by Dawn Ryder
“Arrangements will be made to deliver your household goods to your new residence. We leave tomorrow. Agent Servant will have details shortly.”
There was a click from behind her as Thais cleaned up her desk. The scent of Windex was in the air from the whiteboard they’d cleaned off. It was now blank, just like the house was slated to be.
“But … this is our home.”
Her nightmare suddenly wasn’t over.
“Home is where family is,” Milton offered.
But her grandfather’s tone was hollow, like he’d just been gutted. In fact, time was frozen while Jaelyn tried to absorb what Bram had just told her.
How in the hell did she deal with knowing they’d lost everything?
“I need your identification,” Bram continued without a hitch. “Credit cards, medical, anything with your names on it.”
Her grandfather stood up and pulled his wallet from his pocket. Her heart was accelerating, the sight of him tossing the worn leather billfold across the table so that it landed close to Bram was just too much.
“Its fine, Jaelyn, getting you back … is all that matters.”
Milton was cooing. Using that tone of voice you used with a toddler or someone about to dissolve into a puddle of tears and hysterics.
She just couldn’t bear to be predictable on top of everything else.
Or maybe “weak” was a better word.
Bram was so steady, so able to roll with the punches.
She’d reached for that part of him and she wasn’t going to be a wuss now.
LeAnn appeared, her purse in hand, and passed off her driver’s license to Bram. Her sister offered her a sweet smile that made Jaelyn recoil.
She couldn’t keep it together if everyone handled her like a fragile baby bird.
The silence was deafening.
There was an icy chill in the air, like Jaelyn could feel the life draining out of the house she’d called home her entire life.
“Jaelyn,” her grandfather spoke up to fill the void. “Would you mind frying up some chicken-fried steak? With sausage gravy and biscuits. You make it just the way your grandmother did … every Saturday morning … before she got sick…”
It was something to do.
Jaelyn shot her grandfather a grateful look before she headed into the kitchen.
Yeah … something to do. Something normal.
* * *
Kagan liked to operate off the grid.
For a section leader of Shadow Operations teams, it was a very healthy approach to take with life. His duty was his home, the roof he slept under was irrelevant and changed often enough to help him continue to be unpredictable.
Tyler Martin had warned him that the world wasn’t as big as it once was though, and had advised him that the ability to hide was becoming impossible in a world full of surveillance cameras and tracking beacons. Tyler had used those facts as an excuse to sell out the Shadow Ops teams in his bid to secure himself a place with Carl Davis. Tyler believed it, had sold his soul for security or what he believed would be his ticket to being untouchable.
One thing Tyler seemed to be right about was the fact that Kagan wasn’t as anonymous as he liked to think. No, Colonel Bryan Magnus, father of one Bram Magnus, appeared in the doorway of Kagan’s office without a single warning. He stopped only for a brief moment before he strode over to the desk Kagan was seated behind and sat down, his uniform hat balanced on his right thigh.
“I told your man he didn’t need to tell you I was here,” the colonel began.
“Are you here?”
The colonel shook his head. “Just about in the same way as you never sent one of your men into the bed of my daughter.”
“The evidence was there,” Kagan reminded him of the reason Mercer had been assigned to the case. “Clueing you in would have been discarding my objectivity. The best way to prove you innocent was to have a full investigation without your knowledge.”
“Understandable.”
The colonel was just as good at keeping his thoughts to himself as Kagan considered himself to be.
“What are you looking to me to provide?” Kagan asked.
“You seem to like having my son on your teams.”
Kagan nodded. “You taught him well.”
“I did,” the colonel agreed. “Which is why he cracked that case he’s on in record time.”
Kagan was surprised, doubly so when the colonel read it off his face.
“I know because the local police are a little unhappy about how my son and your team members … didn’t include them in the rescue of one Jaelyn Sondors, which resulted in the death of one perpetrator.”
“According to my agents, the girl killed her captor, and they just happened to get there around the same time,” Kagan said. “How’d that report make it onto your desk?”
“Simple,” the colonel said. “A few of those civilian badge holders are also military reserve. They had Bram’s information from the trespassing incident. And while I might respect my son enough to allow him to be his own man, there is no way I don’t make very sure I know where he is and who might be interested in finding out who he reports to.”
“Are you here to tell me not to offer Bram a badge?”
The colonel slowly grinned. “Bram respects me because I earned it from him by not micromanaging his life.”
“Respect is best when it’s earned,” Kagan agreed. “Why are you here?”
“The guy who nabbed her was a civilian contractor on his last post. He snatched a picture from Bram and used it to identify his prey.”
Kagan let out a low whistle. “Looks like I’m going to be glad I let Bram call in team resources.”
It was a subtle hint that Kagan had already given out a favor to the Magnus family. The colonel only offered him a half grin.
“I need you to stash the family with your resources.”
Kagan didn’t ask the burning question of why. No, he rolled the request around his brain for a moment before the colonel’s reasoning dawned on him.
“You’re worried there might be other military personnel involved.”
“It’s a possibility I’m not willing to overlook.” The colonel’s tone hinted at how hard it was for him to ask for help. “If I deal with them or allow civilian witness protection to take them, the information might be tracked. Your system, now that’s a different matter.”
“You realize my teams aren’t designed for witness relocation?” Kagan’s question received a snort. “Best I can do is stuff them somewhere out of sight.”
“I just need you to sit on them long enough for me to chase down any stray evidence trails. And I don’t need my son balking at the order to do it because he’s concerned with hurting feelings.” The colonel relaxed a bit, leaning back in the chair. “Seems Bram is set on accepting a badge from you.”
“And you think I’m getting ready to offer it?”
There was another snort from the colonel. “I might advise you to not try and bluff a man who’s been at this game as long as you have, Kagan.” He stood up and settled his hat on his head. “But the truth is, if you’re too stupid to have Bram on your teams, you’re the loser.”
Kagan nodded. “Agreed.”
The colonel offered him a salute. “I will be in touch.”
* * *
Jaelyn woke up in a cold sweat.
She gasped and rolled out of the bed because for a moment, she thought she was back in the penthouse.
But there was no chain, no collar, and the open blinds let in enough light from the street lamp to show her the familiar furniture of her room.
Right.
She was fine.
F-I-N-E.
But she was shaking and the night air was chilling her since she was slick with perspiration.
She eased down the hallway toward the back of the house where a half bath was built for those coming out of the pool. She didn’t need anyone to know she’d had a nightmare.
Big deal.
<
br /> It would pass.
She wasn’t going to the hospital and she didn’t need a shrink.
A quick rinse and she found herself looking at the backyard pool. Man, it had been a long time since she’d used it.
The pool was clean and sparkling. As she caught the scent of chlorine, happy memories rose from her mind, days of summer fun and swimming past sundown when heat waves were baking southern California.
She walked along the edge of the pool, immersed in the memories. A deep shadow was cast by the workshop that formed a natural barrier between the pool and the neighbors’ house.
She reached for the combination lock and grinned when it popped open after a moment of fiddling with the stiff numbers.
She reached up and pulled a cord hanging from an overhead light and heard it buzz as it illuminated the inside of the work shed.
Inside was a collection of boxes and an old friend.
Tears stung her eyes as she looked over at the tools for what had once been her dream.
Glassblowing.
Damn how she’d loved it. The heat, the challenge of pitting her artistic ability against gravity, and a globe of molten glass. Turning the rod and working to mold her vision into reality before the glass warmed up too much and shattered or just fell to the floor like honey because she wasn’t skilled enough to keep turning the rod.
An entire hot shop was sitting in the shed, carefully covered to keep it from rust.
“Thanks, Gramps,” she whispered lovingly as she pulled a box down and found a number of her creations.
Like frozen fireworks, the colors were perfect. Man, she’d have gained some serious skill if she’d stayed with it. The vase in her hands was leaning to one side, proving that while she had natural talent, skill came with practice.
Life had gotten in the way. Her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and Jaelyn had stored away her dreams of being an artist in favor of a job that came with benefits.
The tears dropped down her cheeks, pissing her off because she knew she was crying about Creepy and not her mother. He was sitting in the back of her thoughts like some sort of specter. On impulse, she turned and hurled the vase at the far wall. It exploded when it hit the solid brick, falling down like a flow of water.
Better …
In fact, she felt like she could breathe again.
She took a deep, cleansing breath and reached into the box again. This time she pulled out a bowl that had a crack in one side. Jaelyn put her whole body into the throw this time, loving the burn that went through her arm while the bowl shattered.
“Feel better yet?”
She jerked around, a vase in hand. Bram was in the doorway, contemplating her with his blue eyes. A jolt of awareness spiked through her, delighting her because it meant she was escaping the grip of the nightmare she’d endured.
But the look of concern on Bram’s face made her defensive.
“I’m good. And I don’t need anyone watching me.” She fought to find a neutral tone. “Nothing personal.”
His face had been an unreadable mask. It softened a bit with her apology. The problem was, what she saw was pity and she needed to stay away from that.
Very … far … away …
* * *
Jaelyn sent another piece of glass toward the wall. It burst in a shower of particles that the light from the overhead shop lamp illuminated.
Annihilated.
She liked the idea, allowing the word to roll around her brain for a good long moment. It killed off some of her anger, leaving her with a general, all around feeling of being pissed enough to take life on.
“There is no shame in seeking help after something like this, Jaelyn.”
“I’m fine…”
She took the time to enunciate each word, liking the feeling of them as they slid past her teeth. Satisfaction warmed her insides as she finished and didn’t feel any need to apologize.
But Bram was still there.
The guy had presence, she’d have to give him points for it. Some people just did. Others tried to cultivate it and spent a lot of time chasing something they were never going to get a handle on.
Bram had the sort of stare you could feel. But it sent a chill down her spine now because she still felt like she needed to scrub Creepy’s gaze off her skin.
She didn’t … fucking … care!
“I am not going to just survive,” Jaelyn said as she half-turned to catch Bram in her gaze. “I will thrive…”
She’d never been so convinced of anything in her life.
Or at least the need for it, and the knowledge that she would die if she didn’t succeed. It was like she was lying in a coffin, the pile of dirt to cover it in sight at the top of the hole.
She either climbed out or waited to hear the shovelfuls of dirt hitting the top of her coffin, sealing her inside where a nice, slow death awaited her.
Bram had one of those hard, unreadable expressions on his face. But his eyes narrowed and his lips turned just a touch white because he was pressing them together so tightly.
“I believe you.”
She liked the sound of that. Confidence stirred inside her, helping her believe her own claims.
Jaelyn turned and went toward the door. Bram didn’t move. She realized he’d been making sure to keep his distance from her.
Fragile baby bird …
She tightened her resolve and kept moving. Her insides twisted when she got close enough to touch him. It was the same intense reaction she’d been enduring before Creepy had taken her.
The impulse to scurry through the door was strong.
She quelled it. Desperately needing to master her emotions.
Bram was her lover.
The man she’d chosen. And she’d done well, too. He was waiting for her to heal.
No … not heal …
Get her feet under her.
That was better.
Things inside her tightened as she got closer to him. The sensation was acute, like it had been before. The difference was, she felt raw, like she had a sunburn. In time, it would heal.
Fuck that.
Creepy wasn’t going to claim any more of her time.
Jaelyn stopped in front of Bram, forcing herself to stay there while her body felt like it was rioting.
He knew exactly what she was doing, too. Understanding was in his eyes and in the hard set of his jaw. He knew what it felt like to come home after war.
“I just need…” Words failed her and she let her voice trail off.
Bram’s eyes narrowed. He shifted, lifting one hand off his bicep where he’d been gripping his sleeve.
She cringed.
It just happened, the impulse horrifying her because she couldn’t quite hide it completely. Bram froze for a moment, watching her struggle to gain a grip. He didn’t let her linger in the moment, though. He reached for her again, almost in the same breath, stretching out his hand to stroke her cheeks.
So simple.
Yet electrifying.
“Kick it in the teeth, baby…” His tone was deep and husky. Full of confidence in her ability to claim victory.
She wanted to be the person he thought she was.
“That’s my plan.”
Her cheek still registered his touch. She felt it all the way back to her room. When she did fall back into slumber, Bram was on her mind.
Baby birds grew fast.
CHAPTER FIVE
“He’s going to throw up on you.”
Saxon Hale only sent his wife, Ginger, a smirk. “If he does, it’s because he wants more breast time.” Saxon looked up into the face of his son and grinned. “Just like his daddy…”
Ginger rolled her eyes before reclaiming her baby from her husband. “Keep your dirty jokes away from my baby.”
“That won’t help,” Vitus Hale offered from where he was scraping his dinner plate. “You breed with a Hale, it’s in the DNA.”
“Ah…” Ginger sighed. “Such a romantic word … ‘br
eed.’”
Saxon stood up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “You loved every second of it,” he said and grunted as she sent her elbow into his side.
“Don’t you two have an office to get to?” Ginger asked him.
Saxon shrugged. “More of a hole in the ground at the moment. We might actually have an office by next year.”
“She’s going to say it’s too high-class for the likes of us,” Vitus informed his brother before he carried his plate to the sink and offered Ginger a two-finger salute.
Saxon’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and flashed the incoming number toward Vitus. “Kagan knows we’re slacking off…”
Vitus slowly smiled as he flipped the phone the bird. Saxon answered with a half snort.
“Morning, sir.”
“Servant and Sinclair got their man and the local PD is pissed.”
Kagan might have been reading off his grocery list for all the emotion he allowed to seep into his tone.
Saxon wasn’t fooled by it, though. He knew his section leader enough to realize Kagan was a master of making sure no one knew what he was thinking.
“Should I expect them soon?”
“Yes,” Kagan said as he let out a rare, frustrated sound that made Saxon frown. “They’re bringing company.”
“What sort?” Saxon’s tone snapped Vitus’s attention back toward him. There were few things that got under Saxon’s skin and his brother knew whatever was bothering him was something to take very, very seriously.
“The girl and her family,” Kagan said. “And before you start listing the reasons why it’s such a bad idea, let me cut you off by telling you I agree.”
Saxon took a moment before asking his next question.
“So why is Magnus bringing them to my location?”
Vitus stiffened, his expression drawing tight with disapproval. Saxon shared it. In a very personal way. His family was there and every person who knew about the location of the future command center was a potential leak.
“Because I also agree with Colonel Magnus,” Kagan said.
“Bram went to his daddy?”
Vitus’s eyes widened.
“No,” Kagan retorted. “But just as you’re digging in because of your parental instincts, the colonel came to me because the man who snatched the girl was on post with Bram. It was personal.”
