Her Sensual Protector: A Navy SEAL Romance (Night Storm Book 5), Caitlyn O'Leary [uplifting book club books TXT] 📗

“That’s on the State Department, now isn’t it?” She stood up and placed her hands on the table, leaning forward. “I strongly suggest you find someone who worked there at the time. In the meantime, find my father. He’s. Been. Kidnapped.”

“Ms. Squires, it’s not that easy.” The ambassador tried to soothe her.

She slapped the table. “Then make it that easy. I got this meeting because of the stink my family is making in the U.S. That’s nothing compared to what they’re prepared to do. Wait until the petitions and the viral social media campaigns begin.”

“Ms. Squires, you need to settle down.” It was the man who had accused her father of working with terrorists. “You have no idea what we have to deal with daily, and the type of situation your dad is in. You need to leave it to us to handle, and go back to the States.”

Come on Daisy, let him have it. If he could, Leo would have rubbed his hands together.

“I’m not leaving Afghanistan without my father. You’re stuck with me. As to not understanding how things work? You’re wrong. I run W.A.N.T., Women Acting Now and Tomorrow. I know exactly what your situation is.”

One of the men snorted. She turned her head to face him.

“My charity works in Nigeria. You know, the country that is home to Boko Haram? I’m well aware that here you’re dealing with Al-Qaeda or the Haqqani Network, but good news, my father has been gone for a little less than a week. You can find him. You can get this done.”

She was magnificent. Leo smothered a grin as he watched her make mincemeat out of the ambassador and his five flunkies.

“We don’t negotiate with terrorists,” the dick diplomat said.

He’s such an asshole, I’m about ready to take him out back.

“I’m not asking you to,” Daisy said with disgust. “You go to the Afghan government and have them talk to the Taliban, or you talk directly with the Taliban, who then talks to those two terrorist organizations.”

She was exactly right, that’s how it worked. God, he was loving this. The suits were about ready to piss their pants.

Daisy reached for her leather backpack. “I will be back in twenty-four hours. I expect an update on your progress.” She walked around the conference room table. If she hadn’t been wearing heels, Leo didn’t think she’d be even five-feet tall. But that hadn’t stopped her from taking down a roomful of diplomats and CIA professionals. As she passed by Leo she winked at him, then walked out the glass door.

What in the hell was her oldest brother up to? He must have ruffled a whole hell of a lot of feathers stateside since she’d arrived in Kabul this morning, if the ambassador and five flunkies met with her. She’d tagged two as CIA, the rest as mid-level diplomatic aides, and one who gave her hope. They wouldn’t have had a casual military guy in there unless he was listening in for potential intelligence for some kind of op.

The sun blinded her when she strode out of the embassy. She stopped for just a moment to take off the linen jacket she’d been wearing and put on her Oakley sunglasses. One of the few things she splurged on, but oh so necessary when she was in countries like Afghanistan where the sun practically touched the ground.

Her driver was still waiting for her.

“Malek, take me to the hotel. There will be people following us, but don’t worry,” Daisy told her driver in perfectly enunciated Dari, the national language of Afghanistan.

“Should we be worried?” Her driver was nothing if not pragmatic.

“They will be members of the embassy. They are harmless.”

“Americans following Americans,” he coughed out a laugh. “This is something new.”

They were soon at the Kabul Serena Hotel, and Malek stopped and showed his ID. He was let through the gate, then security used a mirror on a stick to check the underside of their car for bombs before letting them drive to the front of the hotel.

Daisy knew not to even bother opening the door of the backseat because there would be somebody opening it for her. And there was. She shrugged on her jacket and took off her sunglasses as she walked into the air-conditioned hotel lobby. Her stride didn’t vary when she spotted the same soldier who had been loitering in the back of the conference room, seated in the lobby waiting for her.

How in the hell did he make it here so fast?

When he saw her coming his way, he stood up and smiled. It was a genuine smile, unlike all the others she’d been subjected to at the embassy.

“Who are you?” she asked as she took his outstretched hand and shook it.

“Chief Petty Officer, Leo Perez, at your service.”

“Navy, huh? You wouldn’t be a member of the acclaimed Navy SEALs would you?”

“Now ma’am, what could possibly make you ask such a question?” his smile was bright against his brown skin.

Daisy smiled back.

“Call it a lucky hunch.”

“Ms. Squires, based on everything I know about you, I don’t think much comes down to luck. I think that you get things done through determination, intelligence, and hard work.”

“Ah, someone smart enough to have looked me up. I’m impressed.”

“Why don’t we have a drink in the restaurant so we’re not quite so conspicuous?”

“That’s probably a good idea,” she admitted. Even though she didn’t want to be, she was flattered. There was something about having this man think highly of her that warmed her.

They walked across the lobby to the upscale restaurant and were quickly seated. Daisy noted that Leo’s Dari was almost as fluent