Finding Carly (SEAL Team Hawaii #5)(98)

Jag frowned in confusion. “No, why?”

“Because you were in all those meetings. Something major was happening, and I just figured you’d be leaving soon. You told me that’s how it works, that sometimes you guys spend hours and hours going over intel, then you’d be deployed.”

Jag nodded. It was hard to believe that forty-eight hours previously, the only thing on his mind was the kidnapped boys in Nigeria. That seemed like a lifetime ago. “I can never guarantee we won’t be sent out at a moment’s notice, but the thing we were researching was resolved without us having to lend our assistance.”

Carly sagged against him. Jag hadn’t realized how worried she was about him leaving until right that moment.

“Good.”

Jag brought a hand up and smoothed it gently over her head. “I love you,” he said softly. “I swear I lost ten years off my life when I realized you hadn’t texted to let me know you got home safely.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“No,” Jag told her with a shake of his head. “Don’t be sorry. What happened wasn’t your fault. It was that asshole’s.”

“We need to watch that movie. Soon,” Carly said.

Jag chuckled lightly and nodded. “Okay.”

“Is Baker okay?” she asked after a minute.

Jag sighed. “I don’t know.”

“He didn’t do anything wrong. I know for a fact he worked his ass off to find me.”

“He did,” Jag agreed. “But he doesn’t like to fail.”

“Oh, good Lord, he didn’t fail,” Carly protested. “He was the one who found that footage of Gideon hitting me and stuffing me in his trunk!”

“He doesn’t see it that way.”

“I’m gonna talk to him,” she said firmly. Then her voice softened, and she added, “But not right now. I’m comfortable.”

Jag nodded against her. He’d been afraid he’d never have this again. Never be able to hold her. Sparks could have terrorized her much more than he had. Could’ve assaulted her. The last thing he ever wanted was for her to go through what he did. The helplessness, the degradation, the pain. What had happened to Carly was bad enough. If Sparks had touched her, Jag knew neither of them would be dealing with what happened as calmly as they were right now.

“I’m looking forward to the barbeque at Kenna and Aleck’s place this weekend.”

Jag smiled. That was such a…normal topic of conversation. Carly had just gotten out of the hospital, she was probably still in a good deal of pain, and yet she was putting what happened behind her. She was fucking amazing.

“Me too.”

“Elodie said she was going to go all out,” Carly said.

Jag could feel her smile against him. “Which means we’re all gonna eat extremely well.”

“I can’t wait to taste those burgers the guys are always talking about.”

“She’s got a magic touch. I think I’m envious of Mustang.”

“Hey,” Carly protested, poking him in the stomach. “I can cook.”

“Of course you can,” Jag said immediately, knowing better than to contradict his woman…not if he wanted her to ever cook again in the future.

“But not like she can,” Carly added. “Jag?”

“Yeah, angel?”

“I love you. So much. And I’m not scared of it. I thought I’d be wary of falling in love for a long time, after everything that happened, but I know without a doubt that this is where I’m meant to be. I had to experience everything I did with Shawn, and even with Gideon, so I could end up right here. I’d go through it all over again if it meant being with you.”

Jag was nearly overwhelmed with emotion. But he understood what she meant. He wouldn’t change anything about his own life if it meant being with Carly. It was a startling thought. For so much of his adulthood, he’d been so bitter about what he’d gone through. But now? He understood that he’d had the experiences he did in order to be the man Carly needed. “I love you,” he managed to whisper.

Carly nodded against him and let out a long breath. “I think I could sleep for days,” she murmured.

“Me too.” Jag felt exhaustion pulling at him. He’d been awake for more than thirty-five hours. The adrenaline spiking through his veins had helped him stay on his feet, but now with his woman safe and sound in his arms, Sparks dead, and knowing Carly would marry him, he felt himself crashing.

The last thing Jag remembered was inhaling deeply and smelling Carly’s sweet cherry blossom scent. She was finally free of her past, and all that lie ahead of them was a beautiful future.





Carly didn’t know what woke her up later, but when she looked at the clock, she saw that it was only three in the morning. She’d slept deep and hard, safe in her man’s arms, but now her conscience nagged at her. She knew she could close her eyes and go back to sleep easily, but there was something she needed to do.

Surprised when she was able to slip out of Jag’s arms without waking him, Carly tiptoed to the door and headed into the living room. It was obvious Jag had suffered while she was missing, and she vowed to do whatever she could in the future to help him get over what had happened.