The call disconnected, and he wanted to throw the phone at the brick wall of the convenience store they were parked next to.That bitch had to be here somewhere.A cop ran her license late last night somewhere in this hick town.Apparently, she got into a car accident with a bunch of chicks.Simmons and two of Hernandez’s flunkies had driven all night to get here, but the fucking cunt was nowhere to be found.They couldn’t even find the car the chicks were in to ask them about her.
Kicking a bottle across the parking lot in frustration, he strode back to the Cadillac where his partners for this trip were waiting.Climbing in the back seat, he slammed the door.“Let’s drive around again.That bitch has to be here somewhere.”
Chapter2
Releasing a heavy sigh, KC turned off his car’s engine in the driveway of his uncle’s beach house.The small, blue cottage was trimmed in white and sported a quaint widow’s walk while resting just beyond the dunes of the pristine shoreline.Facing the Atlantic Ocean on the Outer Banks, the three-bedroom house sat on the edge of a sleepy little town named Whisper, North Carolina.The town was more of a small, tight community where everyone knew everyone else instead of a bustling tourist area.Not that it mattered to KC one way or the other.He just needed a place to crash when he was on leave from “saving the world,” as his Uncle Dan proudly told everyone.
Whisper, about ninety minutes south of where his SEAL team was stationed in Little Creek, Virginia, was the perfect place to wind down and recharge his body and mind.KC was so exhausted he didn’t know if he had the strength to get from his vehicle to the back door and into his bedroom before falling fast asleep.Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he forced himself to open the car door, grab his canvas duffel, and shuffle his way to the porch.He loved the smell of the salt water—fresh and crisp.It was part of why he’d joined the Navy instead of one of the other military branches.
The other reason was the impression a retired Navy SEAL had made during KC’s high school career day many years ago.He saw the proud, steel look in the man’s eyes as he described the intense training and commitment required of all SEALs, and KC knew right then he wanted to experience it for himself.With his uncle’s encouragement, he enlisted as soon as he graduated from high school, and five years later, he survived the grueling six-month SEAL BUD/s (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training program.He had proudly served in the Navy ever since.
Putting his key into the lock of the back door, he felt the weeks of cumulating tension begin to purge from his body.This place was his comfort zone—his Eden.The cottage and surrounding area always fortified him, and it wouldn’t take long for him to feel like a normal person again.It would temporarily rid him of the feeling of walking a very long tightrope, worrying if the current mission would be the one when he or one of his teammates didn’t come home alive.
KC couldn’t pinpoint when the job had gone from an adrenaline rush to an extremely stressful career, but at thirty-five, he wondered if, maybe, his time in the SEALs was over.For the fourth time since he’d left the base, he contemplated taking the position of SEAL Training Instructor, which had been offered to him.He’d turned it down twice in the past because he was dedicated to his team and didn’t want to leave them, but now he was having second thoughts.Not about his team because, aside from his uncle and two brothers, the men in SEAL Team Six were family to him.However, the missions they’d been on lately were starting to take a toll on him—mentally and physically.As things stood now, he was still up in the air about his decision, but he’d have plenty of time to think about it during his month-long leave.For now, though, he only wanted to climb into bed.In his current condition and mindset, he could probably sleep at least forty-eight hours before his body finally rejuvenated itself.
Letting his military green duffel drop inside the door with a thud, KC relocked the deadbolt, flipped the light switch on, turned around, and froze.
Fuck a damn duck.
The last thing he expected when he arrived at his uncle’s place was to be confronted by a slim, auburn-haired woman.She wore nothing but a terrified look on her face and a thin white T-shirt, which barely reached her shapely thighs.She was also pointing a black and very deadly, semi-automatic 9mm at his chest.
“Who the hell are you, and how’d you get in here?”the woman demanded.The strength of her voice was in total contrast to the fear in her eyes and the unsteadiness with which she held the heavy gun in her outstretched hands.
What the fuck had he just walked in on?Some transient who broke in, looking for a place to sleep?Well, if she was a transient, she was a darn cute one.Damn, he really was tired if he thought an intruder with a gun was cute.
He held his arms out, palms open, to show her he wasn’t armed—well, he was, he just wasn’t prepared to let this crazed woman know it yet.He kept his voice low and calm.“I could be asking you the same thing.”
“I asked you first.”Her weapon remained pointed at him as she inched her way to the left, putting several pieces of furniture between them.
He kept his demeanor and hands steady.“I’m KC Malone.This is my uncle’s place, and I stay here when I’m in town.Now, why don’t you lower that gun before someone gets hurt?”
The woman narrowed her shockingly blue eyes.Even at the distance separating them, he could see they were the color of the shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea.Nevertheless, she showed no signs of relinquishing her perceived vantage point.“That someone is going to be you if you move a muscle.I rented this cottage from Dan Malone, and he didn’t mention anything about a nephew.”
“That’s impossible.”He shook his head slowly in disbelief.“Uncle Dan would never rent this place.”
Her chin tilted up in defiance despite the slight tremor in it.“Well, apparently, he would, and he did.Three days ago.To me.Now leave.”
He noticed the gun’s weight was taking its toll on the woman’s extended arms as they began to shake and sway.He let out a loud, weary sigh.“What can I say or do to convince you to set the gun down, or better yet, put it away?”
“You can leave, that’s what you can do.”
“Sorry, honey, that’s not going to happen.”He noticed her eyes flared in silent fury at the personal endearment.“What else?”
“If you’re Dan Malone’s nephew, prove it.”Her tone told him no matter what he said, it wouldn’t make a difference to her.
KC scanned the room and realized that if his uncle did lease the cottage to this insane woman, he’d kept it fully furnished.Nothing had changed, and all his uncle’s things still decorated the comfortable room.There was no evidence of personal items which might belong to the woman who stood before him.Even though he thought it was strange, he ignored the simple fact for the moment and pointed to the mantle over the red brick fireplace.“The picture on the left is of my uncle, brothers, and me on last year’s fishing trip.My hair’s a little longer now, but that’s me on the far right.I’m in most of the photos around the room, but that’s the most recent.”
He stayed perfectly still as the woman approached the fireplace to look at the picture, keeping enough distance between her and KC to ensure he wouldn’t attack her.He knew he could easily overtake her, but she was obviously scared, and there was no point in anyone being hurt unnecessarily.She glanced quickly at the photo and then back at him but said nothing.Evidently, she was still wary.
“And the football trophy next to it is from my senior year of high school when we won the state championship.It has my name on it.If you let me take my wallet out, I can show you my license.”
The woman thought about it for a moment, then nodded.“OK, but slowly.”
KC eased his leather wallet out of his back pocket and tossed it on the floor at her feet.Keeping the gun trained on him, she cautiously lowered herself to the ground to pick it up.Opening the smooth leather case, she studied his license and then tossed the brown wallet back to him.He caught it in his right hand and slowly returned it to his rear pocket, keeping his left hand where she could see it.
The tension in her face and shoulders eased slightly, but she pointed the weapon at him.“Okay, I’m convinced youarerelated to Mr.Malone, but it doesn’t explain what you’re doing sneaking in here in the middle of the night, scaring the hell out of me.You have to leave.Now!”
KC let out another frustrated sigh.The situation was getting old and annoying really fast.“Look.I already proved I’m Dan’s nephew.Can you put away the damn gun before you accidentally shoot me?”
