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Not really, but how else would she know what she was facing? Rachelle walked up the aisle with Cal, followed by the other operatives.
Sitting beside her, Cal nodded at Jon. “Let’s take a look.”
“Based on the way Stokes gloated, this won’t be good,” Rafe muttered.
No kidding. “That’s what worries me.”
Jon’s fingers flew over the keyboard. Seconds later, the screen on the wall flickered to life, showing a picture of Rachelle with her back against a brick wall, Clint Nichols caging her in, a sleazy smile on his mouth.
“That never happened,” Rachelle insisted.
Cal pressed a gentle kiss to her palm. “We’ll examine the photos more closely after we view them all.” He motioned for Jon to show the next one.
Each picture was worse than the one before. The worst photo appeared to be her on a bed with Nichols. “Oh, no.” Tears burned her eyes. “That never happened, Cal.” What must he think of her?
He didn’t respond to her statement. “Is that all of them, Jon?”
His teammate nodded. “Want me to send them to Fortress or handle this ourselves?”
“We’ll deal with it in-house.” Cal stalked away from the table.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Needing to regain his control before he did something stupid and scared Rachelle, Cal walked into the bedroom. Bone-deep fury at the perp who made Rachelle’s life miserable ate a hole in his gut along with frustration that he seemed incapable of helping her.
Who had set up Rachelle for a hard fall, and why? She was the least likely person to be the target of a criminal.
He crossed the room until he stood at the window, hands braced on either side. Was she a target because of him?
Pain speared him. As a SEAL and an operative, he protected his friends and family. Had he made a mistake and endangered Rachelle?
A soft noise behind Cal warned him that he wasn’t alone. Rachelle. His teammates wouldn’t have made a sound. He closed his eyes a moment. Although he loved being with her, he still hadn’t reined in his temper.
“Cal.”
If he’d drawn the attention of his enemies to Rachelle, he should walk away from her to keep her safe. Cal turned to face her. One look in her eyes, and Cal knew he couldn’t let her go. She was already too deep in his heart. Losing her would leave him a shell, going through the motions without a purpose.
Rachelle hovered in the doorway, unsure of her welcome.
His heart squeezed. She thought he didn’t want her. Never. He held out his hand. “Close the door,” he murmured. Her face lost all color. When she turned back after doing as he asked, Cal said, “Come here.” She moved to him, and he wrapped her in a tight embrace.
“I didn’t meet Nichols in Mexico,” she said. “I longed to be more than a friend to you. Hooking up with Nichols would be a betrayal. I’ve been a hundred percent honest with you from the day we met.”
“Rachelle.” He waited until her gaze lifted to meet his. “You don’t have to explain. I know the pictures are a lie.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “I was afraid you didn’t believe me, and that’s why you came in here.”
“I needed a minute to regain my control.” His lips twitched. “Wouldn’t be wise to punch a hole in the wall at 20,000 feet.” He swiped the tears from her face and covered her mouth with his.
His kiss was gentle, offering comfort and a hint of how precious she was to him. Did she understand what he was telling her without words, what he’d discovered himself the minute she stepped into the bedroom?
He changed the angle of his head and deepened the kiss. Falling in love with Rachelle had blindsided him, and it was too soon to tell her. Wasn’t it? They’d shared coffee dates for months. Did she suspect his feelings went deeper than he’d admitted?
Cal eased back and stared into her beautiful eyes, longing to tell her that he loved her. Would she reject him? He wasn’t a good bet in a relationship. His job was unsafe, his schedule erratic.
“Is something wrong?”
Nothing, except the timing. Knee-knocking scary? Oh, yeah. He shook his head. “We should study those photos.”
