Finding Carly (SEAL Team Hawaii #5)(25)

But could she deal with his quirks when it came to intimacy? He wasn’t sure. It was nothing against her, but he had some pretty fucking big issues.

Not wanting to think about how or why he was the way he was when it came to women, Jag concentrated on driving. He checked the rearview mirror and didn’t see anyone or anything to be concerned about. But he had to stay on his toes. Carly’s life might depend on it, and if he let her down, he would never recover.





The man in the shadows of the parking garage scowled. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see the bitch walking along Kalakaua Avenue, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. The last he knew, she was still cowering in her apartment.

As if it was meant to be, a car pulled out of a parking space on the street right after he’d seen Carly, so he’d pulled in and followed her to Duke’s. He had no idea who the man with her was…but he didn’t like the way the guy constantly scanned their surroundings. He was much more aware of who was around than the bitch ever was, which wasn’t good for his plans.

He called and let his boss know he was going to be late getting back to work, lying about having car trouble. He was a model employee though; no one would question his word. It was more important to try to find out what was happening with Carly.

He watched from a distance as she was welcomed back at Duke’s with open arms and laughter. The longer he watched, the more upset he became. He’d been glad when she quit. He wanted her isolated and scared out of her mind. He’d had her right where he wanted her and was getting ready to make his move.

But now something had changed.

It was the man with her. He knew it.

And it pissed him off.

Nothing would keep him from carrying out the plan. Shawn might be dead, but he’d complete what they discussed if it was the last thing he ever did. He owed it to the man.

Shawn had taken him under his wing. He’d never been able to make friends easily…people thought he was weird or awkward. He never said the right thing, laughed at inappropriate times. But Shawn had accepted him. Taught him how to be a real man, including how to take charge of his woman. They’d gone to bars, watched football, and generally hung out a lot. Shawn was a true friend. His only friend. And with Shawn’s help and expertise, he’d been laying the groundwork for a special someone of his own.

The fact that his mentor had done everything for Carly, and she’d dismissed him so easily, enraged him. She’d been lucky to have Shawn.

It was up to him to avenge his friend.

He and Shawn had talked long and often about how they would make Carly pay for her disrespect and disobedience. For thinking she could just walk away. Their friendship deepening as they planned her downfall.

And when everything went to shit, he felt as if a part of him had been irrevocable lost. He was nothing without Shawn. He was back to being the weird guy no one really wanted to make eye contact with. Especially women.

More than an hour later, the man watched Carly leave Duke’s with a huge smile on her face. It was easy to blend in with the tourists as they returned to the parking garage. Needing to know what kind of car the man drove, he snuck into the garage and watched from a stairwell.

When they kissed, the man’s hands clenched into shaking fists.

No! She wasn’t allowed to suck another man into her fucking trap! She didn’t deserve to be happy, not after she’d ruined Shawn’s life!

As he memorized the license plate, new ideas began to swirl in the man’s head. He needed to go about this differently, now that another man was in the picture. Let her think she was safe. That there was no threat lurking in the darkness.

Yes, his new plan was much better. The cops had talked to him, and he’d easily deflected all suspicions. He could do the same with Carly.

Chuckling to himself and thrilled with the scheme taking shape in his mind, the man walked back down the stairs and into the hot afternoon. He didn’t get angry when someone bumped into him. He even stopped to help an obviously lost couple figure out where they were and where they needed to go. He was all smiles.

Yes, this was going to work out just fine. Carly would still end up dead, Shawn would be avenged, and he’d never be suspected.

Whistling, the man headed for his car.

“I’m comin’ for you, Carly,” he said under his breath. “When you least expect it, retribution will be mine.”





CHAPTER EIGHT





Carly was still tingling by the time Jag neared Barbers Point. She couldn’t stop smiling either. Kissing Jag was unlike any kiss she’d ever experienced. Her nerve endings seemed to spark when their lips met, and she’d felt giddy and desperate. It was almost laughable, but at first, she’d actually thought he was shy. She made the first move to deepen the chaste kiss. But when she’d touched her tongue to his lips, he’d finally taken control.

She didn’t mind taking the lead with a guy now and then, but Carly preferred the guy to be in charge. It excited her. And Lord, did Jag end up checking all the boxes in that sense. He probably just took it slow to make sure he didn’t scare her.

Jag definitely didn’t scare her.

Carly wasn’t an idiot. She knew what he did for a living. It wasn’t as if he was running around foreign countries talking the bad guys into giving up. No, he was a deadly fighting machine, there was no doubt. But she had to admit, she liked the sweeter side he’d shown her.