Page 84 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
My pulse roars loudly in my ears. Without fully thinking, I tap the notification to play the message Roger left behind. The recording crackles, a deep voice filling the room clearly.
“Liam, this is Roger,” the voice says coolly, irritation evident. “Just confirming the plan for Ava. You better not disappoint me, buddy. We don’t pay that kind of money for mistakes.”
My entire body freezes, blood turning ice-cold in my veins when I hear the familiar voice. Randy. My ex-husband. The monster I’ve spent years hiding from, the man Morales promised would never find us.
My stomach twists violently, a wave of dizziness surging through me. It’s him. There’s no doubt in my mind. Randy’s voice—cold, sharp, commanding—is etched permanently into my memory. Every cruel word, every threat, every scar left behind comes rushing back, overwhelming me completely.
I can’t breathe, can’t think clearly as realization sinks deeply into my bones. Liam, Cole, and Jax have betrayed me. All of them.The men I allowed into my heart and bed have sold Eli and me back to Randy, treating us like objects in a business transaction. My trust shatters, replaced by a fierce, cold panic.
My fingers tremble, dropping Liam’s phone to the bed as tears blur my vision. Emotions clamor for dominance. But beneath it all, one single instinct screams louder than any other:
Protect Eli.
I push shakily from the bed, grabbing clothes hastily, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs. I don’t know how I’ll do it or where we’ll go, but one thing is clear—I have to get Eli out of here before it’s too late.
As footsteps sound from the hallway, approaching the door, panic surges through me. I slip Liam’s phone back onto the bed, stepping swiftly away, my pulse racing.
I turn toward the door just as Liam pushes it open, stepping inside. His eyes meet mine, expression calm, concerned—so perfectly convincing that nausea twists again in my gut. This man, this liar, betrayed me for money.
“Hey,” Liam murmurs, stepping closer. “Everything okay?”
I force a shaky smile, masking the heartbreak screaming inside my chest. “Yeah. Just tired all of a sudden. I don’t know what happened, but I have the worst headache.”
They all make concerned sounds, and Liam steps even closer, reaching out to touch my cheek. It takes everything in me not to recoil from his touch.
“You’re probably dehydrated,” he flashes me a grin as if thinking about what I could be dehydrated from. That makes me even sicker to my stomach.
“Here, baby girl,” Jax says, passing me a cold water bottle and a banana.
“Why don’t you take that with you back to your room and get some rest with Eli?”
I smile, though it feels strained and hollow. “Okay, I think that might help.”
Jax places the cold water bottle into my hand, fingers brushing against mine in a gesture meant to comfort. But instead of warmth, nausea twists in my gut. I have to fight the urge to pull away. The ache of betrayal is making it hard to fucking breathe.
“Drink plenty of that,” Liam advises, stepping just a bit closer. “Dehydration can hit fast, especially after…”
He trails off, a faint, teasing smirk curving his lips. The implication is clear, but instead of amusement, a fresh wave of sickness washes through me.
I force a soft laugh. The sound feels hollow even to my own ears.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I reply, gripping the water bottle tighter. “I just need to rest, I think.”
Cole’s eyes linger on my face. He reaches out, brushing a loose strand of hair from my cheek. It takes everything in me not to flinch away.
“Get some sleep, Ava,” Cole says, his voice soothing, steady. “We’ll be right downstairs if you need anything.”
Carefully masking the bitterness that swells within me, I nod again.
“Thanks,” I manage, stepping away toward the doorway. “Goodnight.”
They each step forward to give me affectionate kisses, as they’ve now done countless times before. But this time, every brush of their lips against my skin makes me want to vomit. Each touch makes my heart break a little more.
“Sleep well, sweetheart,” Jax murmurs.
I simply nod, unable to speak without my voice breaking. Turning, I move swiftly down the hall toward my room, pushing the door shut behind me. I sink onto the edge of the bed beside Eli’s sleeping form, tears stinging behind my eyelids.
For a long hour, I remain still, listening closely to the quiet movements from downstairs, waiting until the cabin settles fully into silence. When I’m certain they’ve finally fallen asleep, I slip from the bed, heart pounding against my ribs.
