Protecting the Future (SEAL of Protection Book 8) (17 page)

P
enelope grimaced
at the image staring back at her in the mirror on the base. She and the six SEALs had arrived at the Air Base in Germany without incident. The trip out of the mountains of Turkey had been somewhat anticlimactic. The huge Chinook helicopter swooped down they’d all jumped in, and they’d taken off. And that was that.

They’d landed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and Penelope watched as Ghost and his men walked away from the helicopter without a look back. She’d called out, “Ghost!”

The large man had stopped and turned to her.

Penelope had been at a loss for words. What did you say to the man who helped save your life? “Thank you.” The words were inadequate, but she hadn’t had time to come up with anything else.

Ghost hadn’t said a word, but dipped his head in acknowledgement.

Penelope looked behind him and saw that all six of the other Delta Force men had stopped as well. Maybe they’d been waiting for their leader, but whatever the reason, every single man, one by one, had raised their hand and saluted her. She’d barely seen them through the water filling her eyes.

“I’m not an officer, you can’t salute me,” she’d managed to get out.

Penelope thought it was the man called Coach who’d replied, “We salute those we respect. And woman,
you
we respect.”

Holy. Shit
. She’d watched as the group of men turned and continued on their way. That was the last she’d seen of the Special Forces team. They’d disappeared into a building on the base and hadn’t resurfaced. Penelope had no idea where they’d gone, or what was next on their agenda, but she’d always remember them.

She ran her hand over her short hair. She’d decided that it all needed to come off after her first shower. It was so snarled and disgusting, it was easier to simply cut it short and start over. Penelope had never been the kind of woman to overly worry about her looks. After it was done, she even thought it might be easier to keep it short as a firefighter. Less upkeep and she’d have to worry about it less under her helmet as she worked.

She’d had a long conversation with her brother Cade the first night she’d been in Germany. They’d both cried and Cade had told her all he’d been doing to make sure the government didn’t forget about her. She’d also had to meet with the Army lawyers and psychologists. That part wasn’t as fun.

Overall, she was exhausted, and feeling a bit claustrophobic. She couldn’t go anywhere without someone being right at her side. She didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment, but she also didn’t want to be alone. It was ridiculous. She wanted to feel safe, and the one place she’d know she was safe was with the SEALs who’d managed to find her and smuggle her out of the hellhole she’d been in.

Penelope threw on a T-shirt and a pair of Army sweats. She peered out of the barracks room where she’d been housed and didn’t see anyone in the hall. Someone had been with her from the second they’d landed through her doctor visit and her brief session with an Army psychologist. It was late, so it was no wonder no one was around, but she kinda expected someone to still be hovering nearby. She tiptoed down the hall as if she was a teenager sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet her boyfriend.

She eased out of the building and made her way across the quiet base, nodding at the security sentry she saw along her way. She’d been introduced to the private when she’d been shown the barracks, and Penelope was glad he recognized her now and didn’t ask her any questions about where she might be going. She headed toward the infirmary. She greeted the nurse on duty on the floor she knew Abe was on. She signed in, and headed down to his room.

Penelope knew she was probably given more leeway because of her situation. She’d found out that the American press had dubbed her the Army Princess…which annoyed her to no end. She much preferred Tiger.

She eased open the door to Abe’s room and slipped in.

“It’s late.”

Penelope knew she probably wouldn’t be able to sneak in on Abe, but she was still startled at his words. “Yeah.”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“Nope.”

“Me either.”

“How’s the leg?”

“Still attached.”

Penelope sighed. It was like pulling teeth. “But it’s okay?”

“It will be.”

“Good.”

They were both silent for a moment, until Abe asked, “What’s up, Tiger?”

Penelope didn’t even try to prevaricate. “Can I sleep here?”

“Yes.” Abe’s answer was immediate and, Penelope could tell, heartfelt.

She didn’t say anything else, but grabbed two blankets that were on the end of Abe’s bed. She laid one on the ground under the window on the far side of Abe’s bed, away from the door, lay down, and pulled the other blanket over her. She rested her head on her elbow and sighed in contentment.

She heard Abe moving above her and a pillow suddenly landed on the floor next to her head.

“Take it. I don’t need it.”

Penelope said, “Thanks,” in a soft voice. Nothing else was said between the two military veterans.

Abe listened as the brave Army sergeant fell into sleep and started snoring softly. He didn’t like that she was on the floor, but didn’t push the issue. She didn’t know it, but her actions went a long way toward giving him back his pride. By choosing him over all of his teammates, and putting him between her and the door, and unconsciously letting him protect her, she made him feel better about being unconscious for part of her dangerous rescue.

P
enelope was
glad none of the SEALs mentioned or gave her shit about sleeping in Abe’s room the night before. She’d woken up to quiet conversation and all five of Abe’s teammates in the room. She’d forgotten about her hair, and went to brush it away from her face, realizing at the last second that there was no hair there to push out of the way.

She excused herself and used the small restroom off of Abe’s room. She finger-brushed her teeth—she’d never take brushing her teeth for granted again—and splashed water on her face. She drank a huge cup of water, then straightened her clothes and stepped back into the room.

“So, when are we heading home?” Penelope asked brightly, hoping the answer would be “today.”

“I think you’re out of here tonight.”

“Awesome,” Penelope breathed, hardly able to believe it. She’d been dreaming of seeing Cade again, and stepping foot on her home soil and it looked like it would finally be happening. Then she thought about what Wolf had said. “Wait,
I’m
out of here tonight? What about you guys?”

“We’re headed out this morning,” Cookie told her.

“We’re not going together?” Penelope asked, confused.

“Tiger, you’re headed back to Fort Hood in Texas. We’re going back to Coronado out in California.”

“Oh.” Penelope felt stupid. Of course they were. They were Navy, she was Army. Their families were out in California. It still seemed odd, even though she hadn’t know these men for long. They’d been through a lot. They’d saved her. It was weird. “Do your wives know you’re coming home?”

“Yeah,” Wolf answered for all of them.

Penelope suddenly remembered more about their families. “Dude, did your wife have your baby?”

Dude’s jaw tightened and he nodded. “Yeah, a healthy baby girl. She was born a couple of days ago.”

“I’m sorry you missed it,” Penelope told him honestly. “If I hadn’t—”

Dude strode over to the small woman who they’d rescued and put a finger over her mouth to shush her. “I might have missed her birth, but she’ll be there when I get back. I wouldn’t have been anywhere else for the world. And you know what? The day my daughter was born was the same day we pulled you out of that tent. I’d say it was more than worth it.”

Penelope stepped away from Dude’s touch, and tried to smile at him. God. These men. She knew they were taken, but they were everything she’d ever wanted in a man. They were a bit chauvinistic, a bit heavy-handed, but they weren’t afraid to give credit where it was due and she could tell they loved their families with every fiber of their beings. She wanted that. She wanted it more than she’d ever admit to anyone.

“Well, thank you. Thanks to all of you. Seriously. And you know what? From now on, during the Army-Navy football game…I’m rooting for Navy in tribute to you guys.”

Everyone laughed, as she’d hoped they would. She needed the tone to be lightened, and it had been.

“Is it allowed for us to keep in touch? I mean, I know what you guys do is pretty hush-hush, so I didn’t know if we could openly communicate with each other or if it’d be frowned on.” Penelope watched as the men gave each other indescribable looks. She continued, “Oh, okay, I understand, I was just—”

“Yeah, we’ll keep in touch,” Wolf interrupted her.

“But, if you’ll get in trouble—”

“We’ll keep in touch,” Wolf repeated, resolutely.

“Okay. I’d like that,” Penelope stated, then hurried on. “I have to go…I have an appointment this morning…or something.” She knew she couldn’t stay there and shoot the shit with these amazing men any longer. She had to make the break. “I’m glad you’re all going to be okay…get home to your families.” She nodded at each of them and turned and left the room, knowing if she stayed any longer, or if any of them tried to shake her hand or, God forbid, hug her, she’d lose it.

After she left, Benny was the first to speak. “That’s one hell of a woman.”

“Agreed,” Wolf said then changed the subject. “You guys ready to get the hell out of here?”

“Oh fuck yeah,” Abe said with enough gusto for all of them.

“Wheels up in two hours. Our women are waiting for us.”

A
s we told
you last night, U.S. Army Sergeant Penelope Turner has been rescued from the Middle East. She’d been kidnapped approximately four months ago by ISIS. The three men she’d been taken with were beheaded and burnt and the videotape of their deaths was distributed by ISIS. Turner had been seen on several taped videos extolling the ideology of ISIS and denouncing the Western World’s governments.

Late this past weekend, a plane touched down at Fort Hood, Texas, with Sergeant Turner, her hair cut short, and flanked by several high-ranking Army officials. She waved from the plane and was hustled into a waiting SUV before being whisked off, most likely to debriefing. She spent a few nights at Ramstein Air Base in Germany before flying back to the States.

There has been no word on her rescue or rescuers, but we are hoping to get more details soon. While the Army Princess, as she has been dubbed by the press, has not accepted any interviews, we
will
be talking to Cade Turner, Penelope’s brother, next week when he sits down for an exclusive interview. Stay tuned for more details, and let us be the first to say welcome home, Sergeant Turner!

C
aroline sat alone
in her house and waited impatiently for Matthew to get home. After speaking with him on the phone the other morning, she’d gone back into her house and was happy to let all the others know their men were on the way home.

As usual, they were all gracious and they all understood that it wasn’t feasible for all of the guys to call home immediately and talk to them right at that moment. It sucked, but sometimes their job came first, even over family. They all knew they’d call as soon as they could. It was enough for that moment to know they were all safe and on their way home.

Caroline also spoke with Commander Hurt that morning, and he was happy to let her know Matthew was safe and they were going to be on their way home soon. Caroline didn’t mention that Matthew had already called her, but she figured he was probably well aware of it.

Julie had pulled her aside before she’d left and let her know that the commander had told Dude about his new daughter. Caroline didn’t think Cheyenne would be upset. She knew the guys would’ve figured she’d had the baby by now.

Caroline and the other women had been texting each other to try to find out when their guys would land, but no one had heard from any of them yet, telling them they were in California, but they all had a feeling it would be soon. Caroline couldn’t keep still and she couldn’t wait for Matthew to come through the front door.

She was rinsing the plate she’d used for dinner when she heard a key in the squeaky lock from the other side of the house. She spun and for some reason, couldn’t get her feet to move. She heard the front door open, then shut, and then heavy footsteps sounded on the wooden floor. Caroline held her breath and then Matthew finally appeared in the doorway to their kitchen. The relief she felt was similar to when she’d seen Matthew appear in her safe house after their plane had been taken over by terrorists.

Caroline drank him in, Matthew looked tired, one arm was in a sling, but he was standing in front of her, and in one piece. She’d take it. She took a step, then another, then another, and then she was in his arms. He’d obviously dropped his bag by the front door, because his good arm wrapped around her and held her tight enough that her feet left the ground. Neither of them said a word, but no words were necessary.

Matthew walked them both over to the couch and sat, never letting go of Caroline. She buried her face in his neck and inhaled, loving his scent, and realizing just how much she missed it when he was gone. She giggled, realizing Matthew had put his nose in her hair and had been inhaling her scent as much as she’d been his.

Finally Caroline pulled back and framed his face with her hands. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Ice.”

“Everyone’s really okay?”

“Everyone’s really okay.”

“Including Sergeant Turner?”

Wolf smiled at his wife. He loved her caring nature. She’d never even met the woman, yet she was full of compassion and concern for her. “From what I’ve seen on the news, she’s fine.”

Caroline waited a beat, looking into Matthew’s eyes, and knowing she’d pushed him past his comfort point when it came to what he could and couldn’t say about his job, let it go. He couldn’t exactly admit he knew first-hand how Penelope was doing. She put her head back on Matthew’s chest.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we received a Christmas card from Texas in the future, though,” he mused, grinning.

Matthew’s words surprised her, and she smiled but didn’t lift her head. She was about done talking. Time to show her man how happy she was that he was home.

Caroline brought one hand up to his chest and slowly started undoing his button-up shirt. She slipped her hand under the shirt and played with the skin she’d uncovered. She felt her nipples tighten as she played, just as she felt Matthew get hard under her. She licked his neck and bit down on his earlobe.

“I love you, Matthew,” she murmured into his ear. “I missed you. I need you.”

As ever a man of few words, Wolf stood up easily, still holding Caroline against his side. “Far be it from me to refuse my wife something she needs,” he said easily, striding to their bedroom, not letting go and leaving Caroline to stumble alongside him as she tried to keep up with his large strides.

He laid her down on their bed and crawled on his knees over her as she settled. He put his good hand next to her shoulders and straddled her thighs. He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “No matter where I go, no matter what I do,
this
is why I do it. To come home to this. To you. I love you, Caroline Martin Steel. You are my home, my everything. I’d fight through the deepest jungles, the driest deserts, and the widest oceans to end my journey right here in your arms.”

Wolf leaned down and kissed away the tears leaking out of her eyes.

“Less talk and more action please, kind sir,” Caroline teased, running her hands up Matthew’s chest, pushing his shirt up as she went.

“Yes, ma’am.”

No words were spoken for a long while as the SEAL team leader and his wife reaffirmed their love.

A
labama sat
with Davisa and Brinique and absently watched as they played with their Barbie dolls. They’d been uncharacteristically energetic throughout the day, and Alabama figured it was because they’d somehow sensed Christopher was coming home.

“You’re pretty, Mom,” Brinique told her out of the blue.

Alabama smiled, realizing again how bright her daughters were. “Thank you, Sweetie. I appreciate it.”

Brinique smiled, and kept her eyes on her mom. “Is Daddy coming home today?”

Alabama nodded. “I think so. I’m not sure when, but yeah, I think he’ll be home tonight.” She had explained to her daughters how Christopher had been hurt, but thought she’d better bring it up again. “You guys remember how I told you Daddy had been hurt while he was away fighting the bad guys, right?”

Both girls nodded solemnly.

“So you have to be careful when he gets here. You can’t run into him because he’s going to be on crutches. Go easy on him and be careful of his hurt leg. Okay?”

Davisa got up off the floor and went over to Alabama and crawled into her lap. She looked up with her big brown eyes and asked, “We will, Mommy, promise. We’ll be really careful.”

Alabama hugged her. “I know you will, hon.” She squeezed her daughter, and they both looked up when they heard a noise at their front door.

“Daddy!” Brinique screeched, springing up from the floor with an ease only a six-year-old could know and racing toward the front of the house.

Davisa squirmed off of Alabama’s lap and hurried after her sister. Alabama quickly followed and held her breath at the first glimpse of her husband after a very long and stressful mission. He was standing with both arms around his girls, with a pair of crutches balanced precariously under his armpits. He looked a bit pale to Alabama, but otherwise unscathed. He was wearing khaki pants and a button-up shirt. There was a faint tan line on his face where a beard had recently been scraped off, but it was the pain lines around his eyes that made her go to him.

She moved to his side and grabbed one of the crutches, propping it up against the wall. She put her shoulder under him and wrapped her arm around his back. Looking up, she murmured, “Welcome home, Christopher.”

Abe looked down at the three females in his life and felt his heart expand. God, he’d almost fucked this up a few years ago. He’d almost let this…perfection…slip through his fingers. He thanked God every single day for getting a second chance, that Alabama had
given
him a second chance. Abe lowered his head and brushed his lips across his wife’s, relishing the taste and feel of her under him. “Thanks. It’s good to be home.”

“Daddy, Daddy, we got Barbies!” Davisa shrieked. “Aunt Caroline found them in a box and said we could play with them for as long as we wanted!” She continued, “And Aunt Jess has been throwing up
every day
, and Aunt Cheyenne named her baby Taylor just like I said, and—”

Brinique interrupted her sister. “It’s
my
turn to talk. Daddy, I can write the entire alphabet and I’m in charge of brushing my own teeth now, and Akilah taught me how to say ‘I love you’ in Iraqi and we miiiiissed you.”

Abe smiled down at his girls. He’d missed their nonstop chatter more than he’d realized until right this moment.

“Come on, girls, let’s let Daddy come in and sit, shall we?” Alabama asked rhetorically, already moving the reunion party farther into the house. She got Christopher settled on the couch, helping him prop his leg onto an ottoman, and they spent the next hour catching each other up with their lives.

Finally the time came for Brinique and Davisa to go to bed. Abe read them two stories and kissed them each on the forehead. “The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner a new day will come.” The familiar words seemed to soothe the girls and Abe could hear them snoring before he shut the door behind him.

Abe knew the hardest conversation was still to come. He knew when he sat, he’d be down for the night, so he hobbled into the bathroom to take care of business and then made his way into the bedroom. Alabama was already changed into one of his T-shirts for bed. She put one hand on his face as she went to the bathroom. “I’ll be out in a moment. Get comfortable.”

Abe nodded and watched with gratitude as his wife went into the bathroom. He quickly stripped off his clothes until he was nude. He needed the closeness being skin to skin with Alabama would bring tonight.

He lay on the bed and didn’t bother pulling the covers up and over his legs. He knew Alabama would need to see for herself his injury and make sure he was all right. He didn’t begrudge her that in the least.

Alabama came out of the bathroom and over to their bed. Without a word, she sat on the side next to Christopher’s injured leg and brushed her fingertips over the still-healing wound, which was covered in a thick bandage.

Abe didn’t say anything, he simply let his wife reassure herself that he was there, and was all right. He’d been injured before, but not like this. He hated to seem weak in front of Alabama, but he knew she needed this.

Finally, after another few minutes, Alabama leaned down and kissed the skin above and below the bandage, then she stood up, removed the shirt she was wearing, and climbed into bed. She didn’t bother crossing over to the other side, she carefully crawled over him by straddling his knees and moving to his other side. She pulled the covers out from under him and pulled the sheet over them both.

Abe wrapped an arm under her shoulders and sighed in pure contentment as Alabama lay her head on his shoulder and wrapped her free arm over his belly.

“Welcome home, Christopher,” she said softly, running her fingers over and around his belly button.

“Thank you. It’s good to be home.”

“The girls missed you.
I
missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“You’re really all right?”

“Yeah. To be honest, I missed most of the exciting stuff ‘cos I was either high on the pain killers the guys kept forcing into me or passed out, but I’m good. The team took care of me and I’m here and in one piece.” Abe didn’t censor his words too much. He always wanted to be honest with Alabama, as much as he could be while not worrying her further or breaking his top-secret clearance with the government.

He inhaled as Alabama’s hand lowered. When she circled him and squeezed, he stopped breathing. “Alabama…”

“I figured you needed a proper welcome home. I’m not hurting your leg, am I?”

“Fuck no. This would never hurt me.”

Alabama chuckled and shifted in his grasp. She felt Christopher hold his breath as she moved down his body and kneeled next to his hip. She glanced up at him as her hands fondled his now hardening shaft. “Well, let me know if I
do
hurt you…” And she lowered her head, doing what she’d dreamed of the many nights that her husband had been gone. She’d always loved taking him in her mouth. He was the only man she’d gone down on, and she loved that she could make him lose his tightly held control when she did this for him.

Fifteen minutes later, Alabama snuggled up next to Christopher again, listening as his breathing settled into a normal pattern again. She smiled against him.

“Jesus, woman. You’re gonna kill me.”

“But what a way to go, huh?”

“Yeah. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“The only thing on my mind while I was out there, lying wounded and not knowing how things would turn out, was you. You’re everything to me.
Everything
. I love you,” Abe told Alabama, his words quiet in the dark room.

“Christopher—”

“No, I know you know, but I want you to
know
that you’ve burrowed yourself so far into my heart that you’ll always be there.”

“Seriously, Christopher—”

Abe didn’t give her a chance to finish. “Now…” He tightened his hold on her shoulders and urged her to roll onto him. “Come up here and let me show you how much you mean to me.”