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Matt
Matt scanned the contents of the file Ian had sent him, but there was little in it he hadn’t already known.
Because Hayley Freed was and forever would be indelibly engraved in his heart and soul.
He hadn’t realized just how much back then. They’d been so young; full of hope and idealistic ambition. He was going to Annapolis after graduation, and she’d accepted a scholarship halfway across the country. A high school romance, no matter how incredible, wasn’t going to get in the way of their plans.
Neither one wanted to complicate things with a long-distance relationship, especially one that would last six years or more. They both agreed it was better to experience life beyond the confines of their tiny universe without restrictions.
Now he knew better. No amount of time or distance would change what he’d felt that one summer night under the stars along the shore of the lake. Fifteen years and untold life experiences later, it was still Hayley’s face he saw in his dreams.
He’d tried to move on. He really had. But he hadn’t been able to forget her. Not throughout his studies. Not throughout his training. When he’d lost his entire family, it was Hayley his heart had yearned for.
After the funerals, he’d even gone so far as to fly out to the Midwestern university she attended. He’d wanted to see her beautiful face. To find a brief respite from the suffocating darkness in her warm embrace. To have a chance to grieve and mourn with someone who wouldn’t think him weak because of it.
Hayley didn’t know about the fire. How would she have? She’d left town and not looked back, severing all ties in the process.
Including the ones she’d made with him.
A familiar ache shot through his chest.
He hadn’t approached her that day on campus. He found her in the library, her nose deep in a book. Her brows were furrowed but in concentration, not worry or angst. She looked content. Free.
He had turned and walked away. No matter how much he was hurting, he didn’t want her to hurt, too.
That didn’t mean he forgot.
The service kept him busy. He found plenty of distractions. He learned. Grew. Grabbed life with both hands and experienced everything he could. But Hayley Freed would always own a piece of his soul.
One of the first things he did when he got out of the service was look her up. She’d done well for herself, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in criminal psychology before becoming a US deputy marshal in the eastern district of Virginia.
Matt wasn’t surprised. He’d always known Hayley would accomplish anything she set her mind to; even in high school, she’d been determined to change the world.
For the last five years, she’d been living alone in a condo in Alexandria, and she often took assignments around the DC area, pulling protective duty for important government officials, particularly women. Like him, she remained single, and he wondered if, deep down, maybe he owned a piece of her soul, too.
So many times, he’d thought about reaching out to her and getting the answer to that question, but something in his gut had told him it wasn’t the right time. One thing he’d learned as a SEAL was to trust his gut.
That wasn’t always easy. When she’d thrown herself in front of the Supreme Court justice six months earlier and taken two bullets for her trouble, he’d nearly lost his shit. He had a bag packed and was on his way to Washington DC within minutes of hearing the news. He’d made it as far as Philadelphia before reason overcame emotion, and he’d returned home and made some phone calls instead.
The Callaghans weren’t the only ones with contacts.
When he was thinking clearly again, he knew he’d made the right decision. Fifteen years was a long time to suddenly show up, unannounced, at someone’s doorstep, especially when he had no idea if she wanted him to.
Now, here she was on his. And his gut was telling him ... it was time.
Matt checked his watch. He thought about calling a quick meeting with his partners to tell them what was going on, but he didn’t want to wait that long. Now that he knew Hayley was in town, a sense of urgency was riding him hard.
His new plan: hit the dining room on his way out, tell anyone who was there that there’d be a briefing later, and then head into town and find Hayley. He’d assess the situation and provide an account later.
As luck would have it, all five of his partners were there, seated around two tables that had been pushed together.
“There’s our fearless leader,” Cole “Doc” Watson teased when he spotted Matt. “Joining us for some bro time?”
None of their wives were there with them, which was unusual.
“Where are the ladies?”
“Girls’ day,” “Mad Dog” Sheppard said. “Sam made coffee before she left, but if you want breakfast, you’ll have to forage. No worries though. She and Kate stockpiled enough food to see us through the apocalypse.”
The kitchen was always stockpiled with food.
“Later,” Matt said. “I’m heading into town.”
“Uh-oh. I know that face,” Hugh “Heff” Bradley said, narrowing his eyes. “That’s his mission face.”
“What’s going on, Church?” asked Nick “Cage” Fumanti, his eyes alert. “Did you get a lead on where Luther’s been holing up?”
“Not exactly. Ian called this morning. Apparently, there’s a new player in town.”
“Just what we need,” murmured Steve “Smoke” Tannen. “Who?”
“A US deputy marshal.”
Mad Dog frowned. “The DOJ must think they’re close to an arrest if they’re sending in a DM. Why haven’t we heard anything?”
“Because, according to Ian, the DM’s here unofficially, off the company radar.”
“Yeah, because that’s always a good idea,” Heff muttered.
“Sacrificial goat or someone looking to make a name for himself?” asked Doc.
“Neither,” answered Matt. “Ian believes the DOJ is feeling the pressure to wrap this up before the next election, so they’re willing to try alternative methods to shake things up.”
“And protect their own asses in the process,” Cage commented.
The others murmured agreement, but Heff was still watching him closely. Too closely. “That’s part of it, but it’s not all of it,” the former sniper said. “What are you not telling us, Church?”
“This unsanctioned op, it’s not just business for the DM. It’s personal.”
“How personal?” asked Doc.
Matt took a slow, deep, measured breath before answering, “The deputy marshal who showed up this morning is ... Hayley Freed.”
The guys were former SEALs, which meant they knew a thing or two about controlling their reactions. Matt was met with five stoic, neutral expressions, but the air was practically vibrating around them.
“I’m sorry. Did you say Freed? As in a blood relation of Daryl Freed, the current chief of police and arch nemesis of all things good and honorable?” Heff asked.
Matt jerked his head in a nod.
Smoke whistled. “That’s pretty fucking personal.”
“Wait. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?” Doc asked. “A DM is higher on the law enforcement food chain than a local police chief, right?”
“Right. And I believe it’s a good thing,” Matt said carefully. “Hayley is nothing like her brother. Or her father for that matter.”
“Yeah, but blood, man. Where do her loyalties lie?” asked Mad Dog.
“Not with Daryl,” Matt said firmly, believing that to the depths of his soul. Hayley hadn’t told him everything she’d had to endure, but he’d heard enough whispered rumors about Darius and his activities over the years to guess.
Silence reigned for several long beats as they processed the news.
“So, how do you want to play this? Are we getting involved or sitting this one out?” Cage asked.
Oh, they were definitely getting involved. The answer must have shown on his face because Cage and the others nodded.
“I’ll know more after an initial assessment. We’ll do a briefing later.”
“You want company?” asked Smoke.
“No, I got this.”
Heff, the fucker, smirked, as if he knew the history. Hell, they probably all knew about Hayley and him—or thought they did. Smoke’s, Heff’s, Mad Dog’s, and Doc’s wives were Sumneyville locals, so they were familiar with the rumors and speculation surrounding Hayley’s sudden disappearance. Over the course of the last few years, there had been plenty of subtle nudges for information, but Matt hadn’t obliged. He didn’t know why Hayley had left suddenly or why she hadn’t been in contact since, only that there must have been a damn good reason for it.
Matt left the dining room and went out to the back lot, anxious to be on his way. He was opening the door to his black SUV when Heff appeared beside him.
Heff’s face held concern instead of his usual smart-ass smirk. “Church.”
“Yeah?”
“You sure this is a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You and Hayley. You were a thing, right?”
“Ancient history,” Matt said. Present, and future history, too, if he had anything to say about it.
“Is it?” Heff mused. “Because I know you, and I know that look.”
Matt didn’t waste breath or time denying it. He slid into the driver’s seat, started the vehicle, then addressed Heff through the open window. “Then you know why I’ve got to do this.”
Heff considered him for a moment then nodded. “Yeah. All right. I get it. Anything you need, say the word. We’re here for you, man.”