Defenseless (Salvation, #5)(66)

“Thought we were talking about Matt?”

She gives me a blank stare before she goes on. “Don’t be Matt. She may not be the easy choice, but she’s the right one.”

Lee kisses my cheek and walks off, leaving me stunned. The thing is that I don’t know that she’s the right choice. I don’t know if there even is a choice. I went after her. She was cold, distant, and to be honest, a bitch. While normally I don’t mind her hostile side, what the hell doors did she leave open? None. I’m not going to beg anyone.

She made her bed, now she can lie in it. She’s pretty good at lying anyway.



Nine days without her in my house and it feels empty. Nine days where her snoring hasn’t woken me up, or I wake up eating her hair in the middle of the night because she flips it in my face. I hate that her perfume lingers in the air. If she could just vanish from my house, that would be great.

I wonder about her more than I should. Is she still following her leads? Did she go back to the agency so she could pursue her end goal? She’ll never find him on her own, and I honestly think she’s being roadblocked. There’s no way with her intelligence, training, and the lair of computers in her house, she wouldn’t know by now. Someone is pulling the strings behind her. I have a feeling it’s her handler.

Charlie described how she figured it out. How this girl had to have betrayed her because no one else knew the information that was disclosed. Now she trusts her again? It makes no sense. I know she’s desperate, but it made me question her thinking when she suggested it.

My phone rings and Liam’s name flashes across the screen.

“Hey, I thought you were on vacation with Lee,” I answer. I’m confused as to why he’s calling. We all got the verbal beat down from Natalie about how no one was to bother her. That Liam is deploying and she wants a week of just the four of them. If our houses were on fire, we could figure it out without her.

She’s a fun one.

“Yeah, I just got a call from my PI buddy in DC.”

“I’m not worried about her anymore.”

Liam laughs. “Sure, you’re not. The thing is, he’s been keeping an eye on her place. Nothing stalker like, but when Lee filled me in on your situation, I thought maybe he could keep tabs on her for a bit.”

I growl at the idea that he did this. Why the f*ck can’t these people just stay the hell out of it? We’re done. I wish her well, but I don’t care anymore. I sigh and then it sinks in, if Liam is calling me—the guy called him. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

“I thought you weren’t worried.”

“Fuck off.” I grab my keys not even knowing if I should, but I need to move. If she’s in trouble . . . if she needs me . . . God, I’m stupid. Of course I care. “Tell me what you know.”

“He said she hasn’t been to her house in nine days, and when she left, she went for a walk, no bags, no nothing, and hasn’t returned since. He also said there were a bunch of guys tailing her. I’m not saying anything’s wrong, but he figured I might want to know.”

I need to get up there. She could’ve taken off on a lead or be with her brother, but I need to know. I have to make sure she’s okay. “I’m leaving now.”

“I figured.”

“Don’t sound so smug,” I reply and then think about what Liam did for me. “Hey man, thank you.”

“Anytime. Be careful. I’ll let my buddy know you’re on your way, and I’ll text you his info. He can help with the lay of the land.”

Liam and I became friends through chance, but he’s proven time and again what a stand-up guy he is. “I appreciate it. Really.”

“I know. I better get back before Lee realizes I’m not there. Keep your eyes open.”

“Always. Talk to you soon.” I disconnect the call and get into motion. Time is not on my side. It’s been over a week, and I’ve been here licking my wounds. If they touch a hair on her head, I’ll put a bullet in each of theirs.

I need a plan. Do I drive or fly? I can get there faster by plane. Every minute is precious, but by the time I get the pilot, the plane, and everything else ready, I could be there. I throw some stuff in a bag and head out the door.

Once in the car I start to really formulate my first step. If she’s in trouble, I doubt I’ll find anything at her house, but it’s the only place to start. Maybe she left a clue. Then again, this is Charlie. I grab my phone and call Jackson.

“Hey,” he answers on the first ring.

“I’m heading to DC.”

“Took you long enough.”

“She might be in trouble,” I say. I feel broken. It’s ridiculous. This girl left over a stupid argument and then told me everything we shared was imagined, but I love her. I love her, and now I’m scared for her. She was drugged, she’s been watched, and now she’s disappeared.

Jackson goes quiet for a moment. “What do you know?” His entire demeanor has changed. He’s now Jackson Cole, Commander of the US Navy SEAL Team Four. I know this voice. I can respond to this voice, because this is who I should be right now.

I shift in the seat, press my foot against the pedal, and stop my bullshit. “She hasn’t returned to her apartment in nine days. Dreamboat had a friend watching out for her. He noticed some activity so he must’ve been watching her place. Liam called, said what I just told you, and I’m going.”