SEAL Team Seven Tyler: Book 4 (8 page)

***

We raced back to the compound and I rushed out the truck and up the steps to my house. With my mind a little clearer I felt like the biggest asshole for leaving her at a time like this. What if she’d needed me while I was off seeking vengeance?

Are you sure she needed you; that she even wanted…? Fuck that, she’s mine. I cut that train of thought off before it even had a chance. I was in no mood for looking back.

Everything seemed too still when I entered the house and I started imagining all kinds of shit that could’ve gone wrong when I left them here alone. Fuck Ty! Then I felt them and my body relaxed a little.

She was still there safe, with Dani and Gaby looking after her. Nessa was still hanging back with the baby but she was now in my living room. I think I’d heard Cord on the phone on the way here ordering Davie and Susie to get to the compound.

They were probably at Cord’s place by now where he pretty much kept them on lock. When shit like this happens it was best to have everyone where we could keep an eye on them. I still didn’t know why, so we weren’t taking any chances.

Still, now that I’d had time to think the only thing that made sense was the shit that we were caught in the middle of. The kind of beating she’d sustained was more than a man angry at not getting what he wanted.

Even the thought of him attempting to rape her made my blood boil under my skin, but now that the dust had settled somewhat, it seemed more like a systematic kind of punishment. The kind you give to someone you needed to get information from.

The fact that she wouldn’t even have known what he was after if this was true, only made me feel worse. No one outside the ‘family’ knew what was going on there. She’d been kept in the dark because of me. Something else I’d fucked up.

I stood in the doorway and looked at her, like really looked for the first time that day. Dani had done a good job cleaning her up and she seemed to be resting peacefully now. I hope that she knew I was here and that she was safe now. But as long as I live I will regret that she had suffered this. It will forever be a black stain on my soul.

Con had asked which of them had brought me back from the brink. I now ask myself how was it possible to feel so much so soon? In the twinkling of an eye! I’d laughed at my brothers as they fell ass over heels for their women.

Even Zak, back when we were in the desert and he got a whiff of Vanessa’s scent and lost his damn mind. I’d seen it with Con and Lo and then Zak again in the last few days.

We’re not gonna talk about Cord and his shit, but even there too, from the first moment he clapped eyes on little Susie, each of them just seemed to know. ‘You did too Ty, it just took you longer.’ Yeah maybe!

How was it that standing here right now, all the arguments, all the reasons, meant nothing? I felt my heart open just a little bit more and let her in. I must’ve made a sound because the girls turned in unison and looked at me.

Tyler

The two of them were surrounding her little form on the bed as she slept. “Thanks sis.” I kissed each of them on the forehead before dropping my gear on the chair. “I’ll watch over her now, your men are out there and thanks for snitching.”

They both looked guilty as hell though there was no real heat in my voice. I couldn’t be too mad at them. If it had been one of my brothers I probably would’ve stopped him from making that move too.

The difference between my brothers and I, and the thing I was sure at least Con and Lo would be on the lookout for, is I won’t stop. I might be cool now, but past experience have taught me that it won’t take much to set me off again.

They both kissed my cheek before filing out to go to their men. I’m sure they were exhausted and probably a little scared that this could happen to someone they knew.

I pulled the chair up close to the bed so that I could hold her hand as I watched over her. Tiny as fuck, that’s what I saw. She was small and defenseless and she needed me.

I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand where I could feel the bones, so fragile and as I sat there another little piece of my heart fell into her hands. So easy so simple!

I watched her chest rise and fall with her every breath as I relived every encounter we’d ever had. It was then I realized what it was that she always brought to me. That ray of hope that followed her everywhere; that feeling of completeness like the sun coming from behind a grey cloud.

With her eyes closed and her body bruised that light was dimmed a little, but all I had to do was close my eyes and it was there. How had I missed it? How had I let it go for so long? “I’m sorry.” The words were a croak, and felt like too little too late. “Forgive me baby.”

I closed my eyes to drown out the pain, to accept that this had been done to her. I think it was only now sinking in and I fought my way out of the dark rage that threatened once more to claim me. Instead I tried to recall her at happier times.

All I could see were her laughing eyes, those sweet dimples in her cheeks and that sassy way she has of tossing her hair. She was dark where her new sisters were fair. She had more of a Mediterranean thing going with the wild black curls that went every which way and the green eyes.

She’d been trying hard to get my attention for quite some time; from the first time we’d met when Dani and Con had dragged us all off for a night out I think. I’d seen her then too, felt the pull and knocked it back.

I’ve been pretty good at keeping her at arm’s length. Telling myself that it was for her own good. Even though she made my dick hard as fuck, or maybe because of it, I’d made it a point to avoid her ass.

This one had marriage written all over her, I saw it in her about the second or third time we were in the same room together. Scared the fuck outta me.

With the way things had happened so fast with Logan and Con, I wasn’t sure I was willing to risk it. My dick wanted her yes, but my heart was off limits. At least that’s the way I thought it should be.

It was okay for the others to fall headfirst into love and happily ever after. I liked seeing it, liked it for them. Vanessa and Zak had pretty much fallen for each other the same way too, quick, fast, love at first sight.

And now it looked like Cord had bitten the bullet, if the way he was mooning after Susie these days was any indication. I just never thought to have what each of them seemed headed for, always knew that that way laid danger for me.

There were nights after being around her that I’d given serious thought to just fucking her and getting it over with, just keep it moving the way I did with everyone else in the past.

I would’ve taken her to my bed a long time ago if I thought that shit would work. But from the very beginning I knew that she wasn’t like that, knew that if I went there she would sink her hooks into me and not let go.

I wanted that shit so fucking bad some nights I broke out in a cold sweat, fighting not to go to her. But in the cold light of day, reality intervened and I knew I had to look the other way.

Now I might’ve caused her who knows what kind of damage. Why had he chosen her to fuck with? As if I didn’t know. Just one look at the ripe young beauty was answer enough as to why that greasy fuck had attacked her the way he had. He might’ve been after answers yes, but my gut told me there was something more.

Her hand twitched in mine and she made a sound of distress in her sleep as if she felt my level of stress. I calmed my breathing and let shit go for now. Wasn’t shit I could do now anyway, not with the guys on high alert.

“Hey Vicki, you’re safe baby, nothing’s going to hurt you here.” I kept my voice nice and low with hardly any intonation. She settled but didn’t waken, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I had time to think, too much time. My brothers were going to be on my ass like white on rice for the rest of the day to make sure that I didn’t pop my leash and go after this prick, but they knew that eventually I would find a way. Of that I was sure.

I needed her to wake up and be with it enough to tell me the why and how of the situation, that way I would be sure that I only had one enemy to go after. I needed to know what had been done to her so I could help her heal.

In retrospect the boys were right. If I had gone in hot I might’ve done more harm than good. A man snatches a woman and inflict that on her, he was in to some serious shit. He had to be convinced that he could get away with it. I needed to find out why he thought that.

***

She slept the whole day away and I was afraid to leave her, which meant I got nothing done. It was a testament to my growing feelings for her that I was able to sit still when I really wanted to be moving.

I couldn’t risk taking my eyes off of her and it was beginning to bother me that she hadn’t moved in a while. Her body needed the rest after the trauma it had been through, but I didn’t want her to slip into a coma or some shit from taking too many hits to the head.

So I sat there as the day drifted away, with her hand held tight in mine. Every once in a while she’d sigh or make a sound in her sleep, but she wasn’t scared, this wasn’t chasing her in her dreams thank fuck.

I found that I felt at peace for the first time in well…forever I guess. Being with my brothers, as much as we loved and shared with each other, there was never a time when I felt what I was feeling right now.

I had felt it with the baby too, like some kind of calming effect on the senses. Sitting there with her, I didn’t feel the need to go hunting, not as strong as before anyway. The more time I sat, the more I thought and the more I plotted. But that fiery urge was no longer there.

Yeah, maybe this was better after all. This way I can take my time and destroy his ass. I looked at her face, not that I needed to remember the pain written there, she’d been hurt, that was enough for him to die, end of story.

She whimpered in her sleep a little while later and a quick look showed tears running from beneath her lashes. I think I groaned in my soul seeing that, and just that quickly the anger was back.

I crooned to her softly until she settled again, but there was nothing to keep my anger at bay this time. In fact it seemed to burn hotter, it had had time to become inflamed.

Had he touched her? I don’t think I’m the type of man to live with his woman being violated. The fucking thought made my fingers twitch.

I was back to needing action. I had no doubt my brothers were already on it, but I needed to be in the thick of it. I had already accepted that this was mine, my responsibility my kill.

Sitting here next to her bed, with new tear tracks on her face, the anger only festered and grew. I willed her to come awake and talk to me, to let me see that she was okay.

When she got restless again and refused to settle I climbed into bed with her and held her in my arms. I must’ve dozed off myself, which was a minor miracle, but the next thing I knew I was being awakened by movement in the room.

I cracked one eye open to see Dani coming into the room just then to check on her, and I didn’t miss that smarmy smile on her face. The one females wear when they think some shit is cute.

I had pulled Vicki over me to lie on my chest when she’d grown too restless and fussy in her sleep and that’s what Dani saw when she came in.

I had my arms wrapped protectively around her one on her ass one on the back of her head, and my legs were wrapped around hers holding her safe and secure against me while she slept. I guess it was pretty telling.

Leave it to my sisters to find some shit in this mess to like. I’m pretty sure the three of them were already hearing wedding bells and shit.

“She’s been asleep all this time?”

“Yeah don’t wake her.” I held her tighter and ran my hand soothingly up and down her back when she stirred. Dani held her arms up in surrender and backed out of the room. Smartass.

I could hear her giving the others a progress report in the other room, right before my brothers trooped into the room one after the other. I made sure she was completely covered even as they snickered and elbowed each other like middle-schoolers.

“What have you found out?” I looked from one to the other of them because I was sure they had been hard at work.

“It’ll keep, how is she?”

“Logan, don’t screw around, what the hell do you have? I know you have something. And just in case any of you were thinking of handling this shit, don’t. This is mine to do.” I tried to keep my voice down so as not to disturb her, but there was no mistaking the venom in my tone.

“Yeah, uh, about that. We were talking and uh, we don’t think the town is quite ready for that scenario, so we’ll take point.” He had to know that shit wasn’t gonna fly but whatever. I knew from the way they were all holding their breath that they were expecting an explosion.

“I’m not about to scare her by getting loud, but what the fuck? No one goes after him but me. Don’t even think about making an end-run around me on this one, that fat fuck is mine.”

“Ty, you know that’s not a good idea.”

“Con how is this any different from you going after Dani’s asshole ex?”

“So you’re admitting that she’s yours?”

Fuck! “What I’m saying is that she’s my responsibility now. Anyone touches him their ass is mine no joke.”

“Ty, we can’t have you going rogue here they’d call out the National Guard for fuck sake. Let us go take care of this hump for you.”

“No, I’ll shoot the first one who goes after him.” They spent the next half an hour trying to talk me down but no dice. They hadn’t seen her in that room, tied up and beaten to shit. No way was I letting anyone else take him out.

On another note, it was funny as hell to watch them trying to keep their voices down and their shit contained while trying to browbeat me into doing something that I was pretty sure they knew wasn’t gonna fly before they even came up with the shit.

I pretty much stayed out of it. My mind had already been made up. They had their reasons for wanting to keep me out of it, and I had mine for wanting to, no having do it.

She finally started making waking noises an hour later and I sent everyone away. She came awake groggy, disoriented and in pain. “Ssh, you’re safe baby, take it easy.” She looked around the room like a wounded bird, her one eye swollen shut while the other was black and blue and barely open.

“You hungry, can you eat something for me?” She shook her head and tried burying her face in my chest, but not before I saw the tears that had formed in her eyes.

I wanted to hit something, and it was only because I knew they would be watching me like a hawk for just this that I kept it together. I soothed her the best I could with a hand up and down her back and soft whispers in her ear.

I’d heard their arguments even though I’d stayed out of it. They were right; I knew they were. We had to lay low, couldn’t call too much attention to ourselves because of the lives we led before coming here.

Although what we did in the service was supposed to be kept secret, there were no guarantees. The way shit had been going in the last coupla years, it was hard to know whom to trust. Some information was worth more than gold.

There were quite a few people who would pay good money to know our whereabouts. If I go off half-cocked it was bound to draw attention, especially if I went up against this guy who supposedly had so many connections, and was a big name in the business arena besides.

We still had the shit that has been taking up all our free time to deal with. There was no forgetting that we’d just basically robbed someone of millions of dollars, granted the money had been stolen and Dani’s family charity had been used to launder it.

But those assholes were gonna be after us for their funds and had already started coming after us. Not to mention the family of high distinction that we now knew was part of this trafficking shit which we now suspected had gotten the commander killed. What a cluster fuck.

What had happened today only added to the pile. There was no room for fuck ups. We were gonna have to be on our game if we were gonna come out on top of all this shit that had been thrown at us. Peace and quiet my ass!