CHAPTER THREE

 

 

ALL RIGHT, MARSHALL, let’s go. Someone paid your bail.”

Wes jerked awake at the sound of his name. He lifted his head from the wall he’d been resting it against, groaning as he attempted to work out the kink he’d gotten from trying to sleep sitting up on the hard concrete bench attached to the wall of the tiny holding cell.

“You coming, Marshall?” Outside the cell, the uniformed officer gave him an impatient look. “Unless this is your way of saying you’ll like to spend more time with us.”

Wes didn’t reply as he got to his feet. Damn, he was sore and stiff all over. He was starting to rethink that low rating he’d been planning to post on Yelp for the Air Force and their cargo planes. Compared to the San Diego County Detention Facilities, that pallet of mail was looking damn fine about now.

As a Navy SEAL he’d never been one to take freedom for granted because he knew what it cost to keep it, but he couldn’t even begin to describe how good it felt to walk out of that cell. That said, he’d gladly spend years in there if it meant keeping Kyla out of prison.

After locking the door of the cell, the cop led Wes along the stark gray corridor with its many holding areas similar to the one he’d been in. They’d taken his watch when they booked him in the hours right before dawn, and with no windows in this part of the detention area, it was impossible to know what time it was, but it had to be close to noon.

There was a lot of paperwork to fill out, initial, and sign in order to get his personal possessions back, including his belt and shoe laces. As he scanned through the paperwork, he looked for some indication of who’d bailed him out, but there was nothing on it. He still wasn’t sure why he’d used his one call to let Owen know where he was and what was going on instead of telling any of his teammates. Maybe because some part of him hoped the cops would simply release him and his boss would never have to know. But after his bail hearing that morning, no way was that happening now.

Which was why it wasn’t a surprise to see his team leader, Chief Petty Officer Chasen Ward, and Commander Mack Hunt, the man in charge of SEAL Team 5, waiting for him in the lobby. Crap, they looked pissed.

“Commander. Chief.” Wes gave Hunt a nod, then looked at Chasen. “I can explain—”

Hunt scowled. Tall with wide shoulders, his jet-black hair had a slight touch of gray at the temples. “Damn right you will.”

The drive to NAS Coronado in Chasen’s pickup was uncomfortable to say the least, mostly because they spent the first few miles in complete silence. Wes was wondering if he should launch into his explanation or wait until Hunt started asking questions, but he couldn’t do either until he knew Kyla wasn’t in jail.

“The cops didn’t arrest Kyla, too, did they, Chief?” he asked.

“No,” was Chasen’s curt reply.

Wes let out a sigh of relief. He’d been fairly certain the cops would let her go, but it was still good to hear.

“What the hell happened last night, Marshall?” Hunt demanded from the front passenger seat. “And no bullshitting. I need to know exactly what you told the police.”

Chasen caught Wes’s eye in the rearview mirror, giving him a nod. Not sure how much Hunt already knew, Wes decided to start from the beginning, giving the commander the background on Kyla, her father’s death, and the role Nesbitt played in it. Then he got into the details of what happened yesterday, from Nesbitt getting released to how distraught Kyla had been, and finally Owen and Andrew calling to say she was probably going after the former councilman.

Hunt half turned in the seat to frown at him. “You never thought of calling the police and letting them know Kyla was heading for Nesbitt’s place so they could have stopped her before things got out of hand?”

“I didn’t want the cops involved,” Wes said quietly. “She’s had things hard enough lately as it is.”

Hunt regarded him thoughtfully, eyes sharp. “Is there something going on between you and this girl?”

“No.” Wes did his best to answer as casually as he could. “We’re just friends.”

Hunt snorted. “Yeah, right. Okay, so what happened when you got to Nesbitt’s house?”

Wes told them about getting to Kyla’s side in time to stop her from shooting Nesbitt, and how the man had implicated Stavros and agreed to testify against him.

“A minute later, a sniper put a round through Nesbitt’s forehead,” Wes added. “I returned fire with the 9mm handgun Kyla brought with her, but at that range in the dark, it wasn’t very effective. The next thing I know, the cops showed up.”

Hunt’s mouth was tight. “And you told them the gun was yours.”

“Yeah.” Wes shrugged. “I didn’t want Kyla to get jammed up over this. She’s still in college and if she got arrested, it could mean the end of her financial aid. She might even have gotten tossed out of school.”

“And you naturally thought it would be better for you—a Navy SEAL with a Top Secret security clearance and responsibilities out the ass—to take the heat for a woman who you claim is merely a friend?”

Wes nodded, figuring saying anything else would probably only get him in more hot water.

Up front, Hunt cursed. “You recognize how bad this looks for the SEALs, right? First, there was a rumor some of my team helped take down Nesbitt in the first place. And now, the moment he gets out of jail, you’re there when he’s mysteriously murdered. The media is going to have a field day with this.”

This time, Wes caught Chasen’s eye in the mirror. His chief was sitting there behind the wheel completely chill, which was damn impressive considering that “rumor” Hunt mentioned wasn’t rumor at all. Chasen and a few of their teammates had in fact been responsible for Nesbitt getting arrested with the gun Stavros used to murder Kyla’s dad.

But Hunt was more interested in fact than rumor right now. And from the set of his jaw, the commander seemed ready to nail his ass to the wall. While Wes hadn’t killed Nesbitt, he’d gotten arrested and put the SEALs in a negative light. It wouldn’t be the first time Hunt punished someone to make an example of them. Wes had known that was a possibility the moment he’d gone after Kyla. He’d been willing to risk anything to keep her safe.

“Look, I’m not going to try and tell you to stay away from Kyla because I know you won’t do it, but you will stay away from anything regarding the Nesbitt case from now on.” Hunt half turned in his seat to pin him with a hard look. “Do you understand me, Petty Officer Marshall?”

Damn. He might actually get out of this with his ass still in one piece.

“Nesbitt’s dead,” Wes pointed out. “There isn’t much of a case to stay away from.”

Hunt glowered at him. “Don’t play dumb with me. You know as well as I do that this thing isn’t over. If whoever killed Nesbitt is the same person who murdered Kyla’s father, she’ll want to go after him and I don’t want you getting involved. Do I make myself clear?”

Wes bit his tongue to keep from saying something that would get him into trouble. “Crystal clear, Sir.”

Hunt turned back around in his seat. “Good.”

They drove the rest of the way to base in silence, arriving at headquarters fifteen minutes later. Wes stepped out of the pickup, not surprised when Hunt got out and walked around to glare at him.

“Get cleaned up and in uniform. I want you in the main conference room ASAP. The CIA wants to go over your statement about what happened in Nigeria again.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Luckily, Wes always kept a clean uniform in his locker. He wondered if he had time to grab a shower and a quick bite to eat, too. He was starving.

“That went better than I thought,” Chasen said as Hunt disappeared inside the headquarters building. “You’re still alive at least.”

Wes met his chief’s gaze, blue eyes hidden behind the sunglasses he wore. “If Kyla needs my help again, I can’t walk away from her, regardless of what Hunt wants.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Chasen sighed. “Just be smarter about it.”

“I didn’t do anything you didn’t do when it came to saving Hayley,” Wes reminded Chasen. His chief had done whatever he had to do to rescue his wife and damn the consequences.

“Yeah, you did,” Chasen said. “You got caught. Make sure that doesn’t happen again. And next time, don’t go it alone, huh?”

Wes couldn’t help but smile a little at that advice. It was exactly what he’d expect from his chief.

 

* * * * *

 

KYLA’S PULSE SKIPPED a beat at the sound of combat boots on the stairs. She wasn’t really sure how she knew it was Wes—especially since there were several Navy people who lived in his apartment building—but she did. Getting to her feet from where she’d been sitting for the past hour, she slipped her phone into her purse and did her best to look calm even though her heart was going absolutely bananas in her chest right then.

The moment Wes reached the landing, she immediately ran to meet him at a pace that verged on out of control.

So much for calm.

“Thank God you’re okay,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.

A part of her knew throwing herself at him was probably a bad idea, but another part—the one in control at the moment—couldn’t help but notice how good he smelled. And how amazing all those muscles felt under her fingers.

Kyla sighed as Wes’s strong arms came up and enveloped her, pulling her in even tighter until all she could feel was his warmth.

“Of course, I’m okay,” he murmured, resting his chin on top of her head in a way that was incredibly comforting. “Why did you think I wasn’t?”

She pulled back enough to frown up at him. “You got arrested. And it was all my fault. If I hadn’t lost my mind and gone after Nesbitt without thinking, you would never have had to come stop me from doing something really stupid. Thanks for that, by the way. Even if it was insane.”

He gazed at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Let’s go inside. This isn’t something we should talk about out here where anyone could hear us.”

While Kyla agreed talking out there in the hallway about her plan to murder Nesbitt wasn’t a good idea, she was still disappointed when Wes took his arms from around her. She’d never realized how nice of a place it was until he stepped away.

“You weren’t waiting for me long, were you?” Wes asked as he unlocked the door of his apartment and motioned her inside.

“No,” she said as he flipped on the lights.

Unless you call four hours a long time.

She could have called him, she supposed, but talking about what happened last night wasn’t something they could do on the phone.

But there was no way she’d ever let him know her pathetic butt had been sitting on his doorstep feeling guilty about getting him arrested for that long. While she was furious he’d put himself at risk for her, she was also very appreciative.

“I wanted to be here when you got home so I could thank you in person,” she said. “Not only did you keep me from going to prison forever, but you probably saved my life, too.”

Wes regarded her thoughtfully, like he had something important to say, but then he tossed his keys on the table in the entryway. “I’m starving. You want something?”

“Yeah, I could eat.” She dropped her purse on the sofa. “When’s the last time you had anything?”

He considered that for a while, like he genuinely had to think about it, which was kind of scary. “I had a sandwich four or five hours before I met up with you at the courthouse yesterday, then a Snickers about two hours ago.”

Kyla blinked. That meant he’d only had a few hundred calories worth of food in the last twenty-four hours. She opened her mouth to ask why he hadn’t eaten more, but he was already heading for the kitchen, leaving her with no choice but to follow.

Wes opened the fridge, coming out with a carton of eggs and a package of bacon. “What do you think?”

She smiled. “I think bacon and eggs sound perfect.”

While Wes cooked, she set the table and poured two glasses of milk, then popped bread in the toaster when the bacon and eggs were just about done. It occurred to her then that she knew where everything was in the small kitchen. There was probably some significance to that, though she wasn’t brave enough to give a name to it.

She’d been here more than a few times to play video games with Wes, but always with Owen, Andrew, and some of Wes’s SEAL buddies. This was the first time she’d ever been here alone and when they finally sat down at the tiny table to eat, she let herself imagine they were on a date. It was crazy and useless since nothing could ever come of it no matter how much she wanted it to. Not unless she wanted to risk their friendship.

Across from her, Wes looked up from the plate of food he was devouring, blue eyes meeting hers. “How long did the police question you last night?”

“Not very long,” she admitted, biting into a piece of buttered toast. “I told them Nesbitt sent someone by my dorm room with a message saying he wanted to talk to me, but that I didn’t want to go alone so I asked you to meet me there. I kept it vague beyond that, playing the traumatized damsel card any time they tried to pin me down on anything.”

Wes nodded. “Good. I didn’t think they’d hold you since I told them the gun was mine, but I was still relieved when Chasen told me the cops let you go.”

Kyla took a sip of milk to wash down her toast, wincing at the idea of Wes taking all the heat for her. “Were the police horrible to you?”

“Not too horrible.” He shrugged, like spending the night in jail wasn’t a big deal. “Once they figured out Nesbitt had been shot with a rifle and not the handgun I was holding, they only charged me with negligent discharge of a firearm.”

“Only?”

His mouth curved up at the corners. “I said only because it’s a misdemeanor. Most likely, it’ll just be a fine.”

Most likely?

“Oh.”

Kyla pushed her eggs around on the plate, mixing the gooey yolk and firm white part with the crispy bacon. A while ago, Wes and done something illegal with his Teammate, Holden, for all the right reasons and could have gone to prison for it. Last night, he almost had again. Only this time, it would be for her.

“I would have bailed you out myself, but Owen had already called Chasen and he said he’d take care of it,” she told him. “Is what happened last night going to get you into hot water?”

She couldn’t imagine how it wouldn’t. Nesbitt’s murder was all over the news and they kept mentioning that an active duty sailor was being questioned in the shooting. There was no way this could look good for Wes. And the price he paid would be for her mistake.

“It’s nothing I can’t deal with,” he said.

Though the words were casual, Kyla couldn’t help wondering how much he was keeping from her. Wes had been there for her day in and day out during Nesbitt’s trial. She loved Owen and Andrew like crazy, but Wes was her rock, the only thing keeping her sane. He’d gone to jail last night because he’d been trying to protect her. He tried acting like it wasn’t something monumental, but to her, it was.

They both fell silent again, but this time without the comfort that had been there before. When they’d both finished eating, Wes picked up their plates and utensils and walked over to the sink. Kyla followed, leaning one hip against the counter and watching as he rinsed them off, then put them in the dishwasher. Closing the door with a click, he turned to look at her.

“If I hadn’t gotten there when I did, would you have killed Nesbitt last night?” he asked, his voice so soft she barely heard it.

Kyla didn’t answer right away. Was this the question Wes intended to ask her earlier? It was one she’d pondered herself most of last night and a good part of today.

“I’d like to say I wouldn’t have. Or at least tell you that I’m not sure,” she finally said. “But to be honest, when Nesbitt was standing there in front of me, all I could think about was my dad’s funeral, my mom crying for days, and how much I hated the asshole. At that moment, I wanted him dead more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life beyond all reason or rational thought. So, to answer your question, I think maybe I would have pulled the trigger.”

She wasn’t sure what she expected him to do or say to that. Maybe give her a startled, disappointed look. Or insist she was wrong, that she was a good person at heart who would never do something like that. But instead, he washed his hands, then took his time drying them on a towel before turning back to her again.

“I can understand that and I can’t say I’d act any differently if I were in your situation,” he said. “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad you didn’t pull that trigger. Even if it would have been justified, you would never have been the same after doing something like that. Trust me, killing is something I know a lot about.”

The words were so unexpected all Kyla could do was stare. “I might not have pulled the trigger, but Nesbitt’s dead all the same. That’s the only thing that matters.”

Wes seemed to consider that for a moment, but then looked at her curiously, head tilting to the side in a way Kyla found so adorable. “So, what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nesbitt said Stavros was only supposed to scare your father, which implies someone else hired Stavros to murder him.”

She scowled. “Nesbitt was a lying douche canoe who would have said anything to save his butt.”

“Maybe,” Wes agreed. “Maybe not. But it’s obvious someone didn’t want Nesbitt talking last night. Aren’t you curious who shot him?”

“Not really. The list of who people who wanted a jerk like him dead was probably a mile long. Whoever killed Nesbitt did the world a favor.” Tears stung her eyes and when one trickled down her face, she brushed it away with an angry hand. “I’m just so tired of all of this, you know? I’ve been holding this hatred inside me for so long I don’t remember what it’s like not to feel this way. I want this all to be over.”

Kyla didn’t want to cry, but then next thing she knew Wes’s arms were around her and she was sobbing against the front of his uniform T-shirt. But as much as she hated breaking down, it felt good, too. The sorrow and grief, the bitterness that had been festering inside her for so very long, the rage and the pain all came out with her tears as Wes held her tight.

“If you want this to be over, then it’s over,” he murmured, his mouth close to her ear.

She cried even harder then, because it felt like someone had finally given her permission to move on when it seemed as if the only reason she was living was for revenge. But with those few words, she felt lighter, as if the weight that had been on her shoulders had disappeared.

When the tears finally subsided, she wiped the wetness that was left from her cheeks and lifted her head to look at him. “Why did you come after me last night? Why would you risk your career to keep me from doing something stupid?”

Wes reached up to tenderly cup her face. “I couldn’t let anything happen to you,” he said, his voice low and full of emotion. “I couldn’t let you get hurt. Or arrested. The thought of you not being in my life wasn’t something I was ready to accept. I would have risked anything to keep that from happening. You’re important to me.”

Hearing him say something like that out loud made her heart squeeze in the best way possible. She didn’t care that they were only friends, didn’t care that she might be risking that friendship if she kissed him. She just did it. And going on tiptoe to touch her mouth to his felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Man, he tasted amazing. Better even than chocolate…and she loved chocolate.

She melted into his arms, parting her lips and welcoming his tongue, sighing a little as it teased hers. She’d read in romance books about being kissed until you were dizzy, but she’d always thought that was a silly cliché. Turned out, she was wrong. Wes could kiss like nobody’s business!

She and Wes pulled back at the same time, both of them breathing heavily. The way he gazed down at her, his gorgeous blue eyes full of heat, made her seriously think about going right back in for another kiss—as soon as she got her breath back.

His smolder slowly transformed into a sexy smile. “I guess we’ve stepped way out of the friend zone, huh?”

She laughed. Now, she really did feel lighter than air. “Is that your way of saying you want to go out on a date?”

“Only if you say yes.”

Kyla leaned in and kissed him again. “Ask me and find out.”