“Believe me, it didn’t feel like it,” she said, brushing away a few tears that streamed down her cheeks. Troy reached up, swiping one away with his thumb.
“It was amazing. We train for situations like that. We drill daily and practice for multiple scenarios. But most people never expect or imagine they’ll be caught up in something like that. To keep your cool and not panic, to escape from those ropes? I’m impressed as hell.”
She bit her lip but nodded, looking at him with watery eyes. Troy looked so worried about her. And to have this huge man literally kneeling in front of her made warmth fill her entire body. She was attracted to him, sure, but it was more than that. He genuinely cared for and was concerned about her. It seemed crazy given that they didn’t know one another, but he’d been protective that very first night they’d met at the beach as well.
“I thought they were going to kill me,” she admitted. “They kept Evelyn and me separate from the others.” Suddenly she gasped.
“What’s wrong?”
“I recognized one of those men. I forgot to tell the investigator because I was so out of it by then, but I saw him before. He was outside of my office a couple of weeks ago.”
Troy’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely. I remember it was specifically the day Evelyn came. She had two federal agents with her, we met for a few hours, and when they left, I saw him outside. It freaked me out because I’d forgotten to lock my office door.”
In a panic, she turned toward her own apartment door.
“I turned the deadbolt,” Troy assured her.
“Right,” she said, letting out a shaky breath.
“So what happened?” he asked. He was still holding her hand, his thumb lightly caressing her skin. It was comforting but still intimate. She felt safe with him here. Of course, he’d just come for breakfast though. Soon he’d leave, and she’d have to go about her life.
“He saw me looking at him. He was just looking in the front windows. It’s a busy area and people walk by all the time. When he saw me looking at him, he bolted. It was creepy. I recognized him on the boat, and that’s why he pulled me aside. I’m easy to spot with my red hair.”
Troy’s gaze tracked to her hair, and he gently reached up and caressed it, as if he couldn’t help himself. “It’s concerning that he knows where you work and that he recognized you. It sounds like he was following the admiral’s wife that day. Damn. Let me quick give my CO a call, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” she said, sinking back into her chair.
Troy grabbed her iced coffee and handed it to her. “Drink this. You need the sugar.”
She nodded weakly and took it from him. Troy quickly made the call, pacing her living room. He almost seemed too large for her space. He looked like he was coursing with adrenaline and ready to move. Clearly, a man of action. Meanwhile she was barely holding herself together.
Troy tucked his phone back into his pocket and came to her. “The CO is going to follow up with the investigators on this. Most of the gunmen are dead, but one jumped overboard. He’s presumed dead, but of course others who weren’t on board the yacht are likely involved. One escaped early on as well.”
Caitlyn nodded. She didn’t need to ask to know that Troy and his team had ended their lives. She felt absolutely no remorse for them. They’d shot the NCIS agent. They’d taken over fifty people hostage.
Troy ran a hand through his short-cropped hair. “I’m glad you remembered that, Butterfly. They’ll try to pull surveillance from near your office to see if we can get an ID on him. The San Diego PD was already looking through footage from near the pier last night.”
She nodded again.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
“Yeah. I’m just kind of overwhelmed by it all. I took on this project when their first event planner had to cancel. I thought I’d get a whole new group of clients from it. I mean, if the admiral and Evelyn were happy, maybe their friends would want me to plan their parties, graduations, and all that. I was trying to shift away from weddings. Now what could have been a turning point in my business is all for nothing. It’s silly,” she said, blowing out a sigh as a tear ran down her cheek.
Troy sank down onto the sofa close to her again. “What do you have planned for today, Butterfly?”
She eyed him warily. “Not leaving this room? I figured chocolate and chick flicks were in store after my night.”
He chuckled. “You want some company?”
She looked at him in surprise. “You don’t have work?”
He shook his head. “We were there until early this morning. Of course, there’s always a chance we’ll be called in, but we gave our statements to the commander. I’ll be back there early tomorrow morning.” His gaze trailed over her hair, and she fingered it nervously.
“What?”
“It’s wavier than I remember.”
“Oh. Well, I usually dry it. I was getting out of the shower right when you called.” She flushed, wondering why she was telling him that. “And honestly I didn’t feel much like wasting time fussing on my hair.”
“I like it,” he assured her. “And no fuss is good. I’ve got sisters, remember? They could spend hours in the bathroom.”
“How old are they?” Caitlyn asked.
“One’s a senior in college, so she’ll be graduating in a few months. The other’s still in high school. I’d graduated and moved out before they were teenagers.”
“How old are you?” she asked.
“I’m thirty,” he said,
