Trusting the SEAL (Saving the SEALs Series Book 3) Read Free Page A

alleyway.
    Spencer veered toward a less crowded side entrance, pushing outside into the mid-morning DC sunshine and scanning the surrounding rooftops for more signs of snipers. Nothing. He walked to the beat-up black SUV that served as the team’s current mode of transportation parked along the curb a block or so away just as the first squad cars screeched up to Toni’s building sirens wailing.
    First on his agenda, get back to Scotty’s condo—which the team was using as a makeshift headquarters these days—and get them working on investigating the identity of today’s shooter. Miles Arrieta wasn’t one to get his own hands dirty on such a small job, but it did add credence to the fact they were on the right track. Coran Williams had always fancied himself a patriot for the press. Wasn’t a huge jump for a patriot to turn fanatic. And wouldn’t all those lovely connections he had through his publishing empire make a lovely network for filtering secret codes to terrorists. At least that was Kyle’s hunch. That and the fact there wasn’t a better way to get to Williams than through his precious daughter.
    Yep. Spencer climbed behind the wheel of the SUV and started the engine, then signaled before pulling out into traffic. Today had been productive. He’d secured his position as Toni’s new bodyguard, learned that she had limited contact with her father, or so she said anyway, and found concrete proof in the form of that threatening note that somehow Miles Arrieta was involved in all of this as well. Tomorrow, hopefully, he learned even more.
    As he headed down the Capital Beltway toward Woodrow Wilson Bridge, he remembered the day Commander Brighton had covertly rehired them after their suspension. The vows he and the team made repeated in his head, steeling his resolve and spurring him onward.
    For justice. For freedom.
    For Nick.

    * * *
    U pstairs , Toni sank into a chair in what would be her new, windowless digs, her hands shaking as badly as her knees. It had taken all her strength to put on a brave front before Spencer Nixon, but now that she was alone again, the shock and terror were definitely catching up with her.
    This wasn’t how she wanted to live her life, constantly looking over her shoulder for the next attack, constantly afraid. An introvert at heart, being the life of the party at her events was hard enough without people trying to shoot her. Still, it was an act she’d perfected over the years out of necessity.
    Speaking of necessity…
    She picked up the note she’d given to Spencer to read and stared at the words. Toni had learned passable Arabic herself through her contacts with relief organizations in the Middle East and could read the thing well enough herself, but he’d been right. It had been a test. She’d gone through more than her fair share of bodyguards these past couple of months and she wanted to make sure she got someone highly qualified this time. Never mind the guy was drop-dead gorgeous. He was strictly off-limits, as were relationships in general, at least until after this trip to Jubail.
    Interesting that he’d not said a word about the e-readers.
    Part of her was glad. Maybe he considered the idea as impractical as she did. Sure, the thought had occurred to her that e-readers would make a pretty nifty way to transfer information between parties, but then she’d discarded the notion just as quickly. In order for it to be a feasible way to traffic data, there would have to be a whole set of codes manufactured and a whole set of individuals trained to read said code. It would be a massive investment of years and millions of dollars to institute. Who would have that kind of time or resources to devote to such a thing? Who would even care enough to try?
    Your father.
    Toni shoved the thought aside as soon as it occurred. No. She refused to believe it. It was all nothing but empty lies sold in the tabloids. Lies used as weapons to destroy what good she’d tried to