Page 7 of No Regrets

Kelly threw the ball at him hard enough it stung his hands when he caught it. “Are you trying to say I won’t cut it?”

“No!” He held up his hands in surrender. “Of course, you can do it. I just want to be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I know. And being surrounded by cute guys in uniform won’t hurt either.”

“Ah so that’s the real reason.”

He remembered the stab of jealousy he’d felt then, like it was yesterday. It had surprised the hell out of him.

Dex gave the bag a final punch before hitting the shower. He mentally cursed himself. He was a fucking idiot. They loved each other. Always had. But this was more than that. Every time he got to see her; it became harder to leave. Their careers made it difficult for a traditional relationship. Was it even a relationship? They had never defined it. Friends with benefits was probably more accurate. But during the past six years, he hadn’t even looked at another woman. Kelly was the only woman he wanted. He didn't just love her. He was in love with her. Hell, he assumed she would always be there and that they would always have each other.

Under the shower, he let the water wash over his face and mix with the tears he could no longer hold back. Why the fuck did it have to take her being ripped from him to make him realize his feelings? How was he supposed to sit back and wait while another team went to find her? No way in hell.

“TELL ME, LIEUTENANT, do you have family back home? Someone waiting for you?”

Once again, Kelly was tied to a chair, Lazir paced in front of her. Every now and then he would punch or slap her, but they were not as hard as they had been. As if Lazir was losing interest in hitting her. That frightened her more than the beatings.

“I do not see a wedding ring, so not married. A boyfriend perhaps?”

She didn’t answer, keeping her eyes averted from him.

“Any man who accepts his woman as a soldier, isn’t a man. Men fight and protect what is theirs. Women are grateful for that.” He stopped pacing and gripped her chin hard, forcing her to look at him. “You should be grateful that you are still alive. That I have let you live this long. Are you grateful?”

Still, Kelly said nothing.

“If you won’t tell me how grateful you are, then perhaps you should show me.” He sneered and licked his lips. Kelly strained against his grip. He let her go with a chuckle.

“Give me names, lieutenant. and I will spare you showing me your gratitude.”

Kelly swallowed down a sob. Time was running out. The Navy really must think she was dead, or they weren’t prepared to risk a rescue operation.

“Take her.” Lazir snapped his fingers. Two soldiers stepped forward to carry her back to her cell since she could barely walk. “Think carefully, lieutenant. You would be wise to give me names when you return. Otherwise, I promise you will beg to give them to me.” His voice rang in her ears as she landed in a heap on the damp cell floor.

The sob she’d been holding back broke free. Lazir’s threat was clear. If she didn’t talk, he was going to rape her and kill her. Dying didn’t scare her. In fact, she welcomed it. Death would bring peace. No more pain, no more questions, no more torture. It was what Lazir planned to do first that petrified her. She wanted to die with the memory of Dex being the last man to touch her, kiss her, make love to her. What if Lazir let his soldiers take turns? She rolled to her side, retching at the thought.

If she gave up the names, Lazir would hunt them and kill them. Their children, their families, would all pay the price. Then he would still kill her. He would never let her go. She had worked in Naval Intelligence for over ten years now. She knew what men like Lazir did, what they were capable of. It was all about power and greed. Killing showed power and earned respect. Killing a SEAL team had Lazir’s ego soaring. Raping and killing her would inflate it further and fuel his reputation.

Kelly rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, lightheaded from the retching and lack of food and water. The constant state of exhaustion had her drifting into sleep all the time and she felt herself falling now and didn’t try to fight it.

“Hey Kelly, I want you to meet someone.” Dex was walking up her driveway, another boy beside him. Boy? Dex was eighteen now, hardly a boy anymore. The young man standing next to him wasn’t a boy either.

“Kelly, this is Ryan Baxter. Ryan, this is Kelly Kimber.”

“Nice to meet you.” Ryan held out his hand and Kelly shook it. Wow, Ryan was kinda cute.

“Nice to meet you too. How do you two know each other?”

Ryan held onto her hand a little bit longer than necessary and she didn’t miss the scowl on Dex’s face. What was up with that?

“We just met today,” Ryan said

“Yeah, Ryan was enlisting, same as me. He’s from Texas. If we both pass screening, we should be going to boot camp together.”

“Cool. You’re a long way from Texas, Ryan.”

“Long story.” Ryan grinned and Kelly smiled. Too bad Ryan would be leaving for a ten-week boot camp. It might be fun to get to know him.

“So how long you two been dating?” Ryan asked. Kelly laughed.