Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

“ W hat’s your risk assessment? Is it safe to say the threat is over?”

Maddox pushed a hand through his hair as he considered Corbin’s question. “It’s possible, assuming the formula was on the hard drive.” His gaze fell on Addie in the kitchen making dinner. Her movements were deft and graceful as she opened the fridge and pulled out a head of lettuce and tomatoes. Warm brown ringlets bounced softly on her shoulders as she moved.

“If it’s not?” Corbin asked, his voice tense.

Maddox tightened his grip on his cellphone. “Then we’re back to square one.” Maybe it was paranoia due to his time in the SEALs, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t out of the woods yet.

Addie pulled a knife from the drawer and began slicing a tomato. He could tell from the tilt of her head that she was listening to his conversation. “Is that Corbin?”

He pulled the phone away from his mouth. “Yes.”

“Tell him I said hello,” she said loudly.

“Did you hear that?” Maddox asked into the phone.

“Yep. Sure did. How does Addie feel about going to New Jersey?”

“We haven’t had a chance to discuss it yet,” Maddox said evasively.

Addie’s ears perked up as she gave him a questioning look.

Corbin chortled out a chuckle. “You’d better get on the horn, dude. I talked to Sutton before I called you. He’s sending a jet to pick you up in the next few hours.”

Maddox let out a breath. “I’m planning on taking care of that next.” The inquisitive look on Addie’s face let him know that he’d be taking care of it immediately after he ended the call. “How are Delaney and the baby?” The pause on the other end of the line let Maddox know the answer to his question was not good.

“Delaney’s hanging tough, but she had a rough day. She’s been having a lot of lower back pain. The meds are starting to lose their effectiveness, and her blood pressure’s rising.” He paused, his voice sounding strained. “We just keep praying that all will go well.”

You and me both. “I’m sorry, man.” Maddox felt for Corbin, couldn’t imagine the stress he must be under, not knowing if his wife and child would come through this.

“What’s wrong?” Addie wanted to know, the corners of her mouth drooping. “Is Delaney okay?”

He held up a finger. “Hang on a sec and I’ll tell you everything.”

Reluctantly, she bit down on her lower lip, nodding.

“Keep us updated on your situation,” Maddox said to Corbin.

“Will do. You do the same. Safe travels to New Jersey. Hopefully, you’ll get some answers to put this thing to rest.”

“I hope so. See ya,” Maddox quipped, ending the call.

Addie gave him a steely look that said he’d better spill it right then and there. “All right. What’s going on? Don’t sugar-coat it,” she warned.

“Delaney’s hanging tough,” he said, using Corbin’s words.

Worry creased her features. “But?”

“But, she’s having a hard time. The meds aren’t working to keep her blood pressure down.”

Her lips formed a grim line. “I was afraid of that.” She rubbed a hand across her forehead, pushing back her bangs. “How did Corbin sound?”

He stood and walked towards her. “Stressed, haggard, but determined to move forward.”

“Sounds like my brother.” She tucked her hair behind both ears, looking thoughtful. “The Watermill conference ends tomorrow.” She grimaced. “Although at this point, I’ve hardly even been there.”

“At least you got a few hours in this afternoon.”

“Yeah, at least I got that. If Sadie weren’t holding down the fort, I’d be sunk.” She wrinkled her nose. “Fine manager I am,” she grumbled.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve had a lot to deal with.”

She grunted. “That’s an understatement.”

A couple hours after the attack at the storage facility, Addie and Maddox went to the resort where Addie got caught up on work. Although, Maddox could tell that Addie’s mind was mostly on Piper. Understandably, Addie was worried about the emotional state of her friend. Piper had been inconsolable, muttering that if the stolen hard drive contained the formula for PZT, she was ruined. Maddox felt sorry for Piper and all that she’d been through. He’d read somewhere that getting a new drug on the market cost in the neighborhood of $350 million dollars. The poor woman had a lot to lose in the deal. No wonder she was stressed.

Maddox’s mind ran through the events that occurred earlier today. From what he could tell, the masked gunman was alone. He fired shots into the air before entering the storage unit. How did the gunman know where they were? Were he and Addie being tailed? Or was Piper the one being tailed?

“After the conference ends tomorrow, I’m thinking of heading to San Diego to see Corbin and Delaney. I can be back in time for the funeral next Wednesday.” She stopped, eyeing him. “You’re not listening to a thing I’m saying, are you?” She scrunched her brows. “I can tell you’re a million miles away. I might as well have been talking to the wall.”

A grin stole over his lips as he leaned forward. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” he continued.

“What?” she asked dubiously.

“Your conversation with the wall.”

She chuckled in half amusement, half annoyance. “All right. I guess I deserved that.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Just remember you said it, I didn’t.”

She gave him an irritated look, but a smile tugged at her lips. “Okay, enough of the chit chat. What’re you thinking about?”

He leaned back against the counter, folding his arms over his chest. His eyes made a slow run over her, lingering on her collar bone and the delicate line of her slender neck. “I was wondering how you managed to become even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”

A rosy hue brushed her cheeks as she tipped a smile. “Nice try, Superman. Now tell me what you were really thinking about.”

“Aside from you …” He blew out a long breath. “If you must know, I was wondering why the gunman fired into the air instead of at us. The way we were positioned in the storage unit would’ve made us easy targets, like shooting fish in a barrel.”

The change in her was instantaneous. Her face paled, lips drawing into a tight line. “That’s a lovely thought,” she said sarcastically.

“It’s true,” he shrugged. “Believe me, I’m glad he didn’t. I was just wondering why though.” He paused, collecting his thoughts. “Also, how did he know we were at the storage unit? That we’d found the hard drive?”

“Do you think he’s been following us?” Her eyes widened with concern.

He pondered the question. “I don’t think so. I make a point of being aware of my surroundings.” His mind went through the checklist of his security routine. He’d swept the cabin for bugs a few times and checked the new alarm system. Also, he made a point of sweeping Addie’s car for bugs every time they got in it. Everything was clear on their end. “I wonder if Piper and Hamilton’s home is bugged.”

“If someone were listening in on the conversation, he would’ve known where we were headed.”

“Exactly.”

“Should I call Piper and tell her?”

“That’s probably a good idea.” He paused. “Although at this point, I’d venture to say the damage has already been done.”

A stricken look crossed her features as she looked around, lowering her voice. “Do you think the cabin is bugged?”

“No, I’ve been checking. We’re in the clear.”

She nodded in relief.

He motioned at the veggies she was chopping. “Whatcha making?”

She looked down. “A chef salad,” she replied dully, picking up the knife and resuming her chopping.

He could tell her mind was still on Piper and the problems. “Sounds good.”

“Well, you might not say that when you hear what kind of dressing we have.” She tore the lettuce and placed it in a glass bowl.

He groaned. “Don’t tell me. Blue cheese?”

A smile tipped her lips. “Yep.”

“You know how much I hate blue cheese.”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “I remember.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I knew you were coming. It’s what I happen to have on hand. You’ll like this kind though. It’s mild and creamy, tastes more like ranch than blue cheese.”

He quirked an eyebrow, talking with his hands. “That’s like saying that you’ll like this pile of manure better than this one because it’s milder.”

“What?” She burst out laughing. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re comparing blue cheese dressing to manure.”

He sighed in defeat. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be comparing it to manure.”

“That’s right.” She flashed a victorious smile.

He pumped his eyebrows. “I should be comparing it to mold. That’s what it is.”

“Is not,” she countered in annoyance.

“Sure, it is. Where do you think the blue veins come from? Mold.” He pulled a face. “That’s why it smells so gosh awful.” His tone grew speculative. “You know, in Papua New Guinea, blue cheese is known as the cheese of the dead.”

“You’re making this up,” she said, but he could tell from her intrigued expression that some tiny part of her wondered if he was telling the truth.

“It’s because of its decaying properties. When the elderly tribe members are getting ready to pass to the other side, a ritual is held. The elderly are given blue cheese to help speed up the decaying process and hurry them along their journey.”

The look of shock and outrage on her face was too much. He couldn’t hold back the laughter. Her eyes widened, and then narrowed when she realized he was teasing her.

Her lips turned down, and she gave him a self-deprecating grin. “I can’t believe I semi-fell for that.”

“Oh, you fell for it—hook, line, and sinker, darling. You should’ve seen the look on your face.”

She slapped his arm. “You’re such a dork,” she muttered, but there was a hint of admiration in her voice as she smiled. “The cheese of the dead?” Her hand went to her hip. “I don’t know how you come up with this stuff.”

He winked. “I’ll be here all day.”

She gave him a quizzical look. “How do you do it?”

“What?”

“One minute you’re talking about how we almost lost our lives. The next, you’re telling me some cockamamie story about Papua New Guinea and cheese.” She pinned him with a look. “Which one are you? The comedian or the diehard warrior?”

The comment jolted him as he let out a dry chuckle. “Both, I guess.” Something in her expression shifted, and he got the feeling there was a lot more to her questions than what was on the surface. “Does it have to be one or the other?” He stepped closer and peered into her jade eyes. In them, he saw what he thought was pain or regret or uncertainty. Maybe it was none of the above. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking. “I understand very well the gravity of the situation. I guess I use humor to deal with it. Everyone has layers—the surface and everything going on underneath.”

She offered a strained smile. “I guess I’m not as good as you are at jumping back and forth between the two extremes.”

The temptation to be close to her was too great. More than anything, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until neither of them could think straight. “Addie,” he uttered, caressing the line of her cheek with his thumb. She drew in a halting breath, and he feared for one agonizing moment she would retreat. When she didn’t, it gave him courage to continue. He swallowed, trying to figure out how to explain how he felt. “When you do what I do,” he cleared his throat, “um, I’ve seen things—horrific things.” He cringed inwardly when her face grew pinched. “But I’ve also seen amazing things. I’ve seen the good a few people, sometimes even one person can do. Look at Sutton and the difference he makes in people’s lives. He helps people in impossible situations, gives them hope when no one else can.” His voice caught. “To be part of that. To know my life makes a difference. Well, it means everything.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

He could tell that she didn’t, however. He touched her hair. “Life is made up of moments.” Tenderness welled in his chest. “Wonderful moments that take your breath away. Those are the moments I hold onto.” His gaze moved over her features, savoring every detail. “Take, for example, the moment we shared this morning. Our kiss,” he murmured. He caught a flicker of desire in her mesmerizing eyes, sending a blaze of heat blowtorching through him.

Her lips parted expectantly as he encircled her waist, pulling her closer. This time, he didn’t wait for her to kiss him, he crushed her lips with his. She melted into his arms, her fingers slipping like silk up his back and through the hair on the nape of his neck. A tiny moan of acceptance escaped her throat when she arched her back. Her lips were a bewitching mixture of softness and demand. As their lips moved together in a tumultuous river of fire, lightning, and thunder, one word kept blazing through Maddox’s mind—perfection. Just when he thought he would lose himself to the aching need of her, she pulled back, ending the kiss.

A smile tugged at his lips. “Wow, you are something,” he uttered.

Her brows drew together, her eyes turning to hard, green marbles, as she gave him a death glare.

“What?” Raw confusion burst through him like shards of glass. Addie had wanted the kiss as much as he, hadn’t she? Her body went rigid as she stepped back. Not sure what to think, he dropped his arms to his side, letting her go. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hand go up and realized she was going to slap him. Pain streaked through him as the flat of her palm connected with his jaw. His eyes rounded, his voice rising. “What’re you doing?”

“That’s for Felicity,” she said savagely.

A startled laugh rumbled in his throat. “W—what?”

Her eyes shot fire as she got up in his face. “The second you got home from Syria, you took up with another woman.”

“I didn’t take up with another woman,” he fired back.

She threw back her head, nostrils flaring. “Date another woman, take up with another woman. It’s all the same to me.” Her jaw turned razor sharp. “Then, as if that weren’t bad enough. You’re with her now, and you’re here kissing me!” She shook her head. “Despicable.”

Maddox’s hand went to his jaw, still feeling the sting of her slap. He could’ve sworn he saw steam coming out of Addie’s ears. “Are you bi-polar?”

“Not hardly,” she scoffed.

“Your moods shift faster than a speed skater with greased blades. One minute we’re kissing, and then a second later, you go on the rampage over something ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous?” Her voice escalated. “I’ll bet poor Felicity doesn’t think it’s ridiculous! You’re supposed to be with her and yet you’re kissing me.”

“Darling, from where I was standing, you were doing your fair share of kissing too. In fact, you were about to kiss me like you did this morning. I just beat you to the punch.” He felt a rush of triumph when her face flamed. He could tell from the embarrassed look in her eyes that she knew it was true. “For the record,” he continued, punching out the words in hard hits. “You broke up with me, remember?” The all-too-familiar hurt poured over him like scalding water.

She gasped, her hand going over her chest. A second later, tears misted her eyes. “Breaking up with you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Her voice went hoarse. “You can’t imagine what it was like.”

“Oh, I think I can,” he chuckled darkly.

She lifted her chin, eyes sparking fire. “No, I don’t think so.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have found my replacement a day later.”

This whole situation was ridiculous! Addie was getting ticked about a non-issue. An incredulous laugh built in his throat. He tried to hold it back, but it came rolling out like a mudslide. He saw her shocked expression before it twisted into resentment. Once he started laughing, however, he couldn’t contain it. He doubled over, holding his stomach, his shoulders shaking.

“Stop!” she demanded through clenched teeth. She shoved his shoulder. “It’s not funny,” she growled.

Finally, he straightened up, mopping his eyes. He took in a breath to regain control of himself.

She folded her arms tightly over her chest, her fingers tapping out a quick beat, as she gave him a look that could stop an army in its tracks.

He touched his jaw. “Was slapping me really necessary?”

“You’re lucky I didn’t punch you,” she muttered, “you two-timing sleaze ball.”

“Really? You’re saying that to me? What about your boyfriend?”

She frowned. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” Her eyes narrowed. “Unlike you, I didn’t find your replacement faster than you could blink.”

He rubbed his neck, trying to decide if he wanted to tell her about the guy he’d seen her with at the resort. If he did, the jig was up. She’d know that he came here to see her, and the sight of her with another man sent him running back to San Diego faster than a tucked-tail dog. Then again, would it be so bad if Addie knew? She obviously still had feelings for him. The kisses were evidence of that. No way could he have felt those things if Addie hadn’t felt them too. The two of them were dynamite together. Maybe it was better to just come clean, lay it all on the line and see what Addie did with it. “Addie, the thing with Felicity …” He paused, trying to figure out the best way to continue.

She paddled a circular motion with her hand. “And?” she prompted. “Spit it out.”

Her phone rang. She looked toward the phone, but stayed rooted to the floor.

“You’d better get that,” Maddox said. “It might be important.”

She sighed heavily as she retrieved it from the counter. “It’s Sadie, probably wondering about the award ceremony tomorrow for the Watermill conference.” She held up a finger, giving him a warning look. “This conversation is not over. Hey, Sadie,” she said sweetly, putting the phone up to her ear and turning her back to him. “What’s up?”

As Maddox watched her talk, he couldn’t help but smile. Addie had more grit than a pound of cornmeal. She was outspoken, impulsive, harsh on the outside and yet, so delectably sweet and tender on the inside. His eyes followed the trail of tangled, milk chocolate curls cascading down her back. The ends were tipped with blonde highlights, reminding him of morning sunlight kissing the ocean horizon. He wanted to slide his arms around her thin waist, bury his head in her thick mane of hair, and kiss the delicate skin on her tantalizing neck. He laughed to himself. If his SEAL buddies could see him now, they’d say he was a pathetic sap. Well, maybe he was. Addie was in his blood, and there seemed to be no way of getting her out.

His phone buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket. It was a text from Sutton letting him know the ETA for the jet. Less than two hours from now. Crap! He’d not yet broken the news to Addie. Considering her demeanor at present, he’d better hold on tight because it was bound to be a rocky ride.

A few minutes later, she ended her call. Her eyebrow arched as she launched right back into their previous conversation. “You were saying something about your thing with Felicity?” A dark cloud shadowed her face.

“Yeah.” He rocked on the balls of his feet. “I’m afraid that’s gonna have to wait.”

Her brows furrowed as she wagged a finger, her voice going school-girl sassy, her hips swaying. “Oh, no, Superman. You’re not getting out of this.”

No time to beat around the bush. Better to just dive in. If he were Catholic, he would’ve crossed himself before continuing. “We have to hop a plane to New Jersey in less than two hours.”

Her mouth dropped. “What?”

“The local authorities are going to arrest Brent Barrett tomorrow afternoon on the charge of your attempted kidnapping. Sutton thinks it’s a good idea for me—us—to get there first to question him. That way, we can learn for ourselves how heavily Barrett’s involved in this. Also, I’d like to question Blanche Richey, the woman Jordan had the affair with.”

She pushed her hair back from her face. “Less than two hours?” She motioned at the salad, her voice rising, hands flying. “That doesn’t even give us enough time to eat and get packed! I told Sadie I’d be there tomorrow to help with the award ceremony! I want to go to San Diego to check on Corbin and Delaney before the funeral!”

He caught hold of her hands. “Whoa, take a breath.”

She jerked, her lips clamping shut.

He kept his tone calm. “One thing at a time. First of all, as much as I’d love to try that blue cheese—” he couldn’t help but smile at the mention of it “—we can forgo the salad and pick up something on the way. Second, your assistant has been handling the conference up to this point. One more day won’t tip the turnip truck.”

“Turnip truck,” she grumbled. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“I’m sure you get the idea,” he chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. “What about the most important part—Corbin and Delaney?”

She reminded him of a kid, pouting to get her way. She was so darn cute that it made him want to give her everything she asked for. “After our trip to New Jersey, we’ll take Sutton’s private jet to San Diego.”

The words private jet had the magical effect of shifting the tide in his favor. The lines on her face smoothed, and he caught a hint of excitement glowing in her eyes. “Are you sure Sutton won’t mind?”

“No, not at all.”

She let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing a fraction. “Okay, it would be nice to get to the bottom of this ordeal, so we can put closure on it.” She tipped her head like she’d suddenly thought of something. “Do you think we’ll be able to find out if Brent Barrett’s the one who stole the hard drive?”

“That’s the hope.”

“If we could get it back, Piper would be elated.”

“That would be great.” Maddox wasn’t holding out hope that they’d ever see the hard drive again. Even if Brent Barrett took it, the chance of him handing it over was slim to none. However, he didn’t want to dash Addie’s hopes.

“You know, you never cease to amaze me.” Disappointment rang heavy in her voice.

Uh, oh. Maybe he’d called the shifting of the tide too soon. “What?”

A deviant giggle bubbled from her lips. “All this to get out of eating blue cheese.”

He laughed in surprise, sticking his finger in his mouth and gagging. “You mean the cheese of the dead?”

“So dramatic,” she purred.

“You’re calling me dramatic? Seriously! Says the woman who laid a big kiss on me and then slapped me.”

Her cheeks reddened. “Uh, for the record, you kissed me that time, Bama boy.” She straightened to her full height. “Any self-respecting woman would’ve done the same.” Her eyebrow arched. “By the way, don’t even think this gets you off the hook. As soon as we get on that plane, I wanna hear all about this Felicity thing.”

There was no mistaking the bite in her voice.

He sighed heavily. “Fine, but only because you’re pulling it out of me.”

She patted his jaw. “Since you’re pretty much already packed, I’ll leave the kitchen clean-up to you, while I get ready.”

He watched as she traipsed out, her hair moving in rhythm to her steps. Talk about a long, lean stick of dynamite. They broke the mold when they made Addie. He glanced at the ingredients of the unmade salad, spread over the counter. He reached for a diced tomato and plopped it into his mouth. “This is the second time today you’ve waltzed out, leaving me with clean-up duty,” he said mostly to himself.

“I heard that,” she chimed from the hallway.

“The vixen has owl ears too,” he said loudly, then grinned when he heard her grunt in response.