SEAL's Honor (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 3) Read online

  “Are you going to keep teaching?” Jackson asked. Clarissa was a biologist and college professor who’d been conducting research when the team met her down in Colombia. “Met” wasn’t exactly the right word, either. Blake had found her when they’d been running an op, chasing after a terrorist stashing chemical weapons. Clarissa had been kidnapped and held hostage in the damn camp. If Blake hadn’t found her, Jackson hated to think what could’ve happened.

  “I’ll be teaching remotely for now. I still have my position in Texas, but they’re willing to let me do the lectures online this semester. An assistant will be running the labs for me.”

  “Wow,” Jackson said. “You must be really smart.”

  Blake chuckled. “Smarter than me, that’s for damn sure. They didn’t want to let her go.”

  “Lots of colleges have online classes now. The infrastructure is set up, so it’s just a matter of moving my lecture to an online platform. I can adjust fairly easily. That reminds me. I was talking some more to our neighbor the other day. She’s finishing up college and doing it one hundred percent virtually.”

  “Which neighbor?” Blake asked.

  “Taryn. Right next door.”

  Grayson grinned. “Jackson was helping her out when Hailey and I pulled up. So, is she single or what?”

  Blake briefly looked surprised but then glanced at him. “When’d you meet her? Tonight?”

  Jackson nodded. “She seemed a little scared of me, to be honest. I pulled up in front of your house and saw her when I got out of my SUV. Maybe she assumed I was you,” he said, lifting a shoulder.

  Blake frowned. “She’s quiet. I think Taryn’s talked more to Clarissa than me.”

  “You’re intimidating,” Clarissa said.

  Blake chuckled. “I can’t be that damn intimidating. You just moved in with me and agreed to be my wife.”

  “I don’t mean now. When you first burst into my tent, I was terrified.”

  Jackson watched as Blake stiffened. He knew his buddy still wanted to rip the hearts out of the men who’d kidnapped Clarissa. Hell, they all did. None of them would put up with a man harming a woman. Ever.

  “Hey,” Clarissa said quietly. “You saved me. I just meant if a woman didn’t know you, and was already skittish around men….” She trailed off. Jackson eyed her carefully, wondering if she’d had the same thoughts as him. Taryn had seemed skittish of him. That was exactly the right term. It was crazy though, because he didn’t know the woman and didn’t really know what she’d been thinking. He could’ve just caught her off guard.

  The women continued to talk for a moment as Blake went out on the deck to light the grill. Logan walked over, and more introductions began with the women his teammates had brought. Jackson frowned, his gaze shifting to the window. Blake was outside, and he could see part of Taryn’s deck right next door.

  She’d seemed surprised when he’d invited her to join them, but it seemed silly for her to sit home alone. And he had assumed she was alone. No man would let his girlfriend or wife haul that huge broken trash can down to the curb.

  His sense about things was usually correct, and he wondered again if Blake’s neighbor might be hiding something. Being shy didn’t mean you’d hesitate to say your own name.

  “You look deep in thought,” Clarissa commented.

  “Just wondering about your neighbor.”

  “I should invite her over.”

  “I did,” Jackson said with a low chuckle. “Ghost and Hailey pulled up when I was talking to her, so it just seemed like the right thing to do.”

  “And?”

  “She declined.”

  “I should quick go over and talk to her. I don’t think she knows many people here. Besides, I’d love to get to know her more since she’s right next door. I didn’t have many close friends in Texas, just work colleagues. Now that I’m teaching virtually, I don’t even have that connection.”

  “She’d probably like that,” Jackson agreed. “I don’t know her, obviously, but just got the sense that she was alone.”

  Troy and his date finally came in from the kitchen, both of them grinning ear to ear as they joined the rest of the group. Jackson smirked as his gaze ran over the woman’s mussed up hair. That must have been one hell of a kiss.

  “Nice of you to join us,” Ethan quipped. “We thought we’d need to get you two a room.”

  “She’s got me wrapped around her finger,” Troy said as the blonde woman giggled. “I can’t keep my hands to myself.”

  “Don’t worry, we noticed,” Blake said dryly, walking back in. He immediately went to Clarissa’s side, and Jackson watched as she leaned against him. They were so natural together; it was a little hard to believe they’d only been dating a few months and were now engaged. Blake had always been more than happy to go out to bars with the team and take a woman home for the night. But now? He only had eyes for Clarissa, the two of them looked happier than hell.

  Jackson was glad his SEAL team leader had found the right woman for him. It didn’t make his own lack of a love life any easier though. He took a swig of his beer, his eyes taking in the room full of his friends.

  “Who said I was worried?” Troy laughed, wrapping his arm around his date’s waist. “But we’re in here now and ready to celebrate you two shacking up.”

  Blake guffawed as Clarissa blushed, but he took her hand and kissed the back of it, ignoring the ribbing of his teammates.

  “Oh, let me get a look at your ring!” Hailey said, rushing over to her. “The last time I saw you was when everyone helped move my stuff into Grayson’s apartment. You hadn’t even been ring shopping yet.”

  “Yeah, let me get a look, too,” Grayson quipped.

  Hailey rolled her eyes, playfully swatting at him. “You don’t care about her ring,” she teased.

  “Nope, but I do want to see what you like.”

  Hailey turned red as everyone around them chuckled. Ghost and Hailey’s relationship had been quick as well. She’d been working in Bagram when he’d come to her rescue, and they’d reconnected when she moved out to San Diego for her next assignment. They weren’t engaged yet, but Hailey had just moved in with him. Jackson had a feeling both of his teammates would be hitched within the next year or so.

  “Welcome to the team, Clarissa,” Troy said with a wink as everyone gathered around, the women oohing and aahing over the diamond.

  “It’s good to be here,” she said, flushing slightly as all eyes were on them. “I know I was here over the summer, but now I’ve officially moved.”

  “And I’m glad you’re mine,” Raptor said possessively.

  “Hoorah!” Ethan whooped.

  “And as much as I like all of you,” Clarissa said, looking around at the men, “I hope we never ride in a helicopter together ever again.”

  Troy chuckled, and Jackson recalled how Troy had been the one to bring her up from the jungles of Colombia, Clarissa strapped in to the harness beside him as they dangled from a rope. “Aw,” Troy said. “You were amazing.”

  Blake growled, and Troy held up his hands in mock surrender. “Easy Raptor,” he joked. “Your woman did great on our little adventure.”

  “Little adventure?” Hailey asked with a laugh. “If it was anything like when I met Grayson, I understand why she’d want to forget.”

  “Exactly,” Clarissa joked.

  “But then we wouldn’t have met you two,” Grayson said.

  “Damn straight,” Blake agreed, tugging his fiancée even closer to his side.

  “Yeah, yeah, enough chit chat,” Troy joked. “Now on to the important stuff. When’s dinner?”

  Chapter 2

  Taryn Miller shakily shut the front door to her townhouse, wondering how the hell she hadn’t noticed the massive man next door. She’d realized someone was there, sure, but she’d naively assumed it was her neighbor Blake. And she knew better than to assume anything, especially when it came to her safety and letting her guard down. That’s how people got hurt
. How she’d put herself in danger.

  She locked the deadbolt and put on the chain, finally turning and walking into her kitchen.

  Her neighbor Blake seemed like a decent enough guy. He’d been preoccupied over this summer with his girlfriend and otherwise had mostly kept to himself. He went on his missions for the Navy, didn’t pry in her life, and was generally just polite yet reserved when he saw her.

  She didn’t know him well but was familiar enough with him to know he’d never harm her.

  If Austin ever did find her, she hoped Blake was the type of man who would come running if he heard her screaming for help next door. He had a girlfriend now though. Fiancée, actually. And he deployed an awful lot. She didn’t need to drag them into her business, even if he was the sort to step in if someone needed him.

  And that new guy tonight? Jackson?

  She shuddered slightly, both in fear and attraction.

  He was huge, with large biceps that had stretched the sleeves of his shirt and broad shoulders. He was even taller than Blake, impossible as it seemed. And with his dark hair and intense gaze, he was intimidating as hell. He was more than a foot taller than her, exactly the type of man she was afraid of. A guy like him wouldn’t need a weapon or anything to hurt her—his sheer strength alone would be enough to do serious damage to her petite frame.

  He’d walked over to help her tonight without even waiting for a response. He probably had a girlfriend or something with the way he’d so casually offered to assist, like it was no big deal.

  Maybe it wasn’t.

  Her trash can was broken, much like the other things she needed to repair in her house. The lightbulb in the foyer was out—which wouldn’t be a big deal if she had a ladder. The sink in the kitchen drained more slowly than she liked. She’d tried to snake it once but hadn’t been too successful, and she didn’t want to go back to the hardware store to buy something else. A plumber would certainly cost an arm and a leg.

  She should borrow a ladder from someone though, maybe even one of her neighbors. The more lights she had working in her house, the better. She shouldn’t take any risks when it came to her safety.

  Blowing out a sigh, she looked around her small kitchen. A sliding glass door led to the deck, and she could hear the sound of laughter from right next door.

  The party Jackson had been going to.

  She’d never had a group of people over here—never could, really. Not while Austin was still looking for her. The more people she befriended, the more likely she’d be in danger. Austin had cop friends all over the place. She knew he’d never rest until he found her.

  She said hello to her neighbors but hadn’t really talked much to any of them, except for Clarissa. It was silly of her to trust a woman she didn’t know, but Clarissa had been kidnapped over the summer. If anyone understood her fears or some of what she’d been through, it would be her. Not that she’d confided in the woman. But she had spoken more to her than anyone else in the past year.

  It was silly to even think about the men and their dates next door. She couldn’t befriend them. The more she kept to herself, the safer she’d be. If she went to a party, people could take pictures, post them online—anything.

  She had an anonymous social media account—a different fake name with no photo. It was mostly so she could keep tabs on her ex.

  But as for Jackson?

  She hadn’t missed the spark of interest in his eyes. A guy like that could protect her, no doubt. He was huge and would intimate most people with a single look. If he was in the Navy, possibly even a SEAL, like she suspected of her neighbor, he could easily do Austin harm. Shield her from his blows if he ever did find her.

  Too bad she was too damn afraid of Jackson and his friends to even ask for their help.

  Opening her fridge, she stared at the sparse contents—milk, lettuce, and a package of bologna. She wouldn’t get paid for her freelance design work until next week, so until then, she’d have to survive on the few items in her fridge and pantry. She was a whiz at graphic design, and it enabled her to work from home, but not many people were willing to pay her under the table.

  She couldn’t use her real name or social security number. She didn’t pay taxes. All of those things would make it too easy for Austin to find her.

  Closing her eyes, she wished once more that she had a normal life. That she could work in a real office and meet people. That she could take on more client work at home without anyone getting suspicious. She loved what she did, but taking a few jobs now and then wasn’t a career. And she knew she couldn’t live in this neighborhood forever anyway. It was safer for her if she kept moving. Running. It was no way to live, but what choice did she have?

  Taryn heard the roar of laughter again, and hastened a glance outside. She couldn’t really see that well from here. Blake had a privacy screen built in to his deck. It had already been there when he moved in, but she could see people moving around through the hatching.

  Their decks were so close together, being in a townhouse community, someone could probably leap from one deck to another if they wanted. Not that she’d ever try it, but it creeped her out knowing someone could come in the back door like that.

  She didn’t need to worry at this exact moment though—no one would try sneaking in to her townhouse from the deck when there was a huge group next door.

  She cracked the sliding glass door, letting in some fresh air, and walked back into her kitchen. And who was she kidding—the sounds of voices and laughter coming from her neighbor’s house made her feel less alone. Her stomach rumbled as the scent of charcoal wafted through the air, and suddenly tears smarted her eyes.

  When was the last time she’d had a grilled burger or steak?

  She’d never have a normal life again—normal friends, a normal job. She couldn’t let herself get close to anyone when she might be putting them in danger. She had no doubt that whenever Austin found her, he’d hurt whoever she was with. He wouldn’t have any qualms about hurting another person just to get to her. Shoot. He’d probably enjoy it.

  For a cop, he had a very dark side.

  She jumped as her doorbell rang, startling her from her thoughts, and she frantically looked around.

  Sheesh.

  Did normal people get freaked out like that just from a doorbell? Just because she’d been thinking of her ex-husband didn’t mean he was here. And really—it’s not like he’d politely ring the doorbell.

  Taryn wasn’t expecting anyone, so she decided to just ignore it. Hopefully whoever was there would just go away. The bell rang again though, and she thought she heard women’s voices outside. Padding across the kitchen, she peeked out between the blinds.

  Clarissa. Blake’s new girlfriend. There was a second woman she didn’t recognize beside her.

  They probably knew she was home since she’d just been outside.

  Pulling the sliding glass door and ensuring it was locked, she made her way to the front door to see what they wanted. Maybe they needed some ice or something for their party. That was about all she could offer anyway with her empty kitchen.

  She undid the chain, wondering if they’d question why she’d taken so long to answer. Pulling the door open a crack, Taryn watched as Clarissa smiled at her. “Hi! We just wanted to come invite you over for dinner. Blake is grilling tons of food—more even than those guys can eat,” she added with a laugh. “And I know you don’t know us very well, but a few of the guys brought dates over, too.”

  “I’m Donna,” the other woman said with a friendly smile. “I don’t know anyone aside from Ethan.”

  “I don’t know,” Taryn said uncertainly. “But I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

  “It’s no intrusion,” Clarissa assured her. “The guys all know each other from base, but I’ve barely met the other women. Besides, I just moved here and would love to make some new friends.”

  Taryn nodded, uneasiness creeping through her. She did like Clarissa. They’d chatted a few times and talked a
bout school. Taryn was taking some online classes but not actually finishing her degree. How could she, when she couldn’t use her real name?

  Clarissa taught at a college though, and she seemed interested in learning how Taryn liked online classes since that was what she’d be teaching via the Internet this semester.

  “Did you get your schedule settled for fall?” Clarissa asked.

  “Oh, uh, yeah. I’m just taking two classes virtually.”

  “I have to admit teaching online courses is a bit of a learning curve for me. With some of my bigger lectures, I can’t even see all the students’ faces. Sometimes I feel like I’m just sitting there talking to myself.”

  Taryn smiled. “It’s different than actual class. I’ve got a laptop and separate monitor so I can watch on one screen and work on the other. I kind of need to with graphic design though.”

  “That makes perfect sense. I’m still figuring out my set up. But seriously, come on over,” Clarissa said again. “We’ve got tons of food. Just come say hi—I promise the guys are all really nice.”

  “You’d be doing me a favor,” Donna said with a wink. “I don’t know anyone but Ethan really.”

  “Oh. Um, sure, I guess,” she said as Clarissa and Donna just stood there. “Maybe just for a little while. I’ll come over in a few minutes.”

  “Awesome. I’ll let Blake and the guys know you’re coming. We’ll see you soon!” Clarissa waved, and then she walked back down the steps with Donna, crossing the yard to Blake’s house. Well, Blake and Clarissa’s house now. For a moment, Taryn wondered why they were having a BBQ on a Sunday evening. Maybe the guys had just gotten back from another mission or something.

  Closing the door, she went to slip on her sandals and grab her keys. As much as she didn’t want to go, meeting her neighbors was probably a good idea, even if she didn’t make a habit of hanging out with them. Blake might travel a lot, but she’d like to have a female friend. She could never truly confide in her, of course, but they could talk about classes and such.