Page 10 of A Soldier's Temptation
John tried to relax, forget about it, but when he still hadn’t heard from Colin he was ready to say fuck it and go to Ariana’s apartment. It took sixty-six minutes before he heard from Colin. His training prepared him for waiting, but this was different. This was personal whether he liked it or not. Pacing back and forth between the balcony and the living room, he only stopped long enough to take a detour for another bottle of beer. He’d been so intent on watching the time and imagining the worst, that when his pocket vibrated he almost dropped his beer.
“You took your sweet time.”
“Didn’t have much choice. We have a situation.”
“Is she okay?”
“Depends on what you mean by okay. Physically, yes. Mentally, she’s a wreck. The sonofabitches sent her threatening pictures.”
“Fuck. What kind of threats?”
“Pictures of her sitting on the balcony with her girlfriend. She’s terrified that because of her something will happen to her friend.”
“If you were in her shoes, you’d be too.”
“Maybe, but we’re trained for this. And dammit if she’d go into WITSEC she wouldn’t have to worry about this. Hell, we wouldn’t have to worry about this. She’d be the Marshalls problem.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. She’d be safe, but her friends wouldn’t be. I know you’re trying to do your job, but you need to remember these are people with real lives. I think you’ve forgotten that.”
“Shut the hell up. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, and I’m not about to go into it now. One of these nights it’ll be you, me, and a bottle of tequila, and I’ll explain. In the meantime, the best way to protect her would be a safe house, but I can’t get her to agree to that either. She’s worried if she disappears they’ll go after her friend. I told her we’d keep watch over her friends too.”
“She said no.”
“Give the man a beer.”
“Fuck.”
“There is another option. How close are you two?”
“What do you mean?”
“Listen, John, don’t try to shit me. You’re a great guy but you’ve gone way over and above keeping watch over her. She’s not your responsibility, yet you won’t back off. Did you forget we have her under surveillance?”
“What does that have to do with anything? Oh yeah, and your guy is an amateur. I spotted him right away from my window. You need to put someone else on her.”
“No, he’s not, those were his orders. We figured if it was obvious she had protection they’d back off.”
“How’s that working out for you?”
“Smartass. Do you think you can convince Ariana to go to a safe house?”
“Probably not. She hasn’t opened up to me at all. As far as I can tell she hasn’t told her friends either.”
Colin’s sigh was more exasperation and it came through the phone loud and clear. John understood. He’d been on missions where no matter how hard you tried to protect someone they did everything they could to fight you. He’d have to do something, he needed her in a safe place. The question was how to go about it.
“Let me see what I can do. I’ve been dropping hints that I’m interested, but so far she’s been oblivious.”
“Holy shit. Riot the heartthrob is striking out?”
“You don’t want to go there, trust me. I’ve been taking it slow. I didn’t want to scare her away. Besides, it feels wrong since she thinks I’m someone I’m not.”
“Not true. You’re a Navy SEAL, you told her that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re exactly who you said you are. The only thing you’re not copping to is that you volunteered to help keep her safe. I don’t see how she could be upset.”
“You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”
