Page 3 of A Soldier's Destiny
“You’re too good to me. Seriously, Rori, I’m so glad you came back here after everything and not just for the eclairs. I just hope that we’ve helped you heal at least a little in the last year.”
“You have, more than you know. Knowing my friends are there for me has meant the world. I still have some bad days, and I miss my family, but it is getting better.”
“Good. Now I guess I better get the hell back home before Alex wakes up and realizes I’m gone again.”
With a wave, Lily turned to leave, but before she got close to the door, the plate glass window at the front of the store shattered. Shards of glass flew through the air, raining down on the interior of the bakery. Without hesitating, Rori ran out from behind the counter and pushed Lily behind her to block her from injury.
* * *
“Dammit, Raptor. You can’t punch the client because he’s wrong. They hire us to protect them not put them in the hospital.”
“He had it coming, Chase. He’s lucky I didn’t take his fucking head off.”
“No, you’re the lucky one. If you don’t chill out, you’re going to find yourself stuck behind a desk. Do you hear me? Anger management classes, bro. I’m not kidding.”
If Raptor heard he needed to “chill out” one more time, he really was going to kill someone. Didn’t they realize that his life, his family had been stolen from him? Being Delta was what he’d been born for, trained for, lived for. The injury then medical discharge still didn’t seem real. He had no idea what to do with his life now and babysitting a bunch of pansy-assed rich people was not a satisfying career choice.
The last mission had been a huge clusterfuck. They’d been ambushed, a real shit show. By the time the smoke had cleared in an unnamed location on a mission that didn’t exist, two team members were dead and three were injured, including Raptor. Even with all of that, they’d successfully rescued the HVT, and gotten everyone the fuck out of there.
It shouldn’t have gone down like that. Bad intel happened more times than not, but it had gone south as soon as they’d reached the rendezvous point. As the shit hit the fan, shrapnel exploded taking him down. As he lost consciousness, he was transported back to Paris, the woman’s haunting blue eyes pleading with him, not to save her parents, but to hold on.
After that, she’d shown up in his dreams most nights. Her voice calling to him. He was beginning to think he was losing his mind. When the damage to his leg was too severe to return to his Delta team he felt lost. His focus deserted him. Keeping his emotions hidden wasn’t as easy, and his cold and calculating demeanor had a huge crack in it. His lack of emotion had earned him the nickname Raptor. It was part of him or had been, for as long as he could remember. But Paris had been the start of the change for him. Then the injury. And now he had to wonder if he’d ever get his head out of his ass. After two years of searching with no luck, he needed to admit he’d never find her and move on.
“Raptor, dammit, are you listening to me?” Chase Brennan demanded. Nope, that was a negative. He’d been too busy reminiscing about a past that didn’t matter anymore. He was losing it. Maybe, his boss was right, and he should talk to someone.
“I am now.”
Chase shook his head and cursed under his breath. Raptor was saved from whatever scathing retort was coming when the phone rang.
“Brennan.”
It was his chance to escape the butt-kicking, and Raptor might be slow, but he wasn’t stupid. Hoping for a clean getaway, he stood up to leave, but Chase stopped him with the wave of his hand and pointed to the chair he’d just vacated.
While he waited for Chase to finish his call, his mind wandered to the mystery woman he’d saved in Paris. She probably would have been found by the paramedics in time even if he hadn’t been there, but he liked to think he’d been the one to save her.
If he was honest with himself, he’d admit that she’d been a distraction even before he’d been injured. Maybe not as much as afterward but thoughts of her would pop into his head at the worst possible moments and steal his concentration.
Hoping that if he located her and learned she was okay, he’d be able to move on, he’d started searching for her. After every mission, he’d try to find her, but it was like she only existed in his dreams. If it hadn’t been for the bloody t-shirt he’d been wearing that evening, he might have doubted his sanity. Why he’d saved it, God only knew because he sure as hell didn’t. Every time he went to toss it in the trash something stopped him. And now, two years later it was stuffed into the back of his dresser drawer. It lived there until he felt the need to feel her presence, then he’d pull it out and look at it.
“Is she okay? Any leads? Yeah, I agree, but Alex is going to have a coronary. No shit. I’ll send him over to help her board up. No problem. Thanks for letting me know, Steele. Talk to you later.” Chase disconnected the call and made some notes on the laptop. Then turned to Raptor. “I have a job for you.”
“But I thought...” Raptor swallowed his protest, he’d much rather be working than stuck behind some desk. “Great, who am I babysitting this time?”
Chase rolled his eyes before he answered. “That was my brother, Steele. You’ve met him at my house a few times I think. Anyway, this time you get to stay in town. The woman who runs the bakery is having some trouble. Today it escalated and Lily Barrett, Alex’s wife, was injured.”
“Fuck. Is she okay? She’s pregnant right?”
“Yeah. She’s at the hospital now, but Steele said she seemed okay, mostly shaken up. Aurora Prince is your assignment. She runs the bakery and after talking to her, Steele thinks she needs protection.”
“I’m supposed to babysit some old lady who runs a bakery? Fuck, man. What kind of trouble could be so bad that she needs protection? It’s Willow Haven.”
“Listen to me. You seriously need to take a minute and think about what you want to do with your life. You were a good soldier, but you can’t be that person anymore. We’ve all been there. That’s why I started Eagle Security and Protection Agency. For men like us, who have to start over, have to find a reason to go on. So, you can either get rid of the chip on your shoulder or you can get the fuck out of my office and keep on walking. This is your last chance.”
Chase’s words were a rude awakening. Raptor had pushed him too far. He’d done him a favor by giving him a job—a second chance. And all he’d done was cause trouble. “I’m sorry, Boss. I’ll be on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.”
After another eye roll, Chase continued, “Okay. Then head over to Main Street. The bakery is Prince’s Patisserie and it’s two doors down from the Treasured Tales book store.”
“I know the book store, but I don’t remember the bakery.”
