Protected by a SEAL (Alpha SEALs, Book 6) by Makenna Jameison Read Free Book Online Page B

traffickers,
you name it. He’d seen shit no one should ever have to. And maybe
he couldn’t save everyone, but hell. If he could protect one
person, it was worth it.
    If only he could’ve saved his sister.
    Guilt churned through him once more. He’d
started the night in a shit mood at Anchors but hadn’t thought
about the anniversary of her death once since he’d been here
shooting pool. So was that a good thing or bad thing? The memories
ate him alive night after night no matter what. He almost felt
twice as bad about it now for briefly forgetting.
    Usually it took losing himself in a woman,
but if some semblance of peace could be found shooting pool with
his buddies, he’d take it. Right. As if they were the calming
distraction he’d had all night. He wanted to laugh at the irony—of
course it wasn’t them. It was her. A woman.
    And just because he hadn’t slept with her
didn’t mean he didn’t want to.
    “Damn, I missed,” Ella said as her ball
bounced off the side of the table.
    “You can’t win ‘em all, darlin’,” Matthew
said with a grin. “Even with this guy as your teacher.”
    Ella shrugged, leaning her cue against the
wall. That cute little tank top she had on tugged across her chest,
and Brent willed himself to keep his gaze on her face. It was a
losing battle, and his eyes slid lower and lower. That long pendant
dangling from her slender neck hung right between the supple curve
of her breasts. He was dying to inspect it up close. Run his
fingers down the delicate chain. Steal a kiss.
    “Maybe I’ll have to practice sometime down
in Florida now that I know how to play,” Ella said.
    “Right, show those college boys how it’s
done,” Matthew laughed.
    Uneasiness churned through his gut. Ella,
alone in some other pool hall, with all sorts of men hitting on
her? Hell, that was no better a scenario than the cocktail lounge
she’d worked in. A place that seemed to draw predatory men in
droves. One that he was damn glad she’d never see again.
    Brianna laughed. “With all that free time
you have, right?”
    Ella blew out a sigh. “I know. Between work,
classes, and homework, free time is nonexistent right now. Spring
break notwithstanding. And who am I kidding? I should be back home
right now making some money.”
    “You won’t be in school forever,” Brianna
insisted.
    “I might be if I can’t pay my tuition.”
    “Do you need me to loan you some money? I
know I was complaining a few months back when I got laid off, but I
have money saved up. And of course my new job here,” she said,
referring to her marketing position at a law firm in Virginia
Beach. Their SEAL team leader Patrick’s girlfriend had hooked
Brianna up with a job, and she’d been thrilled to take it and move
in with Matthew. “You can pay me back when you graduate.”
    A flush spread across Ella’s cheeks at the
mention of money. “Thanks, but I’ll figure something out. I’ve
managed to make it this far on my own,” she added, somewhat
uncertainly. Brent’s eyes narrowed. Alone? Certainly she had
parents or someone helping her out. Didn’t all the college kids
these days? Brianna and Matthew’s parents each had homes down in
Florida. Ella probably had parents living there too.
    Ella turned and walked over to grab her soda
from the table nearby, her hips swaying in those tight jeans. Even
if it was under the guise of teaching Ella, Brent had fucking loved
standing so close to her tonight. Breathing in her scent. Feeling
just the hint of her small body pressed against his. And damn. His
bad mood had completely vanished since they’d arrived at the pool
hall. He’d been too focused on her. But who was he kidding? Ella
was just like all the other women he distracted himself with. Even
though he hadn’t slept with her, he’d enjoyed having her close by.
But tomorrow there’d be another woman to fill her shoes.
    A brief pang of regret filled his chest.
    “We’re gonna have to take off soon,”