Page 89 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
The door swings inward fully, and my breath catches in my throat as Liam, Cole, and Jax step inside, their gazes steady, searching mine. Eli launches himself toward them immediately, small arms wrapping around their legs.
“Daddies!” Eli’s voice fills with gentle excitement, innocent and bright. He beams brightly up at them, eyes shining. “Mommy said you’d come soon. I’m glad she wasn’t lying.”
Jax’s eyebrow lifts, his gaze flicking toward mine. A gentle, teasing smirk curves his lips. “You told him his daddies were coming, huh?”
My face flushes deeply, my breath hitching as embarrassment and panic flare. I glance between the three of them, confusion and fear tightening in my chest. “How did you find us?”
Liam smiles faintly, voice calm and controlled. “The tracker we put on the car.”
My heart sinks, stomach dropping heavily. Of course, they’d thought ahead. They always do. My pulse pounds in my ears, fear and frustration overwhelming me as I search for any possible escape.
Cole, always attuned to my shifting emotions, glances toward Eli, his voice soothing. “Hey, Eli, buddy, why don’t you go back to bed and watch some TV? We need to talk to your mom about some grown-up stuff, okay?”
Eli hesitates, glancing briefly toward me for confirmation. I swallow hard, forcing a gentle smile onto my lips, nodding to reassure him. “Go on, baby. I’ll be right here.”
Eli nods, padding back toward the bed and climbing up onto it. He turns on the TV, his small face illuminated by the flickering screen.
My heart stutters as Cole’s careful gaze shifts back toward me. I back up, fear tightening in my chest as I brace myself for whatever they have planned. Would they hurt me? Panic surges as tears fill my eyes.
My voice trembles, eyes pleading with them. “Please—if you have to give me back to Randy, fine. But please, at least let Morales take Eli. Keep him safe. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”
Their faces shift, confusion filling their expressions. Cole steps toward me, his voice gentle but filled with concern.
“Ava, what are you talking about?”
I shake my head, tears slipping down my cheeks. “Don’t lie to me, please. I saw the messages. The texts with Roger. I heard the voicemail. I would recognize Randy’s voice anywhere. It still echoes in my dreams every night.”
Realization sharpens swiftly in their eyes, replaced immediately by dark fury. Liam’s jaw clenches, eyes narrowing dangerously. “Ava, listen. We never betrayed you. Morales introduced us to Roger as his new partner. We had no idea Roger was connected to Randy. We never would have willingly brought you back to him.”
My voice shakes, confusion and pain swirling inside me. “But I saw your messages. Liam, I read them. You said I was just a burden, an inconvenience?—”
Liam steps closer, his gaze intense but gentle, earnest. “I was playing a part, Ava. We were suspicious about Morales. We played along to protect you, to stay close and find out what was really going on.”
Cole reaches into Liam’s pocket, pulling out Liam’s phone.
“Look,” Cole urges. “Check the contact below Roger.”
I hesitate, heart pounding, then take the phone. Opening the unsaved contact beneath Roger’s, I find a series of arranged messages, passports clearly visible, our faces on them, but new names attached. The timestamps show the messages are dated days back, before I found the messages I’d misunderstood.
My heart clenches, guilt and relief flooding through me. Tears stream down my cheeks, embarrassment flushing my face as I look toward them.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, voice shaking quietly. “I thought?—”
Immediately, all three men move closer, pulling me into a comforting embrace. Liam cradles my face in his hands, his voice steady, earnest.
“You did nothing wrong. You were brave. You tried to protect yourself and Eli. That’s exactly what we would have wanted you to do.”
Cole strokes my hair, comforting. “We’re proud of you.”
Jax smiles, brushing tears from my cheek. “You put our son first. You’re incredible. You did everything right.”
My heart swells at hearing their words and realizing that they’ve fully claimed us now. Yes, I messed up by running, but we’re together. We’re safe again, and I can still make things right.
But before I can respond, the motel windows explode inward, shattered glass flying across the room as shots ring out harshly.
Immediately, Jax pushes me to the ground, shielding me with his body. Liam and Cole leap into action, pulling weapons swiftly from their waistbands, returning fire through the shattered windows. I hear Eli’s shriek and jerk up to find him, but Jax pushes me back under cover.
Jax urgently whispers close to my ear, voice gentle yet commanding. “Crawl, Ava, don’t walk. Go to Eli. Keep low and quiet.”
