SEALs of Honor: Shadow (15 page)

“Food. I take food to the old folks in my building. And shop for them sometimes,” she said. “My father threatened to cut off my allowance when he found out I was doing that as a teen.” She sighed at the memories.

“And what did you do then?” he asked.

“I told him to go ahead and I’d be sure to contact the local newspaper about the senator who cut off the support for those less fortunate,” she confessed.

He nudged her chin up and searched her eyes.

“See,” she whispered, needing him to see her as she really was. “I’m not a very nice person.”

His lips twitched. “Sweetie, the world I live in – you’re a pink puff ball full of niceness.”

She blinked then narrowed her gaze at him. Was he mocking her? Hadn’t he understood what she’d said? “I don’t think you understand,” she said earnestly. “I took advantage of the situation.”

He snickered. “No, you did what you had to do.”

Now she was getting mad. “No I didn’t. I could have walked away and not said anything to him. But I was upset and angry.”

But he wasn’t listening. “You were not a bad person for what you did.”

“I blackmailed him,” she snapped. “Weren’t you listening?”

Mason’s cold voice cut through the conversation. “Who did you blackmail and does it relate to this case.”

That did it, Shadow burst out laughing.

Arianna reached out and plowed her fist into his belly. The rest of the men crowded around. She couldn’t figure out if they were stunned that she’d hit him or the fact that Shadow was damn near rolling on the ground in hysterics.

“You…you…” And words failed her.

The men were helpful though.

“Meanie,” Dane suggested.

“Arrogant SOB,” said Hawk helpfully.

“Asshole,” said Cooper with a huge grin.

“No, I couldn’t call him that,” she said with a gasp. “But he is a meanie. And hurtful. And not very accepting of my faults.”

That did it. The others started to snigger and Shadow fell on his butt to the ground, holding his head in his hands as he tried to stop the laughter rolling through him.

She stared at them and then at him. “Why won’t he believe me?”

Mason, his voice desperately trying to quell the humor, said, “Then explain and we’ll pass judgment.”

She blinked at him suspiciously. The others were trying to calm down so they could hear. She sighed and quickly explained. She finished with, “So I blackmailed my father into continuing my allowance. See… I told Shadow here I was a terrible person, and he should find someone much better than me.”

The men, huge grins on their faces all nodded. She wailed. “You all think I’m terrible too.”

And damn if her lower lip didn’t tremble.

Mason, once again the voice of reason said, “And after you blackmailed your father, what did he do?”

“He doubled the amount,” she said with a small grin.

“And just for the record,” Shadow said from the ground where Swede was offering a helping hand. “You never said I should find someone better than you.”

“Oh, so you want to repeat that in front of all your friends? Just to humiliate me more.”

He sighed.

“Look, they are laughing at me,” she lamented.

He groaned. “They aren’t laughing at you, they’re laughing at me.”

“What?” she turned to face all the men who were grinning or trying to hide grins but still nodding their heads. “You wouldn’t…”

She spun so she was standing in front of Shadow, defending him, her feistiness rising to the surface. “You can’t laugh at him, he’s your friend. He’s a good man.”

“Oh for the love of Go–”

“Now what?” she cried out, turning to face him. “I can’t have them making fun of you. That’s not nice. Everyone thinks you’re cold and mean. They don’t know you like I do. You’re a marshmallow inside.”

“Marshmallow?” Swede asked in a barely controlled voice.

“Softie is probably good,” Hawk suggested helpfully.

“I like the pussycat term she used before,” Dane said. “Yeah, that’s really a good description of Shadow.”

“Exactly,” she said earnestly, spinning to beam at the men. “Inside he’s really a lovable person, even if he often shows a cold, detached exterior.”

“Jesus,” Shadow said and jerked her around and into his arms. “Enough already. You’re killing my hard earned reputation.”

She opened her mouth again to blast him, but he calmly picked her up. “Remember how I shut you up last time?”

And he kissed her. Again.

*

He had to
stop doing that.

The rest of his team were cheering him on and he felt like a heel. Pulling back he studied the slumberous look she gave him. His lips tilted. She didn’t appear to be bothered by the crowd around them. He’d hate for her to feel they didn’t respect her because they did – if for no other reason than for taking him on.

Crack.

Shadow hit the ground, pulling Arianna over with him. He heard her cry of pain and hoped to hell it was because of her original injury and not a second bullet. He’d deliberately pulled her on top of him as he fell, but now he rolled, tucking her under the vehicle and came up, gun out and ready. His team had scattered, Cooper crouched beside him swearing in low tones but the language he used, yeah the air had turned ripe. There was blood on his shoulder, but it was only a scratch. Thank heavens, Cooper had just gotten back to Active Duty, he’d be pissed to be sidelined so quickly.

He peered around the grill of the truck. Mason had managed to get to the far side of the gas pumps, not the ideal location but he could maneuver around behind the neighbor’s house if he got cover.

And Shadow could give him that. Catching his eye, they set up the timing and on the count of three, Shadow jumped up and started firing. When Mason was safe, Shadow popped back down and looked at Arianna. She lay quietly where he’d placed her, her gaze locked on him and huge.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay.”

But her look said she didn’t believe him. And considering more firepower was being exchanged she had good reason.

“Shadow…”

The hiss came from the store behind him. Dane was there, motioning at him to join him.

“Cooper,” he said in an urgent whisper. “I’m taking her inside the store.”

“Got it.”

With a warning glance at Arianna, Shadow scooped her up in his arm and raced to the store and inside as Cooper covered them.

“Do we have any idea who or how many?” he asked when he came to a stop inside. Arianna had looped her arms around his head.

“No. Two for sure.”

“Same group?” Shadow asked. He looked at the back door, in his mind he could see the layout of the other houses. And the distance he’d have to travel to reach safety.

“That amount of shooting I’m going to say yes.” Dane motioned to the back. “Swede took off and went to the left, Hawk went to the right.”

“Cooper is at the truck and Mason at the pumps,” Shadow added filling him in. “Now Arianna is here.”

“Keep an eye on her,” Shadow said. He carefully lowered her to beside a wall full of ropes and other miscellaneous items. “I’ll be back,” he whispered.

At the next round of gunfire he bolted out the back door.

A
rianna huddled in
the corner of the store, arms over her head as the gunfire rained all around the building. Shots hit the old wooden structure but didn’t penetrate the thick walls. Smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe, but she honestly couldn’t figure out if that was the panic or residue in the air. When there appeared to be a small break in the shooting, she slowly lowered her arms. And froze.

The smell hit her at the doorway. The storekeeper lay on the floor in front of her. She hadn’t seen him before. Now the dead man came clearly into view. He’d been covered with an old plaid hunting shirt but laid up against the back of the counter. She had no doubt about his identity. The poor man.

“Arianna?” Dane’s harsh whisper broke her out of her reverie.

“I’m here. I’m fine.”

“Good.”

“What’s going on out there? Surely that’s more than one man?”

“Yeah, looks like three.”

Three. She shook her head. “Did the other prisoners get away from the soldiers and somehow come into town via a different route?”

“We didn’t see a different route. Mason has been trying to contact the other soldiers. We could use the backup, and if they are traveling toward us, we don’t want them to get caught in the trap.”

“No, there’re enough dead men already.” Too many dead. Thankfully most of the deaths hadn’t involved her.

She didn’t count the guy she knocked out of the tree. He’d been going after her brother. Kevin. Thank God her brother wasn’t here with her now. That would be terrible for him. He should be home safe and sound. But with both parents injured and in the hospital she had no idea where he’d go. Who’d look after him? He’d be with her if she’d gone home. If she was allowed to leave. Her leg didn’t feel horrible but neither did it feel terrific. The hospital might have sent her home to heal or they’d have forced her to wait in the hospital a day or two longer. And Kevin would be in the same boat as he was now.

At least he’d escaped without physical injury, but she knew these past events would scar him for life. How could it not? He was a strong boy though and with help he’d get past this.

She just wished she was there with him now.

The silence outside continued in an elongated moment. She twisted to look up at Cooper. “Any idea what’s happening out there?”

“No. Not yet. If our team can sneak up and take them out, this could be over in minutes.”

“Or hours,” she muttered.

“Hopefully not. We aren’t into sieges.”

“Good.” As the words left her mouth a short burst of gunfire sounded behind the store. Shit. She’d feel better if that had been out front.

Cooper raced to hide behind the door. Arianna scrunched up as small as she could.

Slowly the door was pushed open and swung loose. No hand visible. Nobody walking inside. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, and she pressed harder against the shelves at her back. Now what the hell…

A man somersaulted inside, and with guns blazing, he spun and fired. She lay flat on the floor as the bullets rained over her head.

A single shot fired.

The gunman collapsed to the floor, a bullet between the eyes. Shadow walked inside the store, kicked the gun away from the dead man and nudged him with his boot. Satisfied the danger had been neutralized, he turned to study Arianna. “Cooper,” he called out.

“Yep,” Cooper said, “Right behind you.”

“Anyone else in here,” Shadow asked in a dark, flat voice that left Arianna breathless at the dangerous man in front of her.

“Only us,” she whispered. “And now two dead guys.”

He shifted to the window. “Mason took out one, this is two. We’re looking for at least one more. Maybe two more. We’re afraid they’ve holed up in one of the houses, possibly holding a family hostage.”

“To what purpose,” Cooper asked. “They failed in their mission. What’s the point of attacking innocent bystanders?”

“No idea. They might have been holding them as insurance for the senator as extra leverage.”

“Makes no sense,” Arianna said. “If his own family didn’t do it, a house of strangers wouldn’t either.”

“I have to agree,” Shadow said. “It could have been insurance in case their group got into trouble.”

“Or to persuade you to hand me over?”

Shadow shot her a hard look. “Not happening.”

“I think once the plan blew up and they lost three family members, they realized the senator wasn’t going to do what they wanted, so they looked to grab me to save something of the operation. Or maybe they needed me as extra insurance to gain their freedom.” She shuddered. “You have to help the family.”

“We are planning to. But that’s not going to work out so well if we can’t shut down the men hunting us.” He spun around and crept to the open door. “First things first.”

And once again he disappeared.

She looked from the second dead man to Cooper. “Do you want to go after Shadow?”

Cooper shook his head. “Shadow operates on a whole different level than the rest of us. He works best alone.”