Seized (Hostage Rescue Team Series, #7) (31 page)

“Okay. Take care. Grace and I miss you like crazy.”

A picture of his wife formed in his mind, made him smile. “I miss you guys, too.”

He hung up, staring into the darkness for a long moment. Unreal. The head of the terror cell that had pulled off the biggest terrorist attack against America since 9/11 was an elderly, terminally ill woman living in Surabaya.

Just when he thought the world couldn’t get any more fucked up than it already was, the world proved him wrong.

Good thing he and others like him would always be here to take action, determined to fight that kind of evil wherever it surfaced.

––––––––

E
leven weeks later

“Hey, easy there. You’ve gotta be gentle with me, it’s only my second time.”

One side of his mouth tipping upward, Sawyer turned in the saddle to look behind him and check on Carmela, who’d resorted to talking to her horse. True, she’d only ridden for the first time yesterday, but she was doing fine, sitting regal as a queen atop the palomino he’d saddled for her. “He’s just impatient because he doesn’t like it when he’s not in charge.”

“Hmm, sounds like someone else I know,” she said, sending him a sardonic look.

He raised an eyebrow. “You love it when I’m in charge.”

The crisp late November air had already put a healthy pink flush in her cheeks but now it deepened even more. “In the bedroom, maybe.”

No maybe about it. She loved it when he “went alpha” as she called it, in bed. “And in the kitchen, and the bathroom...”

She laughed at him. “Wow, holy ego, Sawyer. I might have to knock it down a peg. Or three.”

He shrugged, mighty pleased with himself. “Hey, it’s not ego if it’s the truth.” His nearly healed shoulder gave a faint twinge when he shifted the reins to his right hand.

The physiotherapists and doctors didn’t think he’d need another surgery, but he was off work until the ligaments and tendons healed completely. He had at least a few more weeks of rehab to go before he’d be cleared for duty again. His team was on support rotation right now, so that made it a little easier to be sidelined. He’d have hated to be laid up during an ops cycle.

During that same time Carmela had been busy juggling her job while trying to arrange a move to Virginia and many appointments with a psychiatrist. She seemed to be doing better in how she was dealing with what had happened, but still suffered nightmares. Thankfully she never hesitated to call him in the middle of the night if they were apart. Talking about it helped both of them and Sawyer was glad she wanted to turn to him when she needed comfort.

At his response she nudged her gelding and brought the horse alongside him and threw him a meaningful look to make her point. “I’m your equal in every way, and don’t you ever forget it.”

“No, ma’am, I won’t,” he promised and guided his gelding up the path that led to the spot he’d chosen. It felt great to be out here on horseback with her, even if she wasn’t completely comfortable in the saddle yet.

“Where are you taking me, anyway?”

“You’ll see in a bit.”

They rode side by side in silence for a while, the horses’ hooves a steady but muffled clip-clop on the leaf-strewn path. He noticed the way she kept watching him, was secretly pleased by the admiration in her eyes.

“God, you have no idea how freaking sexy you are right now,” she told him with a shake of her head.

He smothered a grin, that look in her eyes telling him she was thinking about riding him the first chance they got. “Am I?” Some guys were in their element on the football or baseball field, or in a boardroom calling the shots and closing a deal. His element was this, being atop a horse with her beside him, surrounded by a hundred and sixty acres of land worked by the hands of his ancestors and passed down in his family from generation to generation.

“Well you are. You look like you should be in a Marlboro man ad.”

He smiled at her. “You look pretty sexy yourself right now.” She wasn’t wearing a hat but she had on a sheepskin coat and snug jeans that hugged her ass in a way that made him want to groan.

She turned her attention back to their surroundings, a little smile of contentment on her lips. “It’s so pretty out here.”

“One of my favorite spots on earth.” The fields and small groves of trees they passed were damp with dew, catching the last rays of light from the sun in glimmers of pink and gold. After a whirlwind trip to Miami where they’d snuck a few days away together in the Keys, he’d returned to Quantico and had his surgery the following week. Since then she’d put in for a transfer with her company, which was supposed to come through any day now.

“Feels good to get out here, just the two of us.”

“Sure does.” It had been hard, being apart for weeks at a time, only spending two or three days together at a stretch over the past two months.

They’d spent Thanksgiving down in Miami with her mom, Ethan and Marisol before coming here to Oklahoma for a few days before he was due back in Quantico. He’d warned Carmela ahead of time that his dad wasn’t the warmest of men, but even his gruff old man seemed to have fallen in love with her since they’d arrived three days ago.

At the crest of the next rise he turned them east and their destination came into view. Carmela let out a gasp. “Oh, wow, it’s gorgeous.”

It was. The small clearing was surrounded by a grove of huge live oaks, planted almost two hundred years earlier by one of his ancestors. In the center stood a small white summerhouse, its windows and brick chimney reflecting the rosy glow of the sunset. Built by one of his ancestors over a hundred and thirty years before.

“Wait here a minute,” he told her, then dismounted and grabbed the saddlebags before going inside.

Once he had the fire going in the hearth he laid out the blanket he’d brought in front of the fireplace and went back outside. After helping Carmela down he hobbled the horses to let them graze and took her by the hand to lead her inside.

She made a sound of wonder as she glanced around the cozy little room. “This is amazing.”

No,
you’re
amazing
, he thought, watching her glance around. Every day he fell more in love with her. Her resilience after the trauma she’d been through amazed him. Her sharp brain, her sense of fun and her incredible capacity for love awed him.

“What is this place?” she asked, turning in a slow circle to look around.

“My great, great, great-grandfather built it for his bride in the late 1800s.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Here, come sit by the fire.” He settled her on the blanket in front of the fire and turned back to the small table where he’d placed the thermos of hot chocolate. After pouring them both a mug, he handed her one and stretched out beside her, admiring the way the firelight flickered over her smooth skin.

A happy smile curved her lips as she inhaled the scent of the hot chocolate and let out a blissful sigh. Outside the windows the sky was beginning to turn purple with the coming twilight. “This is so romantic.”

And it was about to get even more romantic.

Setting down his mug, Sawyer reached up to cup the side of her face and draw her down for a slow, thorough kiss. She put her mug aside and took hold of his face, making an enthusiastic hum in the back of her throat. Her response made him grin and before things could get out of hand, he drew away.

She frowned at him but he sat up and got onto one knee before her. When he took her hand and gazed into her eyes, he saw the surprise there, the almost breathless anticipation.

“I never knew love could be like this,” he told her softly, the crackle of the fire providing a soothing backdrop. Things had moved fast between them but he didn’t question it because it didn’t feel fast. They’d been friends long before they’d become more and the basis of their relationship was rock solid because of that.

“I know I couldn’t ask your dad, but on Thanksgiving I asked Ethan and your mom for your hand instead. I hope that’ll do.” Reaching into his front jeans pocket, he pulled out the diamond solitaire he’d bought last week in Miami and held it out to her.

Carmela gasped, both hands flying to her mouth. She stared at the ring, then up at him and lowered her hands, her front teeth digging into her bottom lip.

His heart swelled with love for her. The first time he’d done this he’d been so nervous he could hardly get the words out. Because some part of him had known even then that he was making a huge mistake. This time there were no nerves, no questions or whispers of doubt. Only a bone deep rightness that they were meant to be together forever.

He’d finally found someone to love and accept him as he was, to support and lean on him. Someone who’d taught him what unconditional love felt like. And he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, protect her, come home to her, show her every day how much he loved her. “Will you marry me, Carm?”

Her lips trembled and her eyes shone with tears. “Yes.” She reached for him, wound her arms around his shoulders and let out a joyous laugh. “Yes.”

Grinning, Sawyer slid the ring on her finger then caught her face between his hands and sealed his promise to cherish her forever with a deep kiss. Then he laid her down on that thick pallet of blankets in front of the fireplace and demonstrated with his body just how much he loved her.

Later, when the fire had died down to glowing embers, they got dressed and rode back to the barn under the silvery light of a half moon. Together they unsaddled then groomed the horses, chatting about wedding plans. She wanted a big, traditional church wedding, and he was willing to make that wish come true for her. Personally though, he’d have been okay with just an officiant and a single witness. A quick and easy ceremony that made her his under the eyes of the law.

The sound of a vehicle crunching over the gravel outside the barn reached him. Frowning, Sawyer set down the curry brush he’d been using and headed for the door. Wasn’t his father, not this time of night.

He stepped outside in time to see a man climb out of a new model pickup. When the visitor rounded the hood, he spotted Sawyer and stopped for a moment, tipping up his hat. The moonlight cut across his face.

Danny.

Sawyer was so shocked he didn’t move, for a second wondering if he was looking at a ghost. They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other since the day after he’d broken things off with Trina.

Carmela stepped up beside him and slid her arm around his waist without a word, casting him a curious glance. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight into the side of his body. Whatever Danny wanted, Sawyer wasn’t going to let him ruin the most perfect night of his life.

Danny took a few steps toward them and stopped, nodding. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He couldn’t help the way he tensed, his body subconsciously bracing for a blow.

Danny stuck his hands into his pockets. “Your dad said I could find you out here.”

The silence stretched out for a few seconds, until Sawyer had had enough. “What do you want, Danny?”

His former best friend’s gaze slid from him to Carmela and back. “I heard you were in town for a few days so I wanted to come by.”

Clearly reading the awkwardness of the situation, Carmela squeezed him once then gently eased away. “I’m going to head inside. It’s cold out here.”

That’s not why she was leaving. “You don’t need to leave,” he told her, still looking at Danny.

“Yes, I do. It’s okay. I’ll see you in a little bit.” She stretched up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek then walked away.

Sawyer set his hands on his hips and faced Danny. “Okay, so what did you come by for?” He didn’t want to deal with Danny, he wanted to go inside and share the joy of this night with Carmela. See his dad’s shocked expression when they announced the news, listen to Mama Cruz squeal and then probably cry when they called to tell her.

Danny sighed. “I wanted to come by and tell you something, face to face. What I did wasn’t right. I was an asshole. I’m not sure if your dad told you but I’m going through a divorce right now.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Sawyer said, impatient to get back to Carmela.

“Thanks.” Danny cleared his throat. “Thing is, I get it now. Why you broke up with Trina before the wedding.”

Sawyer didn’t answer, just waited, already surprised by where this was going.

“Deep down I knew that getting married to Heather probably wasn’t a good idea but everyone expected it and it just seemed easier to go through with it than to get out. Anyway, I should’ve listened to my gut, because getting married was a mistake. One we’re both paying for now, as well as both our families. It’s a total shit show.” He shifted his stance, straightened his shoulders and met Sawyer’s gaze head on. “I should’ve done what you did. I understand now why you broke things off when you did, and I wish the hell I’d had the sense to do the same.” He drew in a deep breath. “I’m here to say I’m sorry.”

The apology eased something inside Sawyer. He nodded once in acceptance. “Thank you.” He could forgive, but he wouldn’t forget. Danny and his family had burned their bridges with him a long time ago. They were in the past. His future was waiting for him right now inside his father’s house and he couldn’t wait to get back to her.

When Sawyer didn’t say anything else or start up a conversation to fill the awkward gap that followed, Danny took the hint. He lowered his gaze and nodded once, regret passing over his features. “Well. You take care, man.” He stepped forward and held out a hand.

Sawyer shook it once. “You too.”

But when Danny reached his truck, guilt got the better of him. “Danny, wait.”

Danny stopped and turned back to him. “Yeah?”

“I’m only in town for another couple days, but...maybe we can go grab a coffee or something before I go.” It felt like a pathetic thing to say to a man he’d once trusted with his life, but at least it was a start. Maybe they might never regain the friendship they’d lost, but Sawyer didn’t hate the guy. He was willing to see how things went.

A relieved smile spread across Danny’s face. “I’d like that.” He looked toward the house. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to officially meet your girl.”