Finding Carly (SEAL Team Hawaii #5)(8)

Carly was done being a coward. Even if it was easier said than done, she was moving on. Shawn Keyes had taken enough from her. It was time to put everything that had happened behind her and take back her life.

She wasn’t an idiot, she knew she could still be in danger. Luke was still out there somewhere, probably waiting for the perfect time to take his revenge for his father’s death, but determination rose within her. Somehow, with Jag by her side, she felt as if she could take on the world.

But with baby steps. First step, put the toxic environment of her apartment behind her for a while. Second step, shower and eat something besides ramen noodles. Third step…well, time would tell what that would be. But it wouldn’t be cowering in her apartment anymore.

With renewed determination, Carly continued to fill the suitcase.





Shawn’s accomplice stared out a window in his condo and scowled at the beautiful day. It wasn’t the sun he was pissed at, it was her. Carly Stewart.

Shawn had died because of that bitch. And she needed to pay for his death.

He’d been watching her, waiting for an opportunity for months. But she never left her fucking apartment.

At first, he assumed avenging Shawn would be easy. He’d planned to offer Carly a ride home from his friend’s memorial service and quickly finish what he’d started. But she hadn’t even shown up! The utter disrespect infuriated him.

Shawn had taken her in, a na?ve twenty-something, and tried to mold her into a mature woman. Someone who would be there for her man, stand by his side, see to his every need. And in return, she’d metaphorically spit in his face. Rejected him in the most humiliating way possible. She’d taken out a protective order against him. It was complete bullshit.

Shawn had been a good man. The very best. That slut didn’t know how good she’d had it. If he could be half the man Shawn had been, he’d consider himself lucky. But the dumb bitch hadn’t appreciated him. Hadn’t respected him and all the things he’d done for her.

And no matter how many times Shawn had tried to talk to her after she dared to walk away, no matter how often he’d explained that if she’d just listen to him, she’d go much further in life, be more than a lowly waitress, she’d ignored him.

It was no wonder Shawn had to discipline her. She was a wild animal who needed to know her goddamn boundaries.

Women shouldn’t be allowed to go anywhere without letting someone know where they were, who they were with. It was a dangerous world out there. If men like him and Shawn were going to protect their women, they had to know their every movement, at all times.

It made perfect sense.

He’d learned so much from Shawn. Including how to be a real man in a relationship, how women just needed to be shown the correct path in order to be a good girlfriend or wife. Women were fundamentally weak. They needed men to lead them. To keep them safe.

And the bitch was not only too stupid to see what a good thing she’d had with Shawn, she was disrespectful to the nth degree.

The fact that she’d refused to move in with him was the final straw. How could Shawn continue to mold her properly if she wasn’t sleeping by his side every night? A man had needs, and Shawn told him all about how Carly had refused to sleep in his bed at the end. Had refused to kiss him. It was unacceptable. She was a disgrace. And she had fucked up everything—for both him and Shawn.

When his friend came to him, upset and angry after being served with the protective order, they’d discussed what his next steps should be. It felt so good that his friend had opened up to him about his problems, trusted him to help. He’d been truly honored. They’d decided Carly needed to be taught a lesson, of course. No one said no to Shawn Keyes. He was the best the bitch would ever get, and she needed to understand the mistake she’d made by throwing him away.

The plan was perfect…except the evening they were set to carry it out, everything had gone wrong. The bitch had left work early because she was sick and the biggest storm the area had seen in years rolled in.

In the end, Shawn had died.

It wasn’t fair! Carly hadn’t been taught her lesson—and it was now up to him to finish the job. He would honor his friend by making Carly pay.

The original strategy had to change, unfortunately. There was no time for days of torture. Snatching her from work was no longer an option. And he wasn’t interested in fucking the bitch, as Shawn himself had planned to do; no way in hell would he get his cock anywhere near her poison pussy.

No, she just needed to die. Disappear without a trace.

There were plenty of places he could dispose of her body where it would never be found. The most effective option was the sea. The millions of gallons of water would swallow her up and never spit her out.

Anger churning at the delay, he vowed to avenge his friend. Carly Stewart would rue the day she’d rejected such a fine man. Then, and only then, could he go on with his life with a clear conscience.

Regrettably, he knew he had to wait even longer. Wait until the right time. When her guard was no longer up. The bitch hadn’t left her apartment in ages—and he would know. He was at least thrilled that she seemed to be so terrified; she should be. Danger was coming for her.

But vengeance would be so much sweeter if it struck when she least expected it.

She couldn’t hide out forever. And when she finally crawled out from under the rock where she was cowering, he’d be there. Waiting and ready to strike.