Safe Haven (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  It was time for Tank to tell his parents they were on the wrong track. “I think you have the wrong idea about our relationship. Hayley and I are friends.”

  His mom frowned. “We thought Hayley was your girlfriend.”

  Aware of Hayley’s gaze on him, Tank turned toward her and tried to give her a reassuring smile. “We’re friends.”

  His dad cleared his throat. “I’m glad we got that sorted. Your mother was imagining wedding bells.”

  “I wasn’t the only one,” Bonnie said to her husband. She looked at Hayley and smiled. “Tank has never brought a girlfriend home to meet us. We thought this was the beginning of something serious.”

  Hayley glanced at him with a look of panic in her eyes.

  “You’ll scare Hayley away,” he muttered.

  “I’ve got a feeling you don’t scare easily,” Tank’s dad said to Hayley. “If you can be friends with my son, then you must be a patient woman.”

  “It’s Tank who needs the patience,” Hayley said. “He told me I’m stubborn.”

  His mom laughed. “That’s a good quality to have around the Warner men.”

  Hayley raised her eyebrows.

  Tank sighed. His mom had just told Hayley his surname. The pieces of his life were falling into place, but one of the biggest pieces was missing.

  He looked at his parents and took a deep breath. “There’s more to this visit than I told you.”

  “We thought there was,” his mom said. “You usually give us a lot of warning when you’re going to visit.”

  Sweat trickled down Tank’s spine. His relationship with his parents might never be the same after today. His brother meant everything to them. What he was about to say would test their love for both sons to the limit.

  “It’s about David.”

  His mom and dad looked at each other.

  “What do you mean?” his father asked.

  Tank wiped his hands along the top of his jeans. “There are things about David’s life that you don’t know. After he died, I couldn’t come to terms with what happened. I’m still struggling.”

  “Grief is hard, Tank. But if we didn’t grieve, we wouldn’t have cared. We were all close to David.”

  His mom was trying to make him feel better, but she had no idea what he was about to say. “The Army didn’t tell you the whole story about how he died. I was there.”

  “In Kabul?” His dad frowned. “But you told us you weren’t anywhere near Afghanistan.”

  “I couldn’t tell you where I was.” He glanced at Hayley. Her steady gaze gave him the courage to continue. “My team was deployed to Kabul two weeks before David died. We were sent on a covert operation. It didn’t end well. Two soldiers died.”

  His parents’ faces turned white.

  “One of the soldiers was David.”

  “Why was your brother with you?” His mom looked confused. “He wasn’t a Navy SEAL.”

  Tank felt the weight of what he was about to say press heavily on his chest. “David was part of the group we were sent to intercept.”

  “Are you saying your brother was involved in something illegal?” His dad scowled.

  Tears filled his mom’s eyes. “But he died fighting for his country. He wouldn’t have been part of anything that needed a SEAL Team’s involvement.”

  His dad stood and glared at Tank. “Don’t say it,” he warned. “David died a hero. Whatever your intelligence told you was wrong.”

  “They weren’t wrong, dad. No one knew that American military personnel were involved. We were as shocked as you are when we found out.”

  “Why was a SEAL Team sent to investigate an Army issue?”

  “It wasn’t only an Army issue. David was smuggling drugs into Kabul and distributing them to other soldiers and civilians.”

  “David wouldn’t have done that,” his dad said. “One of his friends overdosed on drugs when he was at college. He knew how addictive they were and how they could destroy someone’s life.”

  Tank held onto the arms of the chair. “He wasn’t using them himself.”

  James stood and paced backward and forward. “What type of drugs did the Army say he was selling?”

  “Heroin.”

  Tank’s mom gasped. “You don’t think—”

  “No,” James said quickly. “He wouldn’t have supplied the drugs that killed Adam.”

  “You don’t know that.” Bonnie wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “He wasn’t the same person after Adam died. He delayed joining the Army because he didn’t think he’d make it through basic training.”

  “David was Adam’s friend. He was upset.” His dad glared at Tank. “I expect more from you. The Army can’t accuse someone of being a drug trafficker without proof. There is no way your brother was involved. He must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Tank knew his dad would have a hard time believing him. After listening to the arguments between his granddad and father, he’d come prepared. He pulled a document out of his jacket pocket. “I’m not supposed to have this, but it might give you the evidence you need.” He handed his dad the papers.

  James read the document in silence. He gave his wife the pages after he’d finished.

  Tank turned to Hayley. “David had a network of suppliers across Afghanistan. No one knows what he did with the money he made. If the Army’s intelligence is correct, there are hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in a bank account somewhere. Witnesses have linked David to drug deals that started within a month of his arrival in Afghanistan.”

  Bonnie looked up from the papers she was reading. “The Army told us he died in the line of duty. Why would they lie to us?”

  “They were dealing with a drug problem that went wider than David’s involvement. At the time, there was weekly mandatory drug-testing of all soldiers. Afghanistan’s opium market had risen to an all-time high and the publicity from that was hurting the Army. They didn’t want the American public knowing that one of their soldiers was involved in a full-scale drug operation. The investigation team were the only people who were supposed to know what happened.”

  She held the papers in front of her. “How did you get this information?”

  “Fletcher Security was given a copy of the report. It was never supposed to be seen by anyone outside the Army.”

  His mom looked at his dad. “Come and sit beside me, James. I know you’re upset, but pacing back and forth isn’t going to change what Tank’s telling us.”

  “Why now?” his dad asked. “David’s been dead for five years. You could have kept this to yourself and never told us anything.”

  “James!” His mom scolded. “Did you hear what you said? Tank loved his brother. Imagine what it must feel like to carry this around with you and not be able to tell anyone.”

  “I don’t give a damn what he had to carry around. He’s telling us his brother was the lowest of the low. David was proud to serve his country. Drugs had no place in his life.”

  Bonnie held her husband’s hand. “This has come as a shock to us, Tank. We need time to think about what you’ve said.”

  “There’s something else you should know.” He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He tried to think rationally, tried to control the chaos in his mind. He wanted to tell his parents he’d killed David. He needed to tell them so that he could start healing instead of living with the festering wound inside him. “I wasn’t just part of the SEAL Team, I—”

  If his mom’s face was white before, it was gray now. “Oh, Tank. I didn’t think. We know another person was killed. We could have lost you both.”

  He didn’t say anything—he couldn’t. His parents would hate him for what he’d done. His dad found it hard to forgive anyone at the best of times. He’d never understand the emotional scars that had left him broken for so long.

  “You need to know that Tank loves you both,” Hayley said. “He misses David and wishes that none of this happened.”

  Tank looked at his
mom. “A reporter has been asking questions about David. If they call, I’d suggest not talking to them.”

  “Is that the real reason you told us? Because you’re worried about a newspaper article?”

  Tank had never seen his dad so angry. “If the reporter has read the same document we have, the fall-out could be devastating to more people than you. But you need to know the truth. If I could have stopped David from making the biggest mistake of his life, I would have. But no one knew what he was doing until it was too late.”

  James sat silently beside his wife.

  “I’m sorry about lunch, mom, but Hayley and I need to leave. I’ll call you in a couple of days. If you want to contact me, you know where to find me.”

  His mom followed them to the front door. “Thank you for coming, Tank. Telling us what happened must have been difficult.”

  “What David did was wrong, mom. He hurt a lot of people and probably destroyed many lives. Telling you was hard, but imagining what could happen after I told you was worse. I hope you and dad can forgive me for not telling you sooner.”

  His mom wrapped her arms around him. “Even though it might not seem like it, your dad loves you. Give him time.”

  Tank knew that time rarely helped his dad. He had the kind of temper that boiled beneath the surface of a relationship for years. Nothing Tank said or did would change that. “Bye, mom.”

  And with one last look at his mom, he left.

  ***

  Hayley took the keys for their rental car off Tank. “I’m driving.”

  “You don’t know where to go.”

  “Pretend you’re my wingman. You navigate and I’ll drive.” She unlocked the car and opened the passenger door. “Watch your head as you get in.”

  Tank sat in the seat and closed his eyes.

  He looked so washed out that she didn’t know if he’d make it down the street without being sick. Just in case, she took her jacket off the backseat and handed it to him.

  “What’s this for?”

  “If you need to be sick, vomit into my jacket. I’d prefer not to clean your breakfast off the floor of the car.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “You’re not okay. You’re as white as a ghost, you’re sweating, and if I took your pulse I could almost guarantee it would be all over the place.”

  “All I need is some fresh air. Drive to the end of the street and turn right. There’s a park not far from here.”

  Hayley started the car and followed Tank’s directions. “Do you want me to set the air conditioning to cold?”

  “The temperature is fine.”

  She slowed down for an intersection, then kept driving. “There’s a shopping center up ahead. I’ll buy us something for lunch.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “That’s okay. You might feel like something to eat later on.” She glanced at Tank. “You did a good job of explaining everything to your parents.”

  He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes. “They’re devastated.”

  “They were always going to be upset. Give them time. It’s a lot for them to process.”

  “Dad will never forgive me.”

  “You don’t know that. Your dad knows better than most people what it means to serve your country. You were sent to do a job and you did it.”

  “It doesn’t bring David back.”

  Hayley pulled into the shopping center’s parking lot and stopped the car. “Nothing will ever bring your brother back. He made bad choices that hurt a lot of people. You’re not responsible for his death.”

  Tank made a gagging sound, leaned forward and vomited into her jacket.

  She unbuckled her seatbelt and rubbed his back. “It’s okay. It will be over soon.”

  When he stopped vomiting, she took her jacket and handed him a bottle of water. “Take a sip of this. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’ll leave the air conditioning on.”

  Hayley rolled her jacket into a ball and looked for a trash can. Once the jacket was gone she headed back to the car and opened Tank’s door. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.”

  She placed her hand on his forehead and frowned. “Is there anything I can get you?”

  “No. All I need to do is sit here for awhile.”

  Hayley looked at the stores. As far as shopping centers went, it wasn’t large but it did have a supermarket. She should be able to find what she needed quickly. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t move.”

  By the time she finished buying groceries, Tank was looking better. “You’ve got more color in your cheeks.”

  “I feel better.” He looked at the bags in her hands. “I thought you were buying lunch.”

  “Don’t complain. As well as lunch I bought mouthwash, gum and face wipes. If you want to rinse your mouth now, I’ve got disposable cups.”

  “Thanks. That’s a good idea.”

  She passed him the container of mouthwash and took the plastic off the cups.

  When Tank had finished, he opened his door. “I’ll put these in the trash.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want to clean up more vomit. I’ll take the cup while you rest.”

  “I’m not an invalid.”

  “I never said you were.” She held out her hand. “Cup.”

  She smiled when he passed it to her. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “Have I ever told you you’re bossy.”

  “More than once. If you want some gum, it’s in the bag at your feet.” Hayley dumped the cup in the trash and headed back to the car. She didn’t know what would happen with Tank’s parents, but she did know Tank. He’d told his parents what he needed to. The choices his brother had made must be easier to bear now that his parents knew the truth.

  She slowed down and stared at the car. She’d done what she promised she’d do. As soon as they were back in Bozeman, Tank would leave to begin another assignment.

  With a sinking heart, she realized it was almost time to say goodbye.

  CHAPTER NINE

  A week later, Hayley was still worried about Tank. She’d tried contacting him through Fletcher Security, but he wasn’t returning her calls.

  After too many sleepless nights, she needed her sister’s advice. Sophie had moved in with her after she’d returned from Dallas and Hayley was happy to have her company around the house. It was like old times, before crooked college professors, attempted kidnappings, and a bodyguard who was missing in action.

  She opened the dishwasher and put her lunch plate inside. “I don’t know what to do, Sophie.”

  “It might not be as bad as you think. Are you sure he’s in Bozeman?”

  “I spoke to Tanner yesterday. He said he’d ask Tank to call me. If he were on an assignment, Tanner would have told me.”

  “That doesn’t mean Tank’s upset. He could be busy.”

  Hayley had gone through all the different scenarios she could think of. “He didn’t say much when we were coming back from Denver.”

  “People react differently when they’re in stressful situations.”

  “That’s what worries me. Tank is used to being in situations that most of us will never experience. He’s been living with what happened to his brother for five years. I thought he would have felt better after talking to his parents, not worse.”

  Sophie picked up her sandwich. “John Fletcher is his friend. Why don’t you talk to him? He could check on Tank and see how he is.”

  “Do you think he would mind?”

  “John’s a good person. He helped me a lot when we were trying to keep you and mom safe. If something has happened, he would appreciate the call.”

  Hayley opened a drawer and pulled out the phone book. “I’ll try his work number.”

  It took ten minutes, but she eventually got through to him.

  When she finished the call, she sat beside her sister. “John’s
going to talk to Tank.”

  “Why do you still look worried? That’s good news.”

  Hayley rested her elbows on the counter. “Something isn’t right. In all the time I was with Tank he never let anything worry him for long. He made a plan and did whatever he could to make the situation better. Maybe I should call his parents.”

  “Don’t do anything until John has spoken with him, but in the meantime, you’ve got to go to work.”

  Hayley looked at her watch. “I’m going to be late.” She jumped off the kitchen stool and raced toward the hallway.

  “Don’t forget that mom’s coming to dinner tonight,” Sophie yelled as Hayley ran upstairs.

  “I won’t,” she yelled back. She had twenty minutes to get changed and drive to work. And then the waiting would begin until John or Tank called her.

  So much for living a stress-free life. She’d thought that once the people who were chasing them were arrested, life would return to normal.

  But the person least likely to need her help was in trouble. Whether he wanted her help was another matter.

  ***

  Tank crawled out of bed and stumbled downstairs. John had been pounding on his door for the last ten minutes and he wasn’t going away.

  “What do you want?”

  His friend didn’t look impressed. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. You told me you needed a few days vacation to unwind. You didn’t tell me you were turning into a hermit.”

  “I wanted some peace and quiet.”

  “Well, you’re not going to get it today. Hayley called. She’s worried about you.”

  “She’s got enough happening in her life without adding me to her list of problems.”

  “You could have told her that instead of keeping silent. Are you going to let me in?”

  Tank pulled the door wider and stepped back. “I don’t have any food in the house. If you want lunch, you’re out of luck.”

  “It’s too late for lunch. Man, this place is a mess.” John pulled back the curtains in the living room and started picking up old pizza boxes and newspapers.

  Tank squinted against the bright sunlight pouring through the windows. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll sort it out later.”