Ranger's Baby Surprise (Special Forces Elite 2)

He sat in an overstuffed chair. It was funny it could actually make him look normal-sized. He folded his hands together.

His eyes landed on me. “There was a girl I dated.”

“We have a mini-past. I’m ok with it.”

He shook his head. “This girl. She wanted more from me. She wanted to take me home to meet her parents and buy a dog together. She was serious. More serious than I ever was about her.” His eyes drifted across the room. “And I was a fucking dick to her. I said something shitty.”

I didn’t know why he was confessing, but I listened.

“It couldn’t have been that bad. You’ve never said anything I couldn’t forgive.”

He huffed. “I said, you really think I want to meet your parents. I don’t even want to spend my 5am workouts with you.” He paused. “She laughed and said that that was ridiculous, no woman would get up that early anyway. And instead of keeping my fucking mouth shut, I told her she was wrong. I told her I loved 5am with you. That you were worth the sting of the morning. That you were the kind of woman I wanted to take home. That I’d buy a dog with you, because 5am workouts with you were what made me want to wake up every day.”

I swallowed hard and my stomach knotted. “Oh my God.”

He closed his eyes. “This is my fucking fault.”

I rushed from the bed and knelt in front of him. “You think it’s her? The girl you dated?”

His eyes hardened. “She had a tattoo on her wrist. Something from a college spring break trip.”

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

“Where is she?” I asked, shaking him. “Where did she go when you broke up?”

He lifted his head. “L.A. She moved to L.A.”

13

Reid

I deserved that bullet. Me. I was the one who should have been in the hospital. I should have had to fight for my life. Not Javier, and especially not Abi.

I had swallowed Jackie and spit her out. Used her. I never pretended to want a relationship. The terms were always clear, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t a dick. At some point it was going to catch up to me.

That day had come.

I couldn’t stand the look on Abi’s face.

I pushed her off me and rose from the chair. “I need to call Bex and get Jackie’s profile to the police.”

“Jackie? That’s her name?”

“We dated a few months ago. I guess two or three maybe?” I didn’t have the exact date. It hadn’t mattered that much. “She texted and told me she was moving to L.A. I thought it was just to get a reaction from me. She wanted me to ask her to stay. I don’t know. I don’t do mind games. And honestly, I didn’t care. I haven’t heard from her since.”

“Then how do you know it was her, Reid? This might be one jump too many.”

“It’s not.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed the office. I looked at Abi. “She knew about you. I said too much. I don’t know why.” I walked out of the bedroom when Bex answered.

“I have an ID on the Lawrence shooter.”

“You do?” He sounded surprised.

“Her name is Jackie Stephens. She doesn’t have a criminal record. I’ll send a picture. I’ve got one on my cloud. Roughly 5’6”. Black hair. Green eyes. Moved to L.A. in the past two months. I don’t have an address. We have to find her. She isn’t done.”

“As soon as I have the picture I’ll start scanning for facial recognition.”

“We leave in two hours for the dinner. I can’t take Abi out of the house with Jackie waiting for her.”