Wed to a SEAL (Hot SEALs) (Volume 8) (8 page)

It had served him well so far. He was still alive, wasn’t he? More than once, a good rush of anger had given him the push he needed to survive. It was sometimes that extra burst of adrenaline that put the winner over the top.

“I’m protecting her.” Rocky’s tone left no room for debate.

“Okay.” Jon dipped his head in a nod of acceptance.

Even with as determined as he was, logic began to creep in. Rocky huffed out a breath. “What the fuck am I gonna do about her if I get called in? I could be out of the country for months.”

“Yeah, you could.”

He couldn’t ask them to protect her if he deployed. It was bad enough he might have to impose on Rick or Jon to put her and the baby up for the night. Him too, since he wasn’t leaving her alone.

Maybe for tonight he could rent her a room at the hotel on the base. She and the baby would be allowed to stay there as long as he booked the room. She’d be safer on base than at a hotel out in town.

That solved the immediate issue of where to stash her and Lola. He could figure the rest out later.

“There’s something else.”

There was Jon again, splashing cold water on his plans right after he’d settled everything in his mind.

“Yeah?”

“Rick called Zane about her immigration issue.”

Shit. He’d forgotten that part. She was in the country with an invalid student visa since she was no longer a student. But what the hell did Jon’s partner in GAPS have to do with any of that. “Zane? Why?”

“He’s got connections in the Capitol. I thought he might have some insight, if not be able to pull some strings.”

“And?”

“He thinks it’s possible he can put her in touch with the proper people to get it straightened out given the circumstances, but it’s going to take time. Until she speaks with an immigration lawyer, his instinct is for her to lay low.”

“Meaning don’t go to the police even if there is a mobster from Miami after her?”

“Yeah. I have to say I agree with him. The last thing we need is some cop playing things by the book, contacting immigration and getting her deported to Cuba. We can protect her while she’s here. Not once she’s there.”

One word Jon spoke stuck out for Rocky. He decided to comment on it. “We?”

“Of course. I’m not gonna abandon her. Or you either if you insist on being the hero. GAPS has done well this year. We can spare a little manpower for some pro bono work.”

“Thanks.” A little choked up at the generosity, Rocky didn’t know what else to say.

“No problem. We got your six.” Jon grinned.

If that didn’t happen to be the GAPS company motto, the one currently embroidered beneath the logo on the front of Jon’s black shirt, the sentiment might have meant more.

But hell, at the moment he’d take what he could get.

CHAPTER 7

Her whole life—what remained of it anyway—was shoved in the bed of the pick-up truck belonging to a man she’d known for less than a full day.

As much of her and Lola’s clothing as would fit was inside the only two suitcases she owned. The rest of their combined belongings were stashed in trash bags—a quick fix for lack of a better option.

She’d been planning to only remove evidence of Lola’s existence, but she’d been overruled. The two men with her, who seemed to operate like this trip to her apartment was a mission against an enemy army, had suggested very strongly that she clean out the apartment completely.

Since they were offering up Rocky’s truck and their manpower to help her, she really couldn’t argue. She could sense they weren’t going to budge on their plan.

So even though the rent was paid through the end of next month, her two-room furnished apartment was empty of anything from her time there. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit that was extremely depressing.

In spite of that grim reality, Isabel was grateful for the help. Rocky’s generosity had saved her in so many ways in such a short time, from fixing her car last night, to taking in Lola today, to hauling her stuff now.

She could never even begin to repay him or his friends for the help she’d already accepted from them, and this ordeal wasn’t over yet. Accepting something she didn’t deserve didn’t come easily to her. Doing so stung the pride instilled in her over a lifetime of being raised by a strong-willed grandmother in Cuba who stood on her own two feet in spite of overwhelming odds.

But Isabel had no choice.

Rocky steered the truck off the highway and onto a street she recognized. They were almost to his friend’s house. She’d be reunited with her daughter soon.

He glanced past her and to Jon. “I figure we’ll ask Rick if we can unload everything into the garage.”

Jon nodded. “Good plan. Then she can sort it out inside.”

 
“Yup. That’s what I’m thinking. Behind closed doors and out of view of the street.” Rocky finally switched his focus to her. “Pull out anything you’ll need for the next couple of days. Hopefully Rick and his sister will let you keep the rest here for the duration. There’s not a whole lot. If it’s a problem keeping it here, I’ll bring it over to my storage unit.”

Jon shook his head. “It shouldn’t be a problem. Rick never puts his truck in the garage. He and his sister shouldn’t mind.”

Her stuff was going to live in the garage of the house belonging to the big scary blonde guy and his sister? Why would two people she didn’t know go out of their way to help a stranger?

That seemed odd to her but it was far from her biggest concern. There were so many more baffling things.

Isabel watched the men talking over her like this was a tennis match and she was the net.

“You look like you have questions about the plan, so ask.” Rocky must have seen her frown.

She raised her eyes to meet his golden brown gaze. “I’m just confused. I didn’t realize we had a plan.”

At least no plan past getting her stuff out of the apartment and out of sight before Tito spotted them.

Rocky grinned. “We always have a plan.

“Okay.” She sounded about as skeptical as she felt.

“You don’t believe me that we have one, do you?”

“I do . . . I guess. What is it?” She didn’t want to insult him but she couldn’t exactly lie either.

“First, we’ll ask Rick about leaving your things here.”

“Why?”

“Because I got nowhere secure to lock up my truck with all your stuff exposed in the bed. Aside from the chance someone could steal your shit, I don’t want to risk leaving all the things we’re trying to hide from your ex out in the open for him to find.”

She didn’t love that idea but it made sense, at least.

“Yup.” Jon tipped his head in agreement with Rocky. “On top of that, we were parked in front of your apartment for a long time. I don’t think we were followed but we can’t risk the vehicle being spotted and recognized. We need to unload and then move the truck away from the house so it doesn’t lead anyone right here to you.”

Followed? This was feeling more and more like a television cop show than her shambles of a life.

If it were a show, everything would be wrapped up neatly within the forty minutes of the program, not counting commercial breaks.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Unfortunately this was very real, and she had another real concern to inquire about. “What about tonight? Where am I going to sleep with Lola?”

“I have a plan for that.”

Jon shot Rocky a sideways glance from beneath one cocked brow. “Do you? Wanna fill me and her in on that?”

“Sure.” Rocky nodded as he slowed the truck. “I made a call while we were at her apartment. They were booked full tonight but there was a vacancy for tomorrow night so I booked her a room on the base.”

Jon nodded, a slow tipping of his head. “Good. It’s secure. Unexpected.”

“Exactly.” Rocky looked happy with the approval. “I’m hoping since Rick and his sister were willing to let me and Thom stay there tonight, the offer still stands now we found her.”

Isabel watched the conversation happening over her, as if she weren’t in the middle of both the situation and the two men talking.

Meanwhile, she couldn’t help calculating how long she and Lola could survive on what little money she had saved while paying for a hotel room.

She’d have to work her shift tomorrow. She couldn’t give up the tips she’d make working a prime shift anymore than she could leave the other girls shorthanded by not showing up.

But who would babysit while she did?

Having Hannah come to sit in her apartment had made her life so easy. And having Hannah’s mother Dee right next door in case of an emergency had eased her worry.

Now, she had nobody.

Shit. She’d have to give up the shift.

As she obsessed, Rocky had pulled the truck along the curb and threw it into Park.

Jon’s hand was already on the passenger door handle. “I’m gonna run in and talk to Rick quick. If he says yes about keeping her stuff here temporarily, I’ll get him to move his truck so we can back up right to the garage door to unload.”

“Sounds good. I’ll wait here for your word.” Rocky waited for Jon to slam the door before he turned to Isabel. “You’re still worried.”

Besides the fact she was ready to jump out of the truck and run inside to see her daughter, Rocky was right. She was worried. About Tito. About work. About her life and her livelihood and her lack of a home and her future . . .
 

She glanced at him next to her and kept the growing list of concerns to herself. “How do you know?”

“That frown is one clue.” He reached out and ran his thumb across her forehead over what she imagined must be creases deep enough he’d noticed them.

As his warm gentle touch sent emotions she couldn’t identify through her, he dropped his hand back to the steering wheel and continued, “Besides that, I can see you’re worried. From the way your fingers are turning white from lack of circulation because you’ve got your hands clutched so tight, to the way you’re breathing. Quick and shallow. Like a scared bird.”

It wasn’t the most flattering description but he was right. She was terrified and she was terrible at hiding her feelings.

She felt the tears creeping behind her eyes, threatening to make themselves visible. “How am I ever going to face Tito and lie to him? I’m no good at lying. And I can’t hide away at your friends’ house or on your military base forever. I have to work. I have a shift tomorrow—”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“You keep saying that.” As the tears burned her eye sockets she drew in a stuttering breath.

“And I mean it every time.” Rocky lifted his chin in the direction of the house. “Rick’s moving his truck for us. We’ll unload then go on in and figure this Tito stuff all out.”

“I still don’t know how.”

He turned his gaze on her. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with here.”

“No, I guess not. Who am I dealing with?”

“The best of the best.” He grinned and threw the truck into gear as she wondered who exactly she’d enlisted to help her.

CHAPTER 8

“She looked scared to death during the drive over.” Rocky’s gaze cut to the closed bedroom door.