“Holy fucking shit.” Nick exploded, tossing his cell phone onto the table.
“What the hell was that all about?” Christian had only heard Nick’s side of the conversation, but it was enough for him to realize some serious shit was going down.
Nick scrubbed his face. “It’s sis,” he said, his voice as rough as gravel.
“What’s happened to her?” Christian shot to his feet, heart in his throat, cold fear racing through his veins. He grabbed Nick’s shoulder and shook it. “She’s okay, isn’t she?”
Nick breathed in deeply and counted to ten before speaking. “As you no doubt heard, Loretta’s in Columbia too. What you didn’t hear is she’s been kidnapped and held for ransom. Her smartass SEAL brother has arrived, so just pray the bastard’s as good as he thinks he is.”
“What’s that got to do with Beth? Why in the name of God won’t he see her onto a plane?”
“Not that simple, Chris. The kidnappers have threatened to kill Loretta unless Beth, delivers the ransom.”
“Damn it to hell. I’ve bailed Loretta out more times than I can count and for what? That girl never learns. This is bad, bro, real bad.” He paced the length of Nick’s living room in long strides. “Hell, man, last time I checked, the commonest form of death for anyone over ten down there was murder, and kidnappings are rife, shit, the longest recorded one is fourteen fucking years.”
“Thanks for sharing, that certainly eases my mind. Where the heck do you come up with that stuff anyway?”
“Information highway, where else?”
“God, you need a life.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it. I’ve made some good friends over the Net.”
“I don’t have time for that bullshit.”
“Beats sitting in front of the box playing with yourself.”
Nick stared at him like he had two heads. “Yeah, whatever, I’m calling the airlines. I’ve got to get sis out of there like yesterday.”
He put a delaying hand on Nick’s shoulder. “We, Nick. We’ve got to get sis out of there. I’m on leave and you’re not going anywhere without me. Leave it to me and I’ll book our tickets online.”
Nick nodded. Both men knew arguing would be a wasted exercise.
* * * *
Zach was annoyed. He’d been rude and abrupt with Carmichael, and his terseness wasn’t warranted. Damn emotions were ruling his head. The guy was only looking out for his sister. He, of all people, couldn’t blame him for that. He made a mental note to call Carmichael later to ease his mind, he at least owed him that much.
He owed Babycakes too. She was visibly shaken and trying to be brave for everyone, for her brother, for Loretta, for him, and he was acting like a jealous dope. A thank you for offering to deliver the ransom wouldn’t go astray. Yeah, that’s what he’d do, but as he wheeled around to do just that, the words caught in his throat.
The damned Aussie had her tucked under his arm, head resting against his chest while he smoothed her hair with one paw and rubbed her back with the other. First Hawk and now Havoc. The sight of them together lit a fire in his belly that he couldn’t control. “I’d say get a room, but you’ve already got one. Come on, Hawk, let’s get out of here and leave them to it.”
“Huh.”
“Shut your dirty mouth, Wolf.” Havoc’s head snapped up, and after moving Beth aside, speared him with his eyes, his stance widening, his shoulders squared. “I know you’re hurting, man, but she is too, so show some respect. If you want a punching bag then you and me, outside, now.”
“Come on, you guys, this is bullshit.” Hawk was on his feet appealing to them both. “We’ve got real trouble on our hands, we don’t have time for this crap. Seriously, you two don’t want to rumble, do you?”
“Zach, Havoc, please. Hawk’s right, this is crazy. Fighting’s not going to solve anything or help Loretta.” Beth stepped between Havoc and him, pushing her palm against his chest.
Havoc cracked his knuckles. “Ball’s in your court, mate.”
Zach was contrite and shook his head, having fucked up yet again. It was official. He was a complete asshole. The list of apology items was growing. When he looked down at Beth, his heart flipped over. Red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Damn.
He tilted her chin and erased the tear tracks with the pad of his thumb. Her skin was soft and otherwise unblemished. Rosy lips parted, moistened to a pink gloss by the tip of her tongue.
“I’m so sorry, Beth, what I said was inexcusable.” His voice cracked and sounded unnatural as he breathed in her fresh scent. Her hair smelled of summertime and roses, and God help him, he wanted her bad.
She bristled and gave him a measured stare with reproachful eyes. “Yes, you were way out of line, but we’re all on edge. I know I’m so scared I can’t think straight.”
She was more gracious than he deserved. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, or to Loretta. I promise you that.” His voice, usually crisp and confident, puffed out in a bare whisper, his breath fanning over her skin, and he wished it were his lips making the contact. The image it evoked arrested him, and he stepped back a pace.
“I know you won’t, Zach.” She reached out and rubbed her fingers up and down his arm. Her touch sent fire pulsing along his veins. “But I can’t help being scared.”
“Phew, I’m glad that’s over. You had me worried there for a minute.” Hawk invaded the moment. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry. How about we order room service?”
“Good idea, kid,” Havoc agreed. “I’m always in the mood for some tucker.”
Beth picked up the in-house menu and handed it to Hawk to make the selection. Zach slid Havoc a sheepish grin. Their anger abated at the speed it had erupted, leaving them both reticent. He’d square it with Havoc later.
“Any preferences?” Hawk asked.
“Nope, whatever sounds good will be fine, just order plenty.” Havoc’s stomach rumble left no one in doubt of how hungry the big man was.
“How about you, Beth?”
“I don’t mind, I haven’t had much of an appetite since Loretta went missing.”
Hawk studied the menu before reaching for the phone. “I’ll order a variety, and you can pick at whatever tickles your taste buds.”
“Sounds good, Hawk.”
Havoc rubbed the base of his neck. “I’ve been thinking, we’re here illegally and don’t want to draw attention, so it might be best if we split tomorrow. The less time spent hanging around here, the better.”
“I agree. We can head for a village close to where Beth has to meet the scumbags who have my sister.”
“Have you got a backpack?” Hawk directed the question to Beth.
“Yes, I do. I’ll get it.”
Zach watched as she sashayed across to the closet, her heels giving her legs a nice line, her hips swaying with each step. As she bent to retrieve it from the closet, her skirt tightened across her nicely rounded ass, and his thoughts shot back to when he’d lifted her to the pool table. The fabric of his pants tightened across his groin and he shifted in his chair.
“Here it is.” She straightened and turned, holding up the pack.
Havoc cleared his throat. “That’ll do fine. Pack light, personal items and a change of clothes only.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Zach was glad for the distraction.
“Oh, and don’t forget your passport,” Havoc reminded her as he got up to answer it.
Tantalizing aromas wafted through the room as the waiter set the assortment of dishes on the table. Hawk passed Beth a plate. “Dig in,” he invited.
She accepted it with a wan face but only picked at the food as they all ate in contemplative silence broken only by Hawk’s groans of pleasure. “Mm, mm, great selection if I do say so myself,” he remarked, rubbing his belly, satisfied.
“Yes, it was very tasty.” Beth covered her mouth, stifling a yawn. “Oh, pardon me.”
“Come on, guys, Beth’s shattered.” Zach sprang up hoping the guys would follow his lead. The idea of leaving her alone did not sit well, but she’d be safe in the hotel, and he’d be right along the corridor if she needed him, besides he could do with the breathing space.
*
Havoc smirked at Wolf’s clumsy attempt to hustle Hawk and him on their way. Interesting. But tomorrow would be full-on, so he came to his feet and made a move for the door, but stopped at the sound of Hawk’s voice.
“Beth, if you’re nervous about being alone, I can bunk in here with you.”
Havoc spun on his heel and turned incredulous eyes upon him. Boy blunder had struck again. The gesture was harmless. Sure, Hawk fancied the girl, and he was being gallant, offering out of concern, but how dumb was the kid? Didn’t he realize Wolf had been pissing a ring around the girl all day, marking his territory like a randy goat from the moment they’d arrived at the hotel. Hell, for a minute there, Wolf had been contemplating taking him on.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m so tired I’m sure I won’t have any trouble sleeping.”
“Beth’s exhausted. Your snoring would keep her awake all night, and she needs to be fresh for tomorrow.” Black thunder erupted across Wolf’s face as he barked at Hawk, and his blue-gray eyes darkened to the color of a stormy sky in winter.
“Yeah, come on, kid, time to hit the road.” He clapped Hawk on the back and ushered him out the door before Wolf could growl another word.
“Night, Beth,” Hawk called.
“Night.”
“You coming, Wolf?”
“Yeah, be with you in a sec.” Wolf paused and faced Beth. “I want Nick’s number so I can fill him in on what’s happening.”
“Oh okay, but he’s not going to be happy.” Beth rattled off the numbers, and Wolf committed them to memory. The man had a phenomenal mind. Havoc couldn’t recall seeing him write down an instruction or a phone number ever.
“I’ll call for you about eight tomorrow, try and get some sleep, and don’t worry. Remember, I’m just down the corridor if you need me.”
“Thanks, Zach, but I’ll be fine.”
Yep, definitely something going on between those two, Havoc thought as he followed Wolf out and closed the door behind them.
“Hey, what you just said to Beth, well, take your own advice and get some sleep.” He cuffed Wolf’s shoulder before walking off in the opposite direction to his room.
Once inside he yanked out his hardware and, sitting on the dark blue carpet, began checking his arsenal. He’d been at it less than ten minutes when a knock sounded. “Yo.”
“It’s me, buddy, Wolf.”
Havoc laid aside the AK-47 and returned the K-bar knife to the sheath strapped to his boot before rising to open the door.
Wolf filled the doorway, one arm resting on the frame, head hung, face like granite. “Mind if I come in?”
Havoc stepped aside without a word. Something besides Loretta was weighing Wolf down, that much was obvious. Just how much he was willing to share, though, was anyone’s guess. They’d been friends a lot of years now, and he had never seen Wolf like this around a woman, all twitchy and belligerent, and over the years he’d seen Wolf around a lot of women. They fell for him like ten pins. True, the circumstances were different, difficult at best, but Wolf was a professional. They’d been in tight spots before, and he’d always kept a clear head, but there was more here than met the eye.
Wolf avoided personal discussions like the plague, so he was reluctant to pry. Heck, they’d known each other almost a year before he’d found out the guy even had a sister, and he’d only happened on that by chance. Wolf would hop a plane to New York every leave, but the team always assumed he was meeting a woman, so a dependent sister came as a shock. What came as a bigger shock was hearing about Wolf’s father.
The team had returned from a gruesome mission with a high casualty count. Hawk was off with some babe. Ice, Frosty and he had rolled up at Wolf’s with a couple of cases of cold ones, intent on a bender. At some time around two in the morning, Frosty passed out. Ice followed an hour later. When the beer ran dry, Wolf cracked open the whisky, and half a bottle later the whole sorry story came out.
He’d come home from school early one day and caught the old man in bed with his mum’s best friend. Apparently, that was only one in a long list of affairs the old man had before Wolf’s mum kicked him to the curb. That same year, though, she died, and four months later his father married a twenty-two-year-old. Loretta was grieving and needed her dad, but he shirked his responsibilities by leaving her in Wolf’s care. Stepmommy dearest didn’t want to start married life taking care of some other woman’s kid. When he didn’t man up for his daughter, Wolf lost the little respect he had left for his father.
The next day Wolf was tetchy about spilling his guts, but his secret was safe. The marriage only lasted a couple of years, the old man died from a stroke. The other guys still didn’t know the sordid details, and Wolf and he hadn’t really talked about it since.
But Wolf wanted to talk now.
“Man, can that kid eat. I swear I don’t know where Hawk puts it.”
“Yeah, the kid’s got an appetite that could choke a horse.”
Wolf was skirting the real issue, so he gave him a nudge. “So, how are you holding up, buddy?”
Blue-gray gaze skittered away and a muscle jerked in his cheek. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Lip service. But what else could he say? “I’m falling apart” wasn’t an option. Havoc knew better than any of them what his friend must be feeling inside, as long-buried memories of his own sister started to surface.
With skilled experience he shut down that nightmare as quick as he swallowed the bile that burned up his throat, and in a voice rasping with emotion changed the subject.
“So what was all that about with Beth?”
Wolf shrugged. “Bullshit behavior. I don’t know what got into me. I acted like a jerk, and I owe you an apology too.”
“Don’t sweat it, my hide’s too tough to be cut by words said in the heat of the moment.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a fucking idiot. Seriously, I don’t know what came over me.”
Havoc gave him a hard stare and contemplated what to say. There was something at play between Beth and Wolf, and it was weird. Wolf never had girl trouble. They all adored him from the young to the very old, hung on his every word, granted his every wish. It was enough to make you puke the way they flitted around him like moths to a flame.
But in all fairness he did treat them well, made each and every one feel special as if she was royalty—except for Beth. The sparks were flying between them and it was heated.
He clapped his friend on the back. “Mate, when we’ve got Loretta back, then you can settle on what to do about Beth. Sure, she may have been a bit of a rebel in the past, but most kids act out. In her defense, I’ve got to say she’s one brave woman. Not many would have the guts to volunteer to do what she signed on for today. In my book, that makes up for a hell of a lot.”
“Yeah, I hear you, but now both their lives are in danger, and with her track record…”
“Don’t dwell on it. Nothing can happen until the day after tomorrow, so until then put it from your mind and chill.”
“Yeah, you’re right, let’s just hope Beth doesn’t fuck up.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so hard on her.”
Wolf sighed and dropped his head into his hands. Havoc was quiet waiting for a response. The silence lengthened and then Wolf lifted his head, rubbed the back of his neck and in a weary voice said, “Long story, man, maybe I’ll tell you someday.”
“Whenever you feel the need to unload, I’m here, mate, no judgment, no recriminations, just saying.”
Wolf angled his head and gave him a penetrating stare, like he was deciding whether to divulge something momentous or not. Havoc didn’t want to rush him, so he took out his knife and began sharpening the blade.
“Do you think I’m warped?”
That got his attention. “Warped? Why the hell would I think that?”
“A cradle snatcher, then.”
“Cradle snatcher?” He was beginning to feel like a parrot. “Blimey, Wolf, what are you on about? If you mean Beth, I thought she was Loretta’s age.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“So, I don’t see the problem.”
“You don’t understand, I’m seven years older than her.”
Ah, now he got the picture. “Did you make a move on the girl when she was underage?”
“Get serious.”
“Then there’s no problem. And, mate, I know how your mind works, and let me just say you are nothing like your old man, so stop beating yourself up over that.”
Wolf rubbed his temples and then whooshed out a breath. “I kissed her when she was eighteen. I…it might have gone further but I, ah, kind of got a wakeup call. I sent her upstairs to her room and then left her high and dry. We haven’t talked since—until the phone call, I mean.”
“Seriously, dude, not cool.”
“You think I don’t know that? It was clear she liked me, but it was a schoolgirl crush. I didn’t want that. I’d made a mental vow to give her time to grow up, go to parties, college, travel, that kind of thing before I asked her out, and then I blew it.”
“You really like this girl?”
Wolf pinched the bridge of his nose, then lifted his chin and looked him straight in the eye. “Yeah, I really do.”
“Well, she’s done the college, travel, and has a career, everything you wanted for her. So if you want her, buddy, apologize for being a pussy and go for it.”
“I’d planned to wait until she was about twenty-eight.”
“Twenty-four is not that young. Four years from now she could be married with a couple of kids. If you were to run it by Frosty, he’d likely say the universe was sending you a message,” he added with a lopsided grin.
The worried lines that furrowed Wolf’s brow eased, and his eyes brightened to a blue haze. Havoc could almost see the cogs turning as he mulled over that perspective.
“You make a legitimate point.” He nodded and a corner of his mouth curved upward.
“Don’t I always?” Havoc returned the half smile with interest. “Glad we got that sorted, old buddy.”
“Thanks for your input, bud. You know, for a big doofus, you sometimes make sense.”
“Just call me Dr. Phil.”
“I’m serious, man, I owe you.”
“Yes you do, you big gallah. Eighteen, huh? I won’t be forgetting that anytime soon, on that you can depend.”
Wolf’s grin faded.
It was a common trait among the guys when one of them did something stupid they all had a field day—nothing was off-limits, but this one he’d keep under his hat. “Don’t stress, your secret’s safe with me.”
Wolf clapped him on the shoulder. “I’d better call her brother before I turn in.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
* * * *
Manuel had been on duty when the three gringos had arrived. He’d only given them cursory consideration, dismissing them as tourists. Their attire attested as much, just three typical Americano men on vacation. That is until they’d emerged fifteen minutes later accompanied by Señorita Carmichael.
His heart skipped a beat, but it must be coincidence. The woman was not stupid, and to go against the instructions would be stupid indeed. He presumed they had met and bonded as tourists from the same country meeting on foreign soil often did.
His fears heightened, though, when he’d learned that they had spent time in her room and shared a meal. He would have to properly thank Helena from room service for that bit of information later.
The señorita didn’t appear the type who’d take strange men to her room, and that alarmed him. Tomorrow he was on afternoon shift again, but he needed to keep a sharp eye out. That required him to work a double. Paulo was a lazy flea, persuading him to relinquish his morning shift would not be a problem.