Second Chance SEAL(160)

“Explain how he was impossible to find,” I said. “Explain how he just shows up here out of the blue.”

“Fake name and Google.”

I sighed, shaking my head. I knew Dad wouldn’t believe it, but I didn’t think he’d be so aggressive in arguing it.

“What about you, Mom? Think I’m just an idiot getting fooled by a con man?”

“No,” she said softly, “I don’t.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Emory said.

“Sorry, son,” Dad added, “but I just don’t buy any of this. If it were true, why not call the police?”

Emory looked at me and I sighed, nodding to him.

“The Network is extremely dangerous, sir. If word got out that they were operating on American soil, there would be a panic. I can promise you that. My commanding officer ordered me to keep this under wraps, and so I’m tasked with handling this myself.”

“Convenient,” Dad said. “Who is this commanding office of yours?”

“Colonel Blackfire,” Emory said. Then he grinned. “And I’m aware that sounds like a fake name, but believe me, this is very real.”

“Okay then. Let’s say for a second that you’re not lying. What are we supposed to do with this information?” Dad asked.

“Nothing,” Emory said. “You just need to sit tight. We’re telling you only in case something actually happens. I have members of my team coming to help out with this situation, and they’ll be able to keep you two safe while I watch over your daughter.”

“Convenient,” Dad muttered.

I shook my head and felt my anger starting to rise. I couldn’t blame him for being skeptical, but I could blame him for not believing his daughter.

I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what I knew. I trusted Emory completely, and although this was an incredibly strange and insane situation, I knew it was very real.

“Listen, Dad,” I said, surprised by my own angry tone. “I get that you don’t believe it, and frankly I don’t blame you. But your daughter is telling you that this is real, so you better start playing along.”

Everyone stared at me for a second.

“What?” I asked finally.

Emory just grinned at me.

“Okay,” Dad said. “Okay, honey. I don’t believe a word of this, but if you need us to just keep doing what we normally do, well, I can handle that.”

Dad stood up from the kitchen table.

“One more thing,” Emory broke in. “I’d like Tara to stay with me tonight at my hotel.”

Dad raised an eyebrow. “Do you now? Of course you do.”

“Your home isn’t secure, sir. I don’t believe The Network is after you or your wife, but they are after Tara and my son.”

“And so dragging my daughter off to your hotel room is supposed to keep her safe? You sound like a lunatic.”

“Enough,” Mom said loudly. “Roger, enough. Tara, if you want to go stay with Emory, you can do what you want. You’re an adult. And, Roger,” Mom said, speaking loudly so that he couldn’t interrupt her, “if you say one more thing, I swear I won’t cook your food for a month. You’ll starve to death and we both know it.”

He opened his mouth to argue, took a deep breath, and then stopped himself. He sighed, sounding defeated. “Well, you’re an adult, like your mother says,” he said and then walked out of the room.

I glanced at Emory but couldn’t read the expression on his face. It was somewhere between awe and pity, and it made a thrill jump down my spine.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said.

“I can’t say I exactly believe you either,” she said to Emory, “but I do trust my daughter. Now, did you two eat?”

I’d never felt more proud of my mother than in that moment. She wasn’t a weak woman or anything like that, but I loved that she was willing to stand up for me even when it seemed like I was going insane.

And frankly, I just needed someone to believe me. I needed someone to trust that I wasn’t going crazy, because I’d been feeling pretty crazy the last day or two. But if my mother could believe Emory, or at least believe in me, then I could keep moving forward.

Moving forward right to Emory’s hotel room.



“I don’t know why I agreed to this,” I said.

“Because you know it’s the right move,” he said. “Or at least you trust me enough to do it anyway.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Though I would use ‘trust’ loosely here.”

“Maybe you just want to get inside my bedroom again,” he said. “Maybe you’ll take any excuse to get close to me, to let me undress you slowly, let me press my fingers against that nice, wet clit.”