SEAL Under Covers (SEAL Brotherhood Series Book 3) (6 page)

She’d been leaning against him, and when he turned off the motor and pulled the brake, she was reluctant to leave his side. They sat for a moment watching droplets collect and stream down the glass in front of them. No sense rushing if this night was all she would have with him. She knew that whatever was coming next was going to change her life forever.

Armando looked down at her. “You okay?”

Gina nodded, but didn’t pull away.

“You sure? Now is the time to stop it, if you got some reason—”

She reached up and pulled his head forward, kissing him. The heat and the fire between them ignited again. The once-tentative kiss became all consuming. Their hands flew over each other’s bodies.

A sharp whack on the driver window from the outside shattered their aroused stupor. Gina knew instantly who it was before she saw Sam’s tense outline under the light of the streetlamp. His twisted face was red with rage.

Armando was out of the truck so fast Gina almost fell into the driver’s door. With a couple of kicks to Sam’s fleshy midsection and one to his face, the SEAL had Sam on the pavement groaning, and then suddenly he went limp.

“You fuckin’ animal. Now you got a fight.” Armando straddled him, yanking Sam’s arms up. But Sam was beyond caring. Gina slid out quickly and tried to stop Armando, but he pushed her off.

“Get inside, Gina. Lock the door and call the cops.”

“Armando, don’t hurt him.”

The smirk Armando showed her broke her heart. His face was full of a question he probably didn’t want to ask.

“I can handle this,” she began. “
You
shouldn’t get involved,” she pleaded. It was true. Sam wasn’t really a threat to her, because she would call the Department and complain, probably bring paramedics to look Sam over, which would give Gina protection. But if Armando did some permanent physical damage to a member of San Diego’s finest, he’d be in a whole lot of trouble. And with a blown cover, so would she. Armando had to be convinced to leave.

“Go. I’ll be okay.”

“I can’t leave you alone. Here. With this guy,” Armando shot back.

“You have to. Don’t worry, I’ll call the cops. But you don’t want to be involved. Just disappear. I promise I’ll call the cops right now. If you get involved, you risk your career, Armando. He’s not worth it.”

Armando stood up. Sam’s bloodstained the front of his shirt. His fingers combed his hair and then he put hands on his hips, breathing heavily. “But you are,” he said.

“No, Armando. I’m not. Please, just go.”

“So it’s going to be this way, huh?” Gina noticed the bitter squint in Armando’s face.

“Not what you think. All he wanted was to break the two of us up. He’s done that. Let me get some medical attention for him and get the police to haul him away. I’ll say I did this.”

Armando frowned at the suggestion. “Like they’ll believe you that you beat this piece of shit up? What if he presses charges against you?”

“You think he’d risk the ridicule of his biker buddies, saying he was slapped around by a girl? His ex? Leave it, Armando.”

Sam started to groan.

“Please. I don’t want you getting into trouble on my behalf.” Gina practically got on her knees to plead.

“Why don’t you let me worry about that?” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead with his arm.

“Because I have a gun and I know how to use it. Trust me, I’ll be okay.”

Armando adjusted his clothes and rolled one shoulder. She could see anger and confusion cross his face, but at last he shrugged and came closer to where she stood.

“I’m sorry. I thought—”

“He didn’t care anything about me until he found me with someone else. Remember what I told you? He’s married. He has no right…”

“Gina, all the reason I shouldn’t leave you alone with him.”

“Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson would disagree. Trust me when I tell you I’m quite safe. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn’t request you leave.”

“Then go inside. I’ll wait here until I know you’re inside. What if his friends are just lurking around some car here?” He made a sweeping motion with his hand.

“No. Absolutely no. You get out of here.”

“Why are you protecting him?”

“I’m not. I’m protecting
you
. This could go on your record. He’s not worth the trouble he could cause you.”

“I can handle myself. Worse badasses have come after me before and I did just fine.”

“Yea, with the rest of your Team. This is different. You’re going to have to trust me on this, Armando. Please! Just go. I’ll be fine.”

Sam coughed and spit up blood. She was running out of time. She pulled her weapon out and held it down, legs apart in the stance she’d been taught. She got out her phone and dialed the station.

“I’ve been attacked. I’d like some police protection over here right away. I’m in danger.” As she listened to the voice on the other end of the line, she motioned for Armando to leave. It hurt that he nodded his head and, without taking her in his arms, walked back to the truck, opening the driver’s door. Before he got in, he removed the rest of the window, kicking it with a swift upward jab with his right foot. Glass was scattered all over the street. Shards sparkled like diamonds in the night.

In a cloud of gray smoke and one large backfire the truck disappeared into blackness.

She prayed it wasn’t the last time she would see him.

Chapter 6

Armando cranked the steering wheel and screeched around the first corner he could find. He’d double back and make sure she was okay. Gina was right about one thing. He could get his ass in a sling for tampering with the local riffraff. Didn’t matter that they were the scum of the earth. As a SEAL, he was required to take the high road, even if that meant it cost him his life. He was used to risking his life. He wasn’t used to risking the career he felt he was made for just so he could get into a fight with a lowlife biker at a gang bar. Not the way he’d envisioned his discharge happening.

And that’s why this was so freakin’ hard, to leave her alone with a cretin who clearly had no boundaries and had trouble controlling his rage. That sort of dude deserved worse than a kick to the gut and a broken nose. Armando had no room in his “decent zone” for bad guys who liked to beat up women and kids.

For a street urchin, Gina sure knew how to take care of herself. Surprisingly well put together, he thought. Carried a concealed firearm, which was against the law in California. But she didn’t appear to be fazed. So maybe Gina was tougher than Armando thought. Maybe she was one of those GI Janes who got booted for bad behavior. Cavorting with the wrong officer or married man. Yet he couldn’t see her being that kind of a slut. She’d already been hurt, she’d said.

No, there definitely was something more about Miss Gina. His traitorous body part was enthusiastically looking for another close encounter, in spite of the fact he’d been sent away—at gunpoint, no less. Didn’t matter if the gun was aimed at the ground or at the beefy asshole who interrupted them.

He slowly pulled around two more streets, through a one-way alley and then parked perpendicular to Gina’s street, shutting off his lights as he did so.

Motorcycles rumbled down the street and soon three Harleys parked beside what must have been Sam’s bike, propped in the shadows at the edge of the complex. He’d been stupid not to notice the vehicle. He’d been distracted by the feel of her skin as he ran his fingers down her arm, the way her perfect breast warmly caressed the right side of his torso as they drove. He loved the way she smelled, all spicy and almond, not like the cheap perfume he’d scented on hookers and other girls who frequented this neighborhood.

This evening, as he’d looked down at her, with those big brown eyes and dark hair splayed all over Fredo’s second seat, he’d felt as if she was his first woman. Like it was her first experience too. This resembled a sweet high school thing he’d forgotten about. Something innocent and good, the way she made love to him. It was clean and dignified. Took his breath away how much he wanted to please her. Go slow. Make it last forever. And fuck! She’d cried, for Chrissakes. At first, he’d thought he’d hurt her. But no, she was overcome.

Overcome?
When had that happened to him before? He checked his memory. Was she a virgin and he didn’t notice?

He discarded that thought. He gripped the door handle, ready to bolt from the truck when he heard the police sirens.

Thank God.

A short tussle ensued, and tempers flashed between two uniformed officers in the first patrol car and the bikers. Flashlights darted everywhere, accentuated by strobing red and blue lights, waking up Hell itself with the commotion. So much for low profile.

An EMT van arrived, but Sam was up on his feet, kicking the dirt with his black boot and probably swearing like any crusty sailor would if he got an anchor dropped on his foot. At one point Sam groped for Gina’s arm, lurching his huge body forward, but the uniforms separated them. He earned a huge push, which sent him on his ass in the road. His face was red, made redder by the flashing lights, as he stood, arms waving in the air. The three buddies grabbed him in a huddle, but Sam wasn’t having any of it, not at first. He got talked down in the end, though.

Two uniforms escorted Gina safely to her condo. A second patrol car pulled up. After determining it was safe to leave, Armando put the truck in reverse, careful not to grind the gears, and backed up slowly, then turned around when he was out of eyesight of the little conclave.

He headed to Mia’s house and hoped Fredo had been able to hang on long enough that he could take his buddy home. He needed to think up a good explanation for the missing truck window.

The rain that had fallen earlier returned. He watched Fredo’s wipers do a piss-poor job of removing the wetness from the dusty windshield. He made a mental note to have the wiper blades replaced when he got the window done.

The little yellow house with white trim glowed from within. Mia must have turned on every light inside. He knocked on the front door, hearing Mia in the middle of a frank discussion with Fredo, as the baby cried in the background.

“You fuckin woke up the kid, Fredo,” Mia said as she stalked towards the front door. Armando’s signature knock had alerted her as to who was waiting on the porch.

“Yea, well, I don’t care. Mia, you gotta start listening to people who care for you. You’re throwin’ your life away, babe.”

“I’m not your babe,” she snarled as she opened the door without enthusiasm. Without a “hello” she turned her back on her brother and disappeared down the hallway to a back bedroom.

“Took you long enough.” Fredo’s prominent forehead and bushy eyebrows were even more prominent and wrinkled.  “I’m over here trying to make nice with this she-wolf and you’re out there doing God-knows-what with that little dish. I hope she was worth it, man.”

Armando wanted to say something, but decided to zip it instead. Mouthing off to Fredo and then telling him about his injured truck might not be the smartest of ideas.

“Had a little trouble over at Gina’s.”

“What kind of trouble?” Mia held little Ricardo in her arms. She’d changed into skin-tight black leggings and an oversized T-shirt. A rhinestone-studded clip held up her dark curls. The baby’s face lit up when he recognized his uncle Armando.

“Mia,” Armando said as walked with his arms outstretched to take the baby, “how well do you know Gina’s ex, that Sam character?”

Armando loved Ricardo’s fresh scent. He rubbed tears from the baby’s chubby cheeks and let him pat his face, pull on the hair behind his ears.

“Met him for the first time tonight.” Mia leaned against the hallway doorframe, and crossed her long legs, almost sending Fredo to the ground with a gasp. Acting as if she took no notice of the Mexican SEAL, she folded her arms across her nonexistent belly and sighed. It pushed up her breasts and Fredo abruptly turned his back to her and swore in a whisper.

“She never mentioned him before.” Mia delivered a half-lidded who-the-fuck-cares look straight back at her brother.

This surprised Armando. “So then I have to ask you, how well do you know Gina?”

Fredo slumped on one of the leather chairs and waited for Mia’s answer.

“We’re friends. We hang out at places together. Go clubbing. We’re good for each other, checking up on each other, texting when we pick up guys. You know. To be safe.”

Fredo was swearing in Spanish again, lecturing the floor, but kept it low.

“She pick up lots of guys?” Armando winced inside that he’d asked her that question.

“I never know. I think so.” She uncrossed her arms and stood erect. “Why, am I supposed to go follow my girlfriends around and see who
they
go home with like you do to
me
?”

“I don’t do that, Mia.”

“Fuck you, Armando. What do you call tonight? We were having a good time with some new acquaintances and you go all Navy SEAL ballistic on them. Ruin our evening.”

Fredo inserted himself. “Mia, those dudes were going to ruin your night all right. Girl, you sure know how to dredge the bottom for the worst scumbags”

“You forget one thing, Fredo. The bikers were
Gina’s
friends. Not mine. Not sayin’ I didn’t kinda like the big one, though.” Mia flashed her toothy smile and batted her eyes directly at Fredo while she delivered the kill shot. “I like big guys. Big,
tall
guys, with lots of tats and muscles.”

Armando saw Fredo bunch his hands into fists. His breathing was long and labored, but in control.

God bless you, Fredo. You are a fuckin’ saint.
Armando could not say the same for his sister. He looked at little Ricardo wiggling in his arms. He vowed to be very prominent in his nephew’s life. With or without Mia’s permission. He’d make it his personal mission. No way was this little boy going to grow up Mia’s way as long as he was alive to alter it.

“You know what, Mia? You just insulted the man who saved my life more than a dozen times.” Armando was saying it because it was the truth, not just to give Fredo a shred of the respect he so richly deserved. “You just hurt someone who only wants the best for you. The more we try, the meaner you get. Mama, Clark, Fredo here, and all the rest of the Team—everyone cares about you, except
you.
”