Free Navy SEAL Surrender by Angi Morgan

warning signs. Emotional ties were dangerous ground for a SEAL who traversed the globe and never knew if he’d return. He needed to build a wall too high for her to climb. He never surrendered. Never would.
    A car door shut and he jerked to a stop. Alicia froze. He didn’t have to tell her to be quiet or to remain calm. She was. He saw it in her questioning expression. He pointed upstairs. She turned, pulled her shoes off like they had each time they’d snuck up those same stairs as teenagers and soundlessly left him.
    About to follow, he turned off the lights and from the corner of his eye spotted the key Alicia had left on the counter. Damn. He had training on his side and nothing else. Moving quickly, he swept the key into his pocket and turned the bolt. Good thing the drapes were heavy and no one outside could see shadows.
    He peered through the minuscule view available at the window and saw two policemen—one older and one younger. They were both looking in the flowerpots.
    “I’ll find the key,” the experienced officer said. “Go keep a watch out front to see if anyone leaves.”
    “It’s hot out here. She’s long gone, sir. Everyone knows she took off to San Antonio and left Sloane to take the rap. Let the Texas Rangers locate her. Coming here doesn’t make sense.”
    “Randall, I swear, if you backtalk me one more time today, you’ll be looking for a new job. She left her keys in the car, son. The keys to the houses were missing. Use your noggin.”
    The older officer was smarter than John had given him credit for. And Alicia hadn’t followed his instructions. The patrolman, a kid he didn’t recognize, reluctantly shuffled his feet around front. They couldn’t get out of the house without being seen.
    Fighting the kid out front wasn’t an option. If he didn’t know him, the kid knew what Brian looked like and that he was in jail. Assuming it was John he’d fought wouldn’t be a giant leap for anyone. He hated hiding, but he couldn’t risk the police announcing that he was back in town.
    He got upstairs, heard the door in the kitchen creak open. Where was she? Dwayne’s room was empty. He felt the wave of heat. Window? It was open a crack. They couldn’t get to the ground without being seen, but they could hide in the tree next to the house. Alicia could think on her feet. Good to know.
    The climb up the giant oak took little effort on his part. He’d shut the window behind him and caught sight of Alicia as high up as the tree would support her weight. She sat in the V of a branch, lacing her shoes.
    He got far away from the window and the woman he was trying to protect. If they looked out and spotted him, they might miss Alicia. All they needed was a little luck and for him to screw his head on straight. Start thinking, man.
    Searching the house didn’t take long for the chief. They hadn’t disturbed anything—there was nothing to mess with. No one could tell they’d been there. The two men grumbled as they got in the squad car and drove off.
    He waited a full five minutes, checking his watch every thirty seconds, before he climbed down to the ground. Alicia followed.
    Silently, they proceeded across the open field, choosing the shortest distance they’d be exposed. They hit the far tree line with a barbed-wire fence and followed it just as quickly down to the gully.
    When they stopped, Alicia was bent at the waist and gulping air. He was used to running in the heat and could make it to the old barn where their gear was stashed.
    “Wait here and catch your breath. I’ll get the binoculars. Then we need to clear out of the barn before they check all the property again.”
    “Sure.” She sat.
    It wasn’t long before he saw her lie on the ground.
    “Why do you think they were looking at the house?” she asked when he returned. “Do you think Joe told the guys at lunch?”
    “The key.”
    “Shoot. I’m so sorry—I didn’t think they’d notice. I’ll listen to you from now on.