Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Bo "Safe" Cyders leaned against the kitchen counter, staring into space. It was ten in the morning, and he felt just as anxious and worked up as he did before a mission. He hadn't slept more than an hour or two combined, but he didn't feel tired in the least. Last night had been…intense. And he'd second-guessed himself every minute since he'd left Aces Bar and Grill with the pretty young woman who'd asked him for assistance.

Intellectually, he was aware that the only reason she asked him for help was because he happened to be in that hallway at the same time she was. But the desperation and fear in her eyes still ate at him. What if he hadn't been there? What if someone with fewer scruples had crossed her path? What if her asshole date had followed her and whisked her out the back door?

The what-ifs were horrifying to imagine. Especially after seeing how vulnerable the woman had been .

Safe had brought her home, put her in his guest bed, used his medical training to quickly check her out…and she hadn't moved an inch.

He'd also checked on her throughout the night. Every thirty minutes or so, he'd gone into her room and made sure she was still breathing. She hadn't stirred. The thought of someone hurting that woman while she was unconscious made his skin crawl.

The last time Safe had checked on her, his anxiety ebbed a fraction. He'd been about to call for an ambulance—since she literally hadn't moved for ten hours—when finally he'd seen signs of her rousing. He'd left the room quickly, not wanting her to wake up with a man she didn't know hovering over her, and went into the kitchen to wait to see what she'd do.

He wanted to talk to her. Make sure she was all right. But if she wanted to leave, he wouldn't get in her way. She had to be confused. Scared. And Safe had no idea what, if anything, she remembered about the night before. All he could do was make sure she had some water, her phone, a bit of money, and let her make her own decisions.

Taking a sip of the gourmet coffee he was addicted to, Safe continued to wait.

He heard the creak of the guest room door, and he held his breath as he stared at the hallway, willing her to appear. To not slink off like a thief in the night…er, morning. The neighborhood his house was in wasn't the best, but his neighbors were all good people. Struggling in this economy, but they wouldn't hurt the woman if they saw her walking down the sidewalk.

His next-door neighbor, Abigail, had left a few hours ago to head to her job at the grocery store down the road. Her mom, Carleigh, was there babysitting. Abigail was a struggling single mother with three kids—Albert, who was four; Adam, three; and Adley, the baby, was two. Thankfully, her mom could watch them while Abigail was at work. The kids weren't the silent types. They were currently outside in their yard, playing on the swing set Safe had helped set up, screeching and laughing.

The sound made him smile. Hearing happy kids was much better than the terrified screams of children he often came across overseas while on missions.

He could hear music playing from the house across the street, as well. The sounds of an active neighborhood were all around him, had become second nature to Safe. But at the moment, all he could concentrate on were the footsteps of the woman who'd taken up much of his brain space in the last twelve hours or so.

To his immense relief, they were heading toward him, rather than away.

Forcing himself to look as relaxed as possible, Safe stared at the hallway. When the woman appeared, it took every ounce of discipline he possessed not to step toward her. To stay where he was, slouched against the counter as if he didn't have a worry in the world.

She was pale, her short black hair mussed around her head, and she had dark circles under her brown eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hands fidgeted nervously where she stood, at the entrance to the living room.

"Morning," Safe said softly.

"Where am I?" she asked, not beating around the bush .

Safe approved. "About three miles from Aces. My house. I brought you here after you asked for my help at the bar. You passed out right after you asked for assistance."

"He drugged me," the woman said. She hadn't moved from the hall entry, but his home wasn't huge. He had no problem hearing her across two rooms.

So Safe stayed where he was too. She was skittish, rightfully so. He didn't want to do anything to make her feel any more unsure than she already was. "Yes," he confirmed.

"Then what?"

"I brought you here. Put you in my guest room, checked on you periodically during the night to make sure you were still breathing…and here we are."

She tilted her head as she stared at him, as if assessing him from afar.

"I'm Bo. Bo Cyders. My friends call me Safe."

"Safe?" she questioned, her brow furrowed.

His lips twitched. "Yeah. Hazard of being a military guy. Everyone gets a nickname."

"What's it mean?"

Her questions were short and to the point. Something Safe found…adorable. No, that wasn't right. She was scared and worried about her security. She wasn't trying to flirt or be cute. She was simply trying to get information.

No. He found it brave and admirable.

"I was actually dubbed Cyborg in boot camp, because of my last name. One of my drill instructors thought he was funny by calling me that. But when I first joined a SEAL team, we were playing softball for PT one day, and I stole home. The catcher called out, ‘Safe! He's safe!' when I slid into home base. A huge argument broke out, with my team insisting I was safe and the other insisting I was out. The umpire whistled loudly with his fingers and shouted, ‘He's safe! Hear me? Safe !' And from then on…I was known as Safe."

When a small smile crossed the woman's lips, Safe felt as if he'd crossed some major hurdle.

"I'm Wren. Wren Defranco."

"It's nice to meet you, Wren Defranco," Safe told her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Bo Cyders."

For a moment, neither moved. Then Safe straightened and motioned to his coffee machine with his head. "Coffee?"

For the first time, Wren's gaze moved away from him. As Safe expected, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I know, I know," he said before she could ask. "It's a little over the top. But I like my coffee. When I'm on missions, we often have to drink the most vile sludge that tries to pass itself off as coffee. It's disgusting, but if I want my caffeine, I don't have a choice. So when I'm home, I spoil myself by making the best stuff I can."

"Wow," she said, sounding properly awed.

Safe chuckled. "There was a coffee place that went out of business. I bought this baby from them. It makes espresso, cappuccino, and any other kind of frou-frou drink you can think of. But I do switch it up. Sometimes I drink the plain stuff. Okay, that's a lie. It's not plain. This morning, it's double chocolate. Tomorrow, I might go with Michigan cherry. I like to mix it up."

As he was talking, Safe had reached for a coffee cup. And not just any cup. He liked the giant-size mugs. Figuring if anyone needed a large-size coffee this morning, it was Wren, he filled it almost to the rim and slipped it across the counter toward her. Then he stepped back, giving her space.

She slowly walked across the living room toward the kitchen as if she were a feral dog, wary of the rescuer who was throwing treats just out of reach. Wren closed her hand around the mug handle—it looked tiny next to the large cup—then took a few steps back as she brought the beverage to her lips.

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze coming up to meet his. The wariness was back in her eyes, which Safe hated.

"It's clean," he told her softly. "You're safe here. I'm drinking the same coffee you are."

"I'm safe?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I thought you were safe."

It took him a moment to realize she was teasing him. His admiration of her rose another notch.

He didn't know this woman. Hadn't really had any kind of conversation with her until this morning…and yet at her gentle teasing, her direct stare, he felt an unfamiliar stirring deep within him. A yearning for something that had always felt out of his reach.

A longing for a connection with another human being that went bone deep.

Shaking off the sudden feeling, Safe forced himself to slouch against the counter again.

Wren finally took a sip of the coffee, and Safe watched with satisfaction when her eyes closed and she let out a little moan. "Holy crap," she breathed as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Good?" he asked.

"No," she said with a small shake of her head. "It's amazing. You've ruined me forever. I can never see poor Pablo at the corner mart again because his coffee is crap, even if he's a good guy who tries so hard to make it palatable."

Safe chuckled low and easy. "I'm a coffee snob. I admit it," he said without a shred of remorse.

Wren smiled at him for a moment, then the grin faded. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything," Safe told her, his own voice turning serious.

"Did you call the police? Why did you bring me here? Did you confront my date? Do you have my purse?"

Of course she had questions. "I'll tell you everything…over breakfast. You need some nutrients, and getting food in your belly will help chase away the cobwebs from whatever that asshole gave you. I've got omelet fixins or I can make pancakes. I might have some bread around here that isn't moldy. Maybe."

"Do you have any cereal?" she asked.

Safe was surprised. "Cereal?"

"Yeah. I know it's stupid. But it's what I usually eat in the mornings."

"It's not stupid," Safe countered. "You just surprised me. And yes, I have cereal, but I'm not sure I'll have what you like."

"Probably not," she mumbled under her breath. Then louder, said, "Whatever you have is fine. "

Feeling his cheeks heat, Safe turned toward his pantry to hide his embarrassment. He wasn't ashamed of his vices, like his coffee machine, but he was fairly certain his choices in cereal didn't exactly match his image of being a hard-ass Navy SEAL. "I've got Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Frosted Krispies," he told Wren, wishing he had at least one box of something semi-nutritious. If a box of Wheat Chex or Bran Flakes magically manifested into his pantry, he'd be appreciative right about now.

"Seriously?"

Reluctantly, Safe turned to face his unexpected houseguest and shrugged. "Yeah. I didn't expect company, otherwise I would've gotten something more appropriate. I usually make something more adult when I have someone stay over, which isn't often. I wish I could blame my cereal choices on my neighbor's kids, who I sometimes invite over to give their mom a break when their gigi can't babysit, but what can I say? I like the sugary, crappy stuff."

He was babbling, but Safe couldn't seem to stop himself. He was embarrassed as all get out that all he had to offer this woman, who'd been through something horrific, was kids' cereal.

"My favorite is Lucky Charms, but Fruit Loops come in a close second. The best part is drinking the milk when the cereal is gone. It's pure sugar, but so good."

Safe stared at Wren for a moment, thinking she was fucking with him, but when she gave him a small shrug and a little smile, he realized she was serious.

That funny feeling in his belly returned. What were the odds that the woman he saved from a possibly horrible fate not only liked his flavored coffee, but was a fan of super-sugary cereal?

Ignoring the little voice in his head that was telling him to grab hold of this woman and never let her go, Safe reached for the boxes of Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks. He placed them on the table in the small dining area off the kitchen, then headed toward the fridge to get the milk. Once he had the table set with two bowls—oversized, of course—and spoons, he pulled out a chair for Wren, then sat across from her.

She slowly walked to the table and lowered herself into the chair. Giving him another small smile, she put her coffee cup down and reached for the Fruit Loops. They ate their cereal in silence, the only sound their crunching.

When they'd both slurped up the milk left in the bowls after they'd eaten, Safe stood.

He didn't miss the way Wren flinched at his abrupt movement. Cursing himself for scaring her, Safe froze. "I'm going to put our dishes in the sink. If you want to go sit on the couch and get comfortable, I'll be there in a moment and I'll tell you about last night."

"Okay," she said, pushing away from the table and quickly standing and taking a step backward.

Safe grabbed the bowls and spoons and went into the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wren step into the living room. She chose to sit in his recliner, and Safe couldn't help but think she looked tiny in the oversized chair. He wasn't a giant at six-one, but he wasn't a small man either. Wren looked to be average height for a woman, around five-five or five-six, but she was slender and looked almost frail .

When she tucked her legs under her in the chair, Safe smiled. She hadn't hesitated to make herself comfortable, and the fact that she wasn't perched at the edge of the seat, ready to bolt, told him that on some level, she had to trust him. At least a little.

And it was that small act of trust that had him mentally vowing to do whatever it took to make sure this woman felt safe. With him and after what happened the night before. He didn't know who her date was, but he'd find the man and, with the help of his team, teach him what happened when you preyed on innocent women.

The thought was a little bloodthirsty, especially given he'd just met Wren, but Safe couldn't help it. After watching over her all night, after she'd asked him for help at the bar, he felt protective of her.

Finished cleaning up their breakfast dishes, he took the pot of coffee over to where she was sitting. "Refill?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, please," she said, holding out her mug.

Safe filled it—feeling ridiculously happy that she liked his coffee—refilled his own mug, then sat on the couch on the other side of the room from his recliner. He didn't hesitate to tell her what she wanted to know.

"I saw you in Aces with that guy you were with. Didn't like the look of him. No, that's not true—I didn't like the way he was looking at you when your head was turned."

"How was he looking at me?" Wren asked.

"Like a lion watches his prey," Safe told her.

She winced. "He seemed harmless. I met him online. We talked via chat several times. He told me he was an accountant. That he likes to play chess in his spare time. I'm such an idiot," she said with a sigh.

"You aren't," Safe insisted.

"What happened next?"

He hated she thought that way about herself. Meeting people to date was hard. And the Internet made it easier in some ways, but much more difficult in others. People could hide their true nature until it was too late.

"Bo?"

His name on her lips made that funny feeling deep inside rise yet again, but once more, Safe pushed it down. "Sorry. So, I saw you at the table with that asshole, but since two strangers having a drink weren't any of my business, I kind of pushed you guys to the back of my mind. A while later, I had just used the restroom and was heading back to the bar when you appeared in the hallway. You didn't look good. You were stumbling and slurring your words. You asked for my help, then you passed out.

"My first thought was to get you out of there. I probably should've brought you to Jessyka's office—she owns the bar—but instead, I followed my gut. I went out the back door and straight to my car. I drove us here, made sure you were all right medically—I have some training, since I'm a SEAL—then called Jessyka."

"Not the cops?" Wren asked.

Safe winced. "Yeah, I should've called them," he admitted.

"No! I mean, maybe," she hedged. "But I'm not a fan of the police."

Safe instantly wanted to ask why. Wanted to know everything about this woman. But when she didn't volunteer the information, he continued, "Like I said, I called Aces and spoke with Jessyka. Told her what happened. That you were safe here with me, but I wanted to make sure she knew your date was bad news and to ask some of the guys to detain him."

Wren sat up. "Did they?"

"Unfortunately, no. He was gone. But I thought you might want to see what happened for yourself after Jessyka learned what you went through," Safe told her. He pulled out his phone and brought up the video Jessyka had sent him a couple hours ago. He stood up and took the few steps over to the chair and handed Wren his phone. "Just click play when you're ready. I've already turned the volume up."

Nothing about what happened to Wren was funny…but Safe freaking loved what happened after they left.

He listened along to the video as she watched, knowing what Wren was seeing. Jessyka had turned up all the lights in the dimly lit bar to full strength and turned off the music. She climbed onto the bar to make an announcement. He could hear Jessyka's speech through the speakers on his phone as Wren watched.

"Attention everyone! I've gotten a report that someone who was here earlier tonight drugged a woman's drink. Please, every woman, put down whatever you're drinking immediately. Don't take another sip! I'll replace your drinks for free. The young lady who was drugged has been taken to a safe place—literally—but if you feel sick or weak, please let me or one of my staff know."

Wren paused the video and looked up at Safe. "But if the guy I was with was gone, why'd she do that? It had to have cost her a lot of money."

"Jessyka takes her role as bar owner seriously. There's no way she'd sit back and do nothing after hearing what happened to you. She takes the safety of her patrons even more seriously. And she was pissed that you were drugged right under her nose, in her bar. From what I understand, the lights stayed on for over an hour, the music stayed off. No one complained."

"Wow."

"But she's really upset that they didn't catch the guy. She's got a ton of cameras all over the bar and the parking lot. She's been studying them, and she actually found the clip that showed your date putting the drug in your drink at the bar, right after the bartender turned his back. She has the clip of you going down the bathroom hallway, talking to me, and me taking you out the back door. Another camera captured me carrying you to my car. And when you didn't return to the table, she also has your date on film, getting up and leaving. But he didn't park in the Aces parking lot. He walked away as nonchalantly as if he was taking a leisurely nighttime stroll."

"So no license plate to report," Wren concluded.

"Exactly."

"He told me his name was Matt. Matt Smith."

Safe's lip curled in a grimace.

Wren nodded. "Yeah. Probably made up. But we should be able to trace him through the app, right?" she asked as she leaned forward and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Maybe," Safe said. "I know a guy who used to be a SEAL, and he can do just about anything with electronics. "

"Oh no!" Wren exclaimed as she frowned down at her phone.

"What? What's wrong?" Safe asked.

"He deleted them."

"Deleted what?"

"Our messages! We communicated through the app, because I didn't want to give him my phone number. We had a couple hundred messages back and forth as we got to know each other, and they're gone."

"Is his profile still up?" Safe asked.

Wren sighed and let the hand with her phone drop into her lap. "No. He's gonna get away with it. There's no telling how many other women he's done this to… will do it to."

"Don't count my friend out yet. He's pretty…thorough." Safe was going to say sneaky, but decided that might not be the best word to use to reassure Wren right now.

"It doesn't matter. I got away, thanks to you." She looked at her watch. "And I've taken up enough of your time. I'm sure you have better things to do this morning than babysit me. I appreciate your help. If you'll give me my purse, I can give you some money to reimburse you for your trouble. Then I'll get out of your hair and go home."

Safe frowned at her. "Your purse?"

Wren frowned back. "Oh. Yeah. I guess I didn't have it with me when I saw you in the hall? It's probably still at the bar then."

Safe didn't have a good feeling in his gut. And as a Navy SEAL, he never ignored his feelings. He stood and said, "May I have my phone back? "

"Oh! Yes, sorry," she said with a slight grin as she held it out.

Without a word, Safe took it and dialed Jessyka's number. She'd had a long night, as had he, but he was fairly sure she'd be up. He put the phone on speaker so Wren could hear his conversation.

"Safe. Is she okay?"

"Wren is fine," he reassured her.

"Wren! That's a pretty name."

Safe thought so too, but he had more important things on his mind. "Did you find Wren's purse at the bar last night? At the table where she was sitting?"

"Her purse? No, I don't think there was anything left at the table in the corner. Oh, shit—did that asshole take it?"

Safe met Wren's gaze, and he could see she was just as concerned as he was about this new twist. "Apparently," he told Jessyka with a sigh.

"What a dick!" Jessyka spat. "I'll go to the bar right now to see if it was turned in. I'll call as soon as I know one way or another. But, Safe, if he has her purse, he knows where she lives…and probably even has the keys to her place, unless she had them on her?"

Jessyka wasn't saying anything Safe hadn't already thought. But by the look on Wren's face, she was just now realizing how messed up this situation truly was.

"I know. Let me know if the purse turns up," he told Jessyka. "I need to go."

"Okay. But please tell Wren we're all glad she's okay. And that shit doesn't usually happen at my bar. We're all going to do a better job of trying to keep an eye on women there. I realize it's not all on me, but I need to do something. I've been thinking about making a special section for first dates, so women can feel safer. A few tables that're closer to the bar, and make it mandatory that drinks be brought directly to those tables by a bartender. And we'll add more cameras. Of course, that doesn't mean someone has to sit there if they don't want to, but at least the option will be there. We'll market it and make sure everyone knows that if they want to meet someone for the first time at Aces, they'll be as safe as possible."

"I'm sure that'll be appreciated. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Safe?"

"Yeah, Jess?"

"She really did luck out when you were there at exactly the right moment."

Safe knew what she was talking about. Lots of bad things had happened to Jessyka and her friends, but they'd all been lucky enough to have a Navy SEAL available to help when the shit hit the fan.

"Right," he said after a moment.

"Benny has already contacted Tex to see if he can find out where that asshole went after leaving Aces. Track him on street cameras to see where he parked, and to see if we can find his license plate number. If anyone can find him, Tex can."

"Not going to argue with you there. I really need to go now, Jess. Tell Benny I said hello, and I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay. Later, Safe."

Safe clicked off the phone and opened his mouth to say something reassuring to Wren, but the second he hung up, she was up and out of the chair, pacing his living room.

"Shit! He has the keys to my car, my apartment. My IDs, my address. He knows where I live!"

Safe couldn't stand seeing this woman so freaked out. He intercepted her and put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. "Take a breath, Wren."

"I can't!" she said, but she did as he ordered anyway. "I remember leaving my purse at the table now. I just needed to get away from him! I knew he'd drugged me, and I didn't want to pass out at the table."

"I know."

Wren closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked up at him. "I appreciate you doing everything that you did. A lot of people wouldn't have. Thank you for breakfast. I'll call for a ride from my phone."

"Wait—what?" Safe asked with a frown.

"You probably have stuff to do. You're a SEAL, right? Like, you probably need to go to work. Save the world, things like that."

"I saved the world last week. I have this week off," Safe quipped, only half kidding. They'd just gotten back from a mission, and he had a few days off, which was why they were all at the bar last night.

Wren huffed out a small laugh. "Of course you did. Well, anyway, thanks again."

"Wren, wait ," Safe said, tightening his grip on her shoulders. He didn't want to scare her, but the last thing he wanted was for her to walk out. He didn't know nearly enough about this woman. And while he wouldn't hold her hostage, he honestly didn't think it was all that smart for her to go back to her place. Not with Matt, or whatever his name was, out there with all her info.

"It's not safe for you to go home. He has your address and your keys , Wren. Let Tex work his magic. Do what he can to find this asshole so you can press charges. Jessyka has the video of him spiking your drink. In the meantime, we just need to make sure you're in the clear to go home. Also, we can change your locks so he can't get in, set up escorts so you can get in and out without being harassed by him."

Wren was staring at him with an odd look on her face.

"What?" he asked, afraid she was simply going to thank him again and try to walk out.

He had the strangest feeling that if she did, he'd lose the best thing that ever happened to him. It was cheesy as hell and totally crazy…but that's what his gut told him, and he'd never backed down from a gut feeling before. He wasn't about to start now.

"I don't have anywhere to stay while this random amount of time goes by," she told him with wide eyes.

"You can stay here," Safe blurted. He hadn't planned on inviting her to move in, but now that he had, he couldn't say he was upset about the idea.

"Um, what ?"

"You can trust me. You can stay in the same room you slept in last night. You have my word I'm not going to try anything hinky. I'll even get some Lucky Charms so you can have what you like for breakfast. "

"I don't have any of my clothes or anything," she said incredulously.

Thrilled she wasn't saying no, or screaming that he was a psycho, or backing away from him, Safe pushed a little harder. "We can go to your place and get what you need for a few days."

"I thought you said it wasn't a good idea for me to go home."

"Well, I'm thinking I can use some of my SEAL skills to get in and out of your place without being detected," he teased.

"You aren't going through my stuff and packing for me," she told him with a small frown. "Wait, what am I saying?" she asked, more to herself than to him. "Am I really considering this?"

"Yes," Safe answered for her. "You'll be safe here. From me and from assholes who might want to hurt you. I can give you the numbers of my friends, who will vouch for me."

"Of course your friends will say good things about you," Wren said with a roll of her eyes.

"Right. Then I'll give you the numbers of Jessyka's friends. Her Navy wife friends. They're all with retired SEALs, and I promise you they won't beat around the bush about me. They'll give it to you straight. Wait…on the other hand, maybe I don't want you gossiping with them about me."

To his amazement, Wren smiled at that. Then she quickly sobered. "I really don't want to be a bother."

"You won't be. You aren't."

"Bo, I spent too many years couch surfing, feeling as if I was taking advantage of people. I vowed never to do that again."

Safe didn't like that. At all. The thought of this woman not having a home of her own and relying on the generosity of others to have a place to sleep at night made him feel…unsettled. And he itched to know her story. All of it.

"You aren't taking advantage of me if I'm offering," he said after a small pause. "And for the record, I don't expect you to do a damn thing. No cooking, no cleaning. Nothing. You're here as a guest. You don't have to pay me back by thinking you need to be my maid or something."

"It's a good thing, because I'm a crap housekeeper," Wren told him. "I just got a new job, and I won't be around a lot anyway."

It sounded like she was leaning toward staying with him. It was crazy that he'd just met her, and yet he wanted her to stay more than he'd wanted anything in a very long time. "So you'll stay?"

"Just for a few days. Until my locks are changed and we know Matt isn't going to be hanging around."

Safe would take that. "Okay."

"Okay," she echoed.

They stood there staring at each other for a beat before she sighed. "So…are we gonna plan this get-my-stuff mission or what?"

If there was one thing Safe was good at, it was planning missions. "Yes, ma'am," he said with a smile.