Page 36 of His For The Keeping

“This is a circular conversation.”

“It is, and if we have to have it again, it won’t just be my hand you feel on your butt, wife.”

“You are impossible!”

“Don’t act as if you hate it… or the spanking.” He winked at her.

CHAPTER 9

Shane

The flight to Colorado in the small, private plane was quiet. Shane jotted plans in the small notebook he kept with him. Phantom was meeting them at the airport and taking them to Valhalla. From there, they would regroup and set up shop. They had other former SEAL teammates in the area who Phantom had been gathering together. Since they were no longer active duty, they had less to risk. They wouldn’t need to take leave or be called away for other missions.

Shane made sure Phantom knew he would pay, and pay handsomely, for their work. He knew none of them would ask or expect to be paid—not when these bastards had killed a fellow SEAL’s family—but Shane knew they all had bills to pay and wouldn’t take them away from their income without replacing it.

Frankie’s words had been replaying in his head. Had he been too harsh on the girl? God, she was driving him insane. She had to listen to him, or she could find herself dead. The thought of her dying enraged him. Even in such a short time, he had developed feelings for her. She was sitting beside him, and unable to help himself, he pulled her closer to his side, tucking her into him. He needed to feel her. The thought of losingher had him shaking. She gave him a sideways glance, and he shrugged, kissing her forehead.

“If you’re close, I know you aren’t getting in trouble.”

“Shane, we’re flying in a small plane. Where do you think I would go? What kind of trouble could I get into on a plane?”

“I’m not sure, but knowing you, you would find it.”

They both laughed.

The feeling of protectiveness had come out of nowhere, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. Shaking his head, he went back to planning. Phantom had gathered one hell of a team. A former operator, who specialized in communication and worked as a cybersecurity specialist, had a ton of equipment at his disposal, a sniper whose reputation preceded him, and a SEAL teammate, who after being injured in combat, had become a K9 trainer. Shane knew them all.

Stealing a glance at Frankie, he smiled. For the first time since he met her, she seemed truly content. He had added a new Kindle to the list he had Brad give Mak, and she hadn’t disappointed. They had been logged in to Frankie’s account and downloaded all of her books while the location services were turned off. It had taken all night, but when he had presented it to her after boarding the plane, her smile of gratitude had been well worth the trouble.

Now, as he worked, she was totally engrossed in reading. With her slender legs folded under her and a glass of Dr. Pepper, she was as content as he had seen her. If that was all it took, he would take stock out in Dr. Pepper and keep constant containers of it at the house. A small sigh came from her, and he turned, making sure everything was okay.

“What’s wrong?”

“My favorite author has ruined me for all other authors,” she said wistfully. “Every book she writes gets better and better. I can’t put them down until the very last word is read. Then I getso frustrated because the very last word is read, and there’s no more to read in that book.”

“So, start another one?”

“It isn’t that easy! I have to come down from the book high from that one first. Sometimes, I’ve read all they’ve written and have to wait for a new release to come out, which is pure torture.”

Shane laughed, a pure, deep belly laugh, which filled up the small plane and had Frankie looking at him as if he had grown a third eye.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. You are just adorable, is all.”

Phantom was waiting for them inside the small airport when they disembarked. Walking through the waiting room had given Shane flashbacks to just two days earlier—arriving in Seattle for his brother’s wedding, taking a car home, the text messages. He would give anything to change his decisions from that day, to go straight to the restaurant instead of home to shower. Dying with his entire family couldn’t have been a worse fate than living without them.

Phantom escorted them to the black SUV waiting for them. They small talked through the town, then drove deep into the country before turning down a long winding road. The Rocky Mountains beckoned to his spirit, standing tall in the background. Pine trees lined the road into Valhalla. Crossing a rushing stream over a narrow bridge, they approached a large gate. Phantom reached out and punched in the security code, and it swung open, then closed behind their retreating vehicle. Shane nodded his approval.

As they approached the large lodge, Shane was on the defensive. He kept his head on a swivel, watching for any movement out of the ordinary. Phantom’s hand squeezed his shoulder.

“Relax, brother. I’ve had guards out since you called.”

When they arrived at the main house, Shane noticed how Frankie refused Phantom’s help to carry in her bag.

“I’ve got it, thanks. I don’t want to add any pain to you.” She smiled sweetly, but Shane saw Phantom wince.

He was a proud man who didn’t want to be treated differently and likely wouldn’t appreciate the fact Frankie knew about his injury. Shane made a mental note to talk with Frankie about being more sensitive in her comments.

---