The Soldier Next Door Read online

  “We gotta get to Sergeant Dan. He’s trapped behind that fuckin’ Bongo truck.”

  Hunched beside him, peering out the window, she realized that he viewed the ambulance as the trucks he’d told her about used by the enemy. Guardedly, she laid a hand on his shoulder.

  “Sergeant Dan is dead,” she said in a firm and quiet voice. “He died in the last attack. It’s just us now.”

  His head jerked toward her. Sudden recognition dawned in his eyes. The look of war transformed into instant sorrow. “Sydnie? What’s going on? Why are we up here?”

  She stared at him with wide eyes, sincere with concern. “It’s okay, Mason, you’re all right. Nobody is taking you anywhere but home.”

  “Home?” Tears flooded those expressive brown eyes.

  “Yeah…” She fought back the urge to cry. “I’ll drive you home in your truck. You wanted to see me drive your truck, right?”

  He nodded, then everything seemed to hit him at once. “They’re all dead. My whole fucking unit killed by some fucking bomb. They’re all dead, aren’t they?” Heartache flooded his voice. He reached for her.

  “Yeah, I’m so sorry. They are gone.” She knelt beside him and opened her arms.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” he cried, falling against her, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning his forehead against her chest. “I’m so sorry, baby.” He wept quietly in her embrace.

  Tears streamed down the sides of her face, but she held it together and didn’t make a sound. The demons in this man’s head were real yet not. She’d never dismiss him, never mock him, or never hand him over to the men in white coats.

  They stayed there on the floor for quite some time. She rested her cheek against his head and held him close, offering comfort to the bravest of the brave. Men who gave their life for others did not deserve to be cast aside when war took its toll. She did not agree with anyone outside that bedroom door.

  Gradually, Mason pulled himself together. “Thank you, baby…thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.” She touched his face as their eyes met. “I should be thanking you.”

  “See what I mean? Nobody can handle me. They call the psych ward to take me away. Then those fuckers shoot me up with their mind drugs.”

  “I’m not calling anyone. Are you ready to go home? I can drive.”

  “Yeah. How are we gonna get past the white coats out there?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She stood up and pulled him with her. “I’m tougher than I look.”

  “I don’t wanna be alone tonight,” he whispered. “I’m not trying to get sex. I’ll sleep on the couch if you’ll just stay.”

  “I’ll stay. We can watch TV.”

  He laced his fingers through hers on one hand. “I’m coming out,” he called to whoever waited on the other side. “If anyone fucking touches me or Sydnie, I’ll cut their throat.”

  “Where did you get that knife?”

  “It’s a pocket knife. I always carry it.”

  “That…is a pocket knife?” She raised her brows.

  “Sort of.” He let out a short laugh, then slowly opened the door.

  Jack and the two medics stood as if ready to tackle. Sydnie scowled at them. Nobody said a word as Mason cautiously inched past—knife in hand.

  Glenda waited at the bottom of the stairs. “How’d you do it, sweetheart?”

  Sydnie shrugged modestly. “I don’t know. I just stepped into his world for a moment to make a connection. He doesn’t want this.”

  His mother surprised her with a warm hug. “I’ll call later to see how he’s doing.”

  She nodded agreeably, sensing that this woman felt truly helpless on how to help her troubled son. “Don’t worry. I’m sure once the alcohol leaves his system, he’ll be fine.”

  They walked outside and toward his truck. The other guests quieted as they sat around a large picnic table. She glanced at them before climbing into the cab of Mason’s truck. He hopped into the passenger side without saying a word. She wondered how he felt about their silence.

  The keys were still in the ignition and fortunately the transmission was automatic. Though she’d driven standard-shift cars in her past, she wasn’t entirely skilled with them.

  “You do look really cute driving my truck,” Mason said with a bright smile as they pulled away.

  “And you look like you’re feeling better.”

  He nodded.

  “No more drinking tonight, okay?” she pleaded.

  “Okay. Like I said, I get nervous around people so I drink.”

  “Well, you have no reason to be nervous around me.”

  They arrived home just before sunset. Mason had folded and tucked the knife back into his pocket. She didn’t know how she managed to survive the afternoon without falling apart, but somehow she did. Her inner strength surprised her, especially amidst a group of strangers. She simply could not bring herself to let them take this sweet man away without trying to talk him down.

  Her feelings toward him had deepened tremendously and it scared the hell out of her. Even so, she now felt compelled to see this through and see where it led, if anywhere.

  He made cheese popcorn for them to snack on while watching TV and, to her surprise, he enjoyed a wide variety of movie genres, including chick flicks. They lay on the nicely cushioned sofa and watched movies all evening. His mood shifted back to the calm, easygoing manner she found irresistible. When sober, he was a true delight and entertained her with more stories of his past. She loved his carefree attitude and his wacky sense of humor. As the night grew late, her eyes felt heavy and she began to nod off.

  “Come here, baby,” he coaxed softly. “You can sleep in my arms.”

  With a relenting smile, she snuggled into the curve of his shoulder. “This feels nice.” She half watched the movie and half dozed in his secure embrace.

  “You wanna know something?” he asked out of the blue.

  “Sure,” she gave her sleepy reply.

  “Sometimes I worry…”

  “About what?”

  “Not all the time…but sometimes I…I worry…” His voice trailed off, then in a sudden loud rush of words, he hollered at the top of his voice, “I worry about zombies!”

  She sprung off the couch, eyes wide, heart racing, and panting for breath with one hand over her chest. Popcorn flew into the air and landed everywhere. The plastic bowl hit the floor.

  Mason burst into hysterical laughter. “I’m sorry I just couldn’t resist.” He reached for her while still laughing.

  Pointing a finger at him, she tilted her head and smiled once the shock wore off. “You do that again, I’m going home,” she teased.

  He was still chuckling when she lay back down. “I do that to my kids all the time. Nicole’s boy used to cry, but mine would say, do it again, Dad.”

  “You are crazy.” She laughed. “You’re lucky I have a sense of humor and a strong heart. I was all nice and relaxed.”

  “That’s the best time to get ya.” He gave her a playful wink.

  And yet another intriguing aspect to this handsome man revealed itself. He grew on her more with each passing moment, even in his darkest hours. Something about the pain in those pleading eyes lured her in. Everything in her rational mind screamed run! However, her heart longed to stay.

  Chapter Four

  In the early hours of the morning, Sydnie returned home to sleep in her own bed. Mason had returned to a stable state of mind and another stirring kiss left them wanting more. Both agreed to stick with the plan of no sex for the night and retreat to their own beds.

  She woke to someone pounding on her front door. Geez, who the hell can that be? Glancing at the clock on her dresser, she noticed she’d slept well into the afternoon. Since meeting Mason, her schedule had gone into complete chaos. She stuffed her bare feet into fuzzy slippers, grabbed a robe from the hook on the door, and shuffled out to the living room. Peeking through the living room blinds, she saw her ex standing on
the porch. What the hell? Why is he here?

  “What are you doing here, Ben?” she asked with a sigh after opening the door.

  “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing.”

  “Really…like you’ve cared all these years, um, let’s see, it’s been at least five years since I’ve seen your face. And I’m pretty sure the last time you stopped by was to ask for the silver that your grandmother left you. So don’t pretend to care about how I’m doing.”

  “Can I come in?”

  “No.”

  “I miss you.”

  “No you don’t. Go home.”

  “I fucked up, Syd, can’t we at least talk?”

  She cocked her hip and placed a firm hand on it. “Let me guess, your hot little plaything found someone her own age.”

  A sheepish look flitted through his eyes. “She was too immature anyway. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hurt you. I want you back.”

  “This little remorse routine may have been more effective say, seven years ago before you forced me into divorce, turned my life upside down, and broke my heart. But you know what? I got over you. It took a while, but I did it and I’m doing just fine on my own.”

  At that very moment, Mason’s truck swung into the drive, blocking Ben’s SUV. Uh-oh, awkward moment coming. She looked past Ben. He turned to follow her line of vision.

  “Who the hell is that?” Ben growled.

  “My new neighbor.”

  “What’s he doing over here? And why is he bringing you flowers?”

  “I drove him home last night. He’s probably saying thanks. Besides, it’s none of your business anyway. You left me here to take care of this place all by myself just so you could move in with that little slut. You didn’t even wait until the divorce was final and you didn’t give me a dime to help out until the court order was in place. I lived on practically nothing until I got back on my feet. You lost all rights to inquire about my life.”

  Mason approached and stood beside Ben. “Hey,” he gave her ex a nod, then shifted his gaze toward her. “I wanted to thank you for last night.” He held out a gorgeous bouquet of white roses.

  “Wow…these are stunning.” She dipped her nose into the flowers and inhaled. “They smell wonderful. Thank you.” She offered him a grateful smile.

  “For last night?” Ben’s voice raised a notch. “So what I heard was right. You are fucking the neighbor!”

  Sydnie laid her roses on a shelf just inside the door. “Get out of here.” She glared at Ben and noticed that Mason’s body language had tensed.

  “Why? So you can screw him in our house?” Ben ignored her demand.

  “You’re such a prick!” Using both hands, she shoved him backward. “This is my house now. Get the hell off my property!”

  Ben stumbled from the force of her unexpected push, but he quickly recovered with a forceful backhand to her face.

  She fell against the open door and clutched her throbbing cheek. “Why doesn’t this surprise me? You better leave before I call the police.”

  In her next breath, everything exploded. Mason grabbed Ben and swung him into a headlock, then began pummeling his face with one fist. Ben swung wildly yet failed to strike even once before Mason had him down on the sidewalk. He kicked him until Ben curled onto his side.

  “You ever touch her again, ya motherfuckin’ asshole, I’ll fuckin’ kill you.” Mason pounded his fists into Ben in rapid succession. Then he jammed both knees against his chest and gripped his throat.

  Panic rose in her throat, making it dry. She didn’t want Mason to be arrested for assault even though her ex deserved the beating. Bolting out the door, she daringly grabbed Mason’s shoulders.

  “Don’t kill him. Neighbors will call the cops if you do. Please, Mason…I think he learned his lesson.”

  He looked up at her. Dark storms brewed in those eyes. “He hurt you, baby. I’m not afraid of prison. I’ll kill him if you want.”

  Ben’s eyes widened with sheer terror. “I’ll go,” he squeaked.

  “Shut the fuck up.” Mason slammed his head against the pavement.

  “Promise never to come back?” Sydnie shot him a warning look. “If you do, I won’t stop him the next time. I have him on speed dial.”

  Mason squeezed his throat tighter. “If you call the cops I will hunt you down, ya pussy ass little cocksucker. Got that?”

  Ben gave a slight nod. His face reddened from lack of air. Blood oozed from his nose and mouth.

  “Let him go, Mason. I’m okay.”

  Just when she thought the situation was under control, flashing lights and sirens filled the air as two police cars rolled into the drive. Four State Troopers jumped out and raced to the men locked in battle. They pulled them apart.

  “We received a call. What’s going on here?” one of the troopers asked her.

  “My ex-husband…” She pointed to Ben. “Showed up and picked a fight with me. My neighbor stopped by at the same time. Ben hit me and Mason came to my defense.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. “My ex is not supposed to be here. This is my house. I asked him to leave, but he just went crazy. Mason was only trying to protect me.”

  “Let’s see some ID, guys.”

  Mason pulled out his license and a Military ID card. Ben fumbled for his wallet.

  “Army Staff Sergeant Mason Haller?” The officer looked impressed. “You’re the guy Troy knows.”

  “Yes, sir,” Mason replied. “101st Airborne, Second Brigade Combat Team, Blackhearts Strike Soldier.”

  “You were defending this lady?”

  “Yes, sir. I will never leave a fallen comrade.”

  The trooper seemed to understand the situation. He turned his attention toward her. “Are you all right, miss? Would you like to press assault charges against your ex-husband?”

  She shook her head. “No…I just want him to leave.”

  He gave her a nod. “If he returns, you might want to reconsider.”

  “I will.”

  “Have a good day,” he told her and Mason, then walked away.

  She watched the officers surround Ben. Saw them talking and she detected the serious nature of their warning to her ex. They escorted him to his SUV and waited until he left before they drove away.

  Mason turned to her and immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. She curled her arms around his head as he buried his face in the curve of her neck.

  “Are you okay?” she murmured, stroking his cropped hair.

  “I’m fine.” He eased back so that their eyes met. He touched her cheek ever so lightly. “Has he hit you before?”

  “When we were married, yes. This is the first time I’ve seen him since the divorce was final. Someone around here must’ve been talking as usual. Ben is a jealous maniac. You don’t need this.”

  “Hey…” His voice was soft. “I’m not afraid of him. I have enough baggage to scare anyone away, but you stayed. No cocksucker like him is gonna drive me away. I’ll kill the motherfucker.”

  “I don’t want you going to jail because of me.”

  “That’s not gonna happen. When they see my SSGT rank, they understand.”

  “What are Blackhearts?”

  “My unit. Each unit has an insignia. Ours was a black heart with an eagle talon on it. We were a strike force. Insurgents knew when they saw the Blackhearts that people were gonna die.”

  The violent nature of his past was mind-blowing. She wondered how many people truly grasped the horror of war. Over the past few days, she’d gained much deeper insight to the soldier’s world. None of it scared her in ways it probably should. She embraced this man’s courage and strength and right now simply longed to embrace him for defending her.

  “Thank you for protecting me. I would never ask you to, but I must admit, it felt really great watching him take a beating.”

  Mason gave her a wink. “Anytime. I didn’t mind.”

  “Come inside. I need to put those beautiful flowe
rs in water. Have you eaten yet today?”

  “No. I was busy.”

  “Would you like some lunch?”

  “Sure.”

  She whipped up a couple turkey breast sandwiches and served them with chips. They ate together in strange silence, like the calm after a raging storm. She wondered where his thoughts were now and noticed when he ate meals, he was very serious about eating. He rarely looked up from his plate and consumed his food rather quickly yet with impeccable manners. He made virtually no sound during the meal. He chugged a glass of cola afterward and pushed his plate aside.

  “That was good, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “How’s your face? It’s still red.”

  “It’s throbbing a bit. I’ll be fine. Not like I haven’t dealt with it before.”

  “You shouldn’t have to.”

  “I’d be surprised if he ever came at me again after the beating you gave him. I’m impressed. You’ve only known me a few days yet you nearly beat him unconscious for me.”

  He reached across the table for her hand. “Feels like we’ve known each other longer. We’ve been neighbors for months so technically we are not strangers.”

  “Nooo, we’re not strangers,” she said with a light laugh.

  He laughed with her. “I guess not after the other night.”

  She finished her drink and took his other hand. “This might sound odd, but I feel safe with you.”

  “I’ve never heard that before.” He smiled charmingly. “Most of the time it’s the opposite.”

  “I don’t understand why. You’re an amazing man. A little terrifying when you drink, but otherwise, pretty awesome.”

  They stared at each other for several minutes before he pushed off the chair. Without releasing her hands, he pulled her close. She stared up at him. Tenderly, he brushed her sore cheek with the back of one hand, then moved his fingers below her ear and curled them around to the back of her neck.

  A deep sigh escaped her as their lips met. His tongue flitted into her mouth. He tasted cool and sweet from the cola. Sliding her arms around his neck, she eagerly returned his kiss. His other arm wound around her waist, drawing her tight against him.