Safe Haven (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  “What’s happened?”

  “We’re in the hospital in Ponca City. Hayley’s mom had a fall, but apart from a few bruises, she’s okay.”

  “Do you need backup?”

  “Not at the moment. We’re heading to the cabin soon, but I’m not happy staying at Safe Haven for more time than we need to. When Alice is ready to travel we’ll head back to Bozeman. I’ll book our flights today.”

  “Call me when you have the flight details. I’ll organize one of our team to meet you at the airport. There’s something you need to know. The media are posting stories about the supplement.”

  Tank wiped his hand across his face. The last thing any of them needed were more people looking for the supplement’s formula or living proof that it worked. Staying here for longer than they had to was out of the question.

  “That’s not our only problem,” John added. “A reporter has been asking questions about your brother.”

  His heart pounded against his ribs. “Has he talked to my parents?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve asked Sam to find out what’s going on. For now, the only thing you need to worry about is getting Hayley and her mom back to Bozeman. I’ll let you know if anything important happens. If you need anything, call me.”

  Tank put his phone away and looked through one of the hospital windows. He had no idea why a reporter would be asking questions about his brother. The investigation into David’s death had been sealed. None of the soldiers who were there would have said anything, and he doubted a reporter would have been able to track down the civilians who’d been involved.

  If the truth about David’s death hit the papers, his parents would be devastated. But that would be nothing compared to what they’d think if they found out what Tank had done.

  He closed his eyes and forced the images of his brother away. Focusing on one problem at a time was the only way he’d get through the next few days.

  Hayley and Alice had to be his top priority.

  Taking them to Bozeman shouldn’t have been difficult. He’d dealt with worst situations and never worried about the outcome. But their relationship had become personal and in his world that could be deadly.

  He needed to think rationally. Emotions were dangerous. They clouded his perception, pulled him into a level of decision-making that never ended well.

  Part of the reason he was having a hard time distancing himself from them related to Alice. She reminded him of his grandmother. Her fierce independence and courage when her world was disappearing was unbelievable.

  And then there was Hayley. He couldn’t begin to describe the impact she was having on his life. She made him wish he was a different man, that he could be the type of person she’d want to spend time with. But he’d given up that right a long time ago. If she knew about his past, the ultimate betrayal that had destroyed so many lives, she wouldn’t want to know him.

  He turned around as she walked into the family room.

  She’d pulled her blond hair into a fancy knot on top of her head. She looked younger, more vulnerable. More like the type of woman he should run a mile from.

  A man and woman followed her into the room. He watched the way they walked, the hushed conversation only they could hear. If they were in the hospital for anything other than another patient he’d be surprised. But nothing about this assignment was normal.

  They sat on the opposite side of the room, briefly looking at Tank and Hayley before turning to each other.

  “Mom’s being looked after in the day ward. I thought I’d come and see how you are.” Hayley sounded worried.

  He ignored the pull of attraction between them. It was superficial and would pass with time. “As soon as your mom can leave the hospital we’re heading back to the cabin. When she’s stronger we’ll leave for Bozeman.”

  “I thought it was too dangerous to travel.”

  “It’s more dangerous staying here. I’ve spoken to John. The media are releasing information about the supplement. There’ll be a lot of people wanting to get their hands on your sister’s Alzheimer’s drug. At least if you’re in Bozeman, John can provide extra security for you.”

  “You could look after us.”

  He looked into her eyes and didn’t want to tell her what he knew he had to say. She touched the deepest and most vulnerable part of who he was, the part he hid from the world. “I can’t look after you, Hayley. As soon as I get back, I’ll be sent on another assignment. My life is complicated.”

  She looked away from him. “You’re right. I can’t expect you to always be there for us.”

  A heaviness settled in his chest. “We’ll fly to Bozeman. I’ll check the commercial flights out of the airport. If I need to, I’ll charter a plane to get us there faster.”

  Instead of disagreeing with him, Hayley looked just as determined as he was to keep Alice safe. “I’ll speak with mom’s doctor. He might be able to give her a sedative for the flight.”

  With a plan in place for what would happen next, they left the family room to find Alice.

  ***

  By seven o’clock that night, they were back at the cabin.

  Tank didn’t know what was worse—worrying about Alice hurting herself again or making sure no one found them.

  Alice had settled into the cabin better than he expected. She didn’t seem worried about her accident or the pain she was in.

  “You’re frowning again,” Hayley said as she passed him a cup of coffee. “Mom’s going to be fine.”

  Alice had gone to bed a few minutes ago. She’d squeezed Tank’s hand when she’d said goodnight. Somewhere, deep inside, she must have known how worried he was. He cared about her and didn’t want to make her life more difficult than it already was.

  Hayley sat on the sofa with a hot chocolate cradled in her hands. “Did you ask John how my sister is?”

  He’d called John once more before they’d left the hospital. “She’s okay. Sophie’s still working with Ryan at Emerald Lake. Someone wrote a story in the local newspaper about her. They think she’s a modern day Cinderella.”

  Hayley choked on her drink. “Why would they think that?”

  “Half the town think she’s dating Ryan.”

  “But that’s ridiculous. He’s her boss.”

  “It’s not unheard of. Besides, from what I can tell he’s considered a catch in most women’s eyes.”

  Hayley looked as though he’d insulted her. “Because he’s rich and famous?”

  “Because he’s a billionaire and single.”

  “Some women, including my sister, aren’t swayed by the amount of money a man has in his bank account.”

  “And some women can’t help themselves,” he muttered.

  “Are you talking from experience?”

  Tank sipped his coffee. It had been so long since he’d dated anyone that any experience he might have had didn’t count. “I don’t have the kind of money Ryan does.”

  “Would you want to be that rich?”

  He’d asked himself the same question many times and each time the answer was the same. “I’ve seen the best and worst of what money can do. I’m happy with what I earn. What about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you. Did you ever dream of being so rich that you could do whatever you wanted?”

  Hayley looked into her mug. “No. I guess I’m like you. But even if I was the richest person in the world I might not be able to have everything I want.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Some things are more important. My life changed when dad got sick. It wouldn’t have mattered how much money I had—what I wanted didn’t matter. Dad was my main priority.”

  “It always matters.” He watched her closely. “I thought you liked being a nurse.”

  “I do, but it wasn’t my first choice.” A sad smile softened her face. “I wanted to create amazing clothes. I dreamed of being a fashion designer and taking Paris by storm.”

  “Why did you become a nurse?�
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  “When dad was diagnosed with bone cancer it had an enormous impact on our lives. Sophie and I wanted to do something to help him. I enrolled in a nursing program and Sophie studied science. Dad died before we were able to make a difference. Then mom got sick and we needed to work even harder to help her. It hasn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “Do you regret not following your dreams?”

  Hayley stilled. “Dreams change. I don’t regret trying to help dad or looking after mom. They would have done the same thing for Sophie and me if we’d been sick. Besides, if I’d become a world famous fashion designer, mom and I wouldn’t have met you. Just think how boring your life would be without us in it.”

  Tank smiled. “Lucky me.”

  Hayley tilted her head to the side, studying him as closely as he’d studied her. “You should do that more often.”

  “What?”

  “Smile.”

  He didn’t know how one word could tie him in knots, but it did. He looked at his hands, struggled to find something to fill the silence between them.

  She touched his arm and a jolt of electricity shot to his heart. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I didn’t mean to.”

  He looked away from the gentleness in her eyes. Family was important to both of them. She’d changed her life to help the people she loved. He wished he’d been able to help his brother, but he hadn’t, and the outcome had been horrific.

  “Did you always want to be in the military?”

  “It’s all I ever wanted to do. My dad served, and so did David, my brother. I didn’t choose to be in the Navy—it was part of my DNA.”

  “Why are you called Tank if you joined the Navy?”

  “It was a joke. The guys in my team said I should have joined the Army because I was built like a tank. After that, the name stuck.”

  Hayley smiled. “They must have been good friends.”

  Tank sighed. “The best.”

  “Why did you decide to work for Fletcher Security?”

  “John started Fletcher Security a few months after he was discharged from the Navy. We were in the same SEAL Team in Afghanistan. He was looking for staff and offered me a job.”

  Hayley frowned. “You must have been in some dangerous situations.”

  He nodded. There were too many times when the difference between life and death had been measured by the positioning of his body or the angle of a gun.

  “Were you ever scared?”

  “Sometimes,” he said quietly. Unlike Hayley, there were things he would change in his past—decisions that could have saved many lives, including his brother’s.

  “You look sad. What’s wrong?”

  “I called my parents while we were in the hospital.”

  “Are they all right?”

  “They’re okay.” He looked into his coffee cup. “A reporter has been asking questions about my brother. Mom and dad think David died a hero. I don’t want to tell them what really happened, but I might not have a choice.”

  “What don’t they know?”

  He took a deep breath and concentrated on the words he’d never told anyone. “David was smuggling drugs into Afghanistan and distributing them to other soldiers and civilians. My team was sent to intercept a drop-off. We didn’t know soldiers were involved. Shots were fired and two men died. One of them was my brother. An official investigation was carried out, but the real story was never made public.”

  Hayley’s eyes widened. “Your parents should have been told.”

  “A lot of things happen when you’re in the middle of a war zone. People are put in situations that test them to the limits of their humanity. The negative publicity from what my brother was doing would have hurt a lot more people than my parents.”

  He looked into Hayley’s eyes. “If the reporter uncovers the truth it would be devastating for them.”

  “Are you going to tell your parents what happened?”

  “I don’t want to, but I might not have a choice. If I need to speak to them would you come with me?”

  Hayley looked confused. “Why do you want me to go with you?”

  Answering that question was almost as difficult as telling her about his brother. There was no point telling her that she was the only person he wanted to go with him. It was bad enough that he liked her. It would be even worse if she knew just how deeply she affected him.

  He stared across the room at the other couple. “You have a gentleness that pulls people toward you. Mom and dad will be shocked when I tell them. If you’re there, it might help.”

  “What if they don’t want anyone else knowing about David?”

  “Other people will find out if the reporter writes a story about him. It’s okay if you don’t want to come with me.”

  “I wouldn’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything. Just being there would help.”

  She looked at the coffee in his hands, then into his eyes. “Okay. If you need to tell your parents, I’ll go with you.”

  He let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Even with Hayley beside him, telling his parents the truth would be one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

  He just hoped they didn’t want to know who had shot David.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Hayley’s eyes flew open. She looked at her mom’s bed and frowned. Alice was sound asleep.

  Something had woken her and she wasn’t sure what it was. For the last two nights she’d hardly slept. Every rustle in the woods made her heart leap in her chest. She’d always had a good imagination, but this was ridiculous. If she didn’t get some sleep soon, she’d be no use to anyone.

  Looking after her mom without the support of the staff at the dementia unit was getting harder. Alice remembered more, but became increasingly frustrated when her memory failed her. Tank was doing everything he could to make sure they were safe, but it hadn’t been easy for him, either. Alice depended on him. He had become the one constant in her life—the only person she always remembered and her only anchor to reality.

  She glanced at the window, then back at her mom. She didn’t know if Tank was still awake or if he’d heard the same noise. By eight o’clock she’d been so tired that she’d gone to bed at the same time as her mom.

  If he was asleep, she didn’t want to wake him if nothing was wrong. He slept even less than she did and needed every ounce of downtime he could get.

  She pushed the blanket off her legs and slid out of bed, crawling as quietly as she could toward the window. If her sister saw her, she’d think she was nuts. The chance of anyone being outside was a million to one, but Hayley wasn’t taking any chances.

  Her nightlight shone softly in the room, making it easy for her to see their suitcases, but hard to see beyond the wooden porch surrounding the cabin.

  She peeked over the windowsill, squinting into the darkness. She stared at each shadow, looking for anything that shouldn’t be there. A coyote howled in the distance. Goosebumps prickled her skin as her gaze skimmed across the yard, toward the shed that held the generator. There were no sinister shadows anywhere, nothing out of the ordinary that should have woken her.

  A raccoon thumped his way across the roof and Hayley sighed. She wasn’t used to the noise wild animals made at night. An owl had probably woken her or it could have been a possum. She stood and started to turn toward her bed.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move. She crouched low, peered toward the shed, and held her breath.

  Someone was definitely outside. They moved across the backyard, weaving through the trees and shrubs, hiding in the shadows.

  She crawled to the bedroom door as fast as she could and almost crashed into Tank.

  “I heard the noise. Where’s Alice?”

  “It wasn’t mom. She’s in bed, sound asleep.”

  Tank looked relieved.

  “They’re heading toward the driveway.” When he started moving down the hallway, Hayley follo
wed him. “I only saw one person, but there could be more.”

  Tank glanced over his shoulder. “Stay inside and away from the windows. Whoever’s out there might see you.”

  Before she could tell him to be careful, he was at the front door, disappearing into the night.

  She crawled into her room and grabbed the bag they’d packed for an emergency exit. Tank had made sure she knew exactly what to do if someone came onto his property. If he wasn’t here to keep them safe, then it was up to her. If he didn’t return, she had her own set of car keys, three days worth of supplement, and enough money to buy anything she needed.

  With her backpack safely in her hands and her mom still sleeping, all she could do was wait.

  ***

  Tank pulled his handgun out of its holster and moved around the side of the cabin. Before he’d met Hayley in the hallway, he’d heard the same noise that had woken her.

  Whoever was in the woods wasn’t used to tracking people. They’d made a careless mistake when they moved close to the cabin—a mistake they were about to regret.

  Yesterday, he’d made simple tripwires, placing them at strategic points around the cabin. He was worried Alice would go near the river. At least with an early warning, he could stop her from getting hurt.

  A cloud drifted in front of the moon. Tank moved swiftly toward the line of trees closest to him, crouching low as he reached the dirt driveway.

  He stepped over a second tripwire and changed direction. Whoever was in the woods would need a vehicle. No one in their right mind would park close to the cabin.

  Heading east took him further into the woods, but no one knew his property better than he did. He’d hiked every trail, memorized each landmark that pointed him toward the cabin.

  Most nights, the woods were alive with animals—but not tonight. The only sound came from the Missouri River. Water crashed over boulders, speeding past the cabin and into the inky darkness.

  He slowed down, listened intently, then kept moving. Another trap exploded. The intruder was near the firebreaks running through his property.

  Moonlight flooded the woodlands with an eerie glow. Ignoring the shadows, he sprinted through the woods. Tree branches slapped against his body. The wide dirt track wasn’t far away. It was another access point, another way for someone to abduct Hayley and her mom.