Page 35 of SEAL by Fate

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STORMY SNUGGLED UP on the corner of the couch with Lola sprawled out next to her. The lights were turned off and the fireplace cast a little bit of light in the room. She felt safer with the lights turned off.

Knowing that Gray was part of an elite team who specialized in hunting down bad men, she felt a bit safer that he was out searching. No wonder he carried himself like a warrior heading into battle. She had no doubt that if someone had been out there watching, whether her ex or someone else, Gray would find them.

She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knee. She’d only known Gray for such a short time and yet she felt like she’d known him much longer. He was the dictionary definition of strong and powerful, both physically and mentally. He had shown his concern in her well-being, and she’d like knowing he cared enough to watch her back. It could be dangerous relying on him when she had no clue what tomorrow would bring. She couldn’t become his obligation or responsibility.

Yet, he would protect her.

Staring into the flames of the fire, she rolled her tongue along her bottom lip. Her headache had finally vanished and she was thinking clearer, didn’t feel as vulnerable, and still she felt a connection with Gray. She guessed it was possible for two people to meet, under any circumstances, and feel a strong attraction. A part of her wanted to stay at the cabin forever, just she and Gray. But another part of her knew she had to find her sister. They needed to talk.

Her rational side warned her she was getting too close to a man—a stranger—who was only in her life temporarily. Who would drift away as quickly as the weather. However, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that they were bound by something unexplainable. Her sister would say, “Follow your heart. It’ll never lead you astray.” Maybe she had a point.

Gray was a real life 007.

Now she was being dramatic. He wore a badge, but he didn’t say he leaped from tall buildings or shimmied his way through perilous disasters. Yet, he had the brawn to do both. Did he jump through rings of fire to catch the enemy? And why did her heart skip several beats.

He had said he wasn’t dating or attached, but a man who looked like him could have any woman he wanted, and most went for modelesque types. Stormy, well, she worked at a floral shop. Worse, a floral shop that had just shut down.

Oh wow.

What would Duncan think if he’d known she’d been rescued by a Special Agent? One that looked amazing. That body alone made her feel like she was having a constant hot flash. He was protective—not surprising considering his career. He was kind. Very much so.

Stormy realized she should have listened to the medicine man she met in Bali while on a trip with Colette two years ago. He took one look at her hand and made the amazing prediction that she lacked a love life, then proceeded to tell her three things. She’d be pushed, no shoved, out of her comfort zone. That she’d face trouble. And three, she’d find her heart where she’d least expect it. She’d brushed off the Yoda-looking man, but now, maybe all his prophecies were coming true. Colette had warned her not to discount the predictions.

Of course, her sister had always lived life to its fullest—always the adventurous one. She believed in destiny. Stormy had never believed in fate and an aligning of the stars, but as of lately, maybe something had brought her and Gray together.

The core issue here, maybe it was high time she did something impulsive, outside of walking away from a church in her gown.

If she were available, she would want to follow her emotions and see where they led her.

I am available.

Her eyes widened and goosebumps swept up both her arms. There was no going back after leaving someone at the altar. The contrast of her thoughts of Gray and the uneasiness in her stomach could easily be chalked up to the swift pace of events over the last few days. Anyone would gravitate toward a pillar in a time of weakness.

Slowly getting up so not to disturb Lola, Stormy then wandered around the small space, finally taking a seat in the chair in front of the window. She pulled back the curtain just enough so she could see out. The snow had finally stopped. The white was beautiful against the backdrop of the grayish-purple sky. She imagined it would be a good day to be snuggled in bed in front of a fire with a lover. An immediate vision of Gray came to mind, both naked, lying between the sheets. Instead, he was outside, in the cold, searching for…who really knew. She wished he’d come back soon.

Stormy wished she could reach in and wipe away all thoughts that would lead her down a dangerous path. When the weather lifted, she would go her own way. Her body shook, whether from the cold or the thought that she would never see Gray again. Also, she would have to find a place to live. And a job. She blew out a long breath.

*

Dusk was settling on the mountain as Gray moved the snowshoes through the snow. His knee didn’t feel any better, but the throbbing had stopped and now he had a dull ache. Because he didn’t have proper snow gear, he didn’t get far, but he’d made a half mile radius loop around the perimeter of the cabin and the only footprints he saw were those earlier that led to the tracks of a snowmobile.

He was still at battle with trying to find Phantom while protecting Stormy. Both of equal importance. An image of bloody bodies lying on the concrete in front of the church made his gut tighten. That was the motivator in catching the bastard. Gray would get him. Soon.

Coming to a large boulder, he decided to sit for a moment and rest his knee. He immediately smelled the scent of engine oil in the air. He looked around, seeing nothing and hearing nothing but silence.

But the quiet didn’t last long.

There was the low rumble of a snowmobile’s engine. Not just one, but two. Gray jumped up and ran down the hill, taking cover at the edge of the woods which wouldn’t last long considering he’d left a trail of tracks that a blind person could find. At least this gave him enough time to see who was on the snowmobiles.

The vehicles popped over the hill at a high rate of speed, then slowed and one rider circled the boulder twice. He recognized one as Dory Shewalter. The other rider pointed at Gray’s tracks left in the snow. They were on to him and headed his direction.

Gray stayed low as he stepped into the thick of the woods, then turned and retraced his tracks. Tossing his snow boots into nearby foliage, he stared up into an ancient oak and shimmied up it easily. By the time he made it high enough to be hidden, he was soaked and his fingers were numb. In the distance he watched the riders, both dressed in black and wearing helmets, vacate their vehicles. Gray could hear the soft crunching of their boots on the snow as they approached the wooded area which gave him an idea of how much the second rider weighed. One ninety, maybe two hundred, and he favored his right leg. Gray’s breath hitched. Phantom would favor his right leg because he’d been shot.

He could see the other rider and it was definitely Dory. She had the same frame and every other step she took, she stepped upon her toes.

Gray could take the man, no doubt, but the odds turned when he pulled a gun from his jacket. He looked unsteady, even awkward, holding the weapon and Gray accessed the situation.

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