Page 7 of A Soldier's Destiny
Chapter 3
Steele pulled to a stop in front of a two-story coral colored house. It fit right in with the rest of the quiet neighborhood. As Raptor stepped out of the car, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. It was the front side of dusk, but still light enough to check out the neighborhood. It looked peaceful, typical of the Willow Haven sub-divisions, and a hell of a lot better than the jungle. So why was his body on full alert?
“Are you coming?” Steele yelled as he walked toward the front porch.
“Yup, on my way.” He hadn’t been around a lot of little blue-haired women, so maybe it was the reason for his trepidation. Hell, his team would be laughing their asses off if they ever found out. Good thing they wouldn’t.
He caught up to Steele as he knocked on the front door. Alex must have been waiting for them since he opened the door while leaning on a cane, almost as soon as they’d knocked. An aroma of deliciousness wafted toward him, and his stomach growled. Alex laughed and winked at him. “Just wait, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Lily came up behind Alex and smiled. Even though Chase had told him Lily was pregnant he hadn’t thought about how far along she might be, and she looked about ready to have the baby now.
“You must be Jasper, or do you prefer Raptor?”
“Either is fine, ma’am. I’ve been Raptor for a long while but I promise I will answer if you call me Jasper.”
“You got it. I’m Lily, Alex’s wife. But you already knew that, right?”
“I should have done the introductions. I was talking about you on the way here so I figured he’d know,” Steele said as they followed Lily and Alex.
“C’mon, let me introduce you to Rori.” Lily took him by the hand and impressed him with her strong grip, which usually meant confidence. He doubted he’d get the same from the bakery owner.
“Don’t worry, she won’t bite.” Alex laughed as he and Steele followed behind them.
“It smells delicious.” His comment was accented by another growl of his stomach, and Lily laughed.
“Yes, it is. Rori and I have been cooking since we got back from the hospital. It’s what makes her feel better when she’s stressed. She’s been through so much, I don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her.”
“Well, that’s what I plan to find out.”
“Actually, no. That’s what the Willow Haven Police will find out. Your job is to keep her safe,” Steele interjected as they entered the kitchen.
“She must be exhausted, having been through all that. Poor woman.”
Lily glanced at him with a surprised expression. “I think you might have the wrong idea about Rori.” He didn’t think so. Then he came face-to-face with Aurora Prince, and she couldn’t have been further from “Betty Crocker” if she’d tried. Holy shit balls. This was his new assignment?
“Rori, your bodyguard has arrived,” Lily said with a laugh and walked around the kitchen island to stand next to her friend. When she lifted her face from whatever she was making, and their eyes met, Raptor grabbed the back of the nearest chair to keep his balance. It was all he could do to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. He’d never ever forget those blue eyes. He’d been searching for her for over two years, and now she was right in front of him.
“I’m Raptor Ramsey, nice to meet you Aurora.” He held out his hand, hoping, praying she’d reach for him. The feel of her hand in his would go a long way to convince him that she wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
“Please call me, Rori. Only my parents called me Aurora.” A shadow passed across her face, but she shook it off and glanced at her hand. After she used the towel to get off the dough, she took his in a firm grip. “I keep telling Lily, I don’t need a bodyguard. But she and Alex won’t listen.”
“I stopped by the bakery and saw the front window. Steele filled me in and there was no way it was an accident. You may not like it, but you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”
“It was probably just some kids.”
“We’ve been over this. Ethan and Steele don’t think so,” Lily interrupted. “And the window wasn’t the only thing that’s happened either. Did they bring you up to speed, Jasper?”
“Yes, ma’am, he did.” He still couldn’t pull his eyes away from Aurora – Rori. She was even more striking than he remembered. Not beautiful in a traditional sense, and when her wide blue eyes met his he swore she could see into his soul. He hadn’t remembered her lush curves or the brown curls that were now tinged with a dusting of flour. He smiled, something he hadn’t done a whole lot of lately.
“Jasper?” Lily had still been talking, but he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Could he get away with yes or of course? It probably wouldn’t be the wisest course of action since Alex was right there and would report back to Chase.
“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”
“No, need,” Alex said as he limped into the kitchen. “It’s safer to have Raptor on the job than leave you alone over there. Even if you don’t think so, we’ll all feel better. You’ll do it for us, right, Rori?”
Alex was good. From what he already knew of Rori in an emergency, she was too kindhearted to do anything other than agree. Unless Paris had changed her.
“You guys aren’t fair. You do know that, right? I’m a grown woman, have traveled through Europe, and run my own business. I think I can take care of myself.”
