Protecting Lucianna: Florida Veterans, #5

By Tiffani Lynn

Entertainment lawyer Lucianna Ortiz is a survivor. After a horrific incident nearly took her life, she lives on the edge of being afraid of everything and not feeling anything at all. Pulling away from the people she loves most, she takes a trip. But when Lucianna finds herself stranded on a St. Augustine beach, she's anything but alone. Devlin's quiet blue eyes hold her captive and his capable hands make her feel... safe. 

 

Navy SEAL Devlin "Devil" Byrne went into the service after his little sister drowned. Just seventeen years old, a piece of him died that day too. Consumed by guilt, he keeps to himself, saving those he can and making amends the only way he knows how. When he meets beautiful and curvy Lucianna on the beach, he can't help but be drawn to her brokenness, which mirrors his own. He learns that protecting someone is sometimes more about their heart than their body.  


With a new year on the horizon, and Christmas approaching, both are struggling to overcome the past before it takes them under. Devlin's about to discover that protecting Lucianna could be the key to saving himself.

 

***Author's note - This story was previously pulished in Susan Stoker's Special Forces: Operation Alpha world. It has been revised and redited to remove all of Susan Stoker's characters and references, but the basic story remains the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tiffani Lynn
• Release date: Nov 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215642498

Tiffani Lynn

Tiffani is a music loving, baseball adoring, crazed hockey fan. She lives in Florida with her family. Writing romance is a passion for her as well as reading and spending time with friends. 

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

DEVLIN

This is the first time in twelve years that I’ve stood here on St. Augustine Beach, sand between my toes, sun on my face, staring at the tumultuous churn of the ocean as the waves roll onto the shore. The seagulls cry as they circle above my head, mocking me as if they know why I’ve come and don’t want me here. 

St. Augustine Beach was once my favorite place in the whole world, regardless of the season. Growing up, I spent as many hours here as I could, probably more than I spent in my actual home. My aunts and uncles used to joke that I was switched at birth and was probably King Triton’s son. Looking back, I can see why they said that, but 12 years ago my love for the beach and ocean was destroyed in a matter of minutes. In fact, the entire trajectory of my life was altered that day and I’ve never been the same. 

I strip my T-shirt off, toss it up on the sand and begin my jog south. All the feelings that have gathered in my gut since I decided to come here can’t be expelled any other way than running until I can’t breathe. What did I expect, waiting this long to revisit this place? Honestly, I figured I would avoid it forever, but as soon as I hit the city limits, I knew I’d come here. 

My parents have come to see me a couple of times since I joined the Navy, but only after my dad threatened to kick my ass if I didn’t allow my mother a visit. I’m not afraid of my dad. I’ve been bigger and stronger than him since I was sixteen years old, but I knew by the threat that he was serious. I never meant to hurt either of them. In fact, I’d hoped that my absence would help them heal. According to my mother, it didn’t. I should have been less selfish and come home, but I knew this would be incredibly painful and I avoid emotional pain at all costs. 

After a mile of jogging at a brisk pace, several beads of sweat roll down my temples, over my cheeks and drip off the underside of my chin. It’s hotter here than it is in California. I forgot how much more until just now. The pain in my soul makes me push harder, almost as if I’m trying to outrun the memories. The burning of my muscles is better than the ache in my heart and the painful memories that never leave my head. 

The cadence of her name builds in my head as my feet continue to pound the sand. Briana, Briana, Briana, over and over again until I can’t take it one more second. Thank God I’m at a deserted location on the beach because my heart cracks open, exposing my agony in its purest form. Briana! I yell, as if I’m unleashing something from my soul, and hit my knees. The sting as my flesh rips open on broken shells and sand barely registers. Years of memories and bottled-up feelings pour out onto the sand as the tears mix with the sweat and flow down my face. I do nothing to stop them.

Visions of Briana’s red curls bouncing as she ran down the beach trying to get a kite in the air, her snaggletoothed grin shining up at me any time she wanted something, the nineteen freckles she had on her nose and across her cheeks that stood out after a day at the beach, and finally her sightless blue eyes after I finally got her back to shore. Eyes I would never see again.

I finally roll over onto my back and stare up at the cloudless blue sky and shout at God for the millionth time, Why not me? Why didn’t you take me? And just like every other time, God doesn’t answer. I lie there feeling the sun bake my skin, angry, sad and probably a hundred other things I can’t quite name. 

After what feels like hours, I stand up and dust off as much sand as I can and jog several miles back to the spot I dropped my shirt. The Navy shrink said I’ll feel better if I allow myself to experience emotion instead of locking it away, but I’m going to be honest and say he’s full of shit. I’m tired and I’m embarrassed, although there doesn’t seem to be anyone out here to be embarrassed in front of. My jog back is slower and by the time I return, the sun is beginning to set. Although it doesn’t set over the water on this side of the state, the sky turns various shades of orange and pink, sometimes purple when there are clouds on the horizon, and it’s always amazing. 

The first person I see in over two hours is a short curvy woman whose long dark hair is blowing in the breeze. She never looks over at me, she just stands along the water’s edge and stares out at the horizon. I snatch my shirt off the sand and shake it out before pulling it on over my head as I keep walking. When I’m within about ten feet of her she turns and startles, obviously not expecting me. A chunk of hair brushes across her face and catches on her lips before she pulls it out of the way and turns back to face the ocean. My brain screams at me to stop and talk to her, but there is no way a woman as striking as she is would be out here without a friend or a date or something. Ladies that stunning only travel in packs, or so my experience in California has taught me. 

I walk a little further past her, towards my rental car. I don’t see anyone else nearby and she doesn’t look like she’s waiting for anyone. Doesn’t she realize how unsafe it is for her to be out here alone? There’s no telling what could happen. I mean, this used to be a relatively safe place, but I’ve seen some pretty terrible things in the world that lead me to believe nowhere is safe anymore. I wait a little bit longer, hoping someone will join her, but no one ever does. 

She’s not my responsibility, I remind myself so that I can leave and get cleaned up without feeling guilty. Tonight is my grandmother’s visitation at the funeral home and I can’t go until I’ve showered. If I’m late my father will lose his shit on me, so I reluctantly walk away from the beautiful brunette and head to my car.

CHAPTER 2

LUCIANNA

I’ve been standing here staring at the ocean for probably half an hour. One couple strolled past hand in hand but otherwise it was quiet until hunky ginger beach stud startled me. The guy looked like he’d been rolling in the sand and tried to dust it off but wasn’t super successful. His cropped red hair and red goatee both had sand in them too. This guy was tall and built. The fact that I’m only five foot two made him seem that much larger and more opposing, although he didn’t seem to have an aggressive demeanor. Oddly, he didn’t have any expression either. He wasn’t smiling or snarling, not lusting or annoyed. He was simply looking at me. It was strange. I briefly wondered if that’s how I appeared to him… Strange, that is. 

After he left, I stood there until my legs were aching and darkness consumed everything. Then I turned on the flashlight app on my phone and made my way back to