Her Fierce SEAL: Midnight Delta Book 6 (10 page)

“Finn, you’re scaring me.”

“Stay back, Angie,” a man shouted.  Finn turned on that voice.  Was it Mike?  He saw a man’s shadow against the sun.

“You fucker.  You won’t get away with it this time.”  Finn was in a crouch, looking around for the others, before focusing in on his prey once again.  “You’ll die for what you’ve done to these girls.”

“Finn, it’s me, Angie.”

A woman stepped up and put her arm around the man.  “This is my grandfather.  You’re confused, Finn.  This is my grandfather; he hasn’t hurt anyone.”

“He can’t see us, Angie.  We’re in the sun.”  Finn shook his head.  The man’s voice wasn’t familiar, and he sounded old.  Why was the woman defending him?

“Finn, circle around so you can see us better,” the woman’s voice was soothing.  It tickled a memory.  “Please Finn, you’re in control.  You have the weapon.  Circle around so you can see us, okay?”

“Son, take a deep breath.  Look around you.  You’re in a park in Austin, Texas.  Smell the flowers.”  Again, it sounded like an old man talking.  Finn shook his head to clear it.  When he breathed in, he
did
smell flowers.

He kept his knife positioned in front of him and circled slowly around the man and woman until they came into focus. 
The man wasn’t Mike.

“Finn, it’s me, Angie.  You’re here in Austin, Texas.  We’re working to find Dasha’s baby, remember?”

That was when he heard the sound of a girl whimpering.

“Stay put,” he growled.  He pivoted around and saw a young girl in the arms of another old man.

“Put down the knife, Finn, you’re scaring her,” the woman said.

“I don’t understand.” But he was beginning to.  The girl crying was named Dasha.  He remembered her.  He turned back to Angie.

“Angie?” 
What had he done?
  He dropped the knife.  Angie came over to him, and tried to put her arms around him, but he was having none of it.  He stepped back.

“Stop.” He made his voice a weapon as he picked up his knife, and carefully put it back into its sheath.

Lou Donatelli came over and looked him in the eye.  “Looks to me like you’ve been through hell, son.  No shame in that.”

Finn knew better.  He was a fucking liability.

He closed his eyes, then opened them.  He looked over to where Dasha was in Sergei’s arms.  “Sir?” he asked.  Sergei nodded.  Finn went over to the two and crouched down in front of Dasha.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, her teeth chattering.

He breathed out heavily.  “Can you translate?” he asked Sergei.  The man nodded again.

“I’m sick.  Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me, and I think I am back in another place and another time.  I helped to rescue some of the girls in Canada.  It made me very sad and very mad while I was there.  When you were upset with me, it reminded me of Canada, and I wanted to rescue you.  I got confused and thought I was there again.”

He waited while Sergei translated.

She nodded her head. 

He wanted to continue questioning her.  They needed answers, but he just couldn’t manage it.  He looked around him to see if Angie could ask the questions, but she wasn’t there. Sergei and Dasha continued to talk in Ukrainian.  Lou gave him an encouraging smile.  He didn’t even attempt to return it.

Finn stood to his full height and stretched.  Damn, he had woken up that morning feeling full of hope.

––––––––

A
s soon as he turned the corner, she could tell he noticed her waiting beside his car.  His stride didn’t change.  He gave nothing away, but he’d noticed.  She hurt for him, but she didn’t intend to offer him any kind of sympathy, empathy, or succor.  Nope, the man, had made it clear he didn’t want any of the above.

“You’re blocking my door.”

“Observant.  I admire that.”

“Can you please move, ma’am.”  He did a remarkable Texas accent.

“I need a lift.”

“I doubt it.”  He moved his hand toward the car door handle, but she wiggled her ass firmly against it.  She looked up at him, daring him to reach for it.

“Angie, I really don’t need these games now.”

“I walked to the park.  I need a ride back to the office.  My feet are killing me.”  He looked down at her shoes and saw she was wearing heels.

“You know, for such a practical woman, you wear very impractical shoes.”

She lifted her black patent leather pump.  “But they make my legs look good.”  She watched him look at her legs. 
Gotchya!

“Fine, I’ll drive you to the office.”

“I told Sarah I’d pick up lunch.”

“You’re killing me,” he said, as he went around and opened the passenger door for her.  She waited patiently until he helped her slide into the seat.  She’d be damned if they weren’t going to return to normal as quickly as possible. If they didn’t the man would probably go home and brood. Blow the whole incident out of proportion.

“I called in an order.  It should be ready by the time we get there.”  He eyed her as he started the car.

“Where am I going?”  She gave him directions and settled into the passenger making herself comfortable.  When she tried to make conversation, he gave her monotone answers.  She got the hint and turned on the radio.

She turned the dial until she managed to stop on one of her favorite songs.  She couldn’t help but notice that his fingers tapped twice to the beat. 
Score!

“Come inside with me.  I won’t be able to carry it all.”

“How much did you order?” he asked as he followed her into the
taqueria
.

“Enough.”

When he saw the three drinks, he stopped.  “Dammit, Angie.  I’m not having lunch with the two of you.”

“Yes, you are.  Do you want to have a fight here in the restaurant?”  She switched to Spanish so the man handing over their lunch could enjoy the show.

Finn picked up the four sacks, three drinks, and headed outside.

“How many languages do you speak?” he asked.

“Three fluently, and I speak a little Italian.  How about you?”

“Three.  Spanish, English and Farsi.”  He put the sacks in the bed of the El Camino and she balanced the drinks on her lap.  He drove to the office. 

He parked the car.  “Angie, stay where you are.  I’ll help you with the drinks.”  When they got into the elevator, he turned to her.  “I’m not having lunch with you.”

“I think you should.”

“Really?  After a guy pulls a knife on you, you think you should have lunch with him?”  She laughed.  She couldn’t help it.

“Finn, we kissed after I pulled a gun on you.  Get over your big bad self.”

He was practically vibrating with frustration.  “Hold these.”  She handed him the bags.  His hands were now full with the drinks and the bags.  She pressed the emergency stop on the elevator and looked at him.  “Brace yourself.”

“Ah fuck.”

She walked behind him, pressed against him, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head between his shoulder blades.

“It’s okay to be human.”  He was so stiff, she felt wave after wave of hurt emanating off of him.  He would never admit it.  So she just held him, hoping some of what she was feeling would get through to him.

What are you feeling, Angela Jo? 

She sighed against him.  Even after everything that had happened at the park, Finn made her feel safe.  This was a man who would lay down his life for those in need.  This was a man who felt so deeply, he was scarred because of his deep feelings.  Yes, she felt safe.  She was beginning to feel so much more.  It scared her because she didn’t think he was anywhere near ready to reciprocate her feelings.

***

T
he alarm going off in the elevator was jarring, but years of training kept him from moving a muscle.  Angie brushed a kiss into the middle of his back, and then she slid around him, she kept one hand on him the entire time. She used the other to press the emergency button to get the elevator moving again.

“I could eat,” his voice was husky.  God, the woman, had a way about her.

“Good, I bought enough to feed an army.”

“Let’s hope you bought enough to feed the Navy,” he said as he followed her down the hallway to her office.  Sarah was waiting for them. 

“It’s about time.  I thought I might actually end up losing a pound today.  We wouldn’t want that to happen.”  She took the drinks and bags from Finn and headed towards the conference room.

The two women were like a well-oiled machine.  It was clear they’d had this food for lunch before.

“Finn, you have to try this salsa, it’s to die for.”  He really looked at Sarah for the first time.  She was a little older than his mother but had that same air of competence.  It was nice to see that Angie surrounded herself with people like that.  It said something about her.

“How hot is it?”

“Oh, it’s hot,” Sarah said, her eyes twinkling.  “But you’re a big boy, I figure you can handle it.”  She scooped up another mouthful with her tortilla chip and took a bite.  He watched her chew and then wave her hand in front of her mouth.  He immediately broke into a cold sweat.  He blinked rapidly. 

You’re in Austin.  Sarah’s fine, Crandall.  She’s eating tortilla chips.  Breathe.

“Come on, don’t you want to try some?”  She pushed the cup of salsa towards him.  He eyed the dip warily.  Could he do this?  His hand trembled slightly.  He
could
do this.  It wasn’t like the park.  He wasn’t being taken by surprise. 

He scooped up a bite with a chip and thought his head might explode.  Both women laughed as he took the lid off his sweet tea and took a couple of long gulps of the drink.  He felt a sense of euphoria that he had gotten through the moment, even if he was a pansy and needed to drink a gallon of tea.

“Wait a moment.  Sarah, I think we need to take a picture.  I’m pretty sure it was a smile I just saw on Finn’s face.”

He shook his head at Angie’s antics.

“Oops, it’s too late.  Like the mythical bigfoot.  You snooze, you lose.”

“So tell me about Dasha,” Sarah asked.  “Do you think you’re any closer to finding her baby?”

“There are some interesting developments in her case,” Angie said.

“Okay, I know when I’m being stonewalled.”  Sarah smiled.

“It’s not that,” Angie protested.  “We’ll just know more tomorrow.  You are coming back tomorrow?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes, I’ll be here.”  She relaxed, and he realized it was a big deal for her.  Even though he’d only known her for a week, he didn’t intend to be one more person that abandoned her.

“I’m impressed by what you figured out.  I know our team never picked up on the fact that there was a difference in the girls who were being sent to the island for breeding.”

Angie flushed.  “I’m not proud of noticing.”

“Why?”

“I feel crappy for basically saying ‘you’re cute’ and ‘you’re not’.”

“Angie, you got into the heads of the Liu’s.  That was exactly what you wanted to do.  You weren’t judging the girls yourself.”  He watched as she gave a tentative smile.

“Let me get this straight, you’re kicking yourself because you noticed that some of the girls were more attractive than some of the others?” Sarah asked.

When Angie didn’t answer, Finn nodded.

“Don’t make me slap you.  You’re supposed to notice things.  Just because you don’t want to judge a book by its cover, doesn’t mean you’re supposed to put your head in the sand.  I swear sometimes you’re too damn nice for this job.  Thank God you no longer believe every sob story that comes into this office.”

“Sarah, no telling tales.”

“She used to take so many pro bono cases, that for the first year I thought we would go out of business.”

“I did not.”

“How about the woman who ended up inheriting seven million dollars from her husband’s estate, and never paid you a dime?” Sarah demanded.

“You have to admit, after that, I learned my lesson.”

“It was a damn hard lesson to learn.”  Sarah turned to Finn.  “I’m now in charge of the billing.  I limit her to three pro bono cases a year.  Dasha is the fourth.”  Sarah picked up another chip and waved it at him.  “It’s only August.  Apparently, I’m not doing my job well.”

“She’s pretty tough to manage, isn’t she?” Finn asked.

“Yes, she is.  Now eat up.  It looks like you’re not up to your fighting weight.” 

Finn eyed the older woman.  How did she know?

“I have three sons.  I know when a boy has lost weight.”

“I’m hardly a boy.”

“Have you turned thirty yet?” Sarah asked as she bit into her food.

“No.”

She pressed a napkin against her lips.  “Then you’re a boy.  Now eat up.  We ordered double for you.”

Finn could have eaten triple.  The food was great.

“Don’t worry, I have homemade pecan pie for dessert.  You won’t starve,” Sarah said as she read his mind.

“How old are your sons?” Finn asked.

“Thirty-two, twenty-eight, and thirteen.”  Finn had to take another big gulp of his drink.

“Yep, it’s always the thirteen-year-old that takes people by surprise.  Took me by surprise as well.  Harry retired last year.  He loves being a stay-at-home dad.  I’ll bring in the pie.”

He turned to Angie.  “Thank you for forcing me to come to lunch.  I probably would have just gone to the apartment and obsessed.”

“I heard what you said to Dasha.  I read the reports.  I’m amazed you’re doing as well as you are.”

“I don’t need anyone to blow smoke up my ass,” he said in a hard voice.  He could do without the pie.  Angie put her hand on his arm.

“Finn, I’m not.  I have a cousin Bruno.  He came home from Iraq five years ago.  He wasn’t injured on the outside.  But it took three years and some intensive counseling before he recovered.  My aunt and uncle were frantic.  Now he’s married with a baby on the way, but he still struggles.  So I would say that you’re doing remarkably well.”

Finn rubbed the back of his neck and then stopped.  It was what Mason did when he was uncomfortable, and he hated doing something that people might recognize as a sign of discomfort. 

“Look, it’s different for me.  Your cousin was probably a volunteer.  I’ve trained for this all of my adult life.”