"He's come a long way, actually."
Justin's words were nearly extinguished by her father's shout. "Danielle?"
She leaned forward, still strapped in her jump seat. "Here!"
She grasped at the clip, but Justin's fingers beat her to it. She shouldered off the harness as her father slid to a stop in front of her. He enveloped her in a crushing hug.
"Oh, my God. I thought I lost you."
"I'm okay. I'm here." Danielle coveted the display of emotion. She absorbed her father's embrace and whispered words.
"I had no idea how to get you back." He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. "My God, what would I have done if I lost you?" He pulled her into another hug.
"You couldn't have lost me, dad. We didn't say it." Her tears streamed down her cheeks, but her comment made her father laugh.
"I'll never be ready to say it." He sat back and swiped at his own tears. "Are you hurt?" He ran his eyes over her, landing on the huge black socks that covered her feet. The fact that they were bandaged under the socks were obvious.
"Cuts and bruises. My feet are tender." Danielle mentally rolled her eyes at the understatement. "Justin and his family." She waved at the men who were working to release the straps from equipment. "Jacob's team. They got me out."
"And it was all my fault." Her father's voice cracked.
The crestfallen expression that overtook his face planted a worry deep inside her. "Really? Did you hire that man to kidnap me? Did you tell them to fly me to Libya? Because if you did, Dad, we need to work on the hotel accommodations."
He looked up at her bewildered. "You aren't responsible for what happened any more than I am. I'm assuming the man you suspected was the leak?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I turned everything I had, and everything you'd dug up, over to Guardian. I haven't been to the office or taken a call since they brought me here to D.C." He drew a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hands. "I suppose I should tend to those matters."
"I think you need to rest first." Dani put that comment out there. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and probably hadn't.
He smiled. "I'll rest when I get you home."
Dani knew her eyes popped open to the size of silver dollars. "Umm..."
"I'll be taking her home, sir." Justin's tone left no room for argument.
"Really?" He slid his gaze from Justin to Danielle. "Just how serious is this?"
"As serious as it gets," Justin responded for her.
Danielle smiled up at the man she loved. "I love him. He loves me." She swung her eyes to her dad. "I agree. This is as serious as it gets."
Her father stared at her for several long seconds before he spoke, "Cherish every moment you have together. Don't let this slip through your fingers." He stood, the ramrod straight posture he'd usually carried returned as he glanced around the aircraft. He spoke so everyone could hear him, "Thank you for what you did. For what you risked to bring my daughter home. I am forever in your debt. If any of you need anything, for any reason, ask, and it's yours." Danielle watched him as he went around the hold of the aircraft and shook each person's hand. He made his way back to Justin and held out his hand. "She's my daughter."
Justin took his hand and shook it. "Yes, sir." They stared at each other for several long moments before her father nodded his head and dropped Justin's hand.
"Dinner. Tuesday night." He nodded toward Justin. "You can bring him." He pivoted on his heel and walked out of the aircraft passing a behemoth of a man in an expensive tailor-made suit and a person she recognized, Jewell.
"Justin." The man extended his hand and then pulled Justin into a bear hug that would have broken every bone in Danielle's body. She gazed, wide-eyed, at Jewell who sat down beside her.
"That's Jason." Jewell tossed the words out as if they explained everything. Danielle pulled at the bits of conversation where Jason was mentioned. She whispered, "CEO?"
"Yup." Jewell acknowledged.
Jason finally let Justin go after several murmured comments between them. He twisted and faced her. "Danielle, I presume?"
Dani shook her head. "No."
The look of shock on his face was worth the effort it took to keep the smile off her face. Justin's and Jewell's laughter caught everyone's attention. Jason took off his glasses and pinched his nose while he shook his head. When Jewell managed to quell her laughter, she repeated Danielle's comments to the other's who'd gathered. Jason dropped his head back and said in a clear voice, "Dear God, did you have to put another wiseass in our midst?"
The laughter that had started to subside peaked again. Justin bent down and lifted Danielle out of the jump seat. It felt fabulous to be off the nylon strapping.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jason's gravelly voice asked as Justin turned.
"Home."
"Not so quick. Everyone is going back to Guardian first. Danielle needs to sign some nondisclosure agreements, I need to talk with Chief, Dixon, and Drake after we all debrief. Doc, that new Ortho specialist will be at the offices in four hours. I want you in on the interview. Let's wrap it up here and get going." It was as if the man cracked a metaphorical whip. The casual packing became an intense explosion of activity.
Jewell and Jade walked out with Justin and Danielle as he carried her down the ramp. "So, you aren't getting back to New York tonight." Jewell reached into her pocket. "This is a key to the apartment Zane keeps. He has some friends that make use of it from time to time. It is small, but it’s clean. Should have a fully stocked refrigerator, too. I'll text you the address when you get done with the debrief. The little old lady that lives next door is sweet. When you leave, knock on her door and give her a bag full of groceries out of the fridge, would you? She loves the creamer, so make sure you put at least one of them in there. That's the payment for staying at the apartment."
"Being nice to an old lady?" Justin asked as he lowered Danielle into the car. He caught her eye and made a face before he lifted away and looked at Jewell. "I don't understand."
"She is a sweetheart, and she lives on a fixed income. We go over about once a week and make sure she has enough. When people stay there, we ask them to check on her and give her a bag full of groceries."
"We'd be happy to check on her. What's her name?" Danielle asked when Justin got into the driver's seat. Jade and Jewell got into the back seat, and they pulled away. Danielle noticed three other large black vehicles waiting.
"Mrs. Henshaw," Jade responded. When everyone glanced at her, she frowned. "What? She's a cool old lady. Nic and I stop in a couple times a month. Her family doesn't visit." She shrugged her shoulder as if it was no big deal. Dani saw the smile that spread across Jewell's face. She reached over and placed her hand on Justin's thigh. He glanced over at her and winked. Yes, she was going to love this family.
Chapter 29
The debrief took about an hour longer than Justin's patience lasted. Now, more than ever, he appreciated his five-minute phone calls to debrief his operations with Jason. He could tell Danielle was over it too. She'd dropped her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She wasn't asleep, but she had to be exhausted, although they'd both slept on the flight home. Well...rested, because sleeping in a transport plane took special skills—skills his brothers had gained, and he hadn't.
Every move he’d completed prior to Jacob's team meeting up with them inside the foreign compound was documented. His statement was taken and then Danielle's was also dictated. When he mentioned what Joseph had done, Jason removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose again. He drew a deep breath and glanced over at Zane who sat beside Jewell. The man shrugged his shoulders. Justin glanced at the rest of the room. There was obviously something he was missing, but because he'd placed so much distance between his family and himself, missing the sub context was par for the course when he was with them.
"So, the individual working at Phoenix was the liaison to the terrorist group?" Justin wanted to make sure Dani
elle was safe, so he would make them repeat themselves as many times as it took for him to get all the answers.
Jewell nodded and clicked her keyboard. "Definitely. We have digital forensics that confirmed he was the one. The day before Danielle was taken, he'd burrowed into the intranet at Phoenix and accessed the email of Danielle’s father. He knew Paul Greenfield suspected him and that is what we believe compelled them to act."
Justin leaned forward so he could look directly at Jason. "All the loose ends are tied up? We don't have any reason to worry about Danielle's safety?"
Jason nodded, and leaned back in his chair before he spoke. "I've ensured it. Assets are being employed." He glared across the table, almost daring Justin to ask the next question. He knew better. He had an idea of some of the 'assets' Guardian had access to and he didn't even want to bump up against them. He'd violated his own moral compass one too many times. He didn't want to know what was going to happen.
"What about the man who abducted me?" Danielle asked quietly from his side. He put his arm around her and tried to give her comfort.
"He is no longer a concern," Jared answered. "A matter of tracking the cab back to the real cabbie, finding out who he'd loaned it to, and then tracking the bastard down. He is being held as a domestic terrorist. I will always have tabs on him. You have nothing to fear."
Danielle smiled at Jared as she relaxed against Justin’s side. The rest of the meeting dragged on before Danielle signed the nondisclosure forms. Having her do so was a formality because she held a security clearance. Justin wasn't aware it had been required for her to maintain one to work with her father as a DoD contractor, but it made sense once he found out. She insisted on hobbling through the halls and down to the garage. He held most of her weight as she leaned against him, but he knew that sitting or being carried was uncomfortable and she needed to stretch. When they reached the garage, however, he let his inner caveman emerge and swept her up. He hit the door unlock button on the key fob and found the car Jason's secretary had told them to use when the lights blinked.
"I didn't think traffic could get worse than New York City, but what we just drove through was worse. How does anyone get to appointments? Is there no such thing as public transit around here? Do they all drive their own cars?" Danielle turned toward him when she asked.
Justin chuckled at her griping as he pulled into the parking slot assigned to the apartment number they'd been given. "No more need to worry about traffic."
"Oh, God...I want a shower." Danielle turned a wide-eyed gaze at him. "Shampoo, soap and hot water. That sounds better than chocolate covered strawberries and champagne."
"It does. Let me carry you up?" Justin asked as he shut off the car.
"Let me walk for a while? I need to stretch more than I need to stay off my feet." Danielle opened her car door, but Justin made it around in time to help her out. He hit the fob locking the door as they started inside the building. She wore a pair of Jade's running shoes his sister kept in the gym at Guardian . They were two sizes too big and the perfect size for Danielle to stuff her bandaged feet into.
They walked slowly before they turned down a small hallway and found the apartment. Danielle leaned against the wall while he fished the key out of his pocket.
"Thanks, Mrs. H!" Justin snapped a look over his shoulder. Someone resembling a linebacker had walked out of the other apartment. The man held a stack of cookies. He popped one into his mouth and winked at Justin.
"Thank you, Cooper. You know you don't need to bring me groceries. I get by." A tiny old woman spoke from the doorway.
"Now how are you going to make me my favorite cookies if I don't bring you the ingredients?" The man leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to be out of town for a while. You make sure you call Zane or Jewell if you need anything."
The walking wall of muscle ambled down the hallway eating another cookie. That's when the woman noticed them. "Oh, hello." She wavered at the door as if she was unsure she should be talking with them.
"Hi, Mrs. Henshaw. Justin and I will just be here overnight. He's Jewell's brother." Danielle smiled at the elderly woman breaking through the anxious look the woman gave them.
"Oh, how wonderful. Would you like some cookies? I swear that Cooper can eat like no other, but I managed to keep a tray. I like to have them available should anyone call."
Justin unlocked the door and thanked all things holy that Danielle politely declined the invitation. Mrs. Henshaw wandered back into her apartment. Justin waited to hear the locks engage before he followed Danielle into their home for the night.
The apartment was tiny, but it didn't matter. Justin threw the deadbolt, and tossed the keys onto the breakfast bar that obviously served as the only dining area. He turned and pulled Danielle into his arms. He'd waited far too long for this and from the way she melted into him, she agreed. "There is so much I want to say, but I don't have the words." His lips lowered onto hers, taking her, claiming what was his. Because she was his.
She pulled back enough to whisper, "I hear everything you're trying to tell me. I love you. We almost lost that. We almost lost us."
Justin pulled her closer and tucked her into him. The truth of her words laid bare the fear that he'd fought from the moment she hadn't answered his call.
Danielle moved her head back so she could see him. "I could have died. You could have died. A nose to nose look at my own mortality made me face a few facts. I'm not going to hide behind what other people think is appropriate. I love you. I want to know when you go on missions for Guardian. I know I can't go, but I can help you train, to study, to prepare. I want to climb Everest and suit jump down the slopes. I want to live life, with you. Justin, will you marry me?"
In the totality of all the words that could have been shared between them, her question had never been a consideration. A surge of emotion collided inside him, shattering him into a million pieces only to be absorbed by the love that radiated from the woman he held. A smile spread across his face. He couldn't have held it in. "Only if you buy me an engagement ring."
Danielle threw back her head and laughed. "Done. Do you want a diamond?"
"I'll leave that up to you." Justin grabbed her pert ass and lifted her up. She grabbed him by his shoulders and clamped her legs around his waist. "Yes, I'll marry you." He kissed her, teasing her lips open with his tongue. He captured her sigh and consumed it, reveling in the woman he held. He broke the kiss long enough to take the five steps into the bedroom. He let her down, gently. "I want to ravish you, to make you scream my name." He took her mouth again, his hands traveling down her waist and back up again before he pulled away. "We both have to shower."
Danielle leaned into him. "Together."
Justin bowed back and took a peek into the small bathroom. "Close quarters."
"I don't care. I don't want to be apart from you."
"Then you won't be." He'd cater to any desire she had. She was his princess. The One. He'd do anything for her, forever. Justin helped her out of her clothes, kissing each scratch and bruise as it was exposed. He had her sit down so he could unwrap her feet. He held up one, kissed each toe and the ankle before he paid the same tribute to the other.
"Maybe we could shower after?" Danielle reached for him.
He lifted off his heels and met her at the edge of the bed, still on his knees. "Let me take care of you. I promise the wait will be worth it."
Her hands ran through the hair at the back of his neck. She pulled him in. "Every moment with you is worth it."
He kissed her, letting his fingers trail over her body. Reintroducing himself to the curve of her breast, the plane of her flat stomach and the swell just before her sex. Her legs spread for his hand. Her body was ready for him. His fingers glistened with her excitement. He fought his cock's desire to go straight for that delicious prize. Instead, he broke the kiss and stood up, disrobing quickly. Their eyes locked for a moment before Danielle let hers drop. She leaned forward and traced one of the longer s
cratches on his ribs. He'd used his body to shield hers from the worst of the entwined, snarled branches they moved through.
He took her hand, moving it from tracing the damage that had been done. He let her use his strength to stand and backed them into the bathroom while holding her, until his shoulder hit the doorjamb. He glanced at the shower and flicked on the water. Danielle caught his hand and peeled the white medical tape off his battered palms, lifting the gauze and pad. The rope burns weren't deep, but the skin was tender. She kissed each hand, mimicking the way he'd worshiped her feet.
He gently maneuvered them into the shower. The close confines only added to the intimacy of the moment. He leaned her back into the water, wetting her long hair before he shampooed and rinsed it. The sandalwood scent wasn't the normal light floral she used, and he resented not having that for her. He soaped a cloth and worked his way down her body, washing and caressing every curve. He carefully lifted each foot and tended to the tender bottoms before he turned her around and washed up her long legs, over that gorgeous ass, and past the sexy dimples to her waist, shoulders and neck. His hands burned from the soap, but it wasn't enough to make him stop. He wanted nothing more than to commit every precious inch of this woman into indelible memory. With her body soft and pliant, he shifted her and ducked under the water, washing quickly. When he dipped his head back to get his hair wet, her hands found their way to his chest where she drew circles around his nipples before flicking them with her thumb. His body convulsed with pleasure, and his cock stood high and hard. Her hands wandered downward as he lathered his hair. When she palmed his shaft and stroked, he groaned at the gentle tease, a small taste of what he wanted with her.
He reached behind him and flicked off the water. They stood toe to toe, her soft breasts brushing against his chest, while her hand lazily stroked his cock. Not enough pressure or fast enough to do anything more than torment him. The echo of drops from the showerhead and their heavy breathing drifted around them, tying them to the moment. Justin lowered to her and dropped a soft, lingering kiss. He felt her shiver. Throwing his arm out and back, he reached for and grabbed a towel and wrapped her in it before he helped her out. He dried quickly and followed her into the bedroom. She'd pulled down the blankets and dropped her towel. As he emerged, she leaned over the bed and crawled on all fours to the middle where she turned and looked at him over her shoulder. "The doctor said to stay off my feet.” She lifted them off the bed in a flurry of kicks. "How shall we make love?"
Justin Page 20
