Page 25 of Elise
“It will be fine, Warren. I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine until you can come home.” Elise tries to sound confident even while her heart is breaking at the thoughts of him being gone for weeks. Elise looks up to see Charlotte with a worried frown on her face. She is apparently getting the same call from Hawk, but at least he won’t be leaving her. Elise feels a little jealous as the thought hits her. She needs to tamp that down. She knew what she was getting into when she got with Warren. She needed to be his rock while he was gone. The last thing he needed was to be worrying about her while he was on a mission.
“We are coming to Hawk’s for a team meeting.” Warren’s voice is rough with emotion. “I want to see you, taste your lips before we head out. I’ll see you soon.”
“Of course, Warren. I’ll be waiting for you. I’m already at Charlotte’s” Elise ends the call and turns to Charlotte. The two women share a quick smile before they discuss their respective phone calls.
“Hawk says the guys are getting called up.” Charlotte begins. “They are coming here first to plan their strategy. Help me get some food ready for them. Those men can always eat.” Charlotte laughs. Elise heads into the kitchen to help prepare the men a good home cooked meal before they are sent off to parts unknown.
A short time later, the team arrives. Brian is home from school so he leads the men into the large dining room to eat while Hawk is finishing up his conference call in his office. Deadeye heads straight for Elise when he sees her coming out of the kitchen with a plate of food.
Taking Elise in his arms, Deadeye kisses her so tenderly. Elise works hard at keeping her emotions in check. Deadeye is fighting his as well. It takes him a couple of moments before he can speak.
“Hey, sweetheart. I have missed you today. We will be here for a while planning our mission, but I will see you before we have to leave, okay?” Deadeye’s voice is thick with emotion. He dips down so he can look Elise in the eyes. Elise nods in response. She can’t speak over the lump in her throat. She doesn’t want to cry and upset Warren more than he is already. She can tell he is having just as hard a time with the impending separation as she is having.
“Come on lover boy. We need to get this meeting started so we can get going.” Ace’s voice is strained. He looks like he is about to explode. Elise wonders what has gotten him so upset. Warren had told her he has been in touch with Dr. Robertson over the last few months since Elise’s rescue. Elise wonders if something had gone wrong in their relationship and that’s why Ace is so worked up. He is practically bouncing up.
Hawk enters the dining room and Charlotte, Brian, and Elise with the twin boys head out to the living room while the team closes themselves up in the dining room. After several hours of planning the team prepares to head back to base where they will board a plane to complete their mission. Charlotte and Elise say their goodbyes to the men, one by one as they head out the front door.
Warren pulls Elise into his arms and kisses her deeply. Elise struggles to keep her tears at bay. She doesn’t want to let him see her cry. She must be strong for him, just as he was for her when she needed him the most. She manages to school her features before he pulls away. Warren looks into Elise’s eyes deeply. He is trying to convey his feelings for her through his eyes.
“Elise, sweetheart. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine while I’m gone.” Warren’s deep rumbling voice is comforting to Elise. She gives him a sweet smile before leaning into his embrace.
“Don’t you be worrying about me, ok?I’llbe fine while you are gone.” Elise gives him a kiss before she continues. “I think I’ll fly up and spend a few days with Mom and Dad while you are gone. It will make them feel better. Besides I promised Dr. Billings I would come in for another session soon.” Warren smiles at her before pulling her back in for another kiss.
“I like that idea, sweetheart. I promise I’ll call you as soon as I can once we are back on American soil.” Warren holds her head to his chest has he strokes his hand down the back of her hair. Elise notices that Ace looks unusually upset. He’s always the happy-go-lucky one, cracking jokes, and making everyone else at ease. He was far from at ease today. Ace calling to them pulls them out of their moment.
“Let’s go! Time is wasting” Ace calls to them from the driver’s door of the waiting SUV.
Once the men have left, Elise has now let the tears fall that she had been holding in since she got the call from Warren. Elise helps Charlotte get the twins asleep and helps to carry them upstairs. Hawk asks the women to join him in the dining room when they have gotten the boys down for their nap.
When Elise and Charlotte enter the dining room, Hawk has fixed them plates of food and lemonade. He has everything sitting on the table. Charlotte smiles at her man as she heads into his arms for a sweet kiss. Elise is a little uncomfortable at the PDA, but at the same time, it’s sweet and warms her heart.
“Elise don’t worry about Deadeye.” Hawk says as he breaks his kiss with Charlotte. “He’s one of the best men on the team. I can’t give details, but this mission shouldn’t be overly dangerous.” Elise smiles her thanks to him for his encouraging words.
“Thanks, Hawk. I know Warren is well trained, but this is the first time he’s left the country. I can’t help but worry a little.” Elise gives them a sad smile. Charlotte comes to Elise and wraps her in a warm embrace.
“I know it’s hard, Elise. I worried myself sick about Hawk, before he got off the missions. These are the best trained men the US has. They will all come home.” Charlotte’s words give her a little comfort too. Elise smiles at Charlotte. “Do you want to stay here with Hawk and I while Warren’s gone?”
“Thanks for being so kind to me. I’m very thankful we have gotten to know each other.” Elise smiles again. “I told Warren I was going to visit my parents while he’s gone. They have been pestering me to come for another visit, so this is the perfect time.”
“Let me know when your flight leaves and I’ll drive you to the airport.” Hawk tells her as they settle down at the table to eat their meal. Elise nods and pulls out her phone to see when she can get a flight. Luckily there was one leaving at 7pm. Elise books the flight and calls her mother to see if a driver can pick her up at the airport when she arrives in Annapolis. With arrangement made, Elise heads back to Warren’s apartment and gathers her things for the trip. Hawk arrives at 4:30 and drives her to the airport. He escorts her in and with his military clearance he is allowed to go with her to the gate where she will board the plane.
“Elise take care of yourself.” Hawk gives her a smile and a hug. “Come back to Deadeye. That man cares for you very much. I’ve never seen him act like this around a woman before. Don’t break his heart, ok?” Elise smiles at Hawk. He might be a big badass Marine like Warren, but deep down they are both just big teddy bears.
“Thanks for everything, Hawk. I care about Warren, too. I would never hurt him. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Elise’s eyes mist with tears. “I hate that I was kidnapped and tortured, but I would do it all again if it meant finding Warren and spending the rest of my life with him.” Hawk is beaming when he looks at Elise. He gives her another hug and then turns her toward her gate.
“Have a safe flight, little one. Let us know when you arrive and are safely home, ok?” Hawk watches until Elise boards the plane. After the plane has taken off, he heads back to his SUV and home to his wife and boys. Hawk is so thankful that Deadeye has found himself a good woman. There is nothing like the love a good woman to make a man complete.
Chapter 21
Deadeye enters his empty apartment.He is thankful to be home at last. This mission had been torture. It was the first time he had been out of country and unable to see or talk with Elise every day. He couldn’t wait to call her and let her know he was home and wanted her back at his place. It 0300, too early to call and wake her up. He can catch a few hours of sleep, then attend the debriefing before heading north to collect her. He startles when his phone rings loudly in the quiet apartment. It’s Hawk. Why is he calling this early? They aren’t due for the debriefing for several more hours.
“Hey, Hawk. What’s up?” Deadeye answers.
“You need to sit down.” Hawk growls into the phone. Deadeye gets a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Deadeye growls back. “I’m sitting so tell me.”
“Elise is missing.” Hawk states simply. “Her parents called me a few minutes ago. She went for her therapy session over 12 hours ago, but never returned. They are frantic trying to find her. They thought maybe she had come to you. Did she?”
