The SEAL's Surprise Baby - Leslie North Page 0,2

more beautiful than she did then. Her clothes were casual, her hair mussed, but her face, body, and attitude got to him just as much as they always had.

And he knew that he didn’t want her or his son to walk out his door. Not until he’d had a chance to think this through.

“Wait,” he said, jumping up and moving to be in front of her. “You’ve got to give me a little—”

The sound of bullets from an automatic weapon suddenly filled the air. Instinct made Anderson wrap his arms around Violet and Nate and take them to the floor with him. Everything in him said to protect them above all else. He landed on his back, taking the brunt of the impact, and then rolled with them to use his body as a shield.

The hail of bullets ended, leaving a car alarm blaring in the street. He eased up, checking his surroundings.

“Is he…?” For the first time, Anderson touched his son. It was inadvertent, a simple hand to the boy’s cheek, but it was soft, warm, and captivating.

“He’s fine,” Violet said, her voice shaky. “What happened?”

“Not sure. Stay down,” he said as he rose into a crouch and made his way to the window. He looked through the glass pane and saw the sedan Violet must have arrived in riddled with bullet holes. A rock hurtled toward the house as a black SUV peeled out and careened down the road, almost hitting Anderson’s mailbox. He took another minute to scan the area before standing. When he did, he bumped into Violet. Why had she joined him at the window? He should have known she wouldn’t stay still—but the kid.

Anderson turned. Nate lay on his back on the carpet, moving his limbs and babbling to himself, undisturbed by anything that was happening.

“There’s a note,” Violet said, pointing through the window to where the rock had landed on his porch.

“I’ll get it.” He didn’t bother to tell her to stay in the house. It was a waste of breath.

Anderson stepped onto the porch to retrieve the note. Once he was back inside, he unfolded it and scanned the words. Violet leaned in to see it, her hair brushing against his arm.

“My God,” she muttered in Russian, speaking in the language of the note.

His language skills were on par with hers, and he had no trouble understanding the threat.

Next time, you’ll be in the car.

“I didn’t think…” She made her way back to the couch, scooped up Nate, and sat down heavily.

Didn’t think what? Violet was shaken… but not surprised. What was going on? He studied her. Her head was bent over the baby’s, and her body seemed to be folded inward. He needed to break through the walls she was constructing and get her to talk.

“Let me take him,” Anderson said, walking toward her and reaching for his son. His request jolted her.

Violet glanced up, her eyes unfocused for a second, before handing Nate over. Anderson felt awkward for a minute as he tried to mimic how she’d carried the baby, but he soon figured out to rest Nate against his chest. He paced the room, keeping an eye on the street out front, but he didn’t expect them to return so soon since they’d delivered their message. “Explain what you know,” he said. “Don’t leave anything out.”

“There was a data breach two months ago,” she began after the tiniest hesitation, “not long after I went back to work following my maternity leave.” Her job for a government agency wasn’t the kind she could discuss with most people, but he already knew about it. He’d been her protector, a glorified babysitter, really, while she’d been on assignment in Moscow.

“The leak had to do with information you collected in Russia,” he guessed.

She nodded. “It revealed some of the surveillance and analysis and who conducted it.”

“And your bosses didn’t react.” That surprised him. They were usually protective of their assets, and that’s how they would view Violet.

“It was deemed minor with minimal exposure, but…”

“But what?” he demanded, keeping his voice level. Nate seemed to be dozing, cuddled into him, and he didn’t want to spook the boy.

“I’ve had a few strange incidents since,” she said, her fingers twisting the edge of her shirt. “Little things. Someone following too close behind my car. An unexpected package on my doorstep.”

“What was in it?” Anderson paused in his pacing.

“Russian nesting dolls.” She gave him a wry smile. “A warning, no doubt. I think someone’s toying with