Chapter 14
14
J ordan stared at the ceiling and inhaled sharply. She lay still, not wanting to risk waking Rhys. Anxiety plagued her with the decision to tell him that they couldn’t be together. No matter what she had rehearsed in her head on the way back to her home, she hadn’t been able to go through with breaking up with him. Not that he was going to let her.
Again, he knew her better than anyone else. He had known what she was about to say before she could even get it out. Her heart had been in pain the entire ride. It had torn her apart that she would have to let go of the man she loved. The one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Every bit of a future she had imagined was being snatched from her. Instead of driving straight to Rhys’s farm, she had opted to go home first.
Imagine her surprise to find him opening her front door.
She rolled over and eyed his sleeping form. He was currently on his stomach with his head buried into his pillow. A smirk appeared on her lips as she watched him. She could sit here and watch him sleep forever. His strong muscular back was bare while the blanket and sheets were resting on the edge of his waist. She ached to run her hands along his spine to feel his warm skin underneath her fingertips.
A slight snore cut through the air.
Rhys was in a dead sleep.
Which she should be. When they had returned to his place with her bags in tow, there had been no sign of Nova. Honor had been asleep at the top of the stairs but barely moved once she saw it was Jordan and Rhys coming up the steps.
The lovemaking that night had been different. It was almost desperate. The release they both experienced had been life-shattering. With the strength of the orgasm that Rhys had wrung from her, she should be asleep, too, but alas, she was awake.
Jordan snorted. How could she sleep when she’d been given an ultimatum? Turn in her SWAT brothers and leave the love of her life in order to return to the crazed maniac of an ex-boyfriend. Even if she could separate herself from Rhys, there was no way she would be able to turn Mac and the guys over to Bravon. She would rather die than do that.
Did she trust that she would be safe with Bravon?
Hell no. She’d had only had a small taste of what she now knew what he was capable of. He was just as much of a monster as his uncle was. Victor Huff was a sadist lunatic, and Bravon wasn’t far away from that.
There was only one future for Jordan with Bravon, and she was sure it had something to do with daisies.
Sweat beaded on her forehead. What the fuck was she to do? She was probably wrong for altering the story of what had happened in the park. It was best she had. If she hadn’t and Rhys knew that Bravon had threatened him and Nova, Rhys would go ballistic. Jordan had never seen Rhys lose his shit before. She had been in shock at her place when he’d been yelling at her. Rhys was not a man who raised his voice. He was normally cool, calm, and collected. Even when chasing down a perp, the man was always in control.
Something had snapped inside Rhys.
She couldn’t even be mad at him. If the shoe was on the other foot, she would have already been scouring the streets looking for the woman trying to take Rhys away from her.
The passion in his eyes for her was evident.
The blatant message in his voice—don’t fuck with me right now—had her going to pack her bags.
But seriously, how could she protect Rhys from Bravon? Protect the guys? She was going to have to give herself over to Bravon then think of a way to keep him from going after her brothers in blue.
Well, you could let Mac and the fellas know what’s going on, a voice whispered.
Jordan grimaced. She could and then she would have to update them on everything. From what had happened in Atlanta to what was transpiring now. Would they believe her? Or would they think she was a snitch as her last precinct had? She had thought she was good with everyone at her last job, but they had turned on her as fast she could blink.
Jordan swallowed hard.
She had proved she was loyal to SWAT. She’d been there when the shit had hit the fan with their enemies. For Brodie when Ronnie had got kidnapped, Iker when Jessica had been in that hostage situation and hospital attack, to Zain with her sister. She may not have been a member as long as the others, but she jumped in boots first without a second thought. She would do anything for them.
But was that enough?
Pain sliced across her chest. She sat up and inhaled sharply, trying to suck in air. She glanced around the darkened bedroom and felt as if the walls were constricting. She slid out of the bed as silently as she could and rushed toward the bathroom, snagging one of her bags along the way. She quietly shut the door and walked over to the sink. She set her bag on the counter and rested her hands on it while she fought to breathe.
A night-light illuminated the room. She didn’t dare turn on anything else. She was sure it would wake Rhys. She stared at her reflection while she worked on dragging air into her lungs.
Inhale.
Exhale.
You’ve been breathing your whole life, girl. Get it together.
A few moments later, she was able to get her breathing under control and her heart rate down to a reasonable pulse. She unzipped her bag and took out a few items.
It was the middle of the night, and since she couldn’t sleep, she’d go for a run. She quickly dressed in running shorts and a tank top. She reached in her bag and found her small holster and her .22 caliber pistol. She also had a little flashlight she wore for when she ran at night. She didn’t want to be out on these country roads where no one would be able to see her.
If she was going to run in the dark, she was not going unarmed. She pulled her shoes out of her bag and quietly carried the items, leaving her bag in the bathroom. She tiptoed through the bedroom, her gaze lingering on Rhys’s still form. Another snore cut through the air.
Good. He needed the sleep. She padded to the door and slipped out of the room. She made her way to the top of the stairs before she was stopped by a low whine. She peeked over her shoulder and found Honor resting on the floor outside Nova’s room. The dog’s ears were raised before she angled her head to the side.
Jordan chuckled, reading her K9 friend’s question loud and clear.
“If you are quiet, you can go for a run with me,” Jordan whispered.
Honor silently stood and rushed over to Jordan. They took the stairs without a sound. Honor obviously understood that Jordan wanted to leave without waking the house. They went into the kitchen where Jordan donned her shoes and her hip holster that would allow her to carry her pistol. She adjusted her tank top where it hid the gun.
Honor sat at Jordan’s side while waiting for her to be ready. Jordan scratched the dog on top of her head between her ears.
“Good girl,” Jordan murmured.
She let them out of the house through the patio door. Jordan took a few minutes to stretch. She wasn’t as young as she used to be and didn’t want to catch a cramp midway through her run. Honor waited patiently by the stairs while watching Jordan go through her standard pre-run routine.
After a minute or two, Honor lost her patience and gave a snort.
“Okay, let’s go,” Jordan grumbled.
She jogged down the stairs and headed toward the front of the house with Honor at her side. Jordan flipped on her flashlight that hung around her neck on a lanyard. It provided little light, but the main reason she wore it was to alert any passersby that she was on the road.
The German Shepherd kept pace with her as they made their way down the driveway. It was about a quarter of a mile long before it emptied out onto the highway.
The sky was a dark canvas with a few flickering stars that caught Jordan’s attention while the large moon stole the show. It was magnificent. Not quite a full one, but damn near close. Some nights when she couldn’t sleep, she would go for a run. The quietness that surrounded her while the world slept helped calm her nerves. She breathed in the fresh air; the sounds of her feet pounded the dirt drive. Honor jogged along with Jordan. The mutt was slowing herself down for her. There was no way she could outrun the dog. She’d seen Honor chase down a perp, and the dog had speed.
This was not the first time she had taken Honor with her on a run. The dog loved it as much as she did. This was their secret bonding time away from the others. They made it to the edge of the drive, and Jordan went right. Honor didn’t miss a beat while running alongside her.
They continued on. She wasn’t sure how long they would go tonight. She knew if she came to a four-way stop then it would mark two miles. She’d normally go farther and run to the next one, which would mark three miles, then turn around and return to Rhys’s farm. With the threats from Bravon, she decided she wasn’t going to go too far tonight.
Her gaze fell on the woods that lined the opposite side of the street. With the darkness, she couldn’t see any of the shadows that plagued the area. Dampness formed on her forehead. She reached up and wiped the sweat away.
She hoped her run would help tire her out where she could sleep once she’d made her way back home. She picked up speed, wanting to go a little harder with this workout. She was determined to go back and get some sleep after a hot shower. Honor gave her a doggy grin as she picked up speed, too.
Jordan laughed at the dog’s antics. Honor sped up slightly and was ahead of Jordan. The dog had the nerve to look over her shoulder at Jordan as if to see if the slow human was able to keep up with her.
“Show-off! I only have two legs!” Jordan chuckled.
Honor slackened her pace a bit to allow Jordan to catch up to her. She fell back and ran at Jordan’s side again. Jordan reached over and patted the dog on the head. She turned her attention back to the road ahead of her. This was just what she needed.
A flash of light caught her attention from across the street. She decelerated slightly, her gaze searching the area. There shouldn’t be anyone over there. From what she recalled, there was nothing but a thick brush of trees. There were no buildings near the road. One thing about these back roads was there were no streetlights like there was in the city.
What the hell was that?
Jordan powered down to a light walk but no longer saw the flash of light. She glanced over at Honor who was curiously looking across the way. Had the dog seen what she had? Jordan shrugged it off and picked her speed back up to a moderate jog. She was already feeling better. From memory, she knew the intersection wasn’t far. She’d hit that and then head back to her man where she belonged.
“Hey, where are you going?” Jordan gasped.
She stopped and watched Honor beeline off the dirt driveway that led back to Rhys’s house. Her face was slick with sweat. She reached up and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Honor went over to a tree near the dirt road and squatted.
“Don’t take too long.”
Jordan walked in small circles with her hands resting on her waist. Her breaths were coming in pants. The run had done her some good. Her heart rate was up, and the sweat was pouring from her. Jordan was in top shape and could have pushed herself to go farther, but tonight, she wanted to go back to her man. She turned to face where Honor had been peeing and found the dog standing at attention staring at something off in the distance. Of course, where she’d stopped was a patch of trees that blocked Jordan’s eyesight. It was pitch-black, and only the moon was providing light.
The hairs on the back of Jordan’s neck rose.
What the fuck did Honor see?
A low growl emitted from the K9.
“Fuck,” Jordan cursed. She slid her hand underneath her shirt and flipped the button on the strap that held her gun in place. She drew it from the sheath and was comforted by the cool metal of the weapon. She took a few steps toward the dog who gave another warning growl. “You better be seeing an animal, girl.”
Jordan brought her hands up and aimed the gun as she moved closer to Honor. Jordan stayed behind Honor and tried to see whatever the dog did but was unable to see anything. Jordan trusted Honor. If she sensed something was out there, then there was.
A warm bead of sweat trickled down Jordan’s forehead. She quickly reached up and swiped at it with the side of her wrist. She didn’t want to take her focus off Honor.
“Honor,” Jordan murmured. She crept closer to Honor and stayed behind her. Rhys had taught Jordan a few things about his K9 partner.
Never get in between her and a possible perp.
Jordan squinted, and again, didn’t see anything but darkness and shadows. Her heart slammed as she watched the dog’s hackles raise. Honor was now in an attack position.
“Fuck,” Jordan growled. She began walking up toward the house. She didn’t take her eyes off the woods, but she also wasn’t going to leave Honor alone to fend for herself. “Honor. Come.”
The dog whined but backed over to Jordan before she turned and jogged to her.
“What the hell is out there, girl?” Jordan said.
Honor glanced back in the direction again. Movement caught Jordan’s eyes. Her hand tightened on the handle of her gun. Her heart seemed to lodge itself in her throat.
A deer came bounding out of the trees and paused.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jordan sighed.
Bambi paused as if realizing she was not alone, before she raced down the road toward the highway. Jordan watched the animal disappear back into the woods. She relaxed and put her gun back in the holster. She turned to Honor who was wagging her tail. Jordan laughed and scratched her between her ears.
“Good girl. False alarm, but way to stay sharp. Let’s get home.”
Home.
Just saying the word brought a warm sensation to her chest. They continued their jog until the house came into view. The light on the front porch was shining bright. Jordan caught sight of Rhys sitting on the stairs. She wasn’t sure if her heart was now racing from the run or from the sight of her man sitting bare-chested waiting for her.
It was probably the latter.
The closer she got, she saw he had thrown on a pair of gray sweatpants and was barefooted. Honor, who saw him as well, left Jordan in her dust. The dog took off running toward Rhys. She let out an excited bark as if she hadn’t seen Rhys in years.
Jordan laughed at the pair. Rhys stood and came down the few stairs before Honor launched herself through the air toward his arms. Rhys opened them and caught the K9.
“Where have you been, girl?” Rhys placed the large dog down.
Honor sometimes didn’t understand that she was not a lapdog. She barked and danced in place, her tail wagging a mile a minute. Jordan closed the small distance between them and came to a halt near him and the dog. Rhys glanced up from rubbing Honor’s head, and his eyes softened. Jordan’s heart skipped a beat at the look in his eyes.
“How was the run?”
He turned around and snagged a bottle of water sitting on the steps and handed it to her. Jordan gratefully took it and downed half the bottle before she was able to speak. The man even had a towel for her as well. She snatched that up and wiped her face which was drenched with sweat. She would definitely need a shower after this workout.
“Decent. I didn’t go as far as I wanted, but it was good,” she said.
Rhys had a bowl of water waiting on Honor. He placed it on the bottom step for the K9 who wasted no time diving forth and lapping up the cool drink.
Jordan’s heart and breathing were still elevated. She knocked back the rest of the water, thankful Rhys was so thoughtful.
“You should have woken me. I would have gone with you,” he said. He came over to her side and gently took the towel from her hands and swiped at her forehead again.
“You were sleeping so good,” she attempted to joke. He had been dead to the world before she had left. But in all seriousness, she’d needed to go alone to try to sort out everything racing around in her head. Rhys would have been a distraction.
“Still. I would have gone with you, Jordan,” he murmured. He reached up and used the towel to wipe her chin. His soft drawl when he pronounced her name had her feeling slightly guilty. “You don’t need to be out there alone. You don’t know who is out there.”
“But I wasn’t alone,” Jordan said. She tapped on her gun hidden underneath her shirt and jerked her chin to Honor. She was capable to taking care of herself. She had been doing it for years and didn’t need anyone fighting her battles for her. She was a skilled fighter and an almost perfect shot.
“I’m being serious, Jordan,” Rhys’s voice deepened. He cupped her face and leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.
Jordan practically melted from his touch. Where was the big bad policewoman now? The moment this man put his hands on her to remind her how much he cared for her, that persona disappeared, leaving just Jordan.
The woman.
“I am, too. Honor stayed by my side the entire time. No one in their right mind would take that woman on,” Jordan replied softly.
Rhys chuckled and nodded.
“That you are correct.” He took her hand in his and led her up the stairs with Honor behind them. He opened the door and allowed her and Honor to enter first before he shut it behind them. “Go shower and I’ll have breakfast finished by the time you come back down.”
“What would I do without you?” Jordan leaned into him.
Something shifted in Rhys’s eyes. He cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking it. She closed her eyes, briefly relishing the strength that radiated from him. She blinked and found Rhys staring at her. A small smile ghosted his lips.
“You are never going to find out.”