Page 22 of Corey
He reached for his cell phone.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ve got friends. Former military friends who excel at neutralizing threats.”
“Neutralizing?” she echoed. That’s the term Joel had used.
“We’ve been trained to handle stuff like this.”
“What branch of the military were you in?” she asked.
“Navy. SEALs.” He punched a contact on his phone and she heard a muffled, deep voice answer almost immediately.
“Murph, I need your help.” Corey met her gaze. “I need the whole team’s help.”
For the first time since she’d fled the J&J Shipping warehouse, Sera felt hopeful. She had someone in her corner. And considering a couple of bad guys had chased her halfway across the country, it was a damn good feeling to be hunkered down with a former Navy freaking SEAL.
A tall, gruff, bearded mountain man with eyes the color of a glacier who made butterflies dance in her stomach.
Biting her lip, it occurred to her that she was in bigger trouble than she even realized. Because getting her heart involved? That could lead nowhere good. She was too damaged. And from what she’d seen, so was he.
Chapter Nine
Sera glanced over and studied Corey’s profile as he expertly maneuvered his big truck through the snow. She’d never placed her full trust in a man before, but something about him felt solid. Reliable. Honorable even. Maybe it was the fact he was former military. Or maybe it was how he seemed so confident and in control. He’d handled those armed men with ease while she’d fallen apart in the cellar.
How humiliating.But the darkness, the guns, the memories… Sometimes the fear reignited, and she’d succumbed.
“So where exactly are we going?” she asked, trying to make out his features beneath the thick beard. He’d mentioned his friend’s place but hadn’t been very specific.
“My buddy Brandon’s bar, Old Glory,” Corey answered.
She nodded, imagining what he’d look like cleanly-shaven. Probably twenty years younger with an angular jaw and those prominent cheekbones on full display.
“It’s still early, so they won’t be open yet. But the guys are coming.”
“You said your team,” she reminded him. “What kind of team?”
He hesitated, adjusting his gloved grip on the steering wheel. “That’s…classified,” he finally said. “Just know we’re allformer military. Well, except Xander. But the less you know, the better.”
“Okaaaay.” Sera shifted in her seat, drawing the word out as she wondered if she’d just jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Maybe she shouldn’t be so quick to trust him. If he and his team were involved in covert missions, she might end up in even more trouble.
Like that’s even possible,she thought dryly. Already, she had men hunting her down with nefarious purposes.And we all saw how well I handled that—curled up in a ball and sobbing in the dark.
He glanced over at her, the sunlight making his blue eyes glow like twin icicles. God, she couldn’t get over how beautiful they were. And comforting. Something about his gentle gaze was reassuring in a very lovely way.
“We’re the good guys, Sera. If you trust us, we can help you.”
Her heart tightened. She wanted to believe him. Something about him simply inspired faith. And that’s something she’d lost after seeing innocent people die for no reason.
Don’t go there, Sera.She squeezed her eyes shut, trying hard to regroup.Don’t go to the dark place.
Snow crunched beneath the truck’s big tires as they continued to make their way down the mountainside. Corey was an excellent driver, obviously used to driving in treacherous conditions. The wheels only slid once—when they reached the bottom—and Corey easily straightened them out as he braked.
“I’m not sure how you can drive in all this,” Sera said. “It barely rained in San Diego, and when it did, people literally forgot how to drive.”
“I’m used to it. Is that where you grew up?”
She nodded. “How about you? Are you from here?”
