SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,23
it.
“He might be disappointed, but in the long run I don’t think he’ll care.”
Rafe and his teammates exchanged glances. Jackson raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that, Kristi? It’s a blow to a man’s ego for the woman he loves to reject him.”
“Hugh isn’t in love with me. We’re friends. That’s all.”
“You don’t love him.”
“No.”
“Why have you been dating him?” Jon asked.
“I haven’t, at least not in the traditional sense. I told you, we’re friends. We’ve gone to dinner together occasionally, and we attend many of the same fundraisers, but that’s all.”
Rafe scowled. “Then why does Ward want to tie himself to you in a loveless marriage?”
“Honestly, I think it has more to do with my father offering him a position as vice president of Stewart Group if he marries me.”
“You’re joking.” His words came out flat. This was unbelievable.
“I’m afraid not. Dad likes Hugh and thinks he’d be perfect for me. He’s not shy about telling me he wants grandchildren.”
“But you don’t love Ward.”
Her lips curved. “How do you know I don’t?”
“If you did, you would have accepted Ward’s proposal already.” He may not have spent much time in her company, but he remembered that Kristi wasn’t afraid to speak the truth. “Why didn’t you tell him right off that you wouldn’t marry him?”
Her smile slipped. “I didn’t want to disappoint my father. He is so sure Hugh is the perfect match for me. On paper, he looks perfect.”
“And in person?”
She shrugged. “No chemistry, and I’m not in love with him. I won’t ever fall in love with him.” Kristi held up a hand. “I know. I should have turned him down and cut him loose. I will at the first opportunity.”
He studied her for a moment. “Is he interested enough in the vice presidency to orchestrate your kidnapping?”
“He doesn’t care enough to be that invested. Besides, if my father wanted him to join the company bad enough, he could simply offer the job without the marriage strings attached. I think that’s what Dad will do when he realizes I won’t marry Hugh.”
Rafe dragged a hand down his face. No matter what Kristi thought, Ward was at the top of Rafe’s suspect list along with any business rivals of Stewart Group. He grimaced. The list was likely to be a long one. Stewart Group was a powerhouse in several industries.
The investigation could wait for a while longer. Rafe wanted Stewart’s tracker removed from Kristi’s back, then he’d set up a meeting with Marcus Lang. The pastor of Cornerstone Church was the best counselor Fortress employed and frequently made himself available to Rafe as well as his teammates.
Once those two things were finished, he and Wolf Pack would figure out a safe place to take Kristi for the night.
Rafe turned to Jackson. “Can you remove the tracker in the infirmary?”
“No problem. Rio won’t mind if we drop in.” The medic glanced at Kristi. “You ready to get rid of the tracker?”
“Let’s go.”
Rafe stood and held out his hand. “I’ll walk you to the infirmary.”
“Cal, go with them,” Eli said. “Jon and I will start digging for information.”
Kristi hesitated in the doorway. “What information? We don’t know anything yet.”
Wolf Pack’s leader smiled. “You never know what we can find.”
Rafe nudged her into the corridor and started them toward the infirmary. “When they know something to share, you’ll hear about it.”
“Promise?”
“Your insights will be invaluable. Why would we hold back information?”
“To protect me.”
“If that’s the way your father treats you, he’s doing you a disservice. You’re an intelligent woman, and knowledge is empowering.”
“Smart answer.”
“The right one,” he corrected. “You want to return to Bakerhill soon. That means you’ll be among people we consider suspects in your kidnapping. If you trust the wrong person, you’ll land in the hands of the kidnappers. In my experience, the more information you have, the better.”
They arrived at the infirmary a moment later. “I’ll wait out here,” Cal murmured, and took up watch in the hall.
Rio glanced up when they walked inside and smiled. “How do you feel, Kristi?”
“Not bad, considering.”
He studied her. “Still have a headache?”
She grimaced. “It shows?”
“Afraid so.” Rio unlocked a cabinet and pulled out a small packet of capsules. “Mild pain medicine,” he said as he handed the packet to Kristi along with a bottle of water. “Take two.”
“Thanks.” She popped two capsules in her mouth and washed them down with water.
“Do you have a privacy screen?” Jackson asked Rio.
“Sure.” He opened a storage closet and brought out a folding screen. “Need