Page 39 of Single Mom’s Navy Seals (Claimed by the Alphas #2)

COLE

T he heat clings to my skin even as the sun dips lower in the sky. Jax sits beside me, his boots propped up on the porch rail, observing the empty road. Normally, I’d find silence comfortable, but right now there’s a tense edge that neither of us likes.

Beside us, the bathroom window is cracked open, and we can hear Ava’s laughter echoing faintly, mingled with Eli’s enthusiastic splashes as they do bath time.

For just a moment, the sound makes the tension loosen a bit.

Those two have changed things around here, made life feel right.

Like we’re building something solid. But then reality creeps back in, and I shift restlessly in my seat.

“You think something’s wrong?” Jax asks, finally breaking the silence. He tips his head toward me.

“I don’t know,” I admit honestly, shrugging. “But Liam sounded like something wasn’t right. You know how he gets.”

Jax snorts, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, I do. The man doesn’t send vague-ass messages unless he has a reason.”

My gaze drifts back to the road. The only movement is the slow sway of tall grass in the heat, and for a moment, everything feels suspended. Until the familiar rumble of Liam’s truck finally breaks the quiet, gravel crunching loudly as he pulls up.

“He’s back,” Jax announces unnecessarily, pushing himself upright.

The truck parks, and Liam leaves the engine idling a bit longer than necessary before shutting off. Liam doesn’t step out immediately, which sends a sharp prickle up the back of my neck. Jax glances at me, his brows raised questioningly.

“Let’s check it out,” I say, already heading down the porch steps. Jax falls easily into step beside me.

I swing open the passenger door, climbing into the seat as Jax smoothly slides into the back. Liam sits behind the wheel, hands resting loosely on his thighs, eyes staring straight ahead. There’s a tightness in his jaw I don’t like.

“All right,” I say evenly, keeping my voice casual. “What happened?”

“Morales’s call earlier was off. It didn’t sit right.”

Jax leans forward, tension evident despite his attempt at casualness. “Off, how?”

Liam’s expression hardens a little. “He said they’re moving Ava and Eli again soon, said our job would be done, and figured we’d be happy about it.”

I frown, absorbing that quietly. “That’s it? Just another relocation?”

I don’t get what’s off about that? But, clearly, my assessment is wrong because Liam shakes his head, frustration flickering briefly across his face.

“That’s what I thought at first. But something made me go back and check the files he sent before I drove back. Buried in the data were links to Ava’s old cabin location, route maps—the kind that embeds directly into your phone.”

“Okay…” Jax trails off, clearly as lost as I am.

“With the files and coordinates given, it would look like we had driven to her old cabin, and then there were fake routes leading to places we never went.” Liam looks at both of us and huffs when we still don’t get it.

“The links were hacked essentially. If I’d clicked to download them, they would have embedded false location data in our phone.

I couldn’t figure out why that would be, unless he was trying to frame us for something. ”

My jaw tightens, a low curse slipping under my breath. Jax blows out a sharp breath from behind us, clearly irritated.

“Shit,” Jax mutters darkly. “You think he’s playing both sides?”

“I don’t know,” Liam admits, exhaling roughly. “But it’s confusing me. Why would he want it to look like we went to Ava’s old cabin and fled to a state we never went to? Unless he was trying to set up an alibi for her disappearance.”

“That doesn’t make sense, does it?” Jax frowns in confusion.

“Yeah, unless he’s trying to make it look like we kidnapped her and Eli and disappeared.

” Liam looks between us. “The thought occurred to me that so much of this has seemed fueled by only him. How much does the government actually know about this situation? What if he’s the one leading everything, and he wants the higher-ups to think Ava and Eli were kidnapped and disappeared?

What if he wants us to take the fall for their disappearance? ”

Silence falls for a heavy minute before Jax speaks. “But why would he want that?”

“I don’t know. My gut is just telling me something’s off. Maybe I’m overreacting, though?”

I watch him closely, seeing the tension in his shoulders, the slight narrowing of his eyes. Liam doesn’t overreact. He’s cautious, meticulous. If he thinks something’s wrong, it probably is.

“Anything else?” I prompt.

“Yeah,” Liam says flatly. “Morales gave us a new number to use, one we’ve never had before. Area code matches California.”

I exchange a quick glance with Jax, the implication clear. California’s where Randy was last seen, where trouble could easily originate. My gut clenches tight, instinct flaring sharp and immediate.

“Did you call it?” Jax asks quietly.

“I did,” Liam replies, his voice grim. “I dialed, hung up quickly. But the number called back, left a voicemail.”

He reaches for his phone, pressing play without further explanation. Morales’s voice comes through, clipped and direct as usual. But behind Morales, faintly in the background, a deeper voice murmurs something indistinct. I lean in, focusing, but I can’t quite make out the words.

“You hear that?” Liam prompts us, shutting the recording off. “Another voice. Deep accent or speaking another language.”

Jax exhales. “Morales explain it?”

“Says it’s a new partner assigned to the case,” Liam says tightly. “A guy named Roger. We’ve never heard of him.”

“Because he’s never existed until now,” I mutter, irritation surging. “Morales doesn’t exactly make a habit of adding random new partners.”

Liam nods, running a hand over his jaw. “My thoughts exactly. None of this feels right. Morales isn’t giving us straight answers, and now these hidden files—seems deliberate.”

A silence settles briefly over the truck’s cab, heavy and contemplative. Finally, Jax breaks it, voice steady. “So, what’s the plan?”

Liam looks between us, his expression resolute. “We string Morales along for the next little while, see what information we can get out of him. But when we’re ready, we take Ava and Eli and we’re out. We’ve got enough contacts to vanish and keep them safe.”

I nod, feeling the familiar calm that settles over me when we have a clear course of action. “Agreed. We’re not risking them.”

“Damn straight,” Jax adds firmly from behind me. “Ava and Eli come first.”

Liam’s eyes darken, protective resolve clear in his expression. “No matter what. They’re ours now. Morales doesn’t get to play games with their safety.”

For a moment, silence fills the truck’s cab again. But it’s different now—focused, determined. I feel steadier, knowing we’re in this together, ready to do whatever it takes.

Finally, Jax breaks the quiet, clearing his throat.

“Speaking of transparency and keeping things in the loop,” Jax says, his tone casual enough that it immediately makes me suspicious. “Full disclosure, while you were gone today, Liam, I might’ve gotten a little up-close-and-personal with Ava.”

Liam arches an eyebrow, turning fully in his seat to look at Jax. “Define that.”

He flashes Liam a completely unapologetic grin. “Well, I ended up with her thighs around my ears. So, up-close-and-personal.”

“So, I’m driving forever and dealing with Morales, and you’re having a great time,” Liam rolls his eyes with humor behind it.

“Hey, let’s just say you didn’t see how good she looked in those shorts. Couldn’t resist.” Jax shrugs easily, though the gleam in his eye is unmistakable. “Pretty sure Cole can vouch for me.”

I snort, shaking my head with amusement. “He’s not lying. Caught them after the fact, both grinning like idiots.”

Liam lets out a short breath, and a faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Good to know you two kept busy while I was out dealing with Morales.”

“Hey, transparency, right?” Jax leans forward, clapping Liam on the shoulder. “Figured you’d appreciate being informed.”

“I do,” Liam says, mildly amused. “But if you two think I’m going to fall behind here, you’re wrong.”

“Oh, I’ve already got plans to even the score,” I say calmly, leaning back comfortably. “Trust me.”

Liam’s mouth quirks into a dry smirk. “Looks like I’ll have to get creative, then.”

Jax chuckles, relaxing fully into the seat behind me. “That’s the spirit.”

Liam shakes his head, amusement lingering.

“Let’s head inside,” he says calmly, stepping out. “Act normal until we know more. No reason to worry Ava or Eli yet.”

Jax follows suit, climbing out of the truck and stretching casually.

I join them, shutting the door behind me.

I don’t know what’s going on with Morales.

But I do know that if anyone tries to lay a hand on the two people in that house, there’s nothing on earth that could stop me from getting to them.

I deeply hope Morales doesn’t make that foolish mistake.