by Elle James
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “It’s almost like he targeted you. Did you tell him you didn’t have any family?”
Anne nodded. “I thought of that. But, by then, it was too late. I was living with him. I was getting an idea of what he was doing with his computer.”
“And if he was hacking into computer databases, he might have wanted you under wraps to keep you from telling anyone else about his nefarious activities.”
She nodded. “I didn’t agree with what he was doing. It was wrong. But, more than that, I really wanted to be free of him.”
“And now?” Jack asked.
Her jaw hardened. “I’d like to put him away so he can’t hurt me or anybody else again.” Her gaze went to Jack’s ribs where Derek had stabbed him.
“I’m all right,” Jack assured her. “I’ve had much worse injuries. Although that doesn’t make what he did right. You’re lucky he didn’t sink that knife deeper into your throat.” Jack reached out and touched her neck just below where Derek’s knife had nicked her. “If he had stabbed you in just the right spot, you would’ve bled out before I could’ve done anything to help you.” His brow furrowed. “I shouldn’t have charged in like I did.”
“But it worked,” she said. “It caught him off guard.”
“Yeah, but he could just as easily have slit your throat instead of turning that knife on me.”
“You can’t second guess yourself,” she said. “You got me away from him.”
Jack’s lips twitched. “Seems like you got yourself away from him with that jab to his ribcage.”
“Only because he loosened his hold when he went after you,” she reminded him.
“Then we’ll have to agree we helped each other,” Jack said.
Anne nodded, staring straight ahead into the darkness. “Doing something is better than playing the victim.”
“Yes, it is,” Jack said. “You’ve got gumption.”
“And you’ve got skills,” she said. “I wish I had those same skills. I would never have been in the situation I am now.”
“You need to take some self-defense classes.”
She snorted. “That kind of thing costs money. I was barely making enough to pay the rent and put food on the table.”
“Maybe Hank can help you out with that, too,” Jack said.
Her lips formed a thin line. “I don’t like being a charity case.”
“No, but you’d like it even less being dead. Sometimes, you have to accept a little help until you can get on your feet.”
She nodded, her hand going to rest over her belly.
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“You’re holding your stomach like you don’t feel well.”
She shifted her arm to the armrest. “I feel fine.”
“Are you hungry?” he asked. When she didn’t answer he went on, “Because if you are, so am I. Either way, if there’s a place to stop, I’ll grab something.”
“I’m going to keep track of everything you spend on me,” she said. “And someday, I will pay you back.”
“You’re paying me back by keeping me company.”
Anne laughed. “Why would you want company on a vacation when you set out to be alone?”
He lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “It’s not so bad. I’ve been with my team so long I thought I needed a break from them. The drive up from San Diego was just a little bit…” his mouth twisted, “lonely.”
“Maybe you just needed a vacation with fewer people. Maybe not with no people,” she said.
“Good point.”
“And I’m only with you until we get to Hank Patterson’s place,” she said. “Then you’ll get that peace and quiet you wanted so badly.”
He nodded. The thought of leaving her with Hank should have made him happy, but he felt somewhat responsible for her still and wondered what member of Hank’s team would be assigned to protect her. He trusted Hank because he knew him. He had served with Hank in Iraq. And though Hank was a good judge of character, Jack didn’t know the other members of Hank’s team, those that he might assign to protect Anne.
Jack would want to meet the guy Hank had in mind for the mission. He’d want to know his background and skillset.
Anne’s ex-boyfriend might not be a former SEAL or special ops soldier, but he was a sneaky bastard. Jack knew firsthand what he was capable of. He touched a hand to his ribs.
The guy was dangerous, and he was persistent. Though he’d gotten away, he wouldn’t give up easily. His misguided belief that Anne belonged to him would lead him back to find her. He’d wait for his opportunity and make his move when nobody was looking. Would Hank’s guy be ready?
Chapter 8
Although Anne tried to stay awake through the night, she fell asleep at about two o’clock in the morning and woke briefly when Jack stopped to refuel at four-thirty. She made use of that time to take a bathroom break.
The baby wasn’t big yet, but already she felt the urge to urinate more often. Other physiological changes had been happening with her body. Along with bouts of morning sickness, her breasts had swelled, and she swore her hair was getting thicker. And too often, she was tired.
Before too long, her belly would start swelling, and she wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that she was pregnant. Which might make it harder for her to find a job. Who would want to hire a pregnant woman as a waitress or even an office assistant? They would expect that by the time she had the baby she would want to take off six to eight weeks afterward to be with her newborn.
What they didn’t know was that she couldn’t afford to take that much time off. As it was, she’d have to save money well ahead of that time to pay rent and be prepared to pay childcare for when she went back to work.
Her heart tightened in her chest. This baby didn’t choose its father, and she wouldn’t undo the fact that she was pregnant. It was done. An abortion was out of the question. The baby was growing inside of her, and it was up to her to give it a chance to live.
Maybe it was a good idea for her to put the baby up for adoption. It would have a better life with a couple who could afford to give it everything it needed, plus the love of two parents. Instead, her child would struggle with a mother who made barely above poverty level. Still, the thought of giving up her baby tore at her heart. Her own mother had loved her deeply. Anne felt fully capable of loving a child as deeply, even if there wasn’t a father in the equation to provide a balanced and steady home. Somehow, she’d make it. She’d figure it out before she gave birth.
Just after sunrise, Jack pulled into a truck stop to put fuel in his truck. She noticed he hadn’t been using a credit card, but went inside and paid cash, insisting she accompany him as well. He was not going to let her out of his sight. Even when she went to the bathroom, he stood outside the door and waited for her to come out. She hated that he felt that was something he had to do.
Anne valued her independence but, at the same time, she felt safe. If Derek were to show up, Jack wouldn’t let him get to her. It was the first time since she’d moved in with Derek that she’d felt anything like safe. She was able to relax inside the truck as they drove north, and since Jack wasn’t using his credit card, hopefully, Derek wouldn’t be able to track their online path.
At the truck stop, Jack ordered food to go for breakfast. “I don’t want to leave the truck sitting out there any longer than we have to,” he explained.
She nodded and stared out the window as he ordered the food. Whenever a vehicle pulled in next to the truck, Anne tensed and waited to see who climbed out. As soon as she realized the person wasn’t Derek, she relaxed.
When they had their containers of food in a bag and ready to go, Jack led her toward the door and helped her up into the cab of the truck. He settled the bag of food on her lap and rounded the truck to climb into the driver’s seat.
“We might as well sit here and eat,” Anne said and handed him one of the containers
. She opened hers to find scrambled eggs, a biscuit, bacon and hash browns. Also in the bag was a small cup of fruit. She began nibbling on the biscuit to settle her stomach, then took a few bites of egg, closed the container and ate a couple bites of the fruit cup.
Beside her, Jack shook his head. “That’s not going to fill you up.”
No, it wasn’t, but her stomach was tricky in the morning. “I don’t eat a lot for breakfast,” she said. At least not when she could throw it up. “It was good,” she said. “I’ll eat some more of it later.” After she was sure that what she’d already eaten would stay down. “Please, take your time. It’s hard to eat and drive.”
He finished his food in record time.
She chuckled. “That was fast.”
“You learn to eat fast, or you might not eat at all.” He grinned. “It was a vital skill I mastered in BUD/S training. We burned thousands of calories each day and needed every bit of food we could consume.”
Anne could only imagine the hardship of his life. “I understand that Navy SEAL training is difficult.”
Jack laughed. “That might be an understatement, but it does prepare you for the rigors of battle. Those who make it through know that they can count on their buddies, fellow Navy SEALS, to have their backs and the ability to protect and defend.”
“You must be very close to your team,” she said.
He nodded. “I am. They’re the brothers I never had growing up.”
“Are you an only child, too?” she asked.
“No,” he said, “I have two sisters. And, though they tormented me, I wasn’t allowed to wrestle or hit back. Which is just as well, no man should ever hit a woman. And though my sisters were brats to me growing up, they turned out all right.”
“Do you get to see them very often?” she asked, envying Jack’s fortune in siblings. She had always wanted a brother or sister.
His smile faded. “Not as often as I would like. They live on the east coast. Over the past six years I’ve made it home for Christmas twice.”
“And yet, you’re going to Montana to spend your vacation alone…?” Anne cocked an eyebrow toward him.
“Yeah, they gave me grief about that. I could’ve hopped on a plane and gone out to see them, but I really needed some downtime.”
“I’m sorry,” Anne said.
“For what?”
“Bringing you into my situation is not giving you that downtime you needed. Hopefully, you’ll have a chance to relax once I get to Hank’s place.”
He nodded. “I’m banking on that.”
She settled her container of food on the floorboard behind her, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Thankfully, the food she’d eaten remained in her stomach, with the added benefit of making her sleepy.
Anne dozed off and on for the remainder of the trip. They fueled up again a few hours later, and once more, stopping to get lunch in Bozeman before heading east to the Crazy Mountains. She must have fallen asleep again, because she didn’t wake until they rumbled over a cattle guard, entering a gate with the words White Oak Ranch written in black wrought iron in an arch over the grate. She sat up straight and finger-combed her hair.
“Is this it?” she asked. “Is this Hank’s place?”
Jack nodded. “Yes, it is.”
It was early afternoon. The sun shone brightly in the clear blue Montana sky. Anne lowered the visor, stared at her reflection in the mirror and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” Jack said. “Hank isn’t going to judge you based on your looks. He knows you’ve been on the road all night.”
She laughed and looked over at him. “I hate looking like something the cat dragged in, especially if his wife is there. Sadie McClain is a mega movie star. I’ve seen a few of her movies. She’s really good.”
Jack nodded. “And, from what I understand, she’s really down to earth. She grew up near the small town of Eagle Rock, Montana. Sadie was raised on a ranch. She wasn’t always the mega movie star that she is today.”
Anne sighed. “Still, I wish I’d had time to do something with my hair, and at least, brush my teeth.”
“I’m sure they’ll give you a chance to use their facilities. In fact, you might be staying there until he assigns someone to take over your protection.”
Now that they were getting close, Anne wasn’t sure about her decision to go with Hank Patterson. She felt comfortable with Jack. He knew what to expect. Although he hadn’t been very happy about her showing up in his apartment and in his truck, Jack was the one she trusted. She’d thought she would never trust another man again. Until Jack.
As they wound along the tree-lined gravel road, Anne shrank back against her seat, her anxiety mounting.
This was it. Their time together was nearing an end.
Jack would hand her over to his friend, somebody Anne had never met. And then he’d assign her another man she didn’t know, and she would be expected to trust and rely on him to keep her safe.
Her stomach knotted and churned the food she’d consumed along the way. “You know, it might’ve been better if you’d dropped me off at that last gas station.”
Jack shot a glance her direction. “Why do you say that now?”
She shrugged. “It would be easier for me to disappear if I’m alone, rather than with a bodyguard hanging around.”
Jack’s brow descended. “You’re not serious, are you?”
She looked ahead. “I don’t know Hank or any of his team.”
“Hank was an excellent Navy SEAL. When we served together, he saved my life on more than one occasion. He gave up the Navy when his father fell on hard times out here in Montana. That experience made Hank realize how difficult it is for former battle-trained service members to assimilate into civilian life. When Sadie McClain was threatened, Hank stepped up to the task of protecting her and, in so doing, he found a purpose for other highly trained special operations guys who’ve left the service. They use many of the skills they learned in their training.”
“It’s good he’s given other service members a place to put their skills to work,” Anne said.
Jack chuckled. “He’s even tried to recruit me into his Brotherhood Protectors. Someday, when I’m ready to leave the Navy, I might take him up on that offer. I’m just not ready right now.”
“You seem to love what you do,” she said.
“I do. There are parts I don’t like. But I love the team, my brothers. I can’t imagine them going on a mission without me. I’d feel as if I’d let them down. I feel like I’m needed there.”
“What about your family at home? Don’t they need you?” A thought struck her in that moment. “I never thought to ask,” she said, “are you married? Do you have children? What about them?”
His mouth set in grim lines. “I’m not married anymore.” His tone was clipped, as if he didn’t want to discuss that little bit of insight into his past.
Anne stared across the console at Jack. “But you were married at one time? Do you have any children?”
Jack shook his head. “No. We weren’t married long enough. Thank goodness.” His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. “But this conversation isn’t about me. It’s about Hank. He’s a good man, and he’s very skilled.”
“But he might not be the one who is assigned to protect me,” Anne reminded Jack.
“Hank chooses only the very best men to be on his team.”
“That might be so, but it’s still easier to hide one person. I could just disappear.”
Jack frowned. “I don’t like the idea of you disappearing. You shouldn’t have to go into hiding. Hank will find some way to stop Derek.”
“That’s just it,” Anne said, “Derek won’t stop until he has me locked up again.”
“You can’t live like that, Anne,” Jack said.
“I can,” she said, “if I go someplace where he can’t find me.”
Jack’s foot left the accelerator, slowing the truc
k. “But you’ve said it before, he will find you.”
“Not if I move someplace off of the grid, where there aren’t security cameras he can tap into.” She tipped her head toward the mountains. “I could live in the mountains. Maybe find a cave.”
“And how would you survive?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know.” She raised her hands. “The settlers survived with nothing when they moved out here.” It was a foolish thought, but she felt more desperate the closer she came to being left with a stranger.
His lips twisted. “They knew how to hunt, trap and grow their own food. And, for the record, a lot of them died.”
Anne sighed. “You’re right. I probably wouldn’t last two weeks. With my luck I’d tangle with a bear. And I really can’t afford to die.”
“Why do you say that?” he said.
She glanced down at the hand on her belly. “No reason. I just need to live. If that means starting over somewhere else, then maybe, that’s what I need to do.”
“Look. Give Hank a chance. He kept his wife Sadie alive when she had a stalker after her. He knows what you’re up against, and he has a team for backup. At least meet him and give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Okay,” Anne said, but she wasn’t convinced. She had a better chance of hiding herself than trying to keep under the radar with a bodyguard in tow, somebody she knew nothing about. If the bodyguard were Jack, she’d feel a little better about it. But she’d already imposed too long on him. He’d come out to Montana for a vacation, not to take care of her.
