Page 46 of Nails
He had thought that Riley was right behind them, but only her boss had come out.When Russell walked past, he gave Nails a polite nod, though that sly smirk on his face said it all.If anyone wasn’t aware of the woman who had flipped his world upside down, they knew now.
It didn’t help the tightening in Nails’ chest one damn bit, knowing that Riley was still in there, alone, with Derek.Not that he didn’t trust his CO.Derek was solid, and the kind of leader that anybody would want behind them.But that didn’t stop the curiosity gnawing at him.What were they talking about?Was she second-guessing the op?Was Derek warning her about him?Or was she just asking the same question Nails had been asking himself for the past fifteen minutes, how the hell was this going to work?
The job came first.It always does.And all missions were important.If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be conducted.But this mission had high stakes involved.This op was about Anna Sandri, and possibly a few more missing girls who may never see daylight again if they screwed this up.
And Riley, his Riley, was putting herself right in the crosshairs of predators who’d sell their own mother if the price was right.She would be walking straight into the lion’s den, all because she was willing to do what needed to be done.He respected the hell out of that.But it didn’t mean that he liked it.Or that he could just flip a switch and pretend he wasn’t protective as hell.
But if she was going to be inside the belly of the beast, at least he’d be in there too.Maybe not always directly by her side, but close enough to have her back if needed, and maybe close enough to chip away some of that wall she was building up.
He’d seen it the moment she laid eyes on him in the briefing room.The shock in her eyes, the quick shift to all-business.She was going to pretend that whatever sparked between them at her house didn’t exist.And he got it.This wasn’t the time.But that didn’t mean he was going to let it slip away either.
He smirked to himself, thinking of Amira.That pint-sized menace was going to lose her mind when she found out that the Riley she met at Bayside was his “lady friend.”Hell, the kid might start planning a wedding if she hadn’t already.
A soft click of a door echoed down the hall, pulling him out of his thoughts.Footsteps soon followed, heading in his direction.Unless Derek changed shoes, he knew exactly whose footsteps they were.
Moments later, Riley came walking around the corner.She had her phone in her hand, scrolling through it and mumbling something about waxing and a makeover for Barbie.
“Riley,” he called casually as he pushed off the wall.
Riley jumped slightly but quickly composed herself.“Carson.Err…Nails,” she said, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
Before she could say more or worse, try to run, he gently grabbed her hand and tugged her into the storage closet just down the hall.
It wasn’t a huge space, but it was private, and away from his nosey teammates should they come snooping around.
A small overhead bulb dimly lit the space, and they were surrounded by shelves full of toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning products.It wasn’t the most romantic.But hey, they were alone.
They stood close to each other.Her body radiated warmth, and that sweet vanilla scent of hers wrapped around him like a damn net.
Riley arched her eyebrow.“Do you make a habit out of pulling women into closets?”
He smirked.“Only the pretty and interesting ones.”
She gave a short laugh, but it didn’t quite hide the nervousness, or maybe it was the anticipation in her eyes.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.But then Nails finally spoke.
“You know, when Derek called us in, I knew something had happened.But seeing you walk through that door and hearing we’re going to be working together surprised the hell out of me.”
She nodded.“Me too.I mean, I just found out this morning about working with the team.Not that I knew it was you.But you being a SEAL was a bit of a surprise.”
“Bad surprise?”
“Not necessarily a bad thing.Just…surprising.Your mom never said anything.”
He shrugged.“She doesn’t exactly broadcast it.”
“I understand.And that’s why I never asked her.I always figured there was a reason and that if she wanted me to know, she’d tell me.”
He grinned.She really does understand, he thought to himself.
He stepped closer.“I still can’t believe that you’re here,” he said, his eyes locked on hers.
“Me neither,” she replied with a soft laugh.
“I have to admit that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.Then last night at Bayside, I was blindsided by my niece bragging about a really pretty lady she had met, who was a cop and was really good at pinball.When she told me that her name was Riley, for a second, I thought it could be you.But then I knew you were having lunch with my mom yesterday, so I thought it was just a coincidence.But it turns out that it was you.You made quite the impression on Amira by the way.”
Riley laughed.“She was adorable.And might I say she is very persuasive when talking up her Uncle Nails.And I’ll admit, Uncle Nails sounded intriguing.I mean, he serves in the Navy and is strong and brave.”She paused for a moment and then smirked.“But she also told me that Uncle Nails has an extensive history with women.Wait!I think the correct term she used was ‘lady friends.’”
