Protecting His Kidnapped Family (Southern Soldiers of Fortune 2)

“Is it always this quiet around here?” Serena asked, listening to the birds tweeting outside.

“Yep.” Olive smiled. “Probably a big difference from what you’re used to.”

“It is.” She sat back and sipped her herbal tea. “Being locked in that villa was quiet too, but in a more sinister way. Like I never knew from what day to the next what would happen or if I’d even be alive.”

“That must’ve been horrible!”

“It was.” Serena shuddered. “Then after Gracie was born, it was nice to have the company, but also more worrying because I had to protect her as well as myself. Then Noah showed up.”

“Like a knight in shining armor,” Olive said, grinning. “Did he ride a horse too?”

Serena snorted. “No. And he crashed in there more like the Hulk than Sir Galahad, but yeah. I was glad to see him, no doubt. But then we were on the run and together twenty-four seven until we got back here from St. Dourdane. So it seems weird now, not having him here.”

“I understand. When Levon and I were trying to catch the drug dealers at the school where I used to work, we were together all the time too. Then afterward, it all stopped.” She shrugged. “For a while there, I thought we were done for good, regardless of whether we had Allie together or not.”

“So how did you get things untangled in the end?” Serena asked, cupping her hands around her mug on the table.

“It took some effort from both of us,” Olive said, then chuckled. “And a fair bit of groveling on his part at the end, but we found a way. It’s not perfect, but it works for us.”

“That’s awesome.” She couldn’t seem to shake her worries, though, about her and Noah. “You and Levon seem really happy.”

“We are.” Olive set her mug down and patted Serena’s hand. “You and Noah will get there too. Just give it some time.”

“I don’t know. It’s really hard,” she said, letting her head fall back and staring at the ceiling. “Our lives are so different. I’ve got causes that take me all over the world and his job is here. I didn’t even realize how much time he spends with the guys at SSoF until we came to Atlanta. I can’t complain, though. He loves his work and people need him.”

“True. All the guys love it. It’s their calling.” Olive sat back, watching Serena through narrowed eyes. “But I have to keep Levon in check too. The work can take over and we need him here too. And not just physically either. Mentally. It’s too easy for him sometimes to get so wrapped up in work that he forgets about spending quality time with me and Allie. He tells me that it’s to protect us from the emotional baggage he collects in the job, but part of being a couple is helping each other work through that.”

“See?” Serena sat forward. “That’s what I think too. I rely on Noah for so much and I want him to feel like I can do that for him too—that I can be someone he leans on. He’s always so strong, but I’m strong too.” She sighed and stared down into her tea. “We’re not there yet, like I said, b

ut maybe we can get there. You and Levon give me hope anyway.”

“Like I said, give it a chance. You’re both still new at this.” Olive gave her a small wink. “And being strong isn’t the only thing. Sometimes you have to be vulnerable too. You should be partners, fifty-fifty. Balance each other out.”

“Hmm. Yeah.” Serena exhaled slowly. The strength part she’d trained for her whole life. The vulnerability? Not so much. But maybe, for Noah, she could try.

Noah sat at his desk at SSoF and scrubbed a hand over his face, holding the phone away from his ear while his mom berated him through the connection for just now telling her about Gracie.

“I can’t believe that I’m a grandmother and this is how you spring it on me,” she said when he attempted to defend himself. “That’s just like something your father would have done.”

He winced. Being compared to his dad wasn’t exactly a compliment in his mom’s book. His parents had loved each other, at least for one night when he’d been conceived, but they’d soon learned that being compatible in bed and being compatible out of it were two different things. Unfortunately, by the time they realized that, they’d already had a kid, so they’d stayed together for his sake until he was thirteen. While most kids remembered birthday parties and holidays and fun family times, the thing he remember most growing up were the knock-down, drag-out fights between his parents. Never physical, thankfully, but always loud and angry. It was almost a blessing when his dad walked out on them, almost, because it meant finally some peace and quiet for a change.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he said when she took a breather from letting him have it. “Like I said, I just found out myself, so yeah.”

“And when can I meet Gracie?”

“As soon as things settle down here,” he said, glancing over to where Levon and Clint were trying to act like they weren’t listening in on his conversation and failing miserably. Dammit. He needed to get back to work. “Look, Mom. I’ll call you later and maybe we can make some plans for a visit, okay? I need to go now.”

Noah ended the call before his mother could start arguing again, then sighed. Considering the nightmare that could have been, the call had gone mostly well. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and checked his emails again. It was weird, being back here at the office. Funny, but he missed having Serena around. He’d gotten so used to her being by his side, with Gracie, that not having them there left a hole he hadn’t expected.

Except now wasn’t the time to get all up in his feelings, conflicted or not. He shoved them aside as best he could and opened the files the guys had collected for the mission again. His stubborn brain kept circling back to Serena and the baby, though. Was she doing okay today? How was Gracie faring? Was she feeling better? Maybe they should make her an appointment with a pediatrician just to be sure.

Ugh.

Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair and scowled at his computer screen. He needed to find some way to separate his duties as soldier and father and keep them separate when he was working, because otherwise he’d be a useless mess.

“How’s it going, dude?” Levon said, coming up to his desk. “You look a little stressed.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” he grumbled, scrolling through documents without seeing them. “Why?”