Page 111 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

The Reckless Warrior

Chapter One

All in all, it had been a productive day, despite the disastrous beginning. Delaney had put in ten long hours at the studio laying down tracks for the first song in her new album. Slowly but surely, she was making progress. The hard part had been pulling her mind away from the threatening texts and focusing on her work. Every minute counted these days. She had to have all six songs written and performed by the end of the month.One down and five to go.

Delaney leaned back against the seat of the car and let her mind get lost in the blur of lights from the city. Every inch of her body craved sleep. As soon as she got home, she was taking a hot shower and crawling into bed. Thankfully, she could sleep in a little in the morning before starting on the lyrics for her next song. The title of her album was “Transformation.” She chuckled darkly. Transformation was a topic Delaney knew well. Maybe she should name her next song “Scratch and Claw.” That’s what she’d done—scratched and clawed her way to stardom despite all obstacles. But now that she was on the cusp of making it big, her past was catching up to her.

She fingered her neck, feeling like she had an invisible noose around it. She should’ve known her ex-husband Tuck wouldcome lurking around when he realized she was on the verge of becoming a star. Sharks always came for the feed when they caught a whiff of fresh blood. An icy fear slithered down her spine as the all too familiar panic gripped her. Tuck wouldn’t stop until he killed her.

Maybe she should’ve stayed out of the limelight. Even as the thought entered her mind, she knew that singing was nearly as important to her as breathing. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life hiding in the shadows, fearing each day that Tuck would return. Tuck and his brother had taken away everything else from her. She wouldn’t allow them to steal this too. No matter what, she’d go down fighting. Her mind flitted over the recent events that had brought her to this point.

The first text came a little over a month ago, right after she made her first appearance on a popular late-night show. Her record label wanted to put her out there so that people would know Delaney Mitchell by the time her debut album came out. The plan was working. Delaney’s Instagram and Twitter followers were doubling daily and she’d gotten a half-dozen requests to appear on several more well-recognized talk shows. Unfortunately, the notoriety put her on Tuck’s radar.

Had she remained an obscure waitress, scratching out a meager income to get by, Tuck might’ve left her alone. But now that she was fast becomingsomebody, he wanted a piece of the pie. No, what he wanted was a piece of her. In Tuck’s warped mind, he believed he owned her like property he could abuse at will and then push aside until it suited his whim to pick it up again. She swallowed, glancing at the bulky outline of her bodyguard Mason’s shoulders who was driving the car. It was good to know that she had someone with her always—a barrier that would hopefully keep Tuck from gaining personal access to her.

Immediately after receiving the first round of texts, Delaney had gone to the police and filed a restraining order against Tuck. Then she hired a service that would give her 24 hour, around-the-clock protection. It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth the peace of mind. Tuck and his family were from her hometown Noble, Alabama. Although there wasn't anything noble about the one-horse town of her birth. She’d hoped that moving from Nashville to San Diego would help Tuck stay away. But she’d been fooling herself. After all, it wasn’t like Tuck couldn’t hop a plane.

Delaney changed her number and the initial texts had stopped. She’d hoped the ordeal was over. But this morning, it had started again. The text came through as she was wolfing down a bowl of cereal and getting ready to dart out the door for work.

Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?

An hour later while she was at the recording studio surrounded by a team of musicians, another text came through. This one had her shaking.

You look good in those black jeans and turquoise boots.

And then …

See you soon.

After the third text, she couldn’t breathe. Tuck was here in San Diego, lurking somewhere nearby. He’d gotten close enough to see what she was wearing. Delaney rushed to the bathroom where she puked. Then she called her manager Milo Stanley.She was so panicked she could hardly talk, the words came out in strangled gulps as she slumped down against the wall and drew herself into a tight ball, rocking back and forth. Images from before burned through her mind … Tuck taunting her, a tiger playing with its food before going in for the kill. The last time she saw him, he’d beaten her so badly that he’d put her in the hospital. Delaney figured Tuck experienced a moment of regret over his actions, which is why he agreed to a divorce. She went from the hospital to a home for battered women. The police came and took their reports but realized prosecuting Tuck was futile. Delaney was unwilling to testify against him. Not that she didn’t want to see Tuck pay for what he did. But she was too afraid, not only of Tuck but of his older brother Hugh. She could see the relief in the officers’ eyes … knew they didn’t want to tangle with the ruthless Allen brothers either. They thought nothing of going after police officers or anyone else who got in their way.

Her manager Milo helped calm her down. He said he was on his way to the studio and told her to call the police. At least the police force here wouldn’t be cowed by Tuck. Two officers arrived to take her statement, then told her to call again if Tuck came anywhere near. “Tuck’s just trying to scare you,” Milo said. “You have highly skilled bodyguards surrounding you at all times. The closest Tuck can get to you is through texts.”

“But how did he get this number?” Delaney wanted to know. “You said it was private.”

“It is private,” Milo countered. “Geez, Delaney, I don’t know how he got it. But don’t worry, we’ll get you a new number.”

Milo had spent a full hour talking to Delaney, trying to calm her down enough that she could get back to work. The record label had paid for studio musicians to come lay down tracks. The song had to be recorded today, or else the label would lose money. And that was unacceptable, especially for a new artist.Delaney was lucky Montana Crew’s label agreed to produce her album. She couldn’t risk messing things up.

So, she offered a few heartfelt prayers, asking for help. Then she drained several cups of black coffee and went to work. In a way, it was good to have something to focus on besides Tuck. Luckily, her persistence paid off. Nine hours later they finally had a quality product.

“Here we are, ma’am,” Mason said politely as they pulled alongside the curb of her high-rise building. “Would you like for me to park the car and meet you inside your condo?”

“No!” The word came out more forcefully than she’d intended. She offered a strained smile to soften her rudeness. “We can use the valet service. I’d like for you to accompany me to my condo. Considering the texts …”

Mason nodded, a deep crease forming in the center of his fleshy forehead. “Of course.” He cocked his head looking thoughtful. “Miss Mitchell, if it makes you feel any better, it’s highly unlikely that your ex could get past the front desk security into your building and then up to the tenth floor. You should be perfectly safe.”

She suppressed a shudder. “Thanks,” she mumbled, “but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer if you go with me and do a check of my condo before I go in.” While she appreciated Mason trying to ease her fears, he didn’t know how ruthless Tuck was. It was better to be safe rather than sorry.

“Sure thing.” Mason pulled up to the valet desk. As they got out, Delaney looked over her shoulder, her skin crawling. Was Tuck out there right now, watching her? She brushed aside the fear, straightening her shoulders. Something had shifted inside her today as she sat huddled on the bathroom floor, scared out of her mind. She felt small and pathetic … at Tuck’s complete mercy. Which is precisely how Tuck wanted her to feel. But enough was enough! Tuck Allen had caused her enough pain forten lifetimes. If he came looking for her, he’d get the fight of his life.

The flowing hot water helped soothe some of the tension from Delaney’s aching shoulders. Her mind ran through possibilities for song lyrics, but it was hard to come up with anything since she was so tired. She dried off with a towel, then slipped on her robe. She was headed to her bedroom to put on underwear and pajamas when she heard a noise. She froze in her tracks, her heart picking up its beat. She cocked her ears.

Nothing.

She relaxed, laughing softly. This paranoia would be the death of her. Mason had done a thorough check of the condo, proclaiming it safe. And he was right outside the door where he’d be all night until his shift change when another bodyguard would take his place.

Delaney went to the dresser. She flinched when she heard a thump that sounded like someone was in the kitchen. Her throat constricted as she clutched her neck. For a second, she was unsure what to do. It seemed like overkill to call 911 because she heard a noise. She reached for her phone on the nightstand and stole into the hall. Her heart pounded out a ragged beat as she made her way to the kitchen. Had Mason come into the condo for some reason? She made a mental note to call the agency the following day and stipulate that under no circumstances were the bodyguards to enter her condo without her permission. If Mason needed something, he should’ve called.

---