Chapter 4
The rest of the ride carries a kind of tension I haven’t felt since I got out of the Teams.
The knife-blade of emotion I’ve found stuck in my airway for the last four hours only gets bigger, sharper every time I turn over the details in my head.
When I shift the car into park at the safe house, my hand reaches across the console that holds a small stuffed frog.
A child’s toy. Some good luck charm or soft little companion Jade carried when the rest of the world was too goddamned hard.
But I freeze. Jesus. I almost stroked my hand down her hair again.
I can’t afford to let this craving for her go unchecked.
She’s vulnerable.
I’m not a fucking predator.
If this goes any further, she chooses it.
Focus, Ryker. Do your job.
I need to get her somewhere she can sleep comfortably. God knows how long since she rested without fear.
After what she told me, no wonder she’s like a live wire, waiting to arc.
And the last thing she needs is the hands of a killer on her because I’m obsessed—fucking obsessed—with every inch of her from those doe eyes to the lips I want to devour, to the delicate frame that carries her so solidly under immense pressure.
She’s incredible.
I’m totally fucked.
When I glance at the safe house I’m surprised to see the front door closed. It’s only a matter of another minute or two before the team is fully involved.
Wanting answers. Deciding how to mobilize.
Do your job, I remind myself with a head shake.
But that’s the problem, she’s not the job. This is completely personal.
And Jade trusting a stranger to take her somewhere is a sign I must be the lesser of the evils in her life.
Before I let myself think any more, I launch myself out of her beat-up car, and stride around to the passenger side.
Deep breath. Stay professional.
As quietly as possible, I open the door. She’s breathing deeply, cheek resting against the seat, and I consider standing guard by the car until she wakes.
Twelve hours.
Twenty-four if needed.
I don’t care.
But fuck. I want her safe behind those armored walls, smart-locks, and infrared cameras. Tucked in warm in one of the bedrooms where nothing can hurt her.
That’s where I’ll stand guard.
A dark thought makes my hand fist on the roof of the car.
Who’s protecting her from me?
Because railroading her into coming here wasn’t me stepping on every fucking boundary. Right?
Shutting that fucking thought down, I scoop her up into my arms, nestling her into my shoulder, getting pissed off all over again because she hasn’t been eating well for who knows how long.
The woman’s been living in a state of terror. Dangerous knowledge making her a target.
“Are we here?” she whispers into my neck and my spine nearly snaps in half.
“Yeah, I’ll have you tucked in a comfortable bed in no time flat.”
Fuck, now I’m hoarse again.
“Just go back to sleep,” I tell her, trying to desperately ignore the urge to rest my jaw against her hair.
I’ll be guarding Jade from outside of that bedroom. That’s the only way I’ll survive. Because the need to be close to this woman is dangerous.
And after she told me about her father and that asshole’s possible criminal activity, my need to shield her amplifies by the second.
But I’m fucking working. The team is in the middle of a high-stakes mission.
As I stride up the walkway, the front door swings open to reveal three teammates armed to the teeth.
“You need a medic?” Justice asks, stepping out of the way.
“No, she just needs sleep.”
There’s a hush inside the safe house as I cross through the vestibule and move through the open living room. Everyone’s eyes tracking us.
The men who work for Agile Security & Rescue are concerned, and their girls are curious.
Allison, Truck’s girl, is the first to unglue her feet and rush ahead of me. She whispers, “The bedroom with the twin beds on the right is empty. Linens are ready.”
I tip my chin and keep moving. Deeper into the house, away from the hushed voices. “Who is she?”
“What’s wrong?” Another of the women asks.
Allison turns on a small lamp on the dresser, enough to give me a clear path to the twin bed against a solid wall. Not near any windows.
I don’t care that they are bulletproof. She’s not sleeping next to one.
Shifting her light frame into one arm, I pull back the blankets, carefully settling her into the bed.
Jade sighs and snuggles the pillow. “Oh my god, that feels so good.”
Couldn’t respond if I had a gun to my head. I’m a tangle of emotions I’ve never felt. And the need to be near her is nearly suffocating. I’ve never been jealous of a pillow in my life.
Allison’s watching from the doorway, probably catching the way I’m hovering too close, my shoulders as tight as wooden beams.
“Do you need anything?”
Yes.
I need a brain transplant and an army to guard Jade.
Shaking my head, I tug off my baseball cap. When she sees my expression—tortured—she motions for me to come out of the room.
“She’s safe here, you know that. You can stand down.”
Ha. Wrong.
“You sound like your man. Stand down isn’t something an archeologist would probably use in her daily vocabulary.”
“What can I say?” Her eyes soften. “But the real question here is, are you okay?”
No. Not even close. “Need one of the guys back here, now. Please.”
She nods, gripping my arm. “Sure. Do you two need food?”
“That would be good. Load some things up on a tray that you think she’d like.”
With that, Allison silently retreats joining the others in the kitchen.
I exhale, shake my head, pressing my thumb into my eye. Shit. Shit. Shit.
With pain building under my sternum, I lean back against the wall. Keeping a clear view of that single bed and the woman that’s magnetized me.
Dammit.
Fucking sick that I can’t take my eyes off of her. And it’s not just because I’ll break my own fucking back to keep her safe.
“Brother,” Truck says quietly as he comes toward me, looking oddly casual for such a bad mother-fucker. “What went down?”
“Some motherfucker smacked her around, I got there too late, but I stuck myself right into the middle of whatever’s going on. I’ve got a license plate, she knows who it is, but won’t let me report it.”
He glances at Jade who is now tucked in, hands clasped below her cheeks, dark shadows hugging the hollows of her cheeks.
“There’s more.” I curse. “Lots fucking more. She’s got some kind of info she thinks he wants. And the tags came back with bad news. Mako’s been on it for me.”
His sharp focus turns inward for a moment, cataloging details. “What can we do?”
No judgement. Simply, how can the team help.
I take two steps away from the door, turning so we won’t bother her.
“We need everything we can find on that bastard and whoever was in the car with him. After Jade’s rested, she’s going to give me a look at some intel she’s got.”
We look at each other for a moment.
This isn’t going to just blow over.
A wall of determination hardens Truck’s battle-scarred face. It wasn’t that long ago that Allison was the one in danger and he was loosing his fucking mind.
Jesus.
“At least you didn’t kidnap her,” he rumbles.
When I don’t answer, he straightens. “Did you?”
“Not yet.”
Unlike him, who kidnapped Allison to buy himself some alone time with her and make sure she was safe.
Now I get it.
“You sure you guys can put some energy into this?” I ask, worrying the heel of my hand against my chest. Fuck it’s tight in there.
He grunts, staring at me. “Seriously, man? You really fucking just asked me that. You know we protect what’s ours, and given the way you look right now, she’s yours whether you want to admit it or not.”
I look away.
No. Jade isn’t mine.
I’ve never had someone. Probably won’t.
He clasps a hand on my shoulder. “I do have some bad news. Sorry to tell you this, but we’re running another mission tonight, and you’ve been tapped.”
“Copy. Hey,” I pause, trying to figure out exactly what needs to be said here.
“Just so you know where my head is, she’s running on fumes.
I think she’s been living in a hotel or maybe her car.
Her suitcase is in the back of the car. She’s definitely been on the run.
I think we need to get her car out of here ASAP. ”
His expression turns hard as he focuses on the open bedroom door. “On it, and Ryker, you know she doesn’t have to run now.”
“My thoughts exactly. Jade didn’t reveal much. But what she said gave me obsessive need to unfuck her life.”
When I look at Truck again, he’s wearing a knowing look. “She got you.”
“No. I don’t know.”
“Bullshit,” he replies. I shake my head, but he slaps me on the back. “Get some rest. The team is deploying soon.”