Page 24 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
Then I turn away, the ghost of her weight still warming my shoulder, and settle into my spot for the night. But sleep doesn’t come easily. Not with the memory of her soft breath against my neck still echoing in the quiet.
11
AVA
Randy’s face fills my vision, his expression cold and cruel, the familiar smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. My heart pounds erratically, panic gripping me, squeezing every ounce of breath from my lungs. He looks exactly as he did on our wedding day, with the sharp angles of his jaw, the slicked-back hair, even the perfectly tailored suit that whispers expensive arrogance. I stumble back, but the ground feels uneven beneath my feet, and I can't seem to escape.
“You thought you could run, Ava?” His voice slides over me, icy and dangerous. “Did you really think I’d let you take my son?”
He advances, each step calculated and menacing, closing the distance effortlessly. I clutch Eli against my chest, shielding him from the monster that is his father.
“You’re never getting away from me,” Randy growls, reaching out to grab my arm. His fingers dig in painfully, and my stomach twists with fear. “I’m taking Eli, and this time you won’t be around to stop me.”
“No,” I try to scream, but the word is stuck, lodged somewhere in my throat, unable to break free. “Please, Randy, don’t do this?—”
I jerk awake, my body lurching forward with a gasp as I blink rapidly into the darkness. My pulse races violently, chest rising and falling in ragged breaths, my shirt damp with sweat. The room is unfamiliar at first, shadows dancing across the walls, but my brain catches up. The motel room. We’re safe here, for now.
My eyes land on Eli sleeping soundly next to me, with his small chest rising and falling. He's blissfully unaware that his mother feels like she's losing her fucking mind.
I exhale shakily, reaching out to smooth his hair back, feeling the soft strands beneath my fingertips. Grounding myself, I try to reassure my shaky mind. Eli’s safe. Randy isn’t here. Randy can’t reach us.
Slowly, my breathing begins to even out, and the nightmare fades out. As my heartbeat slows, details from last night flood back to me. I remember the long drive, the cautious conversations, the way Jax kept Eli entertained, how Cole silently watched over us, and Liam’s gruff instructions. My cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment as I recall falling asleep leaning against Jax’s shoulder on the floor. Did he carry me back to bed? The idea makes my stomach twist uncomfortably.
It’s more than embarrassment. It’s disorientation. I haven’t let myself fall asleep beside someone in years, let alone rest against a man without flinching. And yet… I did. My body didn’t react like it usually does around men. No panic. No icy grip of fear. Just exhaustion, safety, and maybe something I don’t have a name for yet.
That unsettles me more than anything. I’ve trained myself to read danger in every man’s face, every step, every touch. But Jax didn’t set off alarms. Neither did Cole. And Liam... for all his rough edges, he hasn’t given me a single reason not to feel safe. Still, safe doesn’t mean soft. It doesn’t mean I’m ready. Just because they’ve shown small acts of kindness toward Eli doesn’t mean I know them, much less trust them fully. My mind warns me sharply not to confuse temporary protection with actual safety or trustworthiness. Two days of travel, spent half-sleeping or on edge, isn’t nearly enough time to know who these men really are.
But Eli’s response to them does unsettle me.
He’s never had the chance to connect with anyone but me, and the change in him already is a bit disconcerting. His joy in their presence tugs at something inside me. God, I want so badly for him to have someone else he can lean on. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to lower my guard. Not all the way at least.
I can’t afford that luxury just yet.
I shift beneath the covers, uncomfortable with the path my thoughts are taking. It doesn’t help that it’s been years since I’ve even been near a man who wasn’t a direct threat, either. Physical proximity and basic decency shouldn’t be enough to make me feel so confused or self-conscious. But it does. Fuck, it does. I’m just a girl! Who wouldn’t be tempted and confused by three hot-as-sin men? Still, the warmth that pools low in my belly sometimes when they get too close feels like betrayal—betrayal of common sense, betrayal of my honed survival instincts.
Still, attraction means nothing. Besides, this attraction is definitely just confusion, right? Just a bodily reaction to outside stimuli. It’s exhaustion and desperation tangled together,tricking me into seeing things that aren’t there. Liam, Cole, and Jax might be protecting us right now, but that’s their job. Letting my guard down because they’re doing what Morales hired them for is a dangerous mistake I refuse to make. I’m going to be shit out of luck if I develop a silly crush on any of them.
If I’m being honest with myself… I’ve thought about it. About them. Not in some sweeping, romantic way, not like I’m imagining a future or falling for anyone. But during the long hours in the car, when the world outside blurs and there’s nothing to do but think, the questions sneak in. What would it feel like to be touched gently by someone who doesn’t want to hurt me? What would it mean to trust a man enough to want him? To let him close without flinching? And worse, why do I find myself wondering what it might be like, with one of them? Jax, with that reckless charm and warm eyes. Cole, all steady silence and quiet strength. Even Liam, with his blunt, watchful calm. It’s too soon, too dangerous, and still… the thoughts are there. I hate that they’re there.
I groan, pressing my face into the pillow, frustrated and embarrassed that my mind would even entertain such thoughts. Right now, my only priority is getting Eli somewhere safe, somewhere far from Randy’s reach. Attraction or trust—neither can be part of the equation. Not when our lives still depend on keeping everyone at arm’s length.
I burrow deeper beneath the thin motel blankets, pulling Eli closer against me, relishing his sleepy warmth. Just a few moments longer here, safely hidden away from the reality that waits outside this bed. In this small cocoon, I can pretend just a bit longer that everything is okay, that Randy isn’t hunting us, that my guarded heart isn’t inching closer and closer to three men I barely know.
I close my eyes, listening to the gentle rhythm of Eli’s breathing, allowing the comforting sound to anchor me. I know I have to get up soon, face whatever today brings. But right now, wrapped in blankets and holding my son close, I let myself have this brief moment of peace.
Finally, after a deep, steadying breath, I decide to push the covers back, ready to confront whatever the world has in store for me next. Slowly, I peel the covers back from my face, squinting as the morning sunlight streams relentlessly through the cheap curtains, casting stripes of golden warmth across the otherwise drab motel room. The brightness stings my eyes, making me blink rapidly until my vision finally adjusts.
For a moment, I simply lie there, taking quiet stock of my surroundings. Eli sleeps soundly beside me, his soft, even breathing a comforting rhythm against my side. Across the room, Jax is sprawled awkwardly across the couch, one arm flung over his head, legs dangling off the edge in a position that has to be uncomfortable. His dark hair is tousled messily across his forehead, and he looks oddly peaceful despite the cramped space. Liam occupies the armchair, his tall frame folded somehow into a compact position, head tilted back, expression uncharacteristically relaxed in sleep.
Then my gaze settles on Cole. Unlike the others, he’s already awake, perched casually but somewhat precariously on the long rectangular AC unit beneath the window, knees drawn up and back pressed against the wall. In his large hands is a small, well-worn paperback book, its corners frayed and pages yellowed with age. He’s so absorbed in his reading that for a moment, he doesn’t notice me watching him.
I take the chance to study him quietly. There’s something deeply comforting about Cole’s steady, quiet presence. While Liamcommands attention and Jax charms his way through every interaction, Cole simply exists, solid and reassuring. Even now, the peaceful concentration on his face relaxes something inside of me that’s perpetually wound tight.
But then, almost as if sensing my gaze, Cole looks up suddenly. His deep brown eyes immediately find mine, and a faint, gentle smile curves at the corners of his mouth.
“Morning,” he says, his deep voice pitched low to avoid waking the others.
“Morning,” I whisper back, pushing myself up into a sitting position, careful not to disturb Eli’s peaceful slumber. I run a hand through my tangled hair self-consciously, keenly aware of my disheveled appearance. “What time is it?”
