Phantom didn’t require someone’s approval for his actions. He did what he wanted, what he needed, and damn the consequences. But the last thing he wanted was to stress Kalee out more than she already was.
“If you can’t deal, that’s okay. I’ll figure out some other way to prove to Rocco that I’m here,” he told her. “In fact, yeah, inviting Mustang and the others over is stupid.” He shook his head. “I’ll just film us driving through the streets, he’ll see the street signs and know I’m here. Yeah, that’s better anyway.”
“No. Invite your friends over.”
Phantom stared at Kalee. It seemed with every mile they’d put between her and Timor-Leste, she got more and more comfortable.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded.
Phantom’s hands flexed. He wanted to hug her to him so badly. If anyone needed a hug, a gentle human touch, it was her. Hell, he needed it. But he managed to keep his hands to himself.
“Thanks.” They shuffled forward in the line. “I need to call Mustang and arrange it, is that all right?”
She nodded again.
After clicking on Mustang’s name, Phantom brought the phone up to his ear.
“Yo! This is Mustang.”
“Hey. It’s Phantom. I need another favor.”
“Anything.”
Phantom liked most of the fellow SEALs he’d met. Usually, they’d do anything for their fellow soldiers, even if they hadn’t seen each other for months or years, and if they hadn’t worked together in an official capacity.
“Any chance you, Midas, Pid, Aleck, Jag, and Slate can come up to my place for a drink?”
“Sure. When?”
“Uh…now?”
Mustang chuckled. “Jeez, don’t give us any time to decide, why don’t ya?”
“I know, sorry. It’s just that I wanted to thank you properly for giving me a place to crash while on leave.”
“And?” Mustang asked.
“And what?”
“And what else? You can’t seriously think I’m going to buy that lame-ass excuse.”
“Fine. I need to prove to Rocco that I’m really here in Hawaii, and I figured the best way to do that so he wouldn’t have any doubts would be for him to see you and the rest of your team having a beer with me.”
Silence followed his statement for a beat, then Mustang said, “Anything you need help with?”
And that right there was why Phantom liked Mustang. He was astute and didn’t hesitate to offer his assistance. “No. Everything’s fine. Great, actually.”
Something in Phantom’s voice must’ve convinced Mustang, because he said in a more laid-back tone, “Good. Sounds like you’re at the airport, from the announcements in the background. I’ll gather the guys and we’ll meet you at the house in a couple hours. Traffic is a bitch, but should ease up soon. Want us to bring anything?”
Phantom was about to say no, but then thought better of it. “Hang on a sec,” he told him, then put the phone against his chest and looked down at Kalee. “Mustang and his friends said they’d come over. Anything you want them to pick up?”
She shook her head, and Phantom frowned at her.
“Seriously, think about it. There’s got to be something that you’ve thought about eating or drinking. Something you thought you’d kill to have. One time when I was a POW, I couldn’t stop thinking about dill pickles.” At her look of shock, he chuckled. “I know. It’s stupid. I mean, I could’ve been dreaming about a big juicy steak, or an ice-cold brewski, but instead, all my brain could think about was a fucking pickle.”
He hadn’t meant to blurt that out, but he wanted to give Kalee anything and everything she’d been denied while she’d been held captive.
“Peanut butter. Crunchy. And dark chocolate.”
Phantom smiled and, without thinking, raised his hand to smooth a piece of her hair behind her ear. It wasn’t until she jerked her head away that he realized what he’d done.
“Shit, sorry, precious.” Furious at himself for scaring her, Phantom took a deep breath and brought his phone back up to his ear. “A large jar of crunchy peanut butter and a shitload of dark chocolate candy bars,” he said succinctly.
“You got it. I’ll pick up some pickles while I’m at it too,” he quipped. “Later.”
Phantom didn’t even get a chance to tell his friend to fuck off. He’d obviously heard his conversation with Kalee. He hung up and pocketed his phone again.
“I really am sorry,” he told Kalee. She still looked a little spooked, and he hated it. He tried to explain himself. “I was just so fucking proud of you, and I acted without thinking. You have a cute little curl right there next to your ear, and it keeps brushing your cheek, and I just wanted to get it out of your face. I know you don’t like people touching you. I’ll do my best to keep my hands to myself in the future.”
She looked up at him and bit her lip. Her mouth opened then shut. Then she took a deep breath. Her pupils dilated, and it looked as if she was about to do something extremely scary. Bungee jump. Sky dive. Not simply speak. But she gathered up her courage and said, “I saw your hand coming toward me and thought you were going to hit me.”
Phantom knew that was what she’d thought, but hearing the words stung. He leaned down and said in a soft voice for her ears only, “I will never hit you, Kalee. Ever. No matter how frustrated or upset I am, I will never put my hands on you in anger. I want to go back and kill every single motherfucker in that house for daring to touch you. It pisses me off when anyone feels they have the right to harm someone else. I know it’ll take time, but I hope eventually you’ll come to truly feel safe with me.”
“I do,” she whispered.
Phantom shook his head. “Not yet, but you will. I swear.” He looked up and saw they were at the front of the taxi line. “We’re up next.”
Then Kalee shocked the shit out of him by reaching for his hand and bringing it up to the side of her face. She brushed it against her cheek, and Phantom took the hint, curling his fingers around the stray piece of hair and smoothing it behind her ear oh so gently.
They stared at each other for a heartbeat before the man in charge of the taxi line yelled that it was their turn to get into the next car.
Phantom breathed out a sigh of relief as he held the door open for Kalee. He’d thought he’d fucked up everything there, and her actions had shown that he hadn’t…yet.
He couldn’t help but dread the day he’d have to have the conversation with her about his role in her captivity. She needed more time to heal first though. He knew he was being a coward, but he was glad to push it off for a while yet. He couldn’t bear for Kalee to look at him with disgust and hatred.
Chapter Four
Phantom shook Mustang’s hand firmly. He and the rest of his team had shown up at the house not too long after he and Kalee had arrived. Traffic had been a bitch, but that was usually the case on the island. Kalee was hanging out in the house until he was done with his phone call with Rocco. Then he hoped she’d join them outside on the small deck.