Someone Like Her (22 page)

Who was she kidding? There was no way she could leave. The situation room was the closest to Jake she could get. She would will him to stay safe. Logan had ordered her not to say a word, that if she even muttered something under her breath he would physically pick her up and deposit her outside the conference room door, locking it behind him.

Saint winked at her, a silent reassurance that all would be well. She smiled back and felt her lips trembling. Jake would be okay. He would. This kind of operation was a piece of cake for him.

Yet, so many things had already gone wrong. The weapons the team got belonged at the city dump, they’d lost their in-country contact, and had been forced to move to a different safe house. Maybe it was true that bad luck came in threes and now the operation would get back on track. Maria said a little prayer it was so.

“You in place, Elaine?”

It was starting. Maria’s heart went into overdrive at the sound of Jake’s voice coming through the speakers.

“Eyes on the back door,” Stewart said. “All’s quiet back here. No Tangos in sight. Headed your way now.”

“Good. Tennessee, ready to rock and roll?”

God, she loved how Jake’s voice sounded so sure and confident.

The silence stretched as everyone in the room waited for Rick Bayne to answer Jake. They were supposed to have a video feed but for some reason, it wasn’t coming through. She had mixed feelings about that, half wanting to see Jake, half fearing what she might see if things went wrong.

Finally. “Ah . . . yes, sir. I’m right behind you, Buchanan . . . Tiger.”

They weren’t supposed to use real names—a slipup Bayne should never have made—and Logan’s lips thinned. Was he concerned about Bayne? Rick was supposed to have Jake’s back. Maria tried to catch her brother’s eye, but he wouldn’t look at her, which worried her all the more. Logan knew something she didn’t, something he didn’t like.

Her pulse pounding a kazillion beats a minute, she moved to the edge of her chair. It was three in the morning in Egypt, and hopefully all the bad guys guarding Sinclair were asleep. As planned, Jake and his team were going for the kid two days earlier than he expected.

“Show time,” Jake said.

Maria closed her eyes and imagined him creeping up to the front window. They would go in through the lower floor’s window instead of trying to get through a locked door. Once inside, Jake, with Rick and Brad covering his back, would find Chad Sinclair and get him out of the house without anyone ever knowing they were there. That was the plan anyway, and she crossed the fingers on both hands.

The radio went silent, the only sound in the room the tick, tick, tick of the clock on the wall. She glanced at it and watched the second hand bump its way past the numbers—a minute, two, and on to three. Unable to take her eyes from it, by the time it hit five minutes, her stomach churned and she feared she might throw up.

“We’re in.”

Jake’s whispered voice startled her so badly she squeaked, getting a glare from Logan. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for all this cloak-and-dagger stuff and should wait outside. Although, in the past, she’d sat in and watched or listened to live operations, and it had never unnerved her like this.

God, she was so worried about Jake and wanted this to be over and done with. Quiet descended again, but then she realized this time there was the sound of heavy breathing. Logan tilted his head as if listening closely and frowned, which didn’t help Maria’s nerves.

Because they had a diagram of the house, she was able to close her eyes and imagine Jake and the guys searching the ground floor, night-vision goggles turning the scene a watery green. All was still quiet, so that meant there were no bad guys waiting to ambush them. Now, they would be creeping up the stairs, cautiously placing their feet to avoid making creaking noises.

Still, the only sound was one of the men’s heavy breathing. She guessed it was Rick Bayne. The thought that one of them might be on the edge sent her worry up another notch.

The speakers crackled to life. “Tennessee, stay here and watch our backs.”

Jake’s whisper was so soft she had to strain to hear him. Maria thought they were at the top of the stairs and wondered if he was positioning Rick there to keep him from bungling the room search. Suddenly, the video sputtered on, and everyone in the conference room focused on the screen. It was too dark to see much, but Maria was still comforted that they were getting the feed. As long as that camera on Jake’s helmet stayed upright, he was safe.

A door was opened—she assumed by Jake—and because of the moonlight coming in a window, they could see that there were three beds occupied by sleeping men. Jake eased the door closed.

The screen went blank. Damn, they lost the feed. Maria went back to watching the clock, the ominous ticking hand sounding like something out of a Stephen King novel. Three long minutes passed before she heard Jake’s whispered voice again.

“We’re here to take you home. Don’t talk, okay?”

She imagined Jake’s hand over Chad Sinclair’s mouth followed by the kid’s nod. The man Maria took to be CIA let out a puff of air. Good to know she hadn’t been the only one about to come out of her skin. Although her brother appeared to be sleeping, she wasn’t fooled and knew just where to look to know how tense he was. A quick glance at his index finger tapping hard against his knee said it all.

The rustling of covers and the faint sound of bare feet hitting the floor sounded in the room. Realizing she was holding her breath, she exhaled. They had the kid and it should take them only a few minutes to get out of the house. As soon as Logan’s finger stilled, she’d rest easy.

“Mother fucking bastards!”

Oh, God, that sounded like Rick Bayne. The expletive was followed by the sounds of chaos as a voice yelled in a foreign language. Gunfire erupted, and Jake’s voice could be heard calmly issuing orders to his team. Her eyes glued to the clock, for three minutes—what felt like hours—a battle raged. Bodies could be heard hitting the floor and slowly the gunfire tapered off.

They were going to be okay. They were going to be okay. Please let them be okay.

And then she heard Jake’s voice. “Tennessee’s down! Get the kid out of here, Elaine.”

Silence, heavy and ominous, descended. Maria dragged in a ragged breath.
Say something, Jake. Please say something so I know you’re okay.
A gun shot exploded in the silence and, startled, Maria reared up from her chair.

“Easy,” Logan said and grabbed her hand, pulling her back down. He didn’t let go of her, and she held on to him for dear life.

Another shot sounded, followed by an
oomph
, from Jake. “I’m hit,” he said.

Oh, God.
Maria swallowed bile and closed her eyes, praying harder than she ever had in her life.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

T
hey’d gotten the kid home safe along with a handful of thumb drives the CIA man had just about drooled over. Somehow, they’d managed to get Rick Bayne’s body out of Egypt and home without causing an international incident. Maria figured the new Egyptian government probably wouldn’t have appreciated a clandestine operation by Americans carried out under their noses.

Today was Rick’s funeral and the first time she would see Jake since he’d returned three days ago. If he bothered to show up.

Logan hadn’t told her when the team was landing, and had taken Jamie with him to the airport to meet the midnight flight. They’d apparently gone back to K2 for a debriefing. All her brother would tell her was that Jake had been shot in his leg—a clean shot in and back out—and even so, he had carried Rick’s body out of the house. After giving his report, Jake had requested and been granted a leave of absence.

He’d not once tried to contact her.

“Give him time, Maria,” Logan had advised when Jake ignored her calls and text messages.

“I don’t understand what his problem is. Good God, he’s a hero.”

“Sometimes being a hero comes with a price. He lost a man on his watch and, believe me, he blames himself. The last thing he considers himself is a hero.”

She supposed Logan understood better than most, as Dani’s first husband had been killed on a mission to rescue a captured Air Force pilot. It had taken her brother years to come to terms with Evan’s death. Still, Jake didn’t have to be alone. She could help him if he’d only let her.

What if he never got over it?

The day before, she’d given up on waiting for her phone to ring and had gone to his condo. When he didn’t answer her knock, she’d turned to leave when a young woman came out of the condo next door and glanced over.

“He’s not there. Said he’d be away for a while.”

“Did he say where he was going?” The girl was very pretty, and Maria couldn’t help wondering if Jake had ever slept with her.

“Just said something about a vacation.”

He went on a freaking vacation? “Did he say when he’d be back?”

Earlobe-length, sleek blonde hair swirled around the girl’s head when she shook it. “Nope. I’m Sugar Darling, by the way. Just moved in a few weeks ago. Jake’s the only neighbor I’ve met so far. He’s a real cutie.”

Maria raised a brow.

Sugar rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, that’s my real name. I love my daddy, but I’ll never forgive him for laying that one on me. He thought since our last name was Darling, Sugar would be just the cutest thing evah to name me.”

Her grin was so full of mischief, Maria couldn’t help but like the girl. Even if she did think Jake was a cutie. “Okay, thanks.” She started to walk away, then turned. “Nice to meet you, Sugar, and your daddy’s right. That is the cutest name
evah
. You from South Carolina by any chance? Charleston, maybe?”

Sugar blinked big blue eyes. “Wow, you’re amazing. What gave me away?”

“Just a lucky guess. At least you weren’t loaded down with two names.” Maria’d had a roommate in college from Charleston, and Sugar sounded just like Emma Grace. “Count your blessings he didn’t name you Sugar Sweet.”

A throaty laugh sounded from the girl. “Oh, Lordie, don’tcha dare suggest that to my daddy.”

Maria took two steps before adding, “And by the way, my name’s Maria, and Jake belongs to me so don’t get any ideas where he’s concerned.”

“Dang, all the cute ones seem to belong to someone else.”

Maria turned and with her back to Sugar, she grinned. “At least, this one does,” she murmured. All she had to do was find him.

If he wasn’t at the funeral, she’d make Logan tell her where he was. She didn’t doubt her brother knew, and she’d make his life miserable until he gave up Jake’s location. Deep in her bones, she knew Jake needed her and one way or another, she’d run him to the ground. The poor man had no clue how determined she was.

Maria got to the chapel early and positioned herself in a far back corner. The glossy black coffin at the front drew her eyes. It was an open viewing and she dreaded the moment when she’d have to walk to the front and see Rick. He’d been the newest guy at K2, so she didn’t know him as well as the others, but she’d liked him.

Her heart hurt for the life lost and for Jake—the man who blamed himself for getting Rick killed. She blinked against the burning in her eyes and opened the small pamphlet that gave a brief biography of Rick, along with his picture.

There was so much about Rick missing from the pamplet, stuff that only a few people knew: that he’d given his life on foreign soil to rescue a misguided boy; that he’d put food out in the mornings for two feral cats living in the alley behind K2; and that he’d spent his off-hours volunteering at a boys’ club. Rick once asked her to go in and talk about college to a group of his brightest kids.

According to his biography, he had no brothers or sisters, and only his father still lived. She glanced to the front to see an older man—his head bowed—on the first pew next to Logan and Dani. She hoped he knew his son was a true hero in more ways than just the job he’d died for.

Her breath caught in her throat when Jake entered, so handsome and somber in a black suit. Her eyes riveted on him, she watched as he walked resolutely down the aisle, a slight limp the only indication he’d been shot in the leg. He stopped next to Rick’s father and leaned close, saying something in his ear. The man nodded and then hugged Jake.

When the man embraced him, Jake squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them, he looked straight at her. Frozen in place by his intense focus on her, she wanted to cry upon seeing the despair in his eyes. She smiled and fought against the trembling of her mouth. He broke the contact between them and slipped into the pew behind her brother and Mr. Bayne.

The air swished out of her lungs. She wanted to go to him, had planned to, but now she wasn’t sure if she should. There’d been no warmth for her in his eyes, no welcoming invitation. Logan had said to give him time, but what if he couldn’t get past Rick’s death and never came back? Not wanting to do the wrong thing, indecision gripped her.

“You should go to him.”

Maria leaned her head against Jamie’s shoulder. “You just get here? Have you talked to him?”

“Yes, just got here. And no, I haven’t talked to him since the debriefing. He won’t take my calls.”

“Yeah, mine either. He’s only talking to Logan, and my stupid brother won’t tell me anything. He just keeps saying to give Jake time. Do you really think I should go sit with him?”

“I do. He wants you with him even if he’s trying to convince himself he doesn’t deserve you.”

She peered up at Saint. “You think that’s what he’s doing?”

“I know it. Go on.”

Jamie put his hand on her back and gave her a little push. Maria tossed him a grateful smile over her shoulder and, with her heart banging against her chest, walked to the front of the chapel and slid into the pew next to Jake just as the minister approached the pulpit.

The man who held her heart and happiness in his hands stared straight ahead, his body stiff and unyielding. He might as well have hung a “Keep Off” sign around his neck. The salt from the tears welling up burned her eyes. She blinked hard and glanced at the casket. If she cried, at least everyone would think it was because of Rick, and it would be partly for that reason.

Her tears were also for the man sitting beside her. It was hard to understand, though. If she was hurting as badly as Jake was, the first person she’d turn to would be him. She’d want his comfort, his words of assurance that somehow things would get better and that he’d stand beside her in her time of need.

Yet, Logan had reacted the same way as Jake did—closing up and pushing her away—after Evan had been killed. So was it a man thing? Was their pride so great that if they weren’t perfect in every little thing, they blamed themselves for whatever went wrong? Of course, Rick getting killed wasn’t a little thing, and there had to be more to the story than she was privy to.

If Jake would only talk to her, tell her what happened, maybe she could find the right words to ease his pain. Even if she couldn’t, just getting it off his chest should help him some. They’d been friends before they became lovers and wasn’t one of the benefits of having a friend to be able to lean on them during difficult times? There was no doubt in her mind that if she was going through an emotional crisis, Jake would be there for her. Why wouldn’t he let her be there for him?

If Jamie was right and Jake didn’t think he deserved her after whatever had happened in Egypt, then that was just stupid. She made up her mind that if Jake wouldn’t let her in, she’d make Logan so miserable he’d tell her what happened just to get rid of her.

“Please stand for the Lord’s Prayer,” the preacher said.

“Our Father, who art in heaven.”

As Maria listened to those around her join in with the minister’s soothing voice, she slipped her hand into Jake’s. Expecting him to shake her off, she was surprised—and relieved—when he gripped her hand hard enough to hurt. She didn’t care because it meant he did need her, if only he’d admit it to himself.

All through the remainder of the service, he held on tightly to her hand. When the soloist began to sing “Go Rest High on That Mountain”
by Vince Gill, a shudder traveled through Jake, one she felt against her shoulder and in their held hands. Maria tightened her grip, bowed her head, and uselessly fought her tears.

“Wait for me,” she whispered when the last amen sounded and Jake stood to join Logan, Jamie, Brad Stewart, and two other K2 employees to bear the casket out.

He didn’t.

Nor did he show up for the burial at the cemetery. Nor did he appear at Logan’s where everyone gathered afterward.

“Where the hell is he, Logan? And if you say I just need to give him time, I swear, you’ll never be able to make another baby with Dani.” Three days had passed since the funeral, and Logan had steadfastly refused to tell her anything. Although she’d never thought herself a violent person, she was ready to beat the crap out of him to make him talk.

“Ah, I’d appreciate it if you’d reconsider that particular threat,” Dani said, amusement in her voice.

Maria stopped her pacing, giving her sister-in-law a sheepish shrug. “It was the best one I could think of. Make him tell me. I know you can wheedle it out of him if anyone can.”

Dani blinked her eyes seductively at her husband. “Tell her, sweetie.”

“He’s pitched a tent at St. George Island State Park. There, are you happy?”

Deliriously. She glared at her brother. “You mean all I had to do was blink my eyes at you to get you to spill?”

Logan snorted. “No, it only works when Dani does it.” He leaned his head back on the sofa and sighed. “Jake doesn’t want you to find him, but I think it’s time you did. Sit down and listen.”

Maria pushed his feet off the ottoman and plopped her butt on it. “I’ve been wanting to listen to you . . . or Jake, anybody that would talk to me since everything went all wrong. What happened in Egypt?”

Her brother exchanged a look with Dani, who nodded. That was what Maria wanted more than anything in the world, even more than passing the bar, which, until Jake, had always been number one on her list. The kind of silent exchange she watched pass between Logan and his wife—the kind that didn’t need words because they understood each other in a way no one else could. She wanted that with the man she loved and was prepared to fight for it with everything that defined her.