SEAL Under Covers (SEAL Brotherhood Series Book 3) (20 page)

“Yessir, I do.”

“So run it tight to the vest. Don’t inflame the situation, and I’m sure we’ll all get along.”

Sam gripped a wooden ruler with one hand, folded it over and shattered it, but Kozinski didn’t hear. He watched the sergeant walk into the elevator and disappear.

Shit.
He’d been asked to keep his emotions between the lines, run it “tight.” That’s what you told a rookie female cop. Not a guy with his seniority. He wondered what Gina had done. Whatever it was, Kozinski was watching dots on that uncanny radar of his. And Sam’s dot was bigger. Something had made him visible. He’d been painted and there was only one person who could have done it.

Sam decided to pay Gina a visit. She’d been a busy girl. He needed to know what else she was up to.

Another car was in Gina’s parking spot, and so he figured she wasn’t home yet He thought it might be fun to scare her when she arrived, just so she understood he was the one calling the shots, and that he wasn’t afraid of any admonitions from upstairs.

After slipping past the security gate when another guest left the complex, Sam donned his Padres cap and maneuvered down the exterior hallway of her complex. He stopped when he came to the first window, hearing sounds of an unmistakable sexual encounter. He inched forward toward the window’s edge, but stopped when someone walked past him and turned around afterwards, giving him a glare. He couldn’t risk detection.

Sam made it back to his truck and sat with the window open. One hour became two, and it annoyed the piss out of him. The fuckin SEAL was still in there, and Sam knew exactly what the asshole was doing. Gina was turning out to be a real slut. He took out his cell phone and shot a couple of pictures of the Hummer parked beside Gina’s apartment.

Maybe she’d flashed her little booty in front of the sergeant, too, because it wasn’t right at all she should be in there fucking her brains out when she was supposed to be helping them go after the Scorpions. But that was the flaw with women. They didn’t know how to sacrifice like men did. Life was too easy for women. That’s why it was a really bad idea to have them work in high-risk drug cases undercover, or on the front lines. They needed to stay home, getting themselves hot and sexy for their man. And they better damned well do what the man said, too.

He tried to get the picture out of his head, but he couldn’t. He knew what she looked like all flustered and pinked up. He didn’t like that it wasn’t him on the other end of that rapture. Her lust belonged to him. The SEAL had no right to any part of her.

He almost drove away, thinking they might make it a whole afternoon and evening combined, like a couple of rabbits. It was just wrong that he’d have to stay and keep guard on their little love nest. Gina had no fuckin’ idea what kind of fire she was playing with.

Then he saw the two of them exit her apartment, hand in hand. He wished he could have wiped that little smirky, bitchy trash-mouth look right off her face.

You know I’m the only one that can satisfy you.

He clicked a few more pictures, zooming in on the handholding thing. He caught one shot of her putting her hands down the backside of his pants. Yeah, that would go over really good with the sergeant. She’d be in trouble, all right.

Sam doubted the twenty-something-year-old stud knew half the sexual stuff he did. And Sam certainly did know what Gina liked. This guy was too Boy Scout for the likes of her, Sam told himself. The lady could be a real hellcat in bed, when she was turned on. And, fuckin’ A, he knew how to do that in spades.

Fuck it.

He fired up the lowered truck with the blackened windows and slowly drove down the street. They were so preoccupied with each other that neither one of them paid him any attention. Well, she’d pay for that one. She was walking right into a hornet’s nest and wouldn’t see any of it coming.

He made a hard right and squealed tires down the next street, then gunned it at the next stop sign and took off. He was going to have to make the complaint first. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away from her. Best to set it up so Armando looked like the bad guy. While they were getting
nekked
, he’d be cooking her goose with the brass. And then she’d either come crawling back to him on her hands and knees, right where he wanted her or she’d be busted off the force. In either case, she’d be all alone, and in need of him like never before.

He couldn’t wait to see her beg for it.

Chapter 20

Armando opened the door to the Hummer, and Gina slid in. The routine of strapping her down was always an invitation to sex, and he chuckled as she sifted fingers through the hair above his ears and then traced his lips with her thumb.

“So, are we going out to the housewarming, or staying in?” He was fine with either decision.

“Out. In later.” She kissed him and he worked not to let it escalate. He needed answers to some of his questions about the big biker dude.

They rode toward Coronado without saying a word. He decided it was time to ask the questions that had been rattling around in his head. And he wondered why she didn’t just volunteer something he could latch onto. Things seemed a little out of kilter.

“Something you said last week before we went on our training has bothered me a bit, Gina. I’m just wondering, why is this Sam guy so persistent? I mean, for you to carry a gun, is he following you?”

She nodded her head and looked out the side of her window.

“This is, like, stalking behavior, Gina.”

Gina immediately looked to her lap. “I know it is, Armando. But I’ve got it under control. While you were away, I found someone with connections to the police who can help me.”

“Good.” But he didn’t mean it. He felt she was lying to him again.

The vehicle whined while they sat in silence. Armando was looking for a parking spot along a narrow street several blocks from the water’s edge. He pulled in, turned off the engine and sat back, staring in front.

Do I even want to know all about this?

“I’m not getting the feeling you’re being one hundred percent honest with me, Gina. It’s beginning to bother me.”

She exhaled. He hoped he would get the truth this time.

“Can we just table this discussion until later?” she asked.

He was stunned. “You tell me. You’re not very careful about your own safety, and that has me more than a little worried. Or is there something about this you like?”

He didn’t want to have to ask her, but he knew he would anyway. “Or are you having a difficult time making up your mind?”

Her head shot up. “No.” She leaned back and the rear of her head slammed against the headrest. “Fuck it.”

Armando waved to a couple who walked past the parked Hummer. He was going to wait as long as she needed. He thought perhaps he would finally get the truth from her.

“He’s being investigated by my company for insurance fraud. I’m ordered to stay close to him. Just that he gets the wrong idea sometimes…”

“Sometimes? He gets the wrong idea all the time, Gina. The man is a dangerous person, and I know how to recognize the really bad ones. ”

“No, he’s not. He’s just a little high strung.”

“You can’t be serious. I know what high strung looks like. He’s more like a bit off his rocker, if you ask me.”

She thought about it for a minute before answering. “Which is why I don’t want you anywhere near him, or getting involved, Armando. You’ve got to stay away. I’ve got this under control. It’s my job. Please, just let me do my job, okay?”

He didn’t like it. This wasn’t the truth, but it made some sense.

“I trust you, Gina. I just don’t trust him.”

“If you trust me, then everything will be fine. You’ll see. Won’t be long now. The investigation is almost complete. I don’t want to do anything different to alert him, warn him off.”

“What kind of fraud?”

“I’m not allowed to say. I’m sure you understand. In your field, you have secrets, too.”

“Yes, we do. But something about all this just doesn’t add up properly.”

“Can we just put it to bed for a few hours? Let’s go to the housewarming and forget about this. We’re together. Mia will be there. I’m looking forward to seeing her, and perhaps seeing the two of you more cordial. Promise you’ll try?” She smiled at him, and dang, it was hard to say no to her.

“I’m always cordial to Mia. She’s the one who has the mouth.”

“I even agree. But let’s just not stir up anything that doesn’t need to be stirred, okay?”

They heard music as they approached Cooper and Libby’s new little cottage on Sunset Drive. Happy laughter drifted through the air as young couples arrived behind Armando and Gina. Most the men were members of Armando’s SEAL Team 3 since the party was hosted by Kyle’s wife, realtor Christy Lansdowne.

Armando was greeted by one of the new guys, redheaded Rory Kennedy, and introduced him to Gina. Rory was scheduled to go on their next deployment. Armando liked him immediately. Single, very shy and uneasy around women, he was the most unlikely SEAL a person could find, Armando thought. That is, until you tried to outswim, outrun or do more reps during PT. The guy was as focused a warrior as Armando had ever seen.

Armando had learned from Rory that the guy had been orphaned as a baby, had lived in a string of foster care homes, and had burned down half of them while living there. He was quick to point out that no one had ever been injured. He and Armando had the fire thing in common between them. So, while Armando was a sharpshooter/sniper, Rory was always the man he liked to consult regarding the equipment, especially the ammo. The guy had invented some metal jackets that sent their projectiles distances the military swore could not be achieved.

After making small talk to a senior guy and being introduced to Gina, Rory quickly escaped.

Gina was watching Cooper and Libby in a very passionate embrace, seemingly oblivious to all the other partygoers.

“How does he afford a million-dollar home on military pay?” Gina asked.

“Libby’s dad is loaded,” Armando started. “Her parents sort of bought it for them as a wedding present.”

“A million dollar house?”

“More like one point six or seven, I hear. But you know how daddies like to keep their girls happy.”

Armando saw a frown cross Gina’s face. He guessed her own father hadn’t cultivated the same sort of relationship.

“Then there’s Rory over here.” Armando pointed in his direction.

“And?”

“Turns out his dad was a rich, hedge fund trader who had a night of indiscretion with Rory’s mom, and was married with kids at the time. She refused everything from the man, and eventually disappeared. The rest of her estranged family put Rory up for adoption.”

“So, they found each other after all this time? Recently?”

“In a hospital. Were roommates. What are the odds?”

It was good to hear Gina laugh. Armando introduced her to several Team guys and their wives or girlfriends, but was careful to introduce her as his friend, not girlfriend or significant other. He liked how well she fit in.

He talked to Kyle and Cooper about the deployment coming up, while Christy and Libby fawned over Gina, taking her aside and asking her questions Armando tried to overhear, but couldn’t. There was way too much giggling going on. At last he had to break away and go rescue her from the wives of two of his best friends.

“Don’t start filling her head with frog-hog stuff,” he said to the ladies.

“Armando, she’s very pretty, like you are,” Christy smiled in Gina’s direction. “We think you make a perfect couple.”

The air just left the room. It was getting hot.

“Oh, look, he’s blushing,” Libby pointed out.

Armando scowled and pursed his lips.

“He’s got a very sensual side, Gina, but then, I’m sure you’ve already found that out,” Christy said as she fingered his nose. Her tight dress followed every delicious curve of her as she grabbed Libby by the arm and the two vixens joined their men…who hadn’t stopped staring in their direction.

“The wives are gorgeous,” Gina giggled. “Nice too.”

Armando was still following them with his eyes, nodding to their mates when they successfully traversed the floor. “Most women,” he began, “seem more preoccupied with the men.” He stood close to her, facing her head-on. “But then I wouldn’t want that, would I?”

“You not the jealous type?”

“No. I’m confident.”

“I seem to remember that. One of the many qualities I enjoy about you.”

They smiled in tandem as a small roar started in the background. Fredo had entered the room. It surprised Armando when Mia came in right behind him. She had a scowl on her face until she spied Gina and then shot right over to them.

“Oh, thank God. I thought he told me you were gonna be here just to get me to go out with him,” Mia said. Armando winced, holding his hand over his heart.

“Fredo wouldn’t do that,” he said.

Mia started to give him a glare and then turned back to Gina. “I was glad to have something else to do tonight.”

“Surprised Sam let you out of the house.” Gina whispered.

“Whoa,” Armando interrupted. “Sam, as in the Sam creep who’s stalking you, Gina?”

Mia drew her eyebrows together and drilled Gina with a stare. “Stalking? Gina, he’s stalking
you
?”

“No he’s not. Armando is exaggerating a bit. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Where were you this afternoon? I texted you a dozen times.” Mia’s comment was laced with an undertone of fear.

“Sorry, I was…” Gina stopped, and Armando knew she was unable to go on.

“She was with me,” Armando admitted. He hoped the look the two girls shared favored him in some way. What women did with their emotions was a huge mystery to him. Unsecure territory for sure.

He didn’t have to wait long for a reaction. He could tell from the look on their faces, he’d managed to piss off both the ladies in his presence.

“What?” he said. “Did I say something wrong?”

 “You better behave, my overprotective and testosterone-supercharged SEAL brother. The field is getting a little crowded, or do you like it that way?”