SEALs of Honor: Shadow (21 page)

That was so worth being dirty for a little while longer. By the time she was dressed, her hair brushed and twisted into a knot and secured at the back of her head and her pack slung over her shoulder, she took a last look around the small room and gave a happy sigh. She was going home.

Picking up her bouquet of flowers and with a big grin, she walked out to the hallway and her new friends.

Cooper said, “You look great.”

She beamed. “I feel great. Dressed again, a full tummy and now on my way home. Yay me.”

They laughed and said, “Paperwork then we’re on our way.”

The paperwork was just a few signatures then they led her, using crutches Shadow had found for her, outside to the truck.

*

It bothered Shadow
that there were doubts about who was behind the kidnapping. Could the kidnapper he’d talked to been serious? He’d sounded it. But that meant that someone who wanted the senator and his daughter dead, got wind of the kidnapping and might have made their own deal. Was that possible? Sure, but how
probable
was it? There were a lot of assholes out there but most people went through their entire life never brushing up against the seriously bad ones.

He could see setting it up so that the kidnapping was intended to go wrong and have the two – or more die. But never Kevin. If the entire family was wiped out, the money would not go to the right person. That was key. And narrowed the field.

The investigators needed to check out the senator’s aide. And anyone else close enough to know the details of the will. Like the lawyers and the witnesses to the will. Not to mention, did anyone know who those people were?

“Arianna, have you seen your father’s will?”

She shook her head. Not even the return to an unpleasant subject seemed to dull her good humor. She’d been smiling nonstop since they boarded the flight. The first one was taking them into Seattle direct, and they’d be home a second flight later. But he wouldn’t be leaving her alone until she was safe and tucked up in her own bed.

“No. I haven’t and he’s never spoken to me about it.” Pulling her attention from the window she turned to look at him. “Why?”

“Just wondering how many people know the details.”

She wrinkled up her face. “No idea. No one has ever contacted me.”

“And…” he hated to ask this, as it made him sound crass, “If you die, who does your estate go to?”

“Kevin,” she said promptly. “There are other family members around but I don’t know them. If I die then he’s the one who needs the money the most.”

Mason, sitting across from them, asked, “Can you give us a list of anyone in your family who might be in line to inherit?”

“Sure.”

Shadow handed her a small pad of paper and a pen. She stared at the blank page for a long moment as if collecting her thoughts. Then the names showed up. Two then a third. She drew a line underneath and started writing other names down.

“I think we should look at the stepmom,” Swede said from beside Mason. “It’s usually someone who will inherit and she’s the surviving spouse and will have her son’s money to look after.”

Dane agreed. He leaned across the aisle adding, “She didn’t want to go supposedly, so just the right amount of reluctance. She was hurt but not badly. Her son was never hurt, which is what she’d want, and she gets rid of an aging domineering husband leaving her in the honey seat.”

Shadow had to agree that in theory the stepmother was a good suspect. But did she have the stomach for killing her husband. Then again, she hadn’t killed him, someone else had. And having a killer was a different story.

“What if the kidnappers contacted someone in the Senate, asking for ransom? And that person took advantage of the moment and turned the deal into something else,” Shadow said slowly. “The only reason
we
knew who was involved was Arianna’s photo sent to her father’s aide.”

“Which should in theory clear him of being a participant.”

“Unless he knew how to contact the kidnappers and then made a deal for himself. Although, with the senator and Arianna dead, the money goes to the stepmother and the boy, and not him.” Mason paused then shrugged. “Unless he can move up in his career from this somehow.”

“But why Arianna?”

Everyone turned to look at her. She shrugged. “I have money from my mother’s side of the family, but it’s not much comparatively.”

The others winced, a few sent side long glances at Shadow who slouched lower in his chair at the news.

“Your idea of not much isn’t necessarily everyone’s,” he muttered. Of course she had money. Probably tons of the shit. Like why would he fall for a rich woman when someone who lived at the poverty line would suit him as well? He wasn’t into glitz and glamour. Sideways, he took his first look at her clothing. Decent t–shirt, nice warm vest, probably expensive. Her pack had been a popular outdoor brand. A good brand for everyday outdoor people. They carried a die hard line that was hard-wearing and durable. Hers wasn’t that level. Yet she wasn’t carrying a glamor girl pretty version. So there was hope for her yet. Then he caught sight of her pants. And he barely held back his grin. She was wearing
his
pants still. And not only wearing. She rocked the look.

So what if she had money. She looked damn good in his underwear.

F
or all her
initial exuberance at finally being on the way home, it was waning quickly. There was also a sense of melancholy. Arianna had been devastated at not saying good-bye to the men before, but now there were going to be plenty ahead of her. More pain. More loss. More to deal with.

She yawned. They’d boarded the second flight. This time a military flight as Mason had managed to pull his magic and get them onto one. They’d connected up with Markus and Evan at the same time. This type of flight didn’t offer the same frills or extras but was more comforting to her own way of thinking. She leaned her head against Shadow’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “Wake me when we land,” she murmured, knowing that he had little choice but to do so.

Even though exhausted, she couldn’t sleep. She drifted in and out, hearing the men talk. Bits and pieces of disjointed conversations all in a low monotone. She had hours of flying yet and needed to rest, but her own mind was caught on the problems. Anything to avoid looking at what her life would be like in a few hours. Alone.

She shifted restlessly.

“You’re not sleeping,” Shadow murmured for her ears only. “Leg bothering you?”

“No,” she whispered. “Just life bothering me.”

He reached across for her hand and grasped it gently in his. “It will work out. Stay positive.”

With a grin, she answered, “Really? Is that you saying that to me?”

A deep chuckle rolled out from his mouth. He was so damn sexy.

“Maybe some of that happy-go-lucky attitude is rubbing off on me.”

“Oh dear. Your friends won’t recognize you.” She’d love to think some of her normally positive happy outlook on life was brightening up his world too. He was a sweetheart, but so didn’t believe in all the things she wanted for her world. They were darkness and light.

“I guess we’re opposites, aren’t we?” she asked in a small voice. Was that a good thing or bad?

“In some ways. But in many no, we’re the same.”

“Almost home.” She yawned again. “I should go to the hospital. See my stepmother.” She paused. Then added, “And say good-bye to my father.” She’d stomped on that inevitability until later. When she could deal with it.

He gathered her hand. “Your stepmother, she’s not there. She’s at home resting.” He lowered his voice, and said, “And your dad…well, you can do that tomorrow.”

Her breath caught in the back of her throat. She shifted so she could look in his eyes. She didn’t have to ask, she could see it. Shadow shook his head. She bit her lip and let him tug her into his arms where he just held her. She already knew inside, yet getting that confirmation, well, that hurt. “He’d appreciate going out in battle. A martyr for his beliefs,” she said in low tones.

He nodded. “Kevin is lucky to have you,” he whispered.

“Not really.” Arianna looked at him. “I should have called him before this.”

“You haven’t had time to do anything, especially to think about others. He’s been told you’re fine. That’s the important part.”

She offered a wan smile, determined to hold the tears back. There would be time to grieve later. In private where she could honor him the way he’d like to be remembered. She had to get home first. She stuffed the emotions deep inside until later. “Right. The rest is just time to heal and reconnect.” She frowned thinking about all the suppositions they’d thrown out earlier. “Has someone warned my stepmother that she might be next in line to die?”

Shadow looked down at her. “No idea. Besides, whoever is behind this had a great way to get rid of her already. They let her live. There must be a reason.”

“Right. More conspiracy theories. Hate them.” She looked down at the lights below. It was late and the city was lit up like a beautiful Christmas tree of lights. She might not like all the nasty theories, but it didn’t change the fact that because of what the one killer said, her world was even more unstable than before. And now her father had died. She knew it, understood it, accepted it and knew she wasn’t even close to dealing with it. The tears rose. Ruthlessly. She shoved them back down until later.

She had to get through this next couple of hours. Then they’d be gone and she could deal with the loss. So many losses.

“What time is it?”

“It’s almost eleven.”

First she had to get from the airport home. She froze. She was in a military plane heading for a military airport. That meant outside San Diego most likely. The naval base where the team was from. She wasn’t home yet. Newport Beach was at least an hour away. Likely two. And she had no idea how to get from the one to the other. Shit.

The plane landed with so little ceremony and custom hassles she wished she could fly this way all the time. There were quick good-bye hugs from the men and then there was just Shadow standing beside her.

Forlornly she stared at the men’s retreating backs. “I’m going to miss them.”

“You’ll see them again.”

She laughed. “I hope not if it means getting kidnapped again.”

“It won’t. Come on.” He led her back outside to a large parking lot and a black Jeep. He unlocked it, threw the two bags into the back. “Get in.”

Grinning, she hopped in. “Nice Jeep.”

“Ha. Several of us own them.” He turned it on and reversed out of the parking spot. “Now let’s get you the last leg to your home.”

*

He’d seen her
worry over how she’d get home. He was hardly going to dump her at the airport. She was injured. He’d considered taking her to his place for the night and driving her home in the morning, but what she’d been through, he thought she’d rest best in her own bed.

She leaned back and closed her eyes.

He put on low peaceful music and drove down the highway. He was due some shut eye himself. But not yet. She came first.

At the outskirts to Newport Beach he brought up her address on his phone. She wasn’t far from where he was idling on the curb. She slept gently. He’d have to wake her soon for the house keys. He hoped after all she’d been through she still had them. He pulled up in front of a small brownstone complex with wide lazy porches in the front. Nice.