Page 1 of Finding Carly
CHAPTERONE
Carly Stewart sat with her back against the wall in the corner of her bedroom. She’d heard a noise in the hallway earlier and it sent her into another panic attack. She’d hidden under her bed like a five-year-old for a while, then finally scooted out and was currently clutching her knees to her chest, trying to breathe.
A funny thing was happening though. Something new. Something that hadn’t happened since the evening Kenna had been kidnapped by Carly’s ex-boyfriend and almost blown to pieces by the bomb Shawn had strapped to his chest.
In addition to the paralyzing fear she’d experienced almost every day since, Carly felt anger boiling deep within her.
Neither emotion was common for her. She wasn’t the kind of woman who stressed over every little thing. She was generally a happy person…or at least she used to be.
Dating Shawn had been good at first. He was older than she was, by two decades, but that hadn’t bothered them. But it wasn’t long before he’d changed from the kind, romantic man she’d thought she knew into a controlling abuser.
It had taken Carly far too long to finally come to her senses. She was just thankful she’d never moved in with him like he’d begged her to.
But he’d refused to accept their breakup, which was crazy. He began stalking her, making her life a living hell. She’d taken out a protective order against him, and even though she knew he wouldn’t like that, she’d never expected he’d want to kill her.
She’d gone home early from work the evening he’d shown up at the restaurant, bomb strapped to his chest, prepared to kidnap and do who-the-hell-knew-what to her. He’d ultimately kidnapped her friend, Kenna, then blew himself up.
That should’ve been the end of it. But instead, it was just the beginning of her nightmare.
It was one thing knowing who to look out for, to know who hated you. But it was another to realize someone had been workingwithShawn that night. Someone willing to aid in her torture…and not know who that person was for sure.
Carly and the cops were fairly certain it was Shawn’s son, Luke. He’d hated her from the second they’d met, and hadn’t been afraid to show it. During the kidnapping, Shawn had inferred someone was out in the ocean in a boat, ready to pick him up from the beach outside of Duke’s restaurant. But the police couldn’t find proof of Luke’s involvement…or that anyone else had been working with Shawn.
Ever since that night, Carly had been paranoid. Scared out of her mind. Terrified that whoever was working with Shawn would finish what he’d started. She’d quit her job, stopped seeing her friends, and become a shell of the woman she used to be.
She would’ve become acompleterecluse if it hadn’t been for Jag.
Jagger Bennett was a Navy SEAL. She knew him through Kenna, her friend and fellow waitress at Duke’s, who was dating Jag’s teammate.
Jag literally wouldn’t leave her alone. He texted and called and even came by to check on her. He was annoying, persistent, bossy…and Carly didn’t know how she would’ve made it through the last couple of months without him.
She wanted to hate him. Wanted to resent his interference in her life. Wished he’d just let her hide in peace. But she couldn’t. He’d kept her sane, kept her from completely freaking out.
And there was the fact that Carly had developed the biggest crush on the man, even before Shawn’s kidnapping attempt.
But she’d learned her lesson about dating older men. Granted, Jag was only ten years older, and was nothing like Shawn, but still.
As Carly sat on her floor, her ass numb, thinking about the last couple of months, the anger in her belly continued to grow. Shawn was an asshole. He’d never taken responsibility for his own actions, instead blaming everyone around him. And when they’d started dating, Carly had soon found herself the recipient of most of his anger. She couldn’t do anything right. Was immature and stupid and irresponsible.
She was ashamed to admit that she’d started to believe him.
No one knew exactly what she’d been through with Shawn. She kept it to herself. Smiling and joking at work, yet feeling beaten and broken inside. Then he’d almost killed her friend. It had all been too much.
Carly desperately wanted her life back. She was broke, lonely, and terrified to step outside her apartment, in case Luke was waiting to get revenge for his dad’s death.
A week and a half ago, she’d actually let Jag talk her into going to Kenna’s wedding. It was the first time she’d willingly gone out in public in months…and one of the most painful days of her life. Kenna was beautiful. She’d looked so damn happy. Carly was happyforher, but sad for herself. She no longer knew what was going on in her friend’s life. Or the lives ofanyof the new friends she’d met through Jag’s team. And she didn’t know Monica at all, who’d recently joined the small circle of women Carly had just started to get to know.
Attending the wedding had hammered home that life was passing her by. She missed her friends. She wanted what they had. And she wouldn’t get any of it by sitting on her ass shaking like a leaf in her apartment.
Feeling as if she were a hundred years old, Carly leaned over and picked up her phone, which was sitting on a small table next to her bed. She gripped it tightly and unlocked the screen, staring down at her contact list.
Elodie. Lexie. Kenna. Jag. The rest of Jag’s SEAL team was programmed in as well, but Carly had never called or messaged them. She clicked on Jag’s name and scrolled up. There were hundreds of texts from the last few months. Most from him, asking how she was, if she’d eaten, if she needed anything, or if she wanted him to come over. Even though she rarely allowed herself the luxury of inviting him over, when he did come, she felt a short-lived relief.
She’d last seen him at the wedding. He’d gotten upset with her for wanting to leave early. She’d been frustrated withhimfor not understanding how hard it was for her to come to the ceremony in the first place. She’d had only one text from him since. The following day, short and to the point. Carly stared at the words he’d written.
Jag: Headed out on a mission. When I get back, we’re gonna talk.
For the first time in a while, Carly worried about someone other than herself. Was he okay? She had no idea where he was, which she knew wasn’t something she’deverknow, since he was a SEAL, but what if he’d been hurt? Or worse, killed?
