Building Ties (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 4) (10 page)

“The police asked me not to. And Taylor assigned another reporter to the story.”

“I mean, write how you feel about what happened to you. You focus on the human element…well you’re human and you’re the one who experienced it.”

“Do you talk about the things you go through?” she asked.

For a moment the face of the last cartel thug he’d taken down flashed through his mind. Damn, she homed right in on exactly what he didn’t want to talk about. “I’ve been through psyche evals, but no, we don’t normally talk about it.”

“Then how do you deal with it?”

“It’s part of our training to think in terms of mission, training, reconnaissance, and targets. We don’t let it get close, Tess.”

“And when you’re the target?”

“You don’t give up or give in. You keep fighting until you have nothing left.”
You don’t give up until you’re dead
. But he couldn’t say that to her.

He needed to guide her away from that line of thinking. “Hawk will pick us up and drop us at a car rental place, and we’ll get a car a little more low-key than my Mustang. I’ll be with you all day while you do your thing. The cops will do theirs, and they’ll get this asshole. It’s going to be okay. While you’re busy, I’ll make some calls and find us a rehearsal dinner location.”

“And if you can’t?”

“We can use Doc’s back patio or Hawk and Zoe’s back yard. Or Lang and Trish’s. Trish won’t mind if we pitch in to do some of the housework. I thought about it after we talked the other day. I’m sure one of them will volunteer if we can’t find a restaurant. It isn’t as though people do the fancy dress thing for the rehearsal anymore, do they? Are we?”

“No, it was just going to be casual family thing at an Italian restaurant.” She nestled close. “I might do what you suggested and write about things…later.”

Tess’s cell rang and she reached for it. “It’s Hawk. He’s at the door.”

A brief knock brought them both to their feet. Brett opened the door to his first team leader and brother-in-law. All six foot four inches of him and a duffle bag filled the door. Hawk stepped forward, dropped the bag, and he and Brett hugged and pounded each other in greeting.

“Good to have you home, bro,” Hawk said when he stepped back.

“Good to be home.”

“Morning, Tess,” Hawk gave her a quick, careful hug. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Just a little bruised here and there.”

“Sorry you have to go through this. The two of you are welcome to hole up with us if you want to. I have a state-of-the-art alarm system on the house, with cameras and everything. Flash helped me install it.”

Brett wasn’t surprised by the offer, but the thought of putting Zoe and the baby, A.J., in any kind of jeopardy made it unacceptable. “We appreciate the offer, but we’re fine.”

“I expected to see some cops,” Hawk said.

Tess explained, “They were here, but when I told them I was going to be interviewing people for stories today, they didn’t want to take responsibility for keeping me protected.”

Hawk’s brows went up, and he gave Brett a quick glance. “I’ve brought your sig from the apartment and a vest, a jacket, and I found a shirt you can use. I looked around for smaller vest, but we don’t have anything that would work for Tess.”

“We’ll make do.” Brett took the vest from Hawk. He put it on over his T-shirt, then put Hawk’s shirt on over it. It bulked him up, but it would work. He shoved his shirttail into his jeans. He slipped on his shoulder holster, checked his weapon, and thrust the clip Hawk handed him into the gun. “If you can give us a lift to the rental car place, we can take it from there.”

“I can stick around for a few hours and do reconnaissance to make sure no one follows you to your first appointment. Once you get past that hurdle, you should be clear the rest of the day.” Hawk turned to Tess. “Anyone know where you’re going?”

“Only my editor,” Tess said. “But he doesn’t know the order of my interviews.”

“Good,” Hawk nodded. “I’d mix it up if you can, just to be certain.”

“Let’s do it,” Brett said. He slipped on the jacket to cover the shoulder holster.

“One more thing before we go,” Hawk said. “Your mother has set up a family thing tonight. You’re expected at our place at seven. You two up for that?”

He should have known it would happen as soon as his feet touched U.S. soil. He knew he should be as eager to see his family and friends as they were to see him, but he hadn’t had enough alone time with Tess yet. But the get-together would only be a few hours, and they could slip away.

Brett glanced at Tess and she nodded.

“We’re good.” Brett said.

*

Tess read over
the arrest report for Daniel Delgado for the third time as part of her preparation for the interview. Maria, his mother, believed her son had been railroaded for something he didn’t do. The gang-related activity in the area colored the way cops and the public viewed teenagers. The woman had begged Tess to look into it, and after seeing the arrest report, Tess felt there seemed to be some credibility to what the mother believed. Just maybe.

Brett took the 28
^th
Street exit while Tess punched in the address she’d saved on her GPS. Half an hour later they pulled up in the drive. Brett’s cell phone rang, and Hawk’s voice came across the line about the time his car cruised by the rear view mirror. “It’s all clear. No sign of a tail or anything else suspicious.”

“Thanks, bro.”

“Any time.”

Brett took off his seat belt but Tess grabbed his arm. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea for you to go in with me. It’s hard enough to get people to talk when it’s one-on-one. Would you mind very much waiting here for me?”

“After I’ve checked the situation out and escort you to the door,” he said, his expression serious.

Just because she felt less hunted didn’t mean Brett shouldn’t continue to take the situation seriously. He and Hawk had sandwiched her between them all the way to the car. Their jackets did nothing to hide the sidearms and shoulder holsters, or the body armor Brett wore beneath his shirt and Hawk wore outside of his. Tess knew Brett had a license to carry. Now she knew Adam ‘Hawk’ Yazzie, her future brother-in-law, did as well. The police didn’t seem to mind Brett was taking over their protection detail. Though they’d kicked up just a tiny bit of fuss to make things look good and had her sign a form waiving their responsibility.

Tess had fought not to roll her eyes. The two officers who’d stood guard all night had looked a little sheepish when she shook their hands and thanked them. Maybe she should write about that.

“Stay in the car, Tess. I’m going to check and make sure we’re at the right house.” Brett opened the rental car’s door and stepped out. He paused for a moment to scan the street.

He climbed the three steps to the front porch and knocked. A man answered, and for a second or two, he and Brett exchanged words. A woman came to the door and stepped out on the porch to speak with Brett.

Brett returned to the car. He looked over the street again before opening her door. Then he squatted down to speak to her, keeping the door partially closed. “This character, the son, looks like a gangbanger. Are you sure you want to go in alone?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m here to interview the mom.”

A frown worked its way across his face. “I don’t like this, Tess. Why didn’t you arrange to meet them somewhere public?”

“When you’re talking about your honor roll student son being arrested for armed robbery, you don’t want to go over the details in public. Part of what I do is sort out the frustrated venting from the truth.”

As she exited the car, he positioned his body between her and the open street behind them. For the first time she realized her future husband was protecting her from a bullet. He would actually take one for her if something happened. A knot shoved its way into her throat and tears burned her eyes.

Brett dogged her steps all the way to the front door. He eyed the tattooed man standing at the door.

She rested a hand on Brett’s arm. “I’ll be fine, Brett,” she said, her tone just above a whisper. She stepped toward the storm door and the man opened it. She entered the house and Tess caught the man’s brief smirk before he released the door.

Brett laid a hand on it, preventing it from closing, and stepped into the room.

Damn it, Brett.
She could handle this on her own.

“Why did you bring a cop with you?” the man demanded.

A policeman? That would burn Brett’s buns.

Tess had read about Miguel Delgado, Daniel Delgado’s brother. Mostly she’d uncovered information about his arrests and seen his picture. He had been taken into custody a number of times for assault but somehow avoided being prosecuted thus far. His history was written on his face, his body.

At the moment his eyes were narrowed, his body tensed, as if he was gearing up for a physical confrontation.

Brett folded his hands in front of him in a relaxed pose, but his eyes remained on Miguel, the planes of his face controlled.

Tess stepped between the two men. “Hello, Mrs. Delgado. I’m Tess Kelly.” She offered her hand to the woman, who stood to one side. “This is Brett Weaver.” She shot Brett a frown. She wasn’t going to offer any personal information to these people. And saying he was her fiancé would not put a professional spin on this whole situation. “He isn’t a cop. I’ve had some threats to my life recently. He’s here to protect me.”

Miguel’s eyes shifted from Brett, to her, then back again. “What kind of threats?”

“I tripped over some sensitive information, and my car was blown up.”

“That was on the news.” His brows lifted. “They said it was a terrorist attack.” His dark eyes skimmed over her in an assessment. “This thing you discovered, was it true?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Tess offered the man her hand. “I assume you are Miguel, Daniel’s brother.”

He eyed her hand for a moment, then clasped it briefly.

“Please come and have a seat, Ms. Kelly,” Maria Delgado spoke for the first time, in a husky voice. “You too, Mr. Weaver.”

“I’ll need to stay here, Mrs. Delgado, so I can watch the car from your front window, if you don’t mind.”

“No one will steal your ride from my front door, man,” Miguel said, a jeer in his tone.

“Having it stolen isn’t my concern, Mr. Delgado,” Brett replied, his voice quiet.

Tess caught her breath against the sudden image of her car rising in the air as fire scorched the asphalt beneath it. Would they set another bomb while she and Brett were away from the vehicle? Her fingers tightened around her small notebook.

Brett took a position at the front window and turned his profile to the room.

Tess settled on a couch in the small, neatly arranged living room and faced Maria, a woman in her forties, and her son, a known gang member.

Miguel dove in, swearing his brother Daniel had nothing to do with the market holdup. “It has to be mistaken identity. We all look the same to white people.” The hard-bitten man of twenty had tattoos down one arm and was working on the other. He’d tied his long dark hair back in a ponytail, baring his flat cheekbones and pointed chin. Though he only stood a few inches taller than Tess, his body seemed taller with all its lean angles and ropy muscle. His deltoids and biceps worked as he punched his palm with a fist over and over in a show of agitation.

“Miguel.” His mother’s soft voice held a plea.

In reply he stopped pacing and leaned against the open archway leading into an equally small but clean kitchen.

“Not all white people believe Latinos, Asians, or Blacks look alike, Miguel,” Tess said, her tone even. The sharp predatory gleam in the man’s eyes brought the tiny hairs on the back of her neck to life. She was beginning to regret coming here. She turned toward Maria. “Let’s concentrate on Daniel right now. Tell me about him.”

“He’s a good boy, Miss Kelly. He studies most of the day, then goes to work at the grocery store from six until eleven each night. He had left the store and was walking home when the police stopped him and put him in their car. They wanted to know what he did with the money, but he didn’t have any money, because he wasn’t the man who held up the store.” Tears ran down her face. “Then they came here and searched my house. He was on his way home from the store. He had not been home. Yet, when I got home they were here, tearing my house up, looking for drugs, the money. Anything they could find to arrest him.”

Miguel broke in. “They found nothing because there was nothing here for them to find. Daniel is smart. Doctor smart. Everyone in the neighborhood knows it. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his opportunity.”

“What opportunity?”

Maria spoke, the pride outweighing her tears for the moment. “He’s been accepted to University of California on a scholarship. He worked so hard for it. Someone is setting him up to take the fall for this. Maybe someone from another gang.”

“Why did the police think it was him?”

“They wouldn’t tell us.” Bitterness lay heavy in Miguel’s tone.

Tess studied Miguel. Could he somehow be involved in all this?