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  Guarding Erin

  Nicole Flockton

  Contents

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  About the Author

  Also by Nicole Flockton

  Acknowledgments

  About the Book

  When Carlos “Italy” Porcelli helped a former SEAL brother, he never expected to come face to face with his high school sweetheart, Erin Furlan. The second he finds out her life is in danger from her former mob boyfriend, he will do everything in his power to protect her and keep her safe. Guarding his heart from remembering the past and wishing for a future will take all his steely SEAL resolve.

  Erin Furlan believed her life was back on track after her mob boyfriend got arrested when the family he worked for got taken down. How wrong she was. Now he’s back and wanting retribution. What she never expected was Navy SEAL and former sweetheart, Carlos Porcelli, to swoop in and save her. As she tries to break away from her ex’s hold, she’s drawn closer to Carlos. Erin’s not sure her heart can take another beating, as she’s certain Carlos is going to walk away from her again.

  Being in close confines, their past filters into their present and when Erin is kidnapped, Carlos will do anything to save the woman he’s falling for. He only hopes he reaches her in time.

  Dedication

  This one’s for you, Erin.

  Chapter One

  The engines of the military transport plane droned incessantly as Carlos “Italy” Porcelli studied his text messages. His nose ignored the combined smell of aviation fuel and six men who hadn’t showered in days. The chatter of his teammates white noise to his ears. He knew he should be listening. Their last mission had gone to hell in a hand basket in a matter of seconds. If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of their team lead, Brendan “Robot” Dean, there was every chance half the team, including him, would’ve returned home in pine boxes. A sobering thought at the best of times.

  He went to stick his phone in his pocket but paused, reading the message again.

  You need to let this go, Carlos. I’m fine.

  Problem was, he didn’t believe for a single second Erin Furlan, his former high school sweetheart, was fine.

  What the fuck was he doing?

  Until a few months ago, life had been all about his SEAL brothers and having each other’s backs as they went from covert mission to covert mission. Then a former teammate, Riley Ash Ashland, had needed the team’s help. There’d been no hesitation in being there for him. Even though assisting Ash had required diving back into a past he’d left far behind—a past filled with decisions and actions he hated recalling. Plunging into his former life had put him in contact with the one person he’d buried so far deep in his psyche an archeologist would have trouble digging her up. Now his past was roaring to the forefront of his life again.

  “Italy! Get your head out of your phone. You’ve been like a fucking teenage girl with the way you’ve had it glued to your hand the last hour. Somethin’ you wanna tell us?” Robot’s voice boomed around the interior of the plane.

  “Get fucked,” he responded and this time put his phone in his pocket, determined to do as Erin said—leave her the hell alone.

  Hands braced against the white tile of his shower, the water cascaded down Carlos’s back, washing away the grime of the last three weeks. They’d landed at base eight hours ago and had gone straight into a debriefing session with Commander Black, standard operating procedure on return. This time it was more unpleasant having to relive the moment when a few of them had faced their mortality. Even now, he recalled the sensation of Robot yanking hard on his vest pulling away from a deadly landmine.

  Carlos slammed his fist against the tile, welcoming the stab of pain as it radiated through his bones. He should’ve been more aware of his surroundings. Should’ve seen the little silver prongs sticking up from the ground.

  One second was all it had taken. A momentary lapse when his thoughts had drifted to Erin and it had almost caused him and his teammates irreparable damage.

  He snapped the water off and stepped out, rubbing the towel over his body briskly. He thought about what he was going to do the rest of the day. Sleeping would be a good idea, but if he did that then he’d be awake all night. Even though he had the next two days off, it was better he got back into a decent sleep pattern as soon as he could.

  Wandering into his bedroom and the distinctive ding of his phone signaling a text message filled the silence. His pulse rate kicked up a notch before he willed it to settle down. The message was probably from one of the guys, not from Erin. She’d made it pretty clear in her last message she didn’t want anything to do with him. Best for both of them if they kept it that way.

  “Shit,” he muttered to himself as he pulled on boxer briefs. That was easier said than done. If he knew she was happy, he’d leave her alone. Problem was, his instincts screamed at him that something wasn’t right. He’d seen the way she flinched when he touched her arm. The way she wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt when it was almost a hundred degrees with eighty percent humidity.

  That trip to New York was now permanently etched into his memory. The two encounters he’d had with Erin played over and over in his mind when he let them, which was more often than he cared to admit.

  A second ding signaled another message.

  Two messages in quick succession, he couldn’t ignore his phone. While he hoped it could be Erin, in all likelihood, it was probably Commander Black saying they had to ship out again. Regardless if they had time off or not, when the team was needed they jumped to action.

  Carlos strode over to where his phone rested on his bedside table and tapped open his message app.

  Relief washed over him when he saw the messages were from two of his teammates and not the Commander. He read Robot’s message first.

  Wolf and his team are in Virginia. Get your asses down to Murphy’s. We all need a beer.

  The next message was from Tim “T-Rex” Exeter.

  Last one there buys the first round.

  Carlos rolled his eyes. T-Rex made everything a contest. He typed out a quick response.

  I’m in and we all know if anyone’s gonna be late it’s gonna be you, T-Rex. Bring plenty of cash.

  He tossed his phone on his bed and finished dressing. Meeting the guys was the best way to get his mind off Erin, not to mention what they all needed after returning from a clusterfuck of a trip.

  The loud chatter hit him the second he walked into Murphy’s, followed closely by the smell of stale beer and fried food. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he hadn’t bothered to eat before he’d hit the shower at his apartment.

  “Italy, over here.”

  He glanced at Ryan “Joker” Smith, who was seated adjacent to Robot, who sat next to the two newest members of the team, Greg “Cowboy” Robertson and Thomas “Red” Grant. Wolf and his team we
re there as well. He had to chuckle when he noticed T-Rex wasn’t seated at the table.

  Lifting his hand to let them know he’d seen them he weaved through the tables to where they sat against the side of the bar. The place was buzzing for a Wednesday afternoon. Guess the after-work crowd were enjoying a little hump day celebration.

  He pulled out a chair and a bottle of beer sailed down the table in his direction. He took a long swallow. To the casual observer they would’ve looked like a weird group of men, all lined up with their backs to the wall. But if something happened, they’d be the first to see it and spring into action. The other patrons had no idea who was seated among them.

  No introductions were needed, he recognized Wolf, Abe, Mozart, Cookie, Dude, and Benny. They’d all worked a couple of missions together. The other team had been a unit for a long time and had seen some crazy shit together.

  He placed the bottle in front of him, the cool liquid settling in his stomach. “Fuck man, I needed that.”

  A murmured round of affirmatives greeted his comment. He studied everyone at the table. They all had that same tired look in their eyes, a weight to their shoulders.

  “What brings you guys to town?”

  “Passing through,” Wolf said. “Not by choice. We’d all rather be back home.”

  Carlos nodded, knowing the whole team was married and a few of them had kids. “Unusual for you guys to be here.”

  “Yeah,” Abe commented. “But you know how it is.”

  He didn’t have to say anymore. Carlos understood exactly what he was getting at. “What time are you wheels up?”

  “Ass crack of dawn, 05 00 hours,” Wolf responded. “We arrive back a couple hours after dawn hits California.”

  Carlos lifted his beer in a silent salute “Ahh the quirks of different times zones. Hell of a long day.”

  “Tell me about it,” Cookie said. “But at least we don’t have to go through a debriefing. We did that here. We get to go home and lose ourselves in our women’s arms and beds.” He finished with a wink and his teammates all clinked their bottles together.

  What would it be like to have someone to come home to after each mission? It wasn’t a thought that had crossed Carlos’s mind often. He never allowed himself to float the idea of a serious relationship simply due to the nature of this job. The added risk of knowing that one misstep and he’d be leaving behind a wife and maybe a kid or two, never appealed. Hell, that had almost happened two days ago.

  How these guys were able to go on mission after mission and not worry constantly about their families at home was a mystery to him. One thing he knew, he had no plans on asking them. He could imagine the shit his teammates would give him if asked relationship questions. Besides, he’d had his one and only true love relationship in his life. One he’d walked away from when he’d joined the service and left his old life behind.

  His pocket vibrated as a shout went up from the men at the table. He looked up and saw T-Rex wandering toward them, a tray of beers in his hands and a waitress walking behind with another.

  All thoughts of checking his phone forgotten as the beers landed on the scratched surface. The time had come to catch up with the guys. Just what he needed.

  Erin’s phone remained ominously quiet and she didn’t dare check it in case Bryan saw her. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t seen her ex-boyfriend standing on the outside stairs of the converted brownstone. If she’d been focused on her surroundings and not wondering what Carlos thought of her last message, she would’ve seen him sooner and, maybe, been able to change direction and not go home.

  Although it wouldn’t have lasted for long, she had to go home eventually. No doubt Bryan would’ve still been waiting for her. It was the exact type of asshole thing he’d do. Once again she asked herself how the hell she let herself fall in love with him.

  No, that was wrong. It wasn’t love. She’d been in a vulnerable situation after the death of a dear friend and Bryan had been there. A guy sitting at the bar who bought her a drink and tried to cheer her up.

  What a mistake that had been to give him her number. Worse was actually continuing to see him after he’d grabbed her around the arms so tightly she had finger mark bruises on her flesh for days.

  “I need a beer. Be a lamb and get me one,” he sneered.

  Over the past two months she’d allowed herself to believe he was finally out of her life. The mob family he’d been embroiled with had imploded after Giovanni Moretti had been taken into Federal custody, and had subsequently been murdered in prison. So many of Giovanni’s minions and runners had been taken into custody, Bryan included.

  How the hell had he gotten out?

  Erin shuddered at the thought of Bryan finding out the reason his family had disintegrated was because of her and their relationship. When she found out Bryan was a drug runner for the Moretti Mob she’d tried to walk away from him again. That time, she’d closeted herself away in her apartment and called in sick until the cuts and bruises had healed.

  Anger at being a statistic of domestic abuse burned deep within her. She’d always told herself if the person she was involved with hurt her she’d walk away. But it was easier said than done. She’d known she wasn’t in love with Bryan. The guy was a jerk, but with his connections she’d truly feared for her life. The Mob had ways of making people disappear without a trace.

  Part of her had known someday something would happen and she’d get out from under his hold. And that something had turned up in the form of her former high school sweetheart. The man she’d given her heart, her first kiss, her virginity to, Carlos Porcelli. What a man he was now. He’d filled out his teenage body, and she had no doubt he was all muscle and strength.

  When he asked her for her help in getting in touch with one of the guys he used to run around with, she’d been unable to say no, especially when she became aware if she helped Carlos she could potentially obtain her freedom. Problem was, Carlos was a Navy SEAL now. He saw things most people didn’t see. When they’d been dating there’d been a streetwise edge about him. Over the years he’d honed it and looked even more dangerous than some of the guys Bryan hung out with.

  He began asking questions, questions she didn’t want to answer. Oh, how she wanted to tell him everything. He was a SEAL. He could protect her.

  “Erin, why are you standing there like a fucking statue? I said I wanted a beer.”

  No more. Enough was enough.

  “I don’t have any beer. I want you to leave.”

  This bravado was something new for her. It had always been buried and she’d been too scared to use it. But now, after the past two months where her life had been her own and she’d been happy, she didn’t want to go back into the abyss of hell that having Bryan in her life caused her.

  Talking back to him, standing her ground was a big risk. Cowering to him was no longer what she wanted in her life.

  “What did you say?” he spoke softly as he prowled toward her.

  Her stomach churned. Wouldn’t he just love it if she threw up all over him. That would show him weakness. He would feel triumphant knowing he still intimidated her.

  “You heard me. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore. I want you out of my house and my life.”

  He laughed. A horrid sound she’d never heard before. “Think again, cara. I’ll always be in your life.”

  “I am not your darling. I never have been. Never will be. Now leave, Bryan or I’ll call the cops.”

  “Call away, it won’t do you any good. As far as the cops are concerned I’m squeaky clean.”

  What the hell? How could the cops think that about him? It was because he had a big mouth that she’d known she could help Carlos when he’d approached her about getting in touch with Rico. Bryan hadn’t been discreet with some of his phone conversations so she knew he was involved in some bad shit. She took advantage of the opportunity to get more information when she’d walked into his study and found Bryan passed out next to a line of coke. O
bviously, he’d been working while sampling the goods and the notebooks he made his notes in were open on his desk. Once she was certain he wasn’t going to wake up she’d taken photos with her phone.

  A ball of fear ballooned inside of her. Had he found out she’d taken photos? That it was because of her that Giovanni Moretti was arrested.

  Immobilized by the thought, she couldn’t move when Bryan raised his fist at her. She braced herself for the impact. The loud buzzing of her intercom penetrated the bubble of tension in her apartment.

  A panicked look crossed Bryan’s face, before it disappeared. “I was never here. But I’ll be back, bitch.”

  Without giving her a chance to respond, he was out her front door. The buzzer sounded again and she had never been so grateful for that sound in all her life. Whoever it was had saved her from a beating she may never have recovered from.

  A yawn wracked Erin’s body as she waited for her train. The person who’d rung her buzzer wanted the people who lived below her. They’d apologized for their mistake, but for Erin, she wanted to thank them profusely. Sleep had proved elusive though thanks to a combination of worry that Bryan might try and come back, and annoyance that Carlos hadn’t responded to her message. She supposed she deserved not hearing from him. After all, her previous text had been for him to leave her alone.

  Giving in to the urge, she pulled her phone out from her pocket—still no response. The rumble of the train echoed through the station. The mass of people on the platform surged toward the edge. With a screech of brakes, the train stopped and the doors slid open. Pushing through the crowd, she located a rare seat and sat down. She held her breath as an overpowering musk scent assailed her senses. What did the guy she sat next to do? Take a bath in his cologne. It was going to be a long journey.