Chapter Thirty-Seven
Derek
We were preparingfor another mission. This meant every morning we ran the beaches. Which was my least favorite thing to do. I always hated running but running in the sand was worse. My legs were on fire by the second mile. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Darren went right into the water like it was nothing. We all followed him in. I held my breath as the icy water lapped over my shoes. I was the last one in which wasn’t a surprise. I usually held up the back of the group. Not because I wasn’t good or I was too slow, but because I wanted to protect my men from harm. I had already failed Brody, I wasn’t going to fail anyone else. Even if that meant I died first.
After Hell Week nothing really bothered me anymore when it came to the water. We had been drowned, waterboarded, and worse. If you could think of it, it probably happened to us. My arms pumped with force through the massive waves as we swam away from the shore. My eyes stung and the saltwater kept getting in my mouth, but I pushed forward. We had two miles to go through this ocean and then we were done for themorning. After lunch, we would have another training session in a controlled environment, i.e. the gym and then we would have the rest of the day off.
My face broke the saltwater and I took a deep breath of fresh air. We were almost there. My arms propelled me faster and my legs managed to keep me going even though they were on fire. But this was what our trainings were about. We couldn’t go soft. Darren managed to keep things pretty random which was what would happen in the field. He kept us on our toes and I respected him for it. Not only was it his job but it was also his mission. He had to make sure we were prepared for anything and everything.
My lungs burned as we made it to the red buoy. Darren hauled himself up onto it and grinned down at us. “Ready to go back?”
I fought the current and the waves that kept crashing against us. Saltwater hit the buoy and sprayed us all in the face. Jace grinned from the water beside me and Ian looked ready to throw in the towel, which was unusual. Darren launched himself off of the floating metal and swam for shore. Ian was right on his heels then the rest of us fell in line. Eric was easily the fastest swimmer and even though Ian had kicked off of the buoy, Eric had already passed him up. I ducked under the water and followed them back. The current was easier going in and I felt my body relax as I somewhat floated back to the sand. When my boots connected with the shore, I took off running. The first one back to the base would get a hot shower. Everyone else would get the cold leftovers. That was one thing I didn’t play around with. I liked a good hot shower. My mind immediately went to Aiyanna and how she had kept me out of her bedroom while she showered just a few nights before. I had to push the feelings down to keep myself running. My legs were protesting and my breathing was harsher.
There was no way in hell I was taking a cold shower. I had been the last one in from my silly thoughts about Aiyanna. I was distracted and it had cost me hot water. Jace slapped my back and got in his truck. He wasn’t about the cold water either. Either that or he wanted his wife with him. Either way, I didn’t blame him. The thought of Aiyanna waiting for me at home was a good feeling, even though it wasn’t my reality.
I hopped on my bike and sped out of the base. Our apartment complex was close enough that the sand in my boxers wasn’t too bad. But if we had lived any farther, it would have been bad. I killed the engine on my bike and then noticed a familiar car in the spot next to mine. The black tinted window rolled down and Aiyanna smiled at me from the other side.
“Hey there,” She leaned out the window but then her nose wrinkled. “Oh, you weren’t lying. You do stink. And you’re all wet! What did you do for training this morning?”
I leaned in closer to her car and ran my fingers through my partially dry hair. “We had to run a few miles and then swim them in the ocean and then run back to base.”
Her eyes got big. “What? That’s insanity.”
“Baby, I’m a frogman.” I smirked and walked away.
“It’s kind of sexy,” I heard her call to me before she pulled away. I couldn’t help but laugh. Sexy wasn’t what I was going for. But hell, if she liked me wild and nasty, I could give her exactly that. The beach and running would no longer be a problem.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Aiyanna
I checkedmy makeup one last time which was silly. He hadn’t seen me at my worst yet but he had smelled me and that was pretty bad. But this was different. It was a date to somewhere nice. It wasn’t his buddies grilling or Elise cooking. He was taking me to a nice restaurant and my stomach was in knots. I hadn’t been on a nice date in, well, ever. Most guys took me to the movies or to the bar that I owned. One took me to a gas station for pizza, and later to a candlelit dinner in a field out in the middle of nowhere. He had been sweet but none of the dates had led to much. I was as inexperienced as it got.
He hadn’t seen me at my worst but I had seen him at his. Before Brody died with the nightmares that night and then after he died. But the thought of seeing him at his best, in hopefully a suit, caused my hands to tremble slightly. I looked back in the mirror. It had been years since I had curled my hair but tonight was special. The curls softened my face especially when the red lipstick came into play. I straightened my pencil skirt and grabbed my tiny Louis clutch off of the nightstand. I squared my shoulders just as a knock rang out through my apartment.
What was waiting for me on the other side of the door made me laugh. Derek held a giant potted plant in front of his face instead of a bouquet of flowers. He peeked out from the side of it and gave me a goofy grin. “I added myself to a houseplant group and they suggested that this would be a good gift for our firstofficialdate.” He looked around and lowered his voice. “Don’t tell the guys.”
A monstera plant. I had been eyeing one. I had wanted one for some time. I had the money to get one but I just never had. I knew Derek didn’t like houseplants, I had seen the distaste on his face that first morning in my apartment after his drunken night. From that moment on I hadn’t bought any more plants. I didn’t know why but the look on his face did something to my insides. I had secretly wanted his approval. But now he was making up for it. I bit down on my lip and shook my head. The plant was gorgeous and in pristine condition.
“I hope you didn’t pay too much for that,” I said as I took the plant from his hands.
He shrugged. “As long as it makes you happy, that’s all that matters.”
I set the plant in the corner of the living room and turned back to the man that somehow made me giddy with his broody exterior and melted me with his smiles. He wore dress slacks and a button-down shirt. His unruly beard he had started to grow was cleaned up and didn’t look so rough anymore. Everything about him made me not want to go out to dinner.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we won’t leave this apartment.” He swore under his breath before I shuffled himself out of the door. I was glad the feelings were mutual.
We started off on the boardwalk off of Virginia Beach. The beach he knew and spent more time at than I ever had. In all my time living here, I had never visited the beach. There wasn’t anything that called me to the ocean. My heart had been born in the Arizona Mountains. No ocean would ever call to me like the peaks back at home. The salt air was heavy around us but I didn’t mind it. It was relaxing and I could tell Derek enjoyed it. He grabbed my hand and pulled me from my thoughts, right up the walk to one of the fanciest restaurants on the boardwalk. He had organized a reservation and I felt something new blossom inside of me. Something I could have never felt with any of the other dates. He blushed as he sat down across from me in the candlelight. Everything about this was perfect. Everything until my phone rang. I let it go, it could wait.
But then it rang again. This time my momma’s name flashed across the screen when I took a peek. I frowned and looked at Derek with an apology. He didn’t seem aggravated and smiled softly.
“Hello?” I whispered into the phone. I didn’t know how I was supposed to take a call in a restaurant as nice as this one.
“Aiyanna!” Her voice buzzed through the phone in a shrill voice. “Your brother was in an accident.”
I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to feel. Everything buzzed out and I felt like I was drowning. “Which brother?” It didn’t matter which one, but I had to know.
“Kia!” She cried into the speaker and I knew it was bad. The blood drained from my face and everything around me spun. I couldn’t even focus on Derek’s face. “He was shot by one of the cartels. H-he is about to go in for surgery. I don’t know much else.”
