Rescuing Ellena (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Bravo Series Book 4) Read online

  “Of course.” She grinned. “Elle tells me everything.”

  The corners of his mouth turned upward. “Glad to see some things haven’t changed.”

  “If you look closely enough, I think you’ll find there’s a lot that hasn’t changed.”

  Gabe stared back at the sassy woman. “And here, I thought Elle was the shrink.”

  Jenna chuckled. “Maybe being friends with her all these years has caused some of her shrinkness to rub off on me.”

  “Yeah well, don’t get any bright ideas about the two of us. I’m just here to make sure she’s okay. Besides, I’m pretty sure she’ll try to kick my ass out of her room the second she sees me.”

  “Try being the operative word in that sentence.” One of her auburn brows arched high. “And you’d better not even think about letting her get away with it. You do, I’ll kick your ass.”

  “Don’t worry.” Gabe reached out and pressed the emergency button. As the elevator began to move again, he stared back at his wife’s closest friend.

  “I think you’re right. I think someone’s trying to hurt Elle, and I’m not going anywhere until I find the son of a bitch.”

  “And then?”

  Looking as serious as he’d ever been, Gabe vowed, “I’m going to end them.”

  Chapter 3

  Ellena was dreaming again. She had to be. Her dreams were the only place she could still hear his voice.

  She usually had no problems finding him. She’d simply close her eyes, fall asleep, and Gabe would be there. But something about this time was different.

  The subtle spice of Gabe’s intoxicating scent was much stronger than in dreams past, and his deep, familiar voice reverberated through her system. It was all so real, almost as if he were actually near.

  But why can’t I see him?

  At first, dreaming of Gabe had been her favorite pastime, but it hadn’t taken long for Ellena to resent her longing, subconscious mind.

  Some nights her dreams were filled with smiles and laughter, while others brought with them all the love and passion she’d been living without for the past three years.

  Nights like those were both a blessing and a curse. A stark reminder of what she’d once had…and all that she’d lost.

  Then there were the nightmares. They occurred less often now, but occasionally, the haunting memories of her past still managed to slither their way in.

  No matter which kind—good dreams or bad—Ellena always found her way to him. Then the inevitable would happen and she’d wake up. When she did, Ellena always felt even more empty and lost than before.

  The truth was, most days—despite the fact that she was a successful, respected psychologist and self-sufficient woman—Ellena felt as though she were living half a life. Simply going through the motions while she waited for the universe to right itself again.

  Deep down, she knew that was never going to happen. Something that had taken her nearly three years to accept.

  In that time, she used her knowledge and energy to focus on other people’s problems rather than her own.

  It was a classic avoidance tactic, but whatever worked, right?

  At least she loved her job. Not many people could say that.

  Helping people, especially those who’d risked their lives for their country was the most satisfying career imaginable.

  In many ways, being a counseling psychologist for the military was cathartic for her, as well. Helping the men and women in her care reminded Ellena that her problems weren’t all that significant.

  Not compared to theirs, anyway.

  “I think she’s waking up.”

  Gabe’s voice reached her ears once more. He sounded so close.

  So real.

  The meds the doctors had given her when she’d woken up earlier—after they’d nearly poked and prodded her to death—were still weighing her down. Desperate to see his handsome face at least once before she woke up, Ellena tried following the sound through the dense fog.

  She wanted to scream with frustration.

  For the first couple of years after Gabe left, Ellena had lived for her dreams. She’d watched the clock incessantly, counting down the hours to those few, stolen moments with him.

  Moments that only existed in her head.

  It was a pathetic excuse for a life, but thankfully, with the help of her own therapist, she’d finally started coming to terms with reality.

  Her husband wasn’t coming back.

  In her head, she understood it was time to move on. Her heart, however, was having a much harder time letting go of the dream that he’d return. A dream only she wished would come true.

  Maybe you’re not the only one.

  No, she couldn’t go there. Not again. Her future with Gabe died a long time ago, and if she didn’t stop holding on to the past, she’d never have any kind of future.

  So why hasn’t he sent the papers back yet?

  Ignoring the voice determined to sabotage her need to move on, Ellena gave up the search and opened her eyes.

  Just like when she’d first woken up after the accident—she had no idea how long ago that had been—everything in the dimly lit room appeared fuzzy. The hospital’s familiar antiseptic smell mixed with Gabe’s lingering, masculine scent.

  Great. Now I’m smelling him even after I’ve woken up.

  Elle blinked several times, frowning when she saw the person sitting in the chair to her right.

  “Shouldn’t you be working?” Her voice sounded rough from sleep.

  Jenna smiled back at her. “My shift ended forty-five minutes ago.”

  “So why are you still here?”

  Her best friend shrugged in that casual, laid-back way of hers. “I wanted to come by and check on you. How do you feel?”

  “Tired.” Ellena glanced down at the gray sling holding her arm in place. “Shoulder’s sore and a little achy, but my head no longer feels like it’s going to explode, so that’s something, at least.” Grunting, she began scooting herself up the noisy mattress and moving the bed into a more upright position.

  Jenna shot to her feet. “Here, let me help.”

  “I’ve got it,” Ellena insisted, already sitting up straighter. She glanced at the clock on the wall in front of her and frowned. “It’s really late, Jen. You should go home and get some rest.”

  “I see that bump on your head did nothing to ease your stubbornness.”

  Ellena scowled at her equally stubborn friend who was in the process of settling back down into one of the room’s two plastic chairs. “Independence does not equal stubbornness, you know. I’m just…” She cut herself off, confused when she spotted the man standing outside the room. “Is that a security guard by my door?”

  Jenna gave her an unapologetic nod. “It is.”

  Ellena exhaled loudly. “I know you mean well, Jen, but I told you before. No one is after me. This was an accident. Plain and simple.”

  “I know that’s what you think.” Jenna added a mumbled, “Even though you can’t remember anything that happened.”

  Ignoring that last bit, Ellena gave her friend a look. “Well if you know that, then why did you request a guard to be posted outside my room?”

  “I-I didn’t.”

  The sudden change in Jenna’s demeanor gave Ellena pause, but she blew it off. Hating how the lingering effects of the drugs were still muddling her thoughts, she asked, “Then who requested the—”

  “I did.”

  The breath in Ellena’s lungs froze, and she could feel her eyes growing wide as she stared back at her friend. A friend who now looked like the Cheshire cat after eating a big, fat mouse.

  No.

  At first, Ellena was sure she’d imagined the voice. That it was some sort of drug-induced conscious dream stemming from her earlier thoughts.

  But then she saw Jenna’s eyes shift to something to Elle’s left, and she knew.

  “Hello, Ellena.”

  Oh, God.

  This wasn’t
some medication-induced hallucination nor was it a figment of her imagination. It was the voice from her dreams, only this time, she was very much awake.

  Ellena started to swing her head around, but the movement—and the man she now realized was standing in the shadows by her room’s large window—made her dizzy.

  She closed her eyes and waited for the nauseating wave to pass. When she opened them again, she met a worried gaze.

  “Are you okay?” Gabe asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

  “Gabe?” She’d whispered his name with utter disbelief because, holy shit.

  He’s actually here.

  Stepping out of the shadows and into the dim light, the man who’d once vowed to stay with her forever stared down at her. “Hi.”

  Her heart stuttered, and her mind whirled. For a moment all she could do was stare.

  In some ways, he looked exactly as she remembered. In others, it was almost as if she were staring back at a total stranger.

  Physically, Gabe still looked like the same tall, handsome SEAL she’d fallen in love with years before. Even more fit than she remembered, his dark gray t-shirt stretched over a sculpted chest and a set of strong shoulders.

  The same ones she’d held onto countless times while they made love.

  His shirt loosened around his narrowed waist, and though she couldn’t see them, Ellena knew there was still an impressive six-pack hiding behind the thin material.

  Lowering her gaze, she noticed the way his taut thighs stretched a pair of well-worn jeans, and damn. Denim should not be that freaking sexy.

  And then there was his hair.

  Tearing her eyes away from his lower half—and memories of how those same legs used to press against hers as he drove himself deep inside her greedy body—Ellena found a bit more salt in his short, dark tresses and trimmed beard than was there before.

  The frustratingly handsome man could’ve coined the phrase ‘silver fox’, and for some reason, the thought made her want to cross her arms and stomp her feet like an angry child.

  Good thing you’ve got a sling and a hospital bed to stop you because that would be very embarrassing.

  Okay, so her thoughts may be a little higher on the pity-party scale than usual but come on. The guy could’ve at least made this a little easier on her by going bald and gaining a couple hundred pounds.

  Not that she ever thought that would happen.

  Gabriel Dawson had always been handsome and fit, but staring into his dark eyes now, Ellena realized he’d somehow become even more attractive over the last few years.

  It was something she would’ve sworn was impossible. It was also ridiculously unfair and frustrating as hell.

  There was one thing, however, that was exactly as she remembered.

  Something that had nothing to do with his body or hair. Something that made her heart hurt for him. For them.

  It was there, dulling his perfect, gorgeous eyes.

  Despite his having been a big, bad Navy SEAL, Gabe’s dark chocolate eyes had always been filled with his passion for life...and his love for her. But that was before.

  All Ellena saw now was the same closed-off expression he’d worn the day he told her he was leaving. The one that screamed ‘Keep Out’.

  As memories of the past collided with his being here, now, Ellena’s stuttering mind tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

  This wasn’t some pointless dream or fantasy. It was real. After all this time, Gabe had finally come home.

  What she didn’t understand was why?

  For years, Ellena had prayed for his return. She’d begged God to bring him back to her and make the sexy, strong protector see that what happened all those years ago wasn’t his fault.

  From the guarded look on his face, she knew instantly that wasn’t the case. So why was he here?

  Is it possible?

  Her heart beat a little harder, the incessant beeping in the background picked up its pace.

  Had her accident finally snapped him out of whatever self-imposed hell he’d sentenced himself to three years ago, or was it something else?

  The papers.

  The thought hit with a crushing blow. Of course, that’s why he was here. He came to finalize the divorce.

  If she wasn’t already sporting a shiny new gash there, Ellena would’ve face-palmed herself right in the middle of her forehead.

  You know, Doc. For such a brilliant woman, you really can be an idiot.

  “Elle?” Gabe took a hesitant step forward but stopped before he got too close. His dark brows turned inward with concern. “Sweetheart, what is it? Are you hurting? Do we need to get the nurse to bring you more pain meds?”

  His barrage of questions, along with the alarm in his voice, snapped her out of the emotional delusion. Part of her couldn’t help but relish in the fact that he was so worried after all this time.

  The other part wanted to tell him to go to hell.

  Gabe had no right to be concerned about her well-being or any other aspect of her life. Not anymore.

  He gave up that right the day he walked out the door and never looked back.

  “W-what…” She cleared the crackling sound from her throat. “Why are you here?”

  Of all the things she’d thought to say to him if and when the time ever came, and that’s what she’d come up with? Seriously?

  She’d thought of so many brilliant one-liners and smart, witty comebacks. All created during the fabricated conversations she’d imagined over the years.

  While she’d stood alone in the shower, crying and missing him so much she thought she’d physically die from the pain. During her evenings and weekends when she’d be cleaning her house or folding and putting away the laundry.

  Hundreds of imaginary conversations had taken place, and in every single one Ellena had said exactly what she wanted to say, when she wanted to say it.

  But now that he was here, in the flesh, all she’d come up with was ‘Why are you here’?

  The only solace she had was that Gabe looked even more uncomfortable than she felt.

  Serves him right.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets, his troubled stare remaining locked with hers. “The hospital called. Apparently, I’m still listed as your emergency contact.”

  God, she’d missed that voice. Just hearing it again was almost enough to make her want to…

  Wait. What?

  “No, you’re not.” Confused, Ellena slid her gaze back to Jenna’s. “You are.”

  The hospital updated their entire system a few months ago requiring all employees to re-enter their information. Including emergency contacts.

  Changing hers to Jenna had been the second official step Ellena had taken in her attempt to move on from her failed marriage. The first step had been taking off her wedding rings, which had nearly shattered her.

  “No one called me.” Jenna shrugged innocently.

  Too innocently?

  “A nurse named Amy Hollowell called.” Gabe’s deep voice rumbled through the tense air. “Told me you’d been in a car accident.”

  Ellena knew Amy. She was a good nurse and a sweet girl. Still…

  I’ll have to have a little talk with Miss Hollowell.

  “She shouldn’t have bothered you.” Ellena forced herself to look back at him. The fingers on her good hand fidgeted with the sheet covering her lower body. “I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing.”

  “She didn’t bother me, Elle, and you’re sure as hell not ‘nothing’.” His Adam’s apple bobbed with a hard swallow. “I’m glad the nurse called me.”

  A familiar fluttering swirled inside her lower belly, but she ignored it. “Why is that?”

  His dark brows turned inward. “Why am I glad?”

  “Yes.” It wasn’t like he’d cared enough to check up on her before now.

  The wrinkles in his forehead deepened even further as he inched closer. “The nurse said the wreck was bad.”

  “I’m fine.” r />
  “You were unconscious.”

  “I said I’m fine,” she repeated herself sternly, praying he’d believe her and go away.

  These past few years without him had been hard. Almost unbearable, at times.

  But what Ellena hadn’t realized—what she had no way of knowing until this exact moment—was that seeing him again would be so much worse.

  Gabe crossed his muscular arms, the American Flag tattoo covering the upper half of his left arm bulging with the movement. Raising an arrogant brow, he stared down at her but remained silent.

  Memories of the way she used to lazily trace that tattoo with her fingertips flashed through her mind’s eye. As quickly as the images formed, Elle was blinking them away and focusing instead on the look he was still giving her.

  It was the same one he’d always gotten when he knew he was right. And just like when they were still together, Ellena found herself defenseless against it.

  She sighed loudly. “I have a mild concussion and my shoulder will be sore for a few days. But that’s all.”

  “That’s all?” Both of his brows arched high.

  “Yes, Gabriel. That’s all.” She shifted on the uncomfortable mattress, refusing to wince when she accidentally tweaked her bad shoulder. “Look, I appreciate you coming all this way to check on me, but unless there’s another reason you’re here, there’s really no need for you to—”

  “There is,” he cut her off. “Another reason.”

  A sliver of hope left her heart thumping, but it was almost instantly replaced with a mound of disappointment that shouldn’t exist. After all, she was the one who filed for divorce.

  Finally making it official was a good thing. The best thing, really.

  At least that’s what she’d been telling herself ever since she’d first spoken with her lawyer.

  “Right. Of course.” Pushing away the confusing onslaught of emotions, Ellena lifted her chin and forced herself to appear aloof. “If you just want to leave the papers with me, I’ll make sure everything is taken care of.”

  A look she couldn’t decipher crossed over him briefly. “This isn’t about the papers.”

  “You didn’t bring them with you?”