The itch crawling up the back of his neck was impossible to ignore. Kaleb didn’t want to leave the safe house unprotected, but he couldn’t just stand there doing nothing while Charlotte was facing possible danger.
He was too far away from San Diego to call their team leader, Senior Chief Mason Gray, for help. Nico was following his own lead, and three of the guys were spread out across the country, dealing with their own issues. Hudson, his former swim buddy, had gone so far off-grid no one knew where he was.
This being a civilian and not having a fellow SEAL covering your six pretty much sucked. He was used to working as a team, not solo. He considered putting Sierra on guard and taking the chance but worried the black lab might be killed since the dark-haired guy clearly had a weapon.
Just as he was about to call the local cops, begging for one of them to come stand guard, he saw a woman running down the street toward him.
Charlotte! Shoving the phone into his pocket, he ran forward to meet her with Sierra keeping pace at his side, wincing as his bum knee protested the sudden movement.
He lightly grasped her shoulders when she reached him. “What happened?”
“I—saw him. The dark-haired man.” She was breathing heavily from the exertion. She glanced furtively over her shoulder. “I think I lost him in the subway.”
He scanned the area without seeing any sign of the guy. But there was no reason for him to follow her, either, since he already knew where the safe house was located. Kaleb scowled and put his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you inside.”
“Wait. I have the replacement door handle and lock.” She thrust the bag at him. “I know I’m asking a lot, but will you help install it?”
“Of course. It’s not asking too much, I was planning to do it anyway.” He tried to smile reassuringly. “You’ll be safe now.”
She let out a sound that was half snort, half laugh. “Safe? I don’t think so. Not if that guy anticipated I’d be heading to the closest hardware store first thing this morning. I thought I imagined him, until he popped up again outside the subway station.”
It was a good point, and Kaleb didn’t like it. “You should report this to the police.”
“Yeah, okay, but they’re not going to do anything since I have no idea who this guy is.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be crabby.”
“You’re not.” He was upset enough on her behalf. “Go reassure your residents while I get this door handle fixed, okay?”
She hovered in the doorway for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll get the toolbox. Would you like coffee?”
“That would be great.” He rarely turned down coffee, and brewing a pot would give her something constructive to do.
Charlotte returned with the tools, then left again. As he worked, he could hear muted voices coming from the kitchen. He suspected Charlotte wasn’t the type to whine to Milly or any of the other residents about her problems, but they may be making plans to relocate.
It irked him that they had to leave what should have been a safe zone. He wasn’t a violent man by nature, but he wouldn’t hesitate to punch dark-haired guy if given the chance. In fact, he almost hoped the guy showed up again. This time, Kaleb would make sure to take him down.
He caught Charlotte’s flowery scent. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her approaching with the same insulated mug of coffee. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He took a grateful sip, then set the mug on the floor, well out of the way of his workspace. “Didn’t you say something about a Detective Grimes?”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “I’ll give him another call, although I would have thought he’d contact me after getting the report on the gunfire last night.”
“I’m sure it takes time for paperwork to make its way through the system.” He was all too familiar with government bureaucracy. The way he’d had to wait to get his knee replaced for the appropriate paperwork proving he’d been injured during their last op proved that. “Call him. I’m sure he’ll want to know about both events.”
She nodded slowly, then turned away.
The door repair took less than an hour. Yet even though he was satisfied that it was sturdy enough, nothing would stop a bullet. The way the perp had shot at the right spot in the doorjamb to bypass the lock was concerning. Sierra sat looking up at him expectantly, and he knew he needed to feed her very soon.
Which meant leaving the safe house for at least forty-five minutes, maybe longer.
He replaced the tools and clicked the box shut. Then he stood for a moment, debating whether to enter the safe house inner sanctuary. Pushing the box off to the side, he opened the door to step outside.
“Kaleb?” Charlotte hurried toward him. “I—um, wanted to tell you that Detective Grimes will be here in thirty minutes. He wanted to talk to you about your version of events, if you can spare the time.”
“I don’t mind hanging around, although I will need to feed Sierra soon.”
“Oh, I see.” She frowned. “You know, there’s a pet supply store that isn’t too far away. I’m happy to pay for a small bag of dog food for Sierra.”
“It’s not a matter of paying, I have plenty of money, but I don’t want to leave you and the others here alone. Especially since you saw the dark-haired guy recently. I wouldn’t put it past him to come back.”
“I’m armed,” she reminded him. “And honestly, you can’t just stand out here all day. I’m sure you have someplace to go. You’re still searching for Ava, right?”
“Yes.” Although this particular lead had pretty much become a dead end.
“Besides, I don’t want to waste your time. It’s more likely he’ll try to come again at night.”
“Maybe.” Her assessment was the more likely scenario. “You didn’t get any cameras.”
“No.” She lifted her hands helplessly. “No point, we need to move. I’m waiting to hear back from my largest charity donor to see if she’ll help foot the bill.”
He was glad she had generous donors, yet being at their mercy must be difficult. “And if she doesn’t?”
Charlotte hesitated, then shrugged, her attempt to smile falling flat. “We’ll find a way. We always do.”
Kaleb hated feeling so helpless. He could certainly donate what cash he had on him, and his time, but that wouldn’t be enough for the long haul. And he really needed to call Nico to let him know that Ava had been at the safe house but wasn’t any longer.
If Jaydon were alive, he’d expect his teammates to help find his sister. The fact that Jay hadn’t survived didn’t change those expectations. His being dead only added to their need to step up.
Finding Ava was the least they could do. Sticking around LA wasn’t likely to help him do that. It was a big city, but something must have spooked Ava into leaving, and it didn’t make sense that she’d stick around in the same place.
“Really, Kaleb, it’s okay.” Charlotte reached out to touch his arm, the warmth of her fingers giving him a little zing. “I totally understand this isn’t your problem. You’ve done more than your fair share already. Not just spending the night outside but in serving our country.”
He stared at her, wishing he could sweep her into his arms for a kiss. But, of course, he couldn’t. She wouldn’t welcome that from him, and the last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.
It took a moment for him to control his emotions enough to respond. “It’s not enough, but it’s a start. I’ll stay until Grimes gets here, then run and grab the dog food for Sierra. That way, you won’t be alone while I’m gone.”
She frowned. “Kaleb, you can’t sit here all day. You need to sleep.”
“Sleep is overrated.” His attempt at humor only made her scowl deepen. He sighed and added, “I’ll think of something.”
Shaking her head, she turned away. He watched her go, thinking again about how tiny she was to be doing something as dangerous as this. He didn’t know her story, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out she must have once been a resident in a safe house like this. The thought of a man hitting someone as petite as Charlotte brought a wave of red-hot fury.
During his multiple tours overseas, he’d witnessed too many horrific acts of violence. Thankfully, he had been able to take out many a bad guy responsible for the terror. At times, it seemed as if they were playing a game of whack-a-mole where the moment you got rid of one tango, another took his place. Over the years, though, he’d seen some progress, enough to keep him believing that the good guys would win.
Yet now, he was astounded to be faced with the same sort of violence happening right here at home. Crimes against women and children. Those same people men were supposed to protect.
It made him mad, but anger wouldn’t help. Taking action to fight against the abuse was the only answer.
Kaleb took up his sentinel position outside the safe house door. Yeah, there was no way he’d be leaving Los Angeles anytime soon.
Not until Charlotte and the other residents were safe.
Twenty minutes later, Detective Karl Grimes showed up. He looked to be the same age as Kaleb, early forties, although he carried a bit of paunch around his belly.
“Are you Kaleb Tyson?” Grimes asked.
“Yes, sir.” Kaleb held out his hand, and the detective looked surprised as he took it. “Thanks for coming.”
“I understand you were here last night and witnessed the guy shooting at the safe house?”
He nodded. “I did, yes. I shouted at him to stop, which made him take off. Sierra and I gave chase, but he disappeared out of sight. I’m not that familiar with the city and didn’t want to leave the women unattended, so I came back.”
Grimes looked from him to Sierra and back again. “Retired Navy SEAL?”
“Yes, sir.” He felt as if he were talking to a senior officer. “I came here specifically to talk to Ms. Cambridge about one of her residents, Ava Rampart. She’s missing.”
“And that’s a job for a retired SEAL?” Grimes asked, raising his brow.
“She’s the sister of a fallen teammate.” Kaleb shifted his weight off his bum knee, wishing the third degree would end soon. “We’re just trying to help, that’s all.”
“Sometimes helping gets in the way,” Grimes pointed out.
Kaleb bit his lip to stop from snapping back. “Maybe. But the local police don’t have any leads and aren’t really searching for her as it appears she willingly left with her boyfriend. We’re not stepping on any toes, sir.”
Grimes stared a moment longer, then nodded. “I guess it can’t hurt. Not my case, either way. Just curious how you found this safe house.”
Kaleb knew he was treading on thin ice. The buddy who’d helped him out hadn’t gone through legit channels to get the phone call information. “We traced one of Ava’s last calls to Ms. Cambridge. I found and followed her here. The same way the dark-haired guy must have done.”
“We?” Grimes asked, then waved a hand. “Never mind. I probably don’t want to know.”
Kaleb didn’t respond.
“Did you get a good look at the shooter’s face?” Grimes asked.
“Just a flash, sorry.” He repeated verbatim what he’d told the officers the night before. “Ms. Cambridge saw him again today, so she likely has more information to share.”
“I heard.” Grimes lifted his fist to pound on the door. Moments later, Charlotte opened it.
The moment the detective disappeared inside, Kaleb sprang into action. He didn’t know how long the detective would stick around, so the sooner he grabbed dog food for Sierra, the better. He’d already pulled up the pet supply store on his phone, and the map app informed him the place was twelve minutes away.
He made it in eight, with Sierra running with glee beside him. She was only two years old and still had plenty of energy. Staying outside all night hadn’t seemed to hurt her any, which was a relief.
After purchasing the food, he ran back to the safe house. His knee held up fairly well, thankfully the joint loosened up as he ran. The surgeon at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital had told him that staying active was the best way to keep the knee working well, as long as he didn’t overdo it by running marathons.
Kaleb hoped and prayed he was right about that.
Grimes was just leaving as Kaleb and Sierra returned. He grinned and gave himself a mental high five for making it back in time.
“I’ll get you two bowls for Sierra,” Charlotte said when he set the bag of food down. “I’m sure she needs water too.”
“Thanks.” He nodded at the detective. “Any leads on who this guy is?”
“Nothing specific.” Grimes glanced at the safe house. “Many of the women in there have ex-husbands and boyfriends, most with dark hair.”
“Why not put together a photo array of their exes and see if Charlotte recognizes any of them?” he suggested.
“I’m in the process of doing that; however, a high percentage of these guys aren’t in the system.”
“What do you mean?” Kaleb frowned. “They must have been arrested and charged for the abuse.”
“Only if the victim presses charges. And that often doesn’t happen. Especially if they just want to disappear, to start over someplace new.”
Kaleb grimaced, knowing he was right. Was that what Ava had done?
“I’ll be back with the photos I am able to dig up.” Grimes turned and walked back to his brown sedan.
Kaleb watched him leave, then turned when the door opened. Instead of holding the bowls, Charlotte was looking at him expectantly. “You can come inside.”
“Ah, that’s okay. I don’t want to upset anyone.”
A hint of a smile crossed her features. “We took a vote. The overwhelming response was to invite you in so you can get some sleep.”
A vote? He lifted a brow. “You’re running a democracy?”
“Yes.” She gestured for him to come inside. “The women here have decided they’d like to have a bodyguard on the premises until we can be relocated. I know it’s not much, but we can offer you a bed and meals.”
He went inside, then closed and locked the door behind him. “Did you talk them into this?”
“Not me.” Her smile widened. “But Milly did.”
He was humbled and honored by their trust in him. He nodded slowly and followed Charlotte into the kitchen.
Clearly, God had sent him here for two reasons. To find Ava and to keep these women safe.
He nodded to himself. Yep. Kaleb was fully on board with His plan.
Hoping Kaleb didn’t pick up on her nervousness, Charlotte filled a bowl with water. Before she could set it on the floor, Kaleb took it from her hand, their fingers brushing.
“I’ve trained Sierra to only accept food and water from me,” he said in an apologetic tone. “It’s a way to prevent bad guys from giving her drugged or poisoned food.”
“Poison?” she echoed in surprise. Although really, nothing should shock her by now. “Very smart, I completely understand.”
“Thanks.” He set down the water dish, filled the second bowl with food, then stepped back. Sierra sat and watched him, waiting for permission to eat.
“Go,” he said, pointing at the bowls.
Instantly, Sierra stood and trotted over to the dishes, clearly hungry as she began to eat. Charlotte couldn’t help being impressed. “She’s really well trained.”
“It’s all I’ve been doing over the past few months,” Kaleb admitted. “I’m still trying to get used to life outside the navy.”
“How long did you serve?”
“Twenty-two years,” he answered absently as if his thoughts were a million miles away. “When Sierra is finished, we’ll take a nap.”
“Sounds good.” She’d given up her own bed for his use. Easier in the long run, and Milly had already changed the bedding. “Again, we appreciate you staying.”
“I offered.” He finally turned to look at her. His brown eyes held compassion. “I was thinking a mattress in front of the door would work.”
“Really? Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
“Easier for me to protect you near the doorway. He could get all the way inside if I’m off in some other room.” He glanced around. “I noticed there’s a row of high windows in the living room.”
“Uh, yeah. We needed some natural light. But we purposefully kept them high off the ground to prevent anyone from easily crawling inside.”
He nodded. “I figured.”
“I’ll grab the mattress.” She turned to leave, but he quickly stopped her.
“No, I’ll get it. Just give me a few minutes. Trust me, it doesn’t take Sierra long to eat.”
“Char?” A female voice from the doorway between the kitchen and living area had her turning to face Emma. “I—uh, it’s my turn to do dishes, right?”
“Yes, we’ll be out of your way soon.” Since Emma never jumped to do chores, Charlotte knew the real reason the woman had ventured into the kitchen was to get an up close and personal look at Kaleb. Emma was young and balked at some of the rules. Before coming to the shelter, the girl had gone to various clubs at night, chafing at the restrictions Charlotte enforced at the safe house.
“You must be Kaleb.” Emma smiled and swayed her hips as she came farther into the room. “I’m Emma Yonkers. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ma’am.” Kaleb gave her a reserved nod. If he noticed the young woman flirting, he didn’t show it. “Sierra and I will be out of your way soon.”
“Oh, you’re fine. I love dogs.” Emma barely glanced at Sierra. “I don’t mind company while I work.”
Charlotte barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “Mr. Tyson needs to sleep. He and Sierra stayed awake all night to protect us. I’m sure he doesn’t want us bothering him.”
Emma flushed and shrugged. “I’m sorry, Kaleb. I don’t mean to be a bother.”
“You’re not. But we are going to get some sleep.” He was nothing but respectful to Emma, which only made Charlotte admire him more.
Emma was curvy and beautiful, with long, wavy dark hair. For the first time in years, Charlotte wished she hadn’t cut her hair. She fingered the short strands, then shook off the ridiculous thought.
Kaleb had to be in his early forties if he’d served in the navy for twenty-two years. She didn’t think it likely he’d be interested in twenty-year-old Emma.
Then again, she didn’t seem to know much about what men did or didn’t like.
Whoa, where did that come from? What was wrong with her? This wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity. None of this was about her, it was about keeping these women and children safe.
A mission upon which she’d dedicated the past five years of her life.
Having a relationship, even a simple friendship, would be nearly impossible. She wouldn’t expect anyone to jump on board with her.
No matter how tempting.
“Charlotte?” Kaleb’s deep husky voice penetrated her thoughts. “Will you show me the room where I can grab the mattress?”
“Oh, you can borrow mine,” Emma quickly offered. The woman had filled up the sink with hot soapy water to begin the dishes. “I don’t mind.”
“Thanks, but I’ll take care of it.” Charlotte gestured for Kaleb to follow her. “This way.”
Several of the women were gathered in the living room, along with a couple of the kids. Three young girls were playing with dolls, Tommy was playing a sports video game, no violent ones allowed. They all stared at Kaleb as he walked past. She gave him credit for keeping his distance to avoid frightening them.
Moments later, he’d pulled her twin mattress through the safe house to the hallway. “Thanks, Charlotte. This is great.”
“It’s the least we can do.” She hesitated, then added, “Emma is—young.”
He grinned. “Yeah, figured that out on my own. No worries. I’m not interested.”
He wasn’t interested in Emma? Or women in general? Or what?
“I married young, came home from being deployed to a note and divorce papers.” Kaleb shrugged. “I can’t say that I blamed my wife, but it hurt all the same.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She couldn’t imagine any sane woman walking away from Kaleb Tyson. Then again, she’d been engaged to an egotistical, charming narcissist, so her opinion may be a bit skewed.
“No reason to be sorry. It was amicable for the most part.” He pinned her with a knowing gaze. “And I’m sure it could have been worse.”
She felt naked and exposed, as if he could see all the secrets she’d buried deep inside. “Everyone’s situation is different. Not better or worse. It is what it is.”
“Is that how you’ve survived?”
“Yes.” She stepped back, eager to put distance between them. “I’ll let you get some sleep.”
“Thanks. Come, Sierra.”
Charlotte left Kaleb and Sierra on the mattress huddled beneath a thin blanket. The man unnerved her, but not necessarily in a bad way. She wasn’t afraid of him.
But she was afraid of the way he made her feel. As if her life was lacking in some way.
As if she wanted, maybe even deserved, more.
Charlotte forced herself to concentrate on her next steps. First and foremost, getting funding for the move. She moved away from the living space, not wanting the residents to hear her begging for cash.
No need for them to worry.
An hour later, she set the phone aside and rubbed her temples. She’d secured some funding, but not enough. She’d already used all her own personal savings, so that wasn’t an option.
The female donor who’d come through with the initial funds had promised to raise more. Charlotte was grateful for whatever she could do. She kept the woman’s identity a secret, as promised, because she was once married to a very prominent congressman. The man had passed away from cancer a few years ago. The woman had confided to Charlotte that her husband was terribly abusive and that was why she wanted to use as much of his money as possible to help other women escape.
Charlotte was grateful for every dollar that came in. She kept impeccable records in case they were ever audited.
She stood and returned to the living area just as several gunshots echoed from outside. The glass in the high windows along the living room wall shattered into zillions of pieces, raining on the women and children seated below.