Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
T he team arrived in twenty minutes, jogging down the road with Jerico wearing an extra pack in front of him. Zale knew immediately that they had left under the guise of a regular, off-base training run. He made eye contact with Caden the minute they came into view.
Even across the distance, the oldest member of the team assessed the situation quickly. Caden nodded at Pippa, asking a silent question. Zale answered him with the same gesture—she was under his protection now. He focused back on Pippa who hadn’t sensed their approach.
“My team just showed up,” he reassured Pippa as he soothed ointment over the deep gouges caused by the zip ties. Zale saw her tense up, and said, “They’re the good guys. I’m going to check you for any additional injuries. Let me know if anything hurts.”
In a couple of minutes, the team was close. He quickly ran his hands over her, searching for injuries or fractures. Thankfully, he didn’t find anything concerning—only scrapes and bruises.
“Hey. Thanks for coming,” Zale called as he wrapped the gauze around her wrists.
“You owe us a run,” Koa complained.
Zale ignored him. Koa could be abrasive, but like the others, Zale knew he could trust them with his life—and had. “This is Pippa.”
“Hi, Pippa. Looks like you got banged up. Here, drink this,” Jerico said, handing her a flask from the extra pack. “It’s a hydrating drink.”
Instantly, she unscrewed the top and guzzled down the mixture. Zale plucked it from her hand. “Go slow. You’ll make yourself sick.” He kicked himself for not thinking of that as he handed it back to her.
She nodded and took small sips.
“Better,” Zale praised her before addressing his team. “Pippa was taken from Montana a few days ago. We’re not quite sure how long ago. She thought she’d gotten hired for a new position out of town. Pippa was smart and got away from the man who’d kidnapped her during an accident.”
“Cops?” Caden asked.
“No, please. I just want to be away from them,” Pippa answered, trembling.
“We can keep you safe, but there may be other women in trouble, too,” Zale pointed out. He didn’t want to scare her into fleeing, but there would never be an end to running if the man wasn’t stopped.
She looked so scared. His protective instincts went into overdrive. He would do anything to erase this experience from her life.
“I don’t want to go to the police,” Pippa said quickly.
“I know,” Zale told her as he taped the gauze into place around her wrists.
“You have to work, right? Train or something? I should get going so you aren’t wasting time with me,” Pippa told him.
“Not happening,” Zale told her. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I’ll call Aspen. She and Rexy can come pick up Pippa to take her to our house. She’ll be safe and can get cleaned up. That will give us time to do some research and figure out the best course of action,” Jerico suggested.
When Pippa stepped closer to Zale, Jerico said, “I’m Jerico, Pippa. My girlfriend has a large dog named Rexy. You’ll be safe with them.”
“Thanks, Jerico,” Zale said with relief. He knew they’d have to go to the authorities soon, but preferred to go in with more information.
“What can you tell us about the guy in the accident?” the burliest guy in the group asked. When she looked at him hesitantly, he introduced himself with a smile. “I’m Max, Pippa.” Zale knew he was trying to make himself appear less intimidating.
She nodded and said, “His name was Jacob, but everyone called him Junior. He didn’t like that. Every time he talked on the phone, he corrected people. I didn’t get the impression that he usually drove—especially not that car. He complained about a lot of things. There had been others in the car. That armrest was completely marked with other plastic ties.”
“The son of the big boss, forced to ferry the latest woman himself. He’s not having a good week. I’ll contact a friend who’s an MP and get his name. Hi, Pippa. I’m Hank.” The quiet guy in the group was the one Zale always paid attention to when the team was in a tight spot. Hank always had a handle on what was happening.
“I’m never going to remember everyone’s names,” Pippa admitted.
“That’s okay. You’ll have some time to get to know us,” Zale told her.
“You’re not going to drop me at the police station with a note?” she asked.
“We don’t do that, Pippa. Want to meet Aspen and Rexy to see if you’re willing to stay with them while we do our training?” Zale asked.
“You think someone’s going to put two and two together and figure out that you have me,” Pippa said.
“That’s a good possibility. Until we know who that guy is, we’re better safe than sorry,” Zale answered.
“In that case, I’d love to see exactly how big this dog is,” she said.
Jerico and Hank stepped away to make phone calls as the others talked. Zale wrapped an arm around Pippa when she stepped closer to him, as if needing reassurance. She moved closer and leaned slightly against him. Zale couldn’t believe how good the contact felt. No, not good—perfect.
He met Jerico’s gaze as the commissioned officer rejoined the group. Zale could see the unspoken question in his eyes. Nodding, Zale confirmed Jerico’s suspicion. Zale knew Pippa was his.
“Is everything okay?” Pippa whispered, looking back and forth between the two men.
“Yes. Everything is fine. When a team works together as closely as ours does, we develop the ability to communicate with a glance. Jerico was asking if you were someone special to me and I confirmed his suspicion,” Zale said quietly to her. His words covered by Hank’s return.
“We just met,” she whispered.
“It doesn’t matter. Do you feel it, too?”
“Like we were supposed to meet?” she asked. When he nodded, she echoed the gesture. “It’s strange, but I feel it, too.”
“I’m glad,” Zale told her, hugging her closer to his side.
“Zale, you’re going to want to hear this,” Hank called for his attention. “The bad guy is Jacob Scroggins, Jr. We’ll have to investigate him. He has a crystal-clear record. Not even a single parking ticket. Several residences listed. Driver’s license from Atlanta, Georgia.”
“Here’s Aspen.” Jerico walked forward with a grin on his face to greet a woman in a car. He helped her out and held the door for a giant dog to squeeze his way out. The car actually lifted slightly when the dog landed on the pavement. Jerico pulled Aspen close for a kiss and the dog leaned against them. Jerico dropped one hand to pat the dog’s torso solidly. Thump, thump, thump. The dog’s tail beat a staccato rhythm in response against Jerico’s thigh.
The love flowing between the couple was unmistakable. She hadn’t met many people who cared about each other as much as these two obviously did. Despite all the crap that had happened in her life, Pippa couldn’t help but smile at the happy picture.
She snuck a glance up at Zale. He seemed happy for them. Looking around the group, she sensed a hint of envy from the others. Were they all single?
Jerico stepped back, drawing her attention to the new arrivals. He guided Aspen to the group with a hand on her lower spine. The men all greeted her familiarly by name. The dog made the rounds to each man and received vigorous pats on his sturdy frame. When he got to Zale and Pippa, Rexy leaned on Zale before staring up at her.
“Hi.” Pippa scrambled to remember the name everyone had called the pet. “Rexy, right?” She held out her hand.
Rexy sniffed her carefully. He checked out the bandages on her wrists before moving a bit closer. When Pippa hesitated to pet the gigantic beast, Rexy nudged her with his massive head.
Pippa slid a hand over his spine, enjoying the play of the powerful muscles under the silky coat. “You are a sweetheart, aren’t you?”
Rexy woofed an affirmative answer and turned to stand next to her. He’d made his decision.
“What kind of dog is he?” Pippa asked, petting him.
“He’s part mastiff and part Great Dane,” Aspen answered.
“And part wrecking ball and lawn mower,” Jerico added.
“He didn’t mean to chew up your slippers,” Aspen rushed to assure him.
“Right,” Jerico answered skeptically.
“You wear slippers?” Koa asked, overtly laughing.
Pippa’s gaze bounced back and forth to the team members. Jerico wasn’t mad that Koa was chuckling. They enjoyed each other. How would it feel to have a supportive group around you?
“I’m Aspen,” the young woman with shoulder-length brown hair told her.
“Hi, Aspen. I’m Pippa. I hope you don’t mind having company today? Zale seems to think I need a safe place until he’s off work.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Pippa. I couldn’t be happier. Rexy is a noble companion, but his conversational skills are…” Aspen allowed her voice to trail off.
Rexy lifted his head and stared at Aspen, openly assessing her.
“Rexy, I’m sorry. I said you’re a great companion,” Aspen said quickly.
The massive dog sneezed and then moved back to his owner’s side, obviously forgiving her. Aspen ruffled his fur in a loving reward.
“Time for Pippa to get out of sight,” Zale announced.
“Good idea. Rexy doesn’t enjoy being away from home for too long either. Do we need to pick up anything for you on the way?” Aspen asked.
“Take her straight home, sweetheart. She needs to stay out of sight,” Jerico told her gently.
“Sorry. Not thinking,” Aspen excused herself. “Come on, Rexy. Back in the car.”
As they got the dog settled, Zale asked, “Are you okay with this?”
“Yes. They seem nice,” Pippa answered. This made sense. Jacob couldn’t find her with Aspen.
“Ask to use Aspen’s phone if you need to call me. She’ll be glad to share,” Zale assured her as he opened the passenger door for her.
“Thanks.” Impulsively, Pippa stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist. She hugged him tight before retreating to the car.
Zale wrapped one large hand around her shoulder and squeezed. When she looked up at him, he assured her, “I’ll come get you soon.”
It was tough to watch him disappear behind them. Pippa settled back against the seat. She hurt inside like she’d lost her best friend. She glanced at the woman next to her.
“This is really nice of you.”
“I know how it feels to need help. Jerico saved Rexy and me from the violent man who lived next to me,” Aspen shared.
“Really? I’m sorry,” Pippa said truthfully.
“It turned out okay. I got away with stealing the jerk’s dog and keeping him safe. Jerico was a super nice bonus.”
“They’re all hot.”
“They really are. And they’re not self-absorbed at all. Jerico can’t tell me what the team does, but I know it’s dangerous. They really want to protect others,” Aspen said.
“Sounds like I was lucky Zale drove by the accident.”
“You’re going to have to tell me what happened to you. Well, you know—if you want to. I can understand if you don’t want to talk about it,” Aspen assured her.
“I might like a shower first,” Pippa suggested.
“Getting clean always makes everything better. We’re about the same size. How about I loan you some leggings and a top? I even have a package of cotton underwear I haven’t worn.”
“You are my new best friend,” Pippa said, finding herself wishing the phrase was true.
“Perfect. I need a friend. Daddy always tries to get me to be more outgoing,” Aspen said, and then clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Daddy?” Pippa repeated.
“Forget I said that.”
“They exist, don’t they? Daddy doms?”
Aspen paused for a second as she navigated a turn into an orderly neighborhood. She glanced at Pippa before asking, “You know what daddy doms are?”
“Only from books. I’d hoped they really existed,” Pippa confessed.
“I think that whole team of gorgeousness is a pack of daddies,” Aspen admitted.
“Zale definitely took care of me. He acted to save me without really asking questions.”
“Did you sense something was special about Zale when you met him?” Aspen asked, after turning into a driveway and triggering the garage door opener.
Pippa nodded.
“Yeah, me, too. I’m glad you’re here,” Aspen told her, reaching over to pat her leg. Rexy whined from the back seat. “Okay, boy. Let’s get inside.”