* * *

I always knew this would happen. That I would meet a man who’s just like my dad and lose my damn mind.

I didn’t know my slut meter would go off the charts though. I also never expected that it would happen this way, with him having to save me after being kidnapped and all.

Maybe it was the kidnapping, and coming so close to having my life disrupted in the most horrible way, but I feel freer somehow. Like all my usual inhibitions had been cauterized.

I’m not one for jumping into bed with someone I’d just met, but here I am three bouts of amazing intercourse later. And truth be told, I wouldn’t mind a fourth, or a fifth. Oh good grief, I’ve become an addict.

Maybe that myth about needing to reaffirm that you’re still alive after facing trauma had some truth to it.

Because right now, even as I was reassuring the girls that everything was going to be okay, my mind was on him and the way it felt when I was in his arms, in his bed. Oh shit!

His body is so damn firm, so masculine, but what’s more I felt safe when I was under him. Like he was shielding me from the rest of the world.

I could still imagine the feel of his body as I ran my hands up and down his back, his chest. I still get a tingle from the memory of him pressed up against me.

I went back into the living room where the other girls were digging into their bowls of popcorn and talking through the movie.

Now that he was no longer here, I was hit once again with the memory of all that we’d been through, how close we came to being sold across the ocean into who knows what hell, and I felt a little unsettled.

There was a slight tension in my body and my nerves were just a little shook as I looked at these young women whose lives could’ve been ruined forever.

I started to shake as the adrenaline that had been carrying me this long finally crashed and burned, but I knew I had to keep it together for them.

Once I was sure of their safety and they were reunited with their families, then I can dwell on myself and all that had transpired in the last day and a half.

I was still coming to terms with the fact that it had happened to me, and my mind hadn’t quite caught up to reality yet.

I know enough about PTSD to know that though this may not be that on a grand scale, it was bordering on the edges.

The trick was to focus on the here and now and not let my mind go back there to those few hours in the back of that dark hot trailer.

I stared at the screen but saw nothing. Instead of the horrors of the past few hours taking over my mind as would be expected at a time like this, my head was full of Quinn.

I didn’t question what I felt for him. Somehow I always knew that when the time came I’d know him on sight. It’s the reason I never gave myself away cheaply before.

When I thought of the man I would one day meet and marry, there was always an old world sort of romance attached to my dreams.

When you grow up in a home with a real life hero and watch through the years the love this strong man bore his wife and child, it was easy to weave dreams around such things.

I always knew deep down that nothing but a navy man would do for me, and though I’d met plenty over the years through dad, none had ever touched my heart.

My soldier had always been back there in the shadows, waiting. I couldn’t quite picture what he looked like, but I knew what it would feel like to be in his presence. At least I told myself I would.

Now that man has a face and what a face it is. He’s every girl’s dream of the perfect ten. His dark hair had been allowed to grow out now that they were retired, but I could imagine it the way it’s worn shorn close to the head when he’s deployed.

His Irish green eyes, I can still see them looking into mine as though he could really see me. See past the face I show the world to the girl hidden inside.

I’m happy that I’d kept myself for him. That I’d believed in the dream enough to hold out. If he’s anything like my dad that’ll mean a lot to him.

Men of honor seem to put a lot of stock in things like that still, even though they may claim not to. I didn’t have to question whether or not he felt the same attraction for me. He’d proved that three times.

Okay time to think about something else. I hadn’t showered again after that last time and I could still feel him leaking out of me and it was making me twitchy.

I looked around the living room for a sense of him. His likes, who he was. I’m sure in the next few weeks I’ll get a better handle on things as we get to know each other, but I always found that you can tell a lot about a person from their surroundings.

The place was all male but there were a few touches of the feminine as well and I felt a stirring of jealousy until I pushed it aside. Maybe one of his sisters in law were responsible.

I saw an old Afghan that I was sure he used at night when there was a chill in the air, and pulled it around my shoulders.

Cara kept looking back at me, giving me strange looks, but I kept my face neutral. I wasn’t ready to answer questions about us. I’m sure the whole situation may seem odd to others.

Hell if anyone else had told me that they met a man and jumped into bed with him on the first date I would’ve thought them a bit loose.

But I guess when you know you know. Mom had told me that once. During one of our more intimate conversations.

She’d said that when she met dad she just knew in her soul that he was the one for her. I’ve watched them over the years, and instead of their love for each other waning with time as many so often do. Theirs seemed only to flourish with each passing year.

Mom says it’s because dad was gone most of the time and she got used to missing him so that when he returned it was all the sweeter.

But I think it was more than that. I saw two people who respected each other as much as they loved. That’s what I want, with Quinn.

My heart raced at the sickening thought that he might not want the same. What if he wasn’t looking to settle down? I know as many navy men who liked playing the field as I do those who get married and raise a family.

Well he’d better be the latter or there’ll be no more of that amazing bed wrestling until I trained his ass right.

I felt sudden panic until I remembered the way he’d spoken to dad earlier. No way would he have told dad he was holding onto me if he wasn’t more than a little interested.

If there’s one thing I’m sure of, no navy man would cross the admiral for any reason unless he had a death wish. And besides, he didn’t seem to want to leave me either.

Once I’d convinced myself that his interest was as great as mine, I was able to relax and watch the movie. I mothered the girls a bit, fussing over them each time one of them got nervous.

I’d been so caught up in my own head I’d almost forgotten that their night hadn’t ended quite the same as mine.

While I had thoughts of Quinn to overshadow the horror of what had happened to me, they didn’t. It wasn’t long before I got them talking, to bring whatever darkness was festering in their heads out into the light.

We started rehashing the night’s drama and I got to learn a little more about the girls. We were a family of sorts I realized.

Each of us bonded together by the men who’d fathered us and whatever it is that they’d done together that had gained them a common enemy.

If Quinn is like dad he won’t be sharing, but I was pretty sure that those women I’d seen peeping out of windows might know a thing or two. Same as mom.

I just have to wait for things to settle down a little and I’ll learn more. But as great as it is that Quinn and his team were taking care of things, this little woman wasn’t done with whatever asshole had had her drugged and thrown into the back of a container. Fuck that!

* * *

* * *

We still needed to make arrangements for the girls and getting them to safety. Lo didn’t want too much traffic at the compound which made sense so there was no way their parents could come pick them up here.

I was more worried now about getting out than anything else. This place was about to get hot and I didn’t want Kelly anywhere near here when shit jumped off.

“Shit, did anyone check on that boat that was waiting for them last night? I forgot all about that shit. Somebody must’ve sounded the alarm by now.” What the fuck I’m off my game.

“I already took care of that. And I think I have an answer to your problem with the girls as well. If I didn’t have to babysit you lot I would’ve handled it myself but this guy is good.”

A battalion of fingers went in the air at his cheap shot but he just grinned and ignored them.

“What you got?” I held the doorknob in my hand as I looked back at Mancini who’d made the offer.

“Well, as Logan said, it’s not a great idea to send them back to their homes just yet, not until we know it’s safe. They can’t stay here for obvious reasons and they can’t come with us. I know a guy. He’s in Washington has a place right on the border.”

“This guy has experience handling kids in this type of situation. He has a safe house where he keeps them in the interim between rescue and reinstatement.”

“And he’s on the level? You know him?”

“Yep to both.”

“Name.” He gave us a name that didn’t sound familiar and I nodded at Dev to go check him out.

“Lo what did you tell their dads?”

“I told them they might be better off for now and because they know we’re the commander’s they’re giving it some thought. We don’t know who’s watching them or us for that matter. I think it’s best to get them out of the line of fire until we get this thing resolved.”

“Are we giving this guy a shot or do we have something else lined up?”

“I was playing around with the idea of letting the admiral take them once he got here, but if Mancini’s guy checks out it might be for the best. It’s obvious the admiral’s being watched if they nabbed his daughter.”

I nodded my head and opened the door where Law’s crew was still standing watch over the prisoners.

I had a feeling things were coming to a head. They’d gone after all the big guns on this one. A SEAL’s life is pretty much kept private outside of everyone who was on the team.

For these men to have known and gone after the daughters of the men who’d been part of a singular unit years ago meant that Khalil had an old debt to square.

It could be that it had all been leading up to this, that all the other women who’d been snatched were part of this. And that was a lot of fucking women and girls.

We knew from the book we’d found in Stockton’s place that most of the girls listed had some affiliation with servicemen in some capacity or another, but until now, we hadn’t quite understood the pattern.

The fact that the men mentioned in the codes we’d deciphered were all part of the CO’s old team when he himself was an active SEAL meant that the shit went back years. But Khalil would’ve been a kid back then so who? His old man?

I’ll have to wait until we’d taken care of our latest hiccup to bring it up with the others, but either way I was sure that whatever we were dealing with had come to a head.

“Well Quinn, I’m thinking it’s your time at bat, we’ll play this however you say.” I knew Lo was giving me lead on this one because of Kelly.

Each man had taken point where his woman was concerned, and it was now my turn. He was also asking if I wanted to eliminate the men who’d put hands on her.

It was a good thought but there were other things worst than death. Like suffering before it and shit.

“We don’t have time for what I want to do to these skells, but we have to keep them around until the admiral gets here. I’m sure he’d like to have a word.”

“Okay then, let’s get the rest of what we need done. We’re losing time as we speak. Mancini as soon as Dev gives the all clear call your guy, in the meantime we have a tunnel to blow. I’m coming with so don’t even argue.” He held up his hand as Mancini prepared to argue.

“Quinn, make sure this guy is safe. No offence but I don’t know him and I’m not about to hand over four innocents to someone I don’t know, especially after the hell they’ve been through. The rest of you know what to do.”