Finding the Way Back: A Stealth Ops Novel Read online

  Finding the Way Back

  A Stealth Ops Novel

  Brittney Sahin

  EmKo Media, LLC

  Finding The Way Back

  By: Brittney Sahin

  Published by: EmKo Media, LLC

  Copyright © 2019 EmKo Media, LLC

  This book is an original publication of Brittney Sahin.

  In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Editor: Deb Markanton

  Editor: Lawrence Editing

  Proofreader: Judy Zweifel, Judy’s Proofreading

  Cover Design: LJ, Mayhem Cover Creations

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Ebook ISN: 9781947717190

  Created with Vellum

  For my parents.

  Thank you for always believing in me. Love you!

  Contents

  Author’s Note: Please Read First

  Prequel

  Prologue: Recruitment

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue

  Bonus & Deleted Scenes

  Playlist

  Also by Brittney Sahin

  Where Else To Find Me

  Author’s Note: Please Read First

  Unlike the other books in this series, Finding the Way Back begins with a short prequel. The prequel is in 1st person point-of-view, but the rest of the book is in 3rd person point-of-view.

  Because of the unique nature of Charlie’s (Knox) and Adriana’s past, I felt it was important to first share how they met before beginning the book.

  I hope you enjoy their story.

  ~ Brittney

  Prequel

  Their Beginning

  ATLANTA (2000)

  Adriana

  “You don’t have to drop me off around the corner.”

  “Showing up to a party in a police cruiser doesn’t seem that cool to me. I know I’m not down with what’s hip, but I—”

  “Mom.” I rolled my eyes and unbuckled. “You’re like the coolest mom on the planet.” I eyed the passenger window, seeking the mansion off in the hills around the block—a world away from where we lived.

  We had a decent home, a great life, don’t get me wrong—but the people I went to school with were the kind of rich you only saw in the movies. So rich you just didn’t think it could be real.

  And I was now going to their school. It didn’t take long for them to realize I was the “scholarship kid.” The girl without the expensive clothes or car—the girl who didn’t belong.

  I was at the school because my dad wanted me to be. He was a college professor and had begged and begged until he was blue in the face for me to apply for the scholarship—promises of a brighter future if I graduated from the academy. I mean, if we were talking Hogwarts, I’d be game. Or maybe if it was Sunnydale, and I got to be Buffy and fight vampires—sure, count me in. But this?

  There was literally only one perk to Riverness Academy of the Arts and Sciences—and it was Charlie Bennett.

  The idea of him being inside the house up the street had my heart beating as if Angel, the vampire with a soul, was about to steal my virginity and then turn evil moments after. Charlie would be my Angel, the star of my show.

  Charlie was everything all rolled up into one amazingly beautiful man—but he was a senior. Also, the richest kid at the school. And did I mention son of a senator?

  I could do without all the money and glam. Strip that away, and I’d take the guy he was this day and any other day of the week.

  I’d even give him my fifteen-year-old virginity. I’d give him my first kiss. My first everything.

  Sigh. Sigh. F***ing-I don’t-usually-swear-sigh.

  “Honey?”

  Mom was probably talking. Some sort of speech about how I needed to make friends yada yada yada.

  I had my books and my favorite shows to keep me company. And I had a few friends left from my old school who hadn’t abandoned me—not yet, at least. I could feel it coming, though.

  I glanced at my palm, which now held a red Nokia. “What’s this?”

  “I got you a phone.”

  “You—what?” I gasped.

  I’d been asking for months for a phone, and now . . . okay, so if I had to suck it up and mingle with some rich kids, well, I’d do it if it meant getting the phone.

  Sure, I’d even—maybe—approach Charlie and say hi. Okay, so I’d be like ten feet away and not look his way when the word floated from my mouth like a breath. But I’d do it. Maybe.

  “You’re so miserable, and I hate seeing you like this. I’ll even turn the cheek if you have a beer tonight.” She squeezed my arm. “I want you to have fun. Live a little.”

  I know what you’re thinking—my mom is a cop. And my mom just told me to drink.

  She’s a cool mom. But she’s also a smart one.

  I mean, most of the things we do as teens are just to piss our parents off. If they actually gave us carte blanche to do it—would we?

  Also, my mom may have been a touch of a hippy in the seventies before she reformed to her more buttoned-up, badge-wearing self.

  “I’m gonna stock up on all the peanut buttery chocolate candy goodness I can find before I pick you up. Promise.”

  I kept my eyes glued to the phone, still in shock that I, Adriana Foster, had a phone. And no, I don’t have a middle name. My mom said middle names were to be used whenever someone got into trouble. No middle name and maybe no one would ever get into trouble. Apparently, she’d been three-named a lot by her father growing up.

  My mom—yeah, she was awesome. I was so lucky to have her.

  “Why don’t we just go to the movies? You’re meeting a friend tonight since dad has to grade papers, right?”

  “I’ll only be a phone call away if you need me.”

  “And on the other side of town, probably. Our side of town.” This was not our side. No, it was where the one-tenth of the one percent lived.

  “Have fun. Maybe even kiss a boy.” She winked and shooed me away. “Now get out of my car.”

  I kissed her on the cheek goodbye, tucked my coveted phone into my back pocket, and started down the street.

  She stayed a good distance behind with her lights dimmed to make su
re I made it to the party.

  I wasn’t sure if this was some cruel prank—invite the new girl and embarrass her or not, so I had no idea what I was walking into, but honestly—what ended up happening . . . I never would’ve believed.

  ***

  Charlie

  “Just do it. Go and bang her and her friend.” My buddy was eyeballing the two best friends across the room. “They want you at the same time, bro. What are you waiting for?”

  I lowered the beer from my lips, followed his focus to the girls in matching red mini-skirts and halter tops. I mean, hell, I could pretty much see the outline of their nipples through their shirts from across the room.

  “Not interested,” I grumbled and peered at the table off to my right where a tower of beers was on the verge of collapsing.

  “How do you not want to tap that? Double the pleasure, double the fun,” he said with a laugh.

  “I’m not that guy.”

  My reputation was total bullshit. Fabricated by tall tales from the locker room by my buddies who liked to spin them.

  “Okay, then—how about her? The new girl? She’s got a tight little body that I’d like to—”

  “Would you shut the fuck up?” I didn’t mean to snap at him. But damn it, ever since I saw Adriana Foster walk the halls at school, I’d been unable to think of another girl since.

  Fifteen.

  A sophomore.

  Too.

  Too.

  Young.

  But yeah, she was all I could think about even when I told myself not to. Damn that smile of hers.

  I even went out of my way to see her at her locker whenever I got the chance.

  I’d stride past her close enough just to breathe in her perfume. But that’s all I’d allow. I couldn’t talk to her because not only was she too young, I didn’t want to drag her into my world.

  My world was tight and cramped. I was suffocating here. Hands around my neck—it was so damn hard to breathe at times.

  I had to get out of this place. College would be better, right? It had to be. But maybe I needed to go even farther.

  “What’s your problem, man?”

  I hid a scowl and kept my eyes on her. Why are you here?

  Fridays and Saturdays. Two parties every weekend. The parties rotated locations. And I was growing bored.

  But her at the party—this was new.

  I brought the beer to my lips and sucked it dry as I followed Adriana’s movements around the house.

  Tentative and nervous steps.

  A shyness all over her heated cheeks.

  I wanted her. Hell, I more than wanted her.

  But damn the guy who just set his sights on her.

  Seth Shane, a twenty-one-year-old lowlife who supplied alcohol for our parties. His eyes were pinned to her. His gaze tracked her entire body. From her kicks up to the hole in the knee of her jeans all the way to the too-innocent-for-this-party pink T-shirt.

  Adriana didn’t flaunt her looks like the double-the-trouble-girls. No, she didn’t need to, either.

  Her hair was down. Soft dark waves over her shoulders. Her C cup breasts that Seth Shane couldn’t stop ogling. I only knew boob sizes because my ex always forced me to go bra shopping with her—and maybe that sounded hot, but it wasn’t my idea of a good time at all.

  I tossed my beer, anger licking up my back at the sight of Seth now standing in front of her. He wrapped a hand tightly around her bicep, and he leaned in, bringing his mouth close to hers. She jerked her neck back in surprise.

  I started to cross the room to get to her—to save her from the flick of his tongue that darted from his mouth like a serpent, but . . .

  She smacked him hard across the jaw and swept her leg behind his and brought him to the ground.

  The music died at that moment.

  My heart may have taken a brief pause as well.

  She turned and fled out the back doors at the realization everyone was staring at her, and also, Seth was cursing as he rose.

  I resisted the urge to kick him on my way to get to her—not sure why I felt the need to check on a girl who could hold her own—but I couldn’t stop my feet from moving, from going to her.

  “Wait up,” I called once I was outside on the back patio.

  She was inside the gazebo off to the side of the covered pool. Her hands slid up and down her arms, and when I got to her, she was panting. A fierce anger still in the jerky movements of her touch.

  “Hey.”

  She popped her hands in the air defensively between us but then relaxed at the sight of me as if she knew I wasn’t a threat.

  “You okay?” I didn’t want to come too close because I liked my balls and preferred them to remain intact in case she changed her mind about me. “That was”—I scratched the back of my head, at a loss for words—“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “My mom taught me a few moves in case any creeps ever bothered me.”

  “Smart mom.” I tucked my hands into the pockets of my jeans and studied her.

  Christmas-style lights wrapped the white wooden beams of the gazebo, casting a sort of glow on her face. She was breathtaking. This was also the closest I’d been face-to-face with her.

  I wanted to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ears just in case any strands fell into her face, obstructing the view of her eyes I craved.

  I needed her to look up—to see me. I had to know if whatever intense effect she had on me was reciprocated.

  Age at the moment took a back seat to everything else as I stood in front of her, one step away.

  I even forgot my last name. My Porsche. The seventy-five-million-dollar trust fund I’d get at twenty-five. Absolutely everything vanished from my mind. I was just Charlie.

  Her eyes FINALLY journeyed to my face, and her lip caught between her teeth. She extended a hand, and I stared at it, not sure what in the hell to do.

  The only times I’d been greeted by a handshake—well, those hands had belonged to my parent’s friends at political parties.

  I kept my eyes on her slender fingers. On the one freckle off to the side of her pinky.

  She started to pull her hand away, and I grumbled something—I can’t remember what—and rushed for her hand as if the offer to touch her may never come my way again.

  Yeah, that was how everything started for us. And I also had no idea how it’d end. And full disclosure—maybe I didn’t want it to ever end.

  ***

  Adriana

  Books. Movies. TV. Everything I read or watched was so much more exciting than my life. More romantic. Just more, in general.

  But this moment was heaven, and I wanted to live in it forever.

  We talked. He laughed at my lame jokes. He even rested his hand atop my knee. Then he pulled back as if guilty of touching me without my permission, and I grabbed his hand and placed it right where it belonged.

  And when I told him about my crush on Patrick Swayze, along with every prince in all versions of Cinderella, as well as my devoted love of sexy vampires with souls—he’d stared at me as if I were the most beautiful woman on the planet instead of some recluse teenager with a diary full of hearts and no life.

  And when he smiled—like one of those I-want-you-but-I’m-holding-back smiles . . . I think I may have died just a little bit at that moment.

  How was the most popular boy in school staring at me like he wanted to kiss me?

  And when he literally said it—said the words—but followed them with “You’re too young” I about fell off the bench inside the gazebo we’d been sharing for two hours.

  I’d stood. Given him my back. And then I’d channeled every ounce of strength inside of me and finally faced him, only for the quick movement to cause a collision of his muscular frame with my body.

  “Why me?” I had asked, the question a whispered breath in the air that took a few seconds to reach him.

  Then his brows had pulled together as if surprised by my question, and I’d wondered if I r
ead him wrong, until he’d replied, “I guess I have a thing for Cinderella-vampire-Swayze-loving girls with the most gorgeous green eyes I’ve ever seen.”

  He did kiss me after that. But what happened next, I never would’ve predicted.

  What started as a handshake led to a night I’d never forget.

  But it also didn’t turn into a fairy tale.

  Not even close.

  No, it ended in death.

  ***

  ATLANTA (2005)

  Charlie

  “Hey,” I said, a bit breathless from speeding to her dad’s house. I probably would’ve gotten a ticket had everyone in the city not been gorging themselves on Thanksgiving dinner to notice my Porsche racing down the streets.

  Adriana pulled me inside and locked up behind us. “Sorry we didn’t make it to dinner. I meant to text you but I just got Dad to bed.”

  My stomach dropped. Her dad must’ve fallen off the wagon. Holidays were always more difficult for him, which meant Addy had to pick up the pieces and help sober him up.

  “He okay?” I leaned my back against the door, nearly forgetting why I’d hauled ass over there to begin with. Her unhappiness would become mine. I’d own it, too, and do everything in my power to make things right.

  “Maybe I should move back home? Find a campus closer so I can take better care of him.”