Page 25 of Shielding Soledad

When I spoke to her about this, when I explained about Bruce and the threat, I was going to have to face her anger and be convincing at the same time. Convincing enough to get her to leave town for a while. That was going to be a challenge. She wasn’t the type to run and hide.

“I need to get them out of danger,” I said. “Somewhere out of town.”

“That would be best. Does she have someplace to go? Family?” Chance asked.

“She has an aunt and cousin just outside Philly.” I had never met them, but I’d seen Soledad FaceTime with them and exchange messages. As far as I knew, they were the only family she had.

“That’ll work, if she’ll go,” Colin said.

“She will.” I’d make it clear that she had no choice: there was no other way to guarantee Luke’s safety. I knew Soledad well enough to know she’d do anything for our son. Would she do the same for me? I wondered. Over the past weeks, I’d thought so. The connection between us had grown stronger, stronger than it had ever been. I’d begun to think we could make it work—I’d let myself hope that, despite my lousy excuses for parents, Soledad and I could parent Luke with love and responsibility.

We didn’t have to be in a relationship for that to happen, but it would help. And I found that I wanted it. I wanted the closeness, the easy intimacy and companionship…the love she’d so freely offered. Considering how angry she was going to be now, I was sure those things would be denied to me. I should have known better from the beginning, since nothing in my life had come easily. Nothing had come without its share of disappointments and regrets.

She’d be yet another one after I revealed the situation with Bruce.

“All right. How do we draw Bruce out so we can end this?” Chance asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

“We pressure him,” Colin explained. “We make it look like Alex is leaving on a mission soon, so he’s forced to take action. If you returned to a base, he wouldn’t be able to get at you. He’ll know that.”

“That could work,” I agreed. It wouldn’t take much to give the appearance of leaving…but for it to work, Soledad would have to believe it, too. I hated doing that to her, hated forcing her and Luke away, but it was the only thing I could do.

12

SOLEDAD

Ipaced restlessly from window to window at Lily and Colin’s house. It didn’t take a genius to know that something was terribly wrong. Tragically wrong, based on Alex’s reaction to a little package on the doorstep. Why had that flipped him out? Why had he sent me and Luke away?

“Colin called,” Lily said, coming in from the kitchen. “They’re on their way here.”

“Thanks.” I appreciated the warm welcome Lily had given me, but I suspected that Colin’s wife knew something of what was going on, while I was completely in the dark. I’d tried asking questions, but they were gently rebuffed and deflected with the assertion that Alex needed to explain everything himself. Instead, Lily told me the story of why the house was so well fortified.

Lily’s tale had angered me. Lily was kind and beautiful, and some creep had tried to take advantage of that. I gathered it hadn’t ended well for the bad guys, but the house remained on lockdown. I supposed I was lucky to be there, where it was safe, but questions pounded in my mind.

What kind of threat had Alex so worried? Where had it originated? Had it been hanging over our heads since Alex returned from his last mission? What about Luke? How could he have let our child be in danger?

I stopped stalking around when Colin’s truck pulled in the driveway. I went to the front door, ready to yank it open and demand answers, but stopped myself. If Alex and I were going to have a fight, I didn’t want an audience, no matter how nice and helpful Colin and Lily had been.

I took two steps back, folded my arms across my chest, and faced the door when it opened. Alex came in and gave me a silent nod. His face was unreadable.

“We’re going to clear out for a while so you two can talk,” Lily said, her hand on her husband’s arm. “I just checked on Luke. He’s asleep in the nursery upstairs,” she added for Alex’s benefit.

“Call if you need anything,” Colin said before picking up his daughter and ushering his family out the door. “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“Well, that wasn’t awkward at all,” I observed. “Did you ask them to go?”

“No,” Alex said, stepping closer, “but I’m glad for some privacy.”

What did that mean? What was his explanation for forcing me out of the house today? Just how bad was the situation?

“Tell me,” I demanded. “Tell me now, Alex. Or so help me…”

Alex scrubbed a hand over his face and blew out a breath. “I made an enemy on my last mission, a fellow SEAL. I reported him for misconduct.”

“I thought you all were the good guys.” My image of the SEALs was that they were squeaky-clean, upstanding types like Alex and his family.

“Most of us are, most of the time,” Alex said, sounding like he wanted to defend his buddies, “but Bruce is a bad apple. Here’s what happened.”

I listened in disbelief while Alex told me about Bruce and his drug dealing, his reprimand, the threats against us, and finally the package left on our doorstep that day. When Alex finished, he looked at me, apparently waiting for my reaction, but I could say nothing as my mind worked to process all he’d told me and the ramifications. This was far worse than anything I’d imagined. From what Alex explained, a highly trained SEAL was set on revenge against Alex—and perhaps me and Luke as well.

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