Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Beauty (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros. Book 5) (6 page)

There was really only one way to get those answers, and she was going to deal with this head on. Tomorrow. She had learned enough, and she knew women enough to know they bounced back. Her husband might not believe her, and from what her husband had told her, and the way she had seen that woman turn in the other man’s arms, the way she had returned his embrace and the passion, she knew in her heart that Cat was happy. Now, she just had to prove it to Tex, too.

THE NEXT MORNING, Tex and Melody had breakfast in their suite together. It had been a long night. The concert had been a welcome distraction, Melody thought. Even Tex enjoyed himself and the seats he had purchased put them right up into the action.

Once back in their suite, they had eyes and thoughts only for each other. The dawn of day, however, brought their earlier troubles back into the forefront of their minds. Melody could sense her husband regressing. She needed to take care of this situation today. And the day stretched before them with nothing planned that she knew of. She was trying to think of a way to slip out for a bit that would seem plausible.

Luckily, an idea came to her without her having to think of anything. Her stomach rolled the minute she finished her fruit and yogurt and she pushed the plate away. “Oh honey, my stomach is doing flip flops today. I hope it wasn’t the fish from last night?” she mused aloud placing her hand over her acrobatic stomach.

Melody saw the sudden concern in his eyes and didn’t want him to worry too much, but it could be her way out from under his scrutiny for a while. “I’m sure it will pass,” she commented and grimaced just a tad when another revolution in her tummy occurred.

“Are you okay?” Tex asked, pushing his plate back and giving his wife his complete attention.

Melody nodded reassuringly. “I think it will pass, but maybe, um. . . you could take one of those sea fishing excursions with James today if he is available. I think I will take it easy this morning for a bit until this thing passes.”

They had met James their first day here. He was a former SEAL too. And he had come on vacation with three buddies to hit the beach, do some fishing, and pick up girls though that hadn’t been said in their run in on the beach their first day here. She saw Tex’s eyes narrow while he considered it. Melody added a tired yawn to sound more convincing in her story that she would rest. She felt a tad guilty about the ruse, but didn’t want to lead him to Cat’s door before knowing what the outcome would be. Plus, it would be good for him to hang out with the guys for a while. They had hit it off and he’d enjoyed swapping stories with the men throughout the day. She hoped he would agree to it, as she wanted the time to do a little more sleuthing on her own.

“Well. . .” Tex paused considering it. A day fishing might help restore his equilibrium, and mood. He was always able to think more clearly at sea than anywhere else. “If you are sure,” he started again, not wanting to leave her, but tempted by an afternoon on the water.

Melody nodded vigorously looking more certain and less concerned about her uneasy stomach. “Yes, and don’t worry about me. If I’m feeling better I may do a bit more shopping, and maybe get a massage. When you get back, after you rest up, we can have a lite dinner, and then maybe stroll along the pier afterwards and take in the booths and kiosks set up by those artists and crafts people on Pier 60 that we saw the other night. We haven’t checked that out yet.”

Melody was looking better already, he thought to himself. And he did like the idea of her pampering herself while he got to hang out with the guys and fish. Plus, being on the ocean would help distract him from worrying about Cat. “Okay, if you’re sure,” he repeated. Yes, a day with some fellow Navy SEALs most definitely would help him get out of the funk he was in. Being active always helped to keep his mind from recessing back into the darkness. And these men, he was sure would have plenty of tales to tell about their tours.

He hated leaving Melody, but she looked fine, really. And before they met he knew she was a strong independent woman who liked doing things on her own at times. A day of rest, and relaxation apart would do them both wonders. She deserved a little rest. And well, they had been pretty active in the bedroom, and on the boat they had rented. Trying to conceive a baby was hard work and fun too. And though neither of them were complaining, he was sure both of them needed the time to rejuvenate before they had another round of frantic love making. He was excited about the prospect of a baby.

Baby, their dog back home, might be jealous at first, but he was sure the loyal dog would love any child they had and be just as fiercely protective of it as she was of their masters. The dog had already become loyal to Akilah and now slept in her room at night too. Tex laughed to himself at his wayward thoughts. God, he couldn’t believe he was missing their dog already. It hadn’t even been a full week yet. This was not like him at all.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Melody responded quickly getting out of her chair. She headed over to where her clothes had been hung to pick out her outfit for the day.

“Okay, well, it sounds like a good plan,” Tex agreed, also getting up. He recovered their nearly empty breakfast dishes and began to push the cart back towards the door to deposit outside their room.

“It is,” Melody reassured him. “I’ll be refreshed and rested and you will be relaxed and rejuvenated. It’s a win win. Now, go call James and see if he and his buddies are up to do this today. I’ll call the spa,” she lied not liking it, but knowing it was the only way he would leave her. He wouldn’t go if he thought she was lounging in the room all day, and she wasn’t doing that either, but he didn’t know that. She’d call and cancel the spa after he left and then set upon the task she had given herself—meeting Mrs. Cat Marino.

CATARINA WALKED INTO her husband’s study. It was a large room and sported a wall of bookshelves along the right and several windows on the left. Andreas’s large oak desk sat at the back of the room. In front of his desk were two comfortable chairs and then two large sofas across from one another took center stage. He left the doors open when he worked at home most times and so she had free rein to just walk in. When the door was closed she knew it was something serious and private. And she respected that. His profession sometimes required secrecy to keep his clients safe.

Lately, he had been working at home more and more. She was just over seven months pregnant and she figured that was the reason why. He didn’t want to miss a thing, and he wanted to be there in case she went into early labor. He’d been to every appointment. And she loved him even more for that. He was truly the life partner she had been destined to be with. The man meant only for her and she for him. Her life, as rough as it had been, had always been destined to experience what it had so they could and would meet. That was how she felt now. As hard and horror filled as it had been at times, she wouldn’t have changed a thing because it had brought her to him just over one year ago.

She absently rubbed her stomach as she approached her husband’s desk. He smiled brightly at her as she approached holding up one finger to her as he finished up the phone conversation he was having. She was happy to wait, but she did have news she wanted to share. She’d had a very strange phone message and request.

She took a seat on a small settee near the front of the room that was positioned near the fireplace and caressed her expanding waistline. They calculated she had gotten pregnant while on their honeymoon in January, the very month she stopped taking her birth control. Very lucky indeed. She loved this child already. It was a part of her and a part of Andreas. At first, they had been shocked and pleasantly surprised to find out they were pregnant. They found out almost immediately because of the butterflies she constantly felt in her stomach. It had been an incredible sensation in the early part of her pregnancy. Now the baby rolled around like an acrobat, and it wasn’t so pleasant, but still quite remarkable.

She looked at her husband and his eyes were on her warmly as he listened to whomever was on the other end of the line politely. His eyes asked if the baby was moving. And she shook her head. As she got closer and closer to her due date, he wanted to be there for every experience. He’d lost the opportunity to be a father when he was younger when his ex-fiancée had an abortion. And they all missed the younger years of his nephew Johnny, Gio’s son, when Gio didn’t learn of his existence until the boy was ten. His brother Blaze’s son, was just three months old, and she knew every time Andreas set his eyes on the small baby boy that he hoped for a son, too. She would give him that son. In her heart she knew this child was a girl. She felt that connection although no test had confirmed it. They decided to wait and be surprised about the sex of their baby. She knew he would be happy either way, but if the child was a girl, he would be doting and overprotective. He would be an excellent father. She was glad their family was growing. And the pregnancy had gone so smoothly, so she knew she would be willing to bear more children for this man. This family needed little people around on the holidays and on Sundays. All the sisters-in-law and the cousins agreed.

Her sister-in-law, Bella, wife to Blaze, had given birth three months ago to baby Frank, and her other sister-in-law, Lisa, was actively trying with her husband, Gio. They already had an eleven year old son, but wanted to add to their recently reunited family. Nikko and Ronnie were waiting another year before they started trying. And their one cousin, Victor and his wife, Monica, had twin boys that were a year and a half old. They were such adorable toddlers. But all the women had agreed it would be nice for the cousins to grow up together and be close to the same age. It was great to have an extended family around. She had grown used to it rather quickly although she’d never had much of a family growing up. When she had been young she’d had her grandparents, but that was it. When they died it had been a very sad time for her.

***

ANDREAS RAPPED UP his conversation as quickly as he could. His wife didn’t come into his office often when he was working. But when she did, there was usually something on her mind. And she was looking quite contemplative, albeit incredibly beautiful, while sitting on the settee.

“Hey, no worries. And thanks, BJ, we will definitely be in touch. The software you installed for us hasn’t been having any other issues.” Andreas listened to BJ say his goodbyes and then placed his phone down on the desk. His wife glanced his way and shifted to make room for him to sit beside her on the small sofa.

“What’s up, babe?” the tall lean man, with the dark hair, asked as he quickly crossed the room.

Catarina was shaking her head. “Andreas, I just received the strangest message.” She looked perplexed and that sent up a red flag for him.

“What was it?” he asked, pulling back to look at her directly. Forgotten was the problem in the new software his friend, BJ, had installed, or the paperwork he needed to complete for Monday and the two bail hearings he needed to attend. “What is it, sweetheart?” he repeated when she didn’t answer right away. His gorgeous wife wasn’t giving him her full attention. She appeared lost in the past.

Catarina shook herself to regain her composure. The message she received on her phone had unsettled her. She wasn’t used to people from her past coming out of the woodwork. She had lived such a private life, a lonely life for so long. But ever since being in the public eye, she had a few instances of people reaching out to her from her past. She’d found out she had a half-sister in California. Her father had been a soldier and had fathered a child before he had gone overseas. And she had a few old neighbors of her grandparents contact her from Amsterdam. But this, this person who had reached out today was from a time she didn’t like to remember, and it had thrown her.

Looking up into Andreas’ eyes, she smiled widely. She hated for him to worry, and she saw the fine lines around his eyes and in his forehead furrowing. Instead of answering right away, she gave him a mischievous glance and easily slid onto his lap.

Andreas let out a huff, and Catarina slapped at his chest playfully. “Don’t you dare start with the weight jokes. You are your brothers and
Gio, he is
the worst!”

“What if I do?” he teased planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

Catarina didn’t hesitate. “I’ll punish you. And you won’t like it.”

Andreas gave her a mischievous look.

Catarina laughed. Andreas had a kinky side she discovered, and his idea of punishment was more about pleasure, and she didn’t mind playing into some of his fantasies. Mostly they made love, but fulfilling his desires wasn’t difficult for her. He was such a caring lover, and always made sure she was fulfilled. In every way. “But perhaps that can be something for later. Now, I need your advice.” Catarina wanted to hear his thoughts about this Melody person who had contacted her. She also wanted to know if she was legitimately who she said she was, and who better to look into the woman’s background than her husband.

Andreas stopped toying with his wife. Her tone told him she was serious. “Okay, what’s up? What’s going on?” he asked more seriously.

Cat leaned against her husband. He always knew when there was something bothering her. She told him directly what was on her mind. They kept no secrets from each other. “I got a message from a woman named Melody Keegan.”

Andreas cocked his head. The name was unfamiliar. Catarina continued. “She says her husband’s name is John Keegan.” Again Andreas did not recognize the name, but from his wife’s sad expression he could tell she knew who the man was.

“And?” He asked quirking up one eyebrow. “I can tell you know who the man is.”

“I do.” Cat didn’t often think about that time of her life. The time in her life where she knew a young man named John Keegan. Hearing his name again had jarred her. She had just gotten used to her new life, her new routine with her husband, and loved it. She didn’t want anything to disrupt what she had. She didn’t think John would, but she just couldn’t be sure. She had no idea why the man, or rather his wife, would reach out to her now, but she was curious. The wife wanted to meet with her today if possible. Andreas was looking at her, still waiting for her to give him more information. “He was on the FBI team that rescued me and the others I lived with in Maryland in that last house where we were held captive. He rescued Susan, Lucia, Donna, Jani, Geoff and I.”

Andreas immediately knew who and what she was talking about. When she’d been a sex slave. He wondered why one of her rescuers would reach out now.
Was there something new going on? Something they needed to know?
His mind immediately tried to imagine the worst case scenario.
Was someone released?
Then why would the FBI agent’s wife be the one reaching out.

Catarina saw his brow furrow. She saw that the wheels were spinning and he was trying to figure out the man’s motives. She quickly proceeded to explain as much as she knew. “Melody, John’s wife, explained in her message that her husband is having some difficulty. That he feels remorse for not rescuing us sooner. And just wants to know that I’m happy.”

“That’s strange. Out of the blue like that, and all these years later.”

“It seems he is here in the area on vacation. He and his wife were on a boat and saw us two days ago while we were on the balcony. He recognized me. It brought back his regrets of not rescuing me sooner.” Cat shook her head. “It seems he left the FBI and became a Navy SEAL shortly thereafter. He didn’t like all the waiting.”

“Well, I can understand that.” As a former detective, he hadn’t liked waiting for court orders and warrants either. Sometimes during the wait the bad guys got away. He much preferred how he did his business now. Things happened a whole lot faster.

“Yes, and it seems he feels guilty and wants to be sure I am happy.” Catarina’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her husband. She was happy. Incredibly so. She never imagined she would be, or could be as happy as she was. This agent, she remembered him and he had seemed very concerned. She hadn’t been able to meet his warm searching brown eyes. She remembered how patient he had been with her, all of them. How his eyes constantly sought her out. She had been in shock, her incredibly long nightmare seemed to be over. But she hadn’t been sure.

Andreas saw the shadow cross his wife’s face. He needed to bring her back. Pulling her closer, he nipped at her ear, and huskily whispered, “Are you?”

She knew what he was asking, and why. It made her love him even more. “Ecstatically so.” She pressed her cheek against his waiting lips enjoying the feel of his prickly stubble against her tender flesh. The man needed to shave every day. “But darling, I do remember this man. He took me to the van, and helped me to get inside as the SWAT team finished clearing the house. I remember his eyes. He did look like he felt bad. I saw sympathy in them. I was in too much shock then to remember much more than that. I couldn’t believe my long dark night was over.”

It hadn’t been, he thought grimly. “It wasn’t,” he gently reminded her. One of the men from that time had hunted her down and tried to victimize her again. A man who had connections to both of them. Although he had brought them together, this man had nearly cost them both of their lives.

Catarina couldn’t prevent the shudder that swept through her body. “I know. But that was no one’s fault but Spiro.” Thinking about Spiro always got that same reaction out of her. But she pushed thoughts of him back. She’d heard the worry in this Melody’s voice and that was a concern now. “Andreas, it was a nightmare. But it made me who I am. I learned to cope. I made my choices. I don’t regret my past because it brought me to you.”

God, his woman was so strong. She was remarkable. Just beautiful. He was almost too afraid to ask, but could tell by the firmness of her tone, that this Melody had made a request of her. And though he didn’t want anything from her past to touch her again, he more than anyone, knew you couldn’t escape the past. “What do you want to do? What did Melody Keegan want?” he asked, wondering exactly where this conversation was going. He also knew his wife enough to know she had been leading him there all along.

Catarina knew her husband would not allow her to do what she wanted to do without ensuring her safety first, so she started there. “Well, I want to make sure she is who she says she is. You can help me with that, and then I want to meet her. And I think I would like to thank John.”

“You do! Why?” He was perplexed.

“Of course I do. If he hadn’t rescued me, I wouldn’t be here. And if he has been feeling guilty all these years about his choices, I want him to know he needn’t feel that way any longer.”

His wife. Incredible.
Andreas cleared his throat. And as he suspected, she had it all mapped out already. “Okay, I can do that. I can find out if they are who she says they are. When do you want to meet with her? What else did the woman say?”

“She wants to meet soon. Today if possible. They are in town only one more week. I was hoping you could do what you do quickly and then take me to see her today. She said John went out fishing with some friends, but she was available.”

“Today?” he stated sharply. At her nod, he shook his head and knew no matter what he said she had made her decision. It wasn’t his wife being rash either; it was his wife being his wife. Caring about others. Clicking his tongue once, he gave her a measured look. She smiled. “Okay. I can do that. I will need about an hour to fact check this. Anything else?” he asked with a teasing tone, not expecting there would be more.