or so.”
“Right. And it’s fourteen hours and fifty-one minutes,” he corrected her.
Avery relaxed a little. Relieved that she wasn’t the only one who seemed to be struggling with the strange circumstances they’d found themselves in. How in the world could she have connected so quickly and so deeply with Cole after such a short amount of time?
But it was a stupid question. She knew how. They’d already had intense chemistry between them before she’d been deployed. They’d been eyeballing each other for months. And him saving her, then her saving him, then fleeing together with danger literally on their heels had cemented that connection. Saying goodbye to him, even if only for the night, was extremely difficult.
“You guys comin’?” Ace asked, holding the door open.
“Yeah,” Cole said, but didn’t take his gaze from Avery’s. Then he reached up and, using his index finger, traced a light line from one cheek, across her nose, to her other cheek. “I can’t get enough of your freckles,” he said softly.
Needing to lighten things up, Avery said, “It’s a good thing, since my entire body is covered with them.”
His eyes lit up with interest. “Yeah? Everywhere?”
Knowing she was blushing again, Avery nodded. “Yeah.”
“Fuck, sweetheart. You’re killin’ me.”
She chuckled. “Now you know how I feel wondering about those tattoos on your arm…and if you’ve got any others hidden under your uniform.”
He smiled. “Guess we’ve both got things we want to discover, huh?”
“Guess so,” she agreed, then pulled back and headed through the door.
The second she entered the large hangar, she heard her mom cry out her name in happiness and relief.
The sound of her mom’s voice was a balm to Avery’s soul. She rushed toward her mother and, when her arms went around her, neither woman could hold back their tears.
Rex hated seeing Avery cry, but knew she needed the emotional outlet. Seeing her and her mother together made everything they’d been through in the last few days more than worth it. The two women looked a lot alike. Avery was taller than her mom by a few inches, but they both had the same red hair and green eyes. Her dad hovered nearby, one hand on his wife’s back, and the other on his daughter’s shoulder. He had blond hair and was several inches taller than Avery.
Both her parents looked to be in their late fifties, but he knew from talking to Rocco that they were actually in their mid-sixties. It was obvious they’d suffered over the fate of their daughter, and he loved being able to witness their joyful reunion.
However, he couldn’t help but remember the look of panic on Avery’s face when she’d realized that their time together was coming to an end. He hated it. Hated it. He wanted nothing more than to bring her back to her apartment and set up camp there, making sure she was safe, that she ate what she needed to, and so he could watch over her while she got some sleep. But it wasn’t his right. Not yet.
Rocco took control of the scene and got Phantom on his way to the hospital, Gumby and Ace accompanying him. The plan was for Phantom to go back to Gumby’s beach house until he was fully recovered. They all hoped being by the beach would both encourage him to get better faster, and soothe him.
The bottom line was, they all suspected Phantom was a ticking time bomb—all it would take was one hint that Kalee Solberg was still alive in Timor-Leste for him to go off.
Rocco and Bubba then slipped off to head home to their women, and Avery was about to leave with her parents in their rental car. But she turned to Rex instead of the door. “Cole?”
He strode toward her immediately. He’d been trying to give her some space. To let her have her reunion with her parents without interference. “Yeah, Avery?”
“I didn’t introduce you to my mom and dad. Sorry. Mom, Dad, this is Cole Kingston. He’s one of the SEALs who rescued me, but you can’t go blabbing about that when you get back to Texas. Okay?”
“Of course not, dear,” Avery’s mom said, not taking her eyes from Cole. “It’s good to meet you,” she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Amy. And this is Bob.”
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Rex reassured her.
“Thank you,” Bob Nelson said quietly. “I can’t say it any plainer than that.”
“And there’s no need. Honestly, your daughter was already ninety percent of the way to saving herself when we showed up.”
“Don’t believe him,” Avery said with a shake of her head.
Rex and Avery’s eyes met, and he couldn’t look away from her. He could see all sorts of emotions in her eyes—relief at being back in California, desire, fear—and once again, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and lock them both behind his or her apartment door, away from everyone and everything.
“We’ll never be able to repay you,” Bob went on, and Rex forced himself to look at him. “When we heard Avery was taken captive, all sorts of horrible things went through our heads, but we tried to stay positive.”
“And when we got the call that she was safe, it was the best day of our lives,” Amy went on.
“How long are you planning on staying?” Rex asked.
Amy looked from him to Avery, then back to him. “We aren’t sure. Probably at least a week, but as long as Avery needs us,” she said vaguely.
“You guys are welcome to stay as long as you want,” Avery was quick to reassure them. “I’ve got the extra bedroom in my apartment.”
“Thanks, sweetie,” Amy said. “I’m assuming we’ll be seeing you later?” she asked Rex.
“Yes, Ma’am. Hopefully you will. I’m looking forward to getting to know you both better.” Rex knew he was probably pushing his luck, but from what he’d seen, he liked Avery’s parents, and if he was going to date her—and he really, really wanted that—he also wanted to get to know the people who’d raised her to be the amazing woman she was today.
Avery was blushing, but she managed a small smile for him. “I’ll see you in the morning?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer to that question.
“Absolutely. Eleven.”
“What’s going on tomorrow?” Bob asked.
“I’m going in to talk to the commander about what happened in Afghanistan,” Avery said quickly.
Rex was impressed once again. He wouldn’t have thought less of her for telling her parents what had happened, that she was the only one who would identify the traitor, but she was a naval officer through and through, and no doubt she’d follow OPSEC to the letter, telling her parents only what they needed to know.
“Well, we’ll see you then,” Amy said, smiling at Rex.
Bob gave him a small chin lift, then the three turned to head to the parking lot.
Rex stood in the doorway, watching the trio go, his eyes glued to Avery. As if she could sense him staring, she glanced back once, and the look of longing and insecurity in her eyes almost made him take off after her. Almost.
He stood his ground until the rental pulled out of the parking lot, then he forced his feet to move. He was exhausted and needed to get a few hours’ sleep. Avery would be fine. He’d see her tomorrow. He’d survived the first thirty-four years of his life without her, he could go another night.
Chapter Thirteen
It was eight o’clock in the morning and Rex sat around a large table in a conference room with the rest of his team and Commander North. Rear Admiral Creasy was also there. They’d already debriefed about the mission and were about to discuss the missing Kalee Solberg. They’d moved this meeting up, knowing how anxious Phantom was to discuss it.
Rocco leaned forward and dialed the phone, calling Tex to include him in this part of the meeting as well. As soon as the former Navy SEAL was connected, everyone turned to look at Phantom and their commander.
Phantom was sitting with his leg propped up on an extra chair next to him. He looked uncomfortable, and Rex knew he was probably hurting, but nothing and no one was going to keep him away from this meeting today. Afterward, Gumby was taking him straight back to his beach house so Sidney and their dog, Hannah, could keep their eye on him and make sure he didn’t overdo things.
Commander North leaned back and steepled his fingers under his chin. “Phantom, I hear you’ve remembered more about the mission in Timor-Leste, is that correct?”
“Yes, Sir,” Phantom said.
“Tell me exactly what you remembered, and why you think Miss Solberg could possibly be alive after all these months.”
Rex saw a muscle in Phantom’s jaw tick at the doubt in their commander’s voice, but he immediately began to recount what he’d remembered after he’d been shot.
When he was done, the room was silent for quite a while. Then Rear Admiral Creasy said, “You’ve told us why you believe Kalee was alive months ago while you were on the mission, but not why you think she might still be alive now. It’s been a very long time.” There wasn’t any censure in the man’s tone, and all the SEALs knew the question couldn’t be avoided.
Phantom sat up straighter in his chair and leaned forward, pinning his commanding officer and the rear admiral with his gaze. “I have no proof,” he said. “In fact, it’d be a fucking miracle if she was. But something in my gut is telling me that she survived. You didn’t see that orphanage, Sir. It was carnage. The children had been killed without mercy. It was much like I imagine the soldiers in World War II witnessed when they liberated the concentration camps in Europe, except there weren’t any survivors walking around.
“To have gone through whatever happened there, Kalee had to be strong. She would’ve done whatever she could to protect those children, I know that down to the marrow of my bones, especially after hearing Sinta and Kemala talk about the kind of person she was. If she lived through whatever happened before she was thrown in that pit—and I know for a fact she did—then there’s every chance she survived anything that’s happened since. She’s smart, we know that from talking to Piper and her dad. She’ll do whatever she has to do to survive.”
“It’s been months, Phantom,” the rear admiral said quietly.
“It has been. And you know as well as I do when the human spirit is strong, a person can withstand the harshest of abuse for months, years,” Phantom argued.
“So what do you want us to do?” their commander asked. “Even though things seem to have settled down on the island, there are still pockets of rebels causing havoc. You know I can’t authorize you to go to Timor-Leste just to poke around and see what you can find out about her.”
Rex hated this for his friend. Hated that they all couldn’t go back to the Asian island and look for the woman who Phantom couldn’t get out of his head.
“I know that, Sir,” Phantom said, and Rex knew he wasn’t just saying that. It was also clear he’d thought about this long and hard.
“I’d like to propose that Tex look into the situation. He’s got more connections than we could ever imagine. He’s already had his ear to the ground, but wasn’t sure what he was listening for. Now that we know Kalee could possibly be alive, he can narrow in on his fact finding. He knows the right questions to ask.”
“You have an awful lot of faith in me,” Tex said with some amusement on the other end of the phone line, but then he sobered. “It’s a long shot, you know that, Phantom, right? I want to believe as much as you do that she’s still alive, but it has been a long time. There’s no telling what happened to her. You know better than I do that the rebels aren’t known for their humanitarianism. They haven’t hesitated to kill entire families without remorse. I’ve heard stories of them holding babies hostage to ensure women they’ve captured do whatever is asked of them…and you know what that is without me having to say it. If Kalee has survived all this time, what condition do you think she’s in?”
“So you think that’s a reason to leave her there?” Phantom asked heatedly.
“No,” Tex said immediately. “I’m just trying to make sure you know that if she is alive, and if you’re able to find her, she’s not going to be the Kalee everyone used to know. Anything her father has told us about her will be null and void. The smiling pictures you’ve seen will seem like they’re of a different person. You might rescue her…but she probably won’t thank you for it.”
“I’m willing to take that chance,” Phantom said stubbornly.
“Why?” Commander North asked. “To assuage the guilt you feel about not completing the mission in the first place?”
Rex saw Phantom take a deep breath before saying, “Because I’ve been in her shoes. Not exactly, but figuratively. I needed rescuing, and no one stepped forward to help me even though they knew something was wrong. I can’t leave this alone, Sir,” Phantom told his commanding officer. “She’s out there. I know it. And she needs to be found.”
