Spread Your Wings: Men in Blue, Book 4

by Jayne Rylon

  “It’s not us they’re targeting, is it?” Matt’s deadpan tone scared her.

  “No. Someone’s after her. Either she has something she doesn’t know she has or they think she has something she doesn’t.” Lucas shifted his gaze to the pile of boxes in the corner.

  “I-I have no idea what it could be.” She shrugged. “You guys saw the best stuff already.”

  Despite the tension, Clint released a strained snigger. “I don’t think they’re interested in your pornos, wild thing.”

  “I might be.” Ellie tried to defuse the tension. “Have anything good I can borrow?”

  Lucas swiveled to face his decoy companion so fast it might have been funny under different circumstances. When he caught her devilish smile, he shook his head.

  Back on track, he cleared his throat. “I hope you don’t mind, Jambrea. But I was curious. I looked into your military history. Did she tell you guys what she got that Silver Star for?”

  He looked between Clint and Matt.

  “Uh, we hadn’t gotten around to that yet.” Clint shifted in his seat.

  “Well, your girl is hella courageous. Turns out she dragged nine wounded men and women from a hospital under direct enemy fire and hid them in a storm shelter, watching over them until a rescue team infiltrated the hot zone.” Respect oozed from his retelling, which sounded a lot more grand than she recalled it being.

  “Are you crazy?” Matt glared down at her as if he took her risking her life personally. Maybe he did.

  “You would have done the same.” And it was one of the reasons she lov—liked him so much.

  “But what her official record doesn’t say, is that she also freed a valuable asset. A ghost fighter. A super spy. Whatever you want to call it. That’s the reason they awarded her such an honor.” Lucas shocked the hell out of her with that little tidbit.

  “How do you know about John?” No sense in denying it now.

  “He and I ran in some of the same circles. Well, kind of. He was a lot higher up than me. Our paths intersected a couple times when I provided distractions or cover.” Lucas’s face was unreadable. He masked everything about his own experience and only relayed facts. “He was the absolute best in our field. No one crossed him and lived to regret it. He took whatever jobs he believed were right regardless of who that made his bosses. He was a wild cannon, which sometimes had him fall out of favor, though that never lasted long. Too useful for his own good, he was the most reliable sniper in the history of our service.”

  “Someone had him locked up in solitary in my hospital.” Jambrea drew a deep breath. “He’d pissed someone off, right?”

  “I’m sure of it.” Lucas didn’t elaborate.

  “All I did was give him a chance. Caged like some animal, he was a sitting duck. And in return he helped me escape when I’d stayed too long. But…wait.” Jambrea swallowed hard. “You said was. Is he retired now?”

  Why did she care? He hadn’t come back for her and now she wouldn’t want him to. Not if it meant ruining this budding relationship, or whatever she had with Clint and Matt. Her heart had moved on, finally. Still, she had to know.

  “You can’t walk from those kinds of jobs, Jambi.” Lucas spoke softer now, his face compassionate. “John David’s body turned up last week. He had a great run. Longest of anyone I can think of. But you can’t keep that up forever. I’m sorry, honey. He’s finally getting the rest he deserved.”

  “No!” She couldn’t believe it. Not after all this time. She’d expected that news to reach her somehow, years ago, yet it never had. And part of her felt like she would have known if his spark was extinguished from the universe.

  But she hadn’t. He was simply no more.

  Burying her face against Matt’s stomach when he rounded the chair, she bawled. For a long while he rubbed her back in soothing circles. And when she finally realized how quiet the room was, she sniffled and peeked from beneath his sheltering arm.

  “Was he the guy?” Clint asked. “The one-night-stand you waited ten fucking years for? Some douchenozzle who knew he could never give you more, but stole your virginity anyway?”

  “Calm down and have a little respect for her privacy, would you?” Matt glared at Clint before flicking his glance at their guests. Then he tipped her face toward him, capturing her attention. “You don’t have to answer him.”

  She didn’t have to because they already knew. But she nodded anyway. “It’s okay. He’s not wrong. Yes. John was the guy I told you about. He wasn’t a monster, though. Not like you’re making him out to be. He was decent. Kind.”

  Clint swore viciously, inventing a few really nasty phrases. “Are you serious? How dare he give you hope there could be more when he knew what his life would be like?”

  Quick to defend the quiet man, she held up her hands, separating from Matt enough that Clint could see her sincerity. “I swear, it wasn’t like that. I’m the dumb one. He told me we’d never meet again. That he was never coming home. I’m just stubborn, I guess.”

  This time she smiled through her watery gaze.

  “When I feel…strongly…about someone, I don’t give up easy.” She stared at Clint, hoping he understood she included him among the select few forever-people in her life.

  Matt too.

  “Hang on. You were John’s girl?” Lucas put his head in his hands. “This is getting crazier by the second. We all thought you were a myth. Some kind of bedtime story you tell green soldiers to give them comfort and keep them from blowing their brains out once they realized what a huge fucking mess they’d gotten themselves into. I heard him talk about you. More than once. About your open arms and kindness. Jambi, he never forgot you.”

  And that was all she could ask for.

  A part of her settled for the first time in forever. Some splinter of her subconscious accepted that she wasn’t cheating on John. They’d had something beautiful and timeless, though brief. It had impacted them both profoundly.

  What more could she have asked of her first attempt at love?

  “Thank you,” she whispered to Lucas.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss,” he murmured in response.

  She nodded and swallowed hard. There would be time to mourn later. “But I don’t understand how any of that matters now. It’s long over. I hadn’t seen him in forever.”

  The three men exchanged glances.

  “Someone else figured out who John’s girl was.” Matt puffed up beside her. “I might have thought they wanted revenge if they hadn’t searched your apartment so thoroughly. Think, Jambi, did he give you anything?”

  “Only himself.” She peeked up at Ellie, finding the girl riveted on her every word. “Trust me, I would remember. There was nothing like that. No tokens or mementos.”

  “When did he come to you?” Lucas got slapped in the shoulder by Ellie for violating Jambrea’s personal space, but privacy was a luxury they couldn’t afford. If it was important to figuring out what the hell was going on, she didn’t mind embarrassing herself. She couldn’t sink much lower at this point. They all knew what a fool she’d been.

  “The night of the award ceremony.” She rubbed her tattoos. The mental movie she replayed was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. “I was flattered. For someone like him to sneak in to the service, then find me later, wait for hours while I went out afterward before going home…well, it meant a lot. Made an impression.”

  “And he stayed the whole night?” Lucas leaned forward.

  “Jesus, do you want to know what positions they did it in too?” Matt glared at the other guy, making her wonder if he’d stoop to beating up a wounded warrior.

  “No. But I wonder if you were in his company the entire time. Did you leave him alone? At all? Even for a minute or two?” Lucas didn’t relent.

  “Just while I took a shower, that’s all.” She shrugged. “I thought I’d give him an out in case he wanted to slip away before things got uncomfortable.”

  “Jambi.” Clint reached for her
. Too far away to touch her, he abandoned the couch and sat on the floor beside her instead. His hand wrapped around her ankle. “I think he used you. That bastard planted something in your apartment.”

  She’d gotten the same vibe from Lucas’s line of questioning. No, it couldn’t have been fake. What they’d shared had been profound.

  Lucas came to John’s defense. “Don’t stain the reputation of a dead man. I knew him well enough. He wouldn’t have screwed with her head like that. Though, yeah, he obviously left something behind. I think he did it for safekeeping. He trusted Jambi. Like no one else. She touched him. Reminded him that there were pure people in the world. Different from the game of deception and constant vigilance we played. He gave her something. To protect.”

  “I swear he didn’t.” She hated to disappoint them. They could dissemble every bit of the contents of her boxes and they’d find as much big fat nothing as the criminals who’d destroyed her house. She should know, she’d packed them herself. If there was something extra, she’d have discovered it then.

  “Can I see it? Your medal, I mean.” Clint’s soft request made her curious.

  “Sure. It’s been on my shelf for years. That whole time. Nothing different about it. Hell, you saw it yourself earlier this morning and I think one of you was looking at it that night you came to my place during the Sex Offender investigation.” She shrugged as if she didn’t remember every moment of that experience too. Climbing to her feet, suddenly exhausted, she hunted for the box she’d jammed her spilled belongings in. With the crumpled sides, it was easy to spot the couple that had broken Matt’s fall.

  She couldn’t believe they’d almost gotten hurt, maybe worse, because of her.

  It’d been much better, less guilt inducing, when she’d assumed it was the other way around. Damn.

  The sooner they sorted this out the better off they’d all be. Not that she was sure she wanted her life to go back to normal if that meant she’d no longer share close quarters with Matt and Clint.

  “Don’t lift that with your bad arm.” Matt shooed her from the crates and picked up the one she’d gone for. “Tell me what you need done and I’ll get it for you.”

  “Thanks.” She peeked inside the first one he held open then shook her head. “Let’s try that one.”

  He rearranged them again and pulled out the next candidate. Bingo!

  Jambrea plucked the black case from the top of the jumbled contents. She looked at every surface of the box then flipped it open. Same old Silver Star.

  “Here you go.” She held it out to Matt.

  The warm brush of his fingers as they transferred her award had her drawing in a breath. He smiled and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  “About damn time,” Lucas muttered.

  Matt peered at the front then the back of the Silver Star before shrugging. “It seems like a medal to me.”

  He handed the box to Lucas, who did the same while Ellie looked on. Then Lucas tossed it to Clint. Except the other man seemed to be too busy—watching Jambrea and Matt trying to keep their hands off each other—to catch the damn thing.

  It bounced off the edge of his hand and skittered on the floor.

  “Guess we know who’s getting cut from the Men in Blue baseball team this year.” Lucas laughed, though the gesture held no real humor. “You can keep me company in the stands.”

  Clint flashed him the middle finger before snagging the box from the ground. “Sorry about that Jambi. Shit, I think I messed it up a little.”

  She peeked over his shoulder to see him trying to flatten down a piece of the velvet cushion. “Wait. Don’t.”

  Then he froze before glancing around at them all. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “Rip it out.” Jambrea didn’t hesitate.

  All five of them seemed to creep closer together in their circle. They stared as Clint tugged and the interior popped out in one piece.

  “Son of a bitch,” he murmured.

  “What is it?” Matt peered over his shoulder. Nothing fell out of the box.

  Clint held it up, facing the group so they could see.

  Three numbers were scrawled inside.

  4-14-50

  “Oh, shit.” Matt closed his eyes briefly. “And what business did he have drawing that lopsided heart next to his secret message when he was putting you in so much danger? I’m liking this guy less and less.”

  “This is bad, right?” She ignored his tirade and looked to Clint, who remained calm, or at least kept his seething inside where it couldn’t upset her more.

  “Come here, wild thing.” He held his arms open and she sank into them. “We’ll figure out how to make this right together. You’re not in this alone, okay?”

  Ellie spoke up, quietly. “These are the best guys around. They’ll help you like they helped me. No matter the cost.”

  When Lucas looked at her they both paused. She hadn’t said it aloud, but they all thought about how he’d been injured rescuing her. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat, E.”

  “I know you would.” The frown she wore disfigured her pretty features.

  “So what the hell is this shit?” Oblivious to the scene playing out before him, Matt squinted at the writing in the medal case. “A date?”

  “Or some kind of combination,” Clint suggested. “Maybe to a safe or a security deposit box or who the fuck knows what.”

  “I bet the bad guys have some clue.” Lucas cleared his throat. “Why don’t you let me take it to JRad? I’ve never seen a computer whiz like him before. Not even in my old agency. Between the rest of the Men in Blue and him, I bet we can figure something out.”

  “And in the meantime…” Clint looked over her head to Matt.

  “No, uh-uh, none of that secret talking-without-talking crap.” Jambrea pushed away from the warmth of his chest for a moment. “Keep me in the loop. I’m part of this now, aren’t I?”

  “Shit. Of course.” Matt crouched beside her and Clint. “We’re thinking we can’t stay here. This is worse than we thought. These people are experts. It’ll be wise to change location. Somewhere farther out this time.”

  “I have a suggestion,” Lucas paused before dropping the last bomb. “We need someone to check this out anyway. We don’t have many leads. Wasting major intel isn’t a possibility. And I think only one of us has any shot at getting through on this…”

  Irritatingly, he looked for permission from her guys before continuing. When Clint and Matt nodded simultaneously, Lucas said, “We have an address that came from a supporter. Someone who wouldn’t crack to unfriendlies for anything. Mason worked some magic to get us close, then I got us the connection through my old pals. There’s always been a rumor. Even more vague than the one about John’s girl. About his little sister. I have an address. It’s way the fuck in the middle of nowhere. JRad’s satellite images show over a thousand acres walled off in the mountains. A whole compound, really. Looks like John taught his kid sis a thing or two about protecting herself.”

  “So we’re likely to get our heads blown off when we approach?” Clint raised one brow.

  “Probably more likely to run over a landmine or something. I doubt she’ll let you get close enough for a decent shot.” Lucas shrugged. “But it’s worth a try.”

  “You think she knows about me?” Jambrea winced.

  “I think it’s probably the best chance we have at another piece of the puzzle.” He looked to Matt and Clint. “Agree?”

  “I don’t like it. But…” Matt grimaced, then nodded. “Yep.”

  “I guess it’s time to hit the road, then.” She stood, dusting imaginary lint from her pants, mentally preparing herself for another move. The change of scenery would do her good, she tried to convince herself. “Ellie, would you mind taking Parker, watching him until this is all finished?”

  “Sure, no problem.” The younger woman smiled and wiggled her finger near Parker’s bowl. He splashed at the surface as if saying hello right back. “I’ll have
the Men in Blue work with the hotel to get your things too.”

  “Thank you.” Jambrea hugged Ellie. “I guess that’s everything.”

  “Mind if I use your bathroom first? Then I’ll cover you as best I can on exit.” Lucas grimaced as he shook his crutches. Discreetly, he tapped his pocket.

  Attuned to the sound, Jambrea caught the rattle of pills in a prescription bottle. This was no potty break. It was a chemical stop, she was sure. The fact that he was hiding it, probably from Ellie, couldn’t be good. She’d seen this pattern far too many times to let one of her friends spiral that drain.

  “Whatever, man.” Matt waved toward the lavish restroom.

  Jambrea pretended to gather her belongings near the doorway, then ducked into the tiled space behind the slow-moving guy. She locked the door at the last second.

  “Uh. Thanks, Jambi. I know you’re a nurse and all, but I’ve got this.” He rolled his eyes, which might have been funny if she couldn’t see how bloodshot they were or how his jaw trembled beneath the force he clenched it with. The evidence of his agony was blatant. Unfortunately, she witnessed similar cases every single day.

  “Take your pants off.” When he didn’t budge, she repeated herself, then added, “Drop your drawers or I’ll do it for you and flush those pills in your pocket down the toilet while I’m at it.”

  “I don’t think Matt and Clint will approve.” Still he didn’t flinch.

  So she reached forward, her fingers curling in his extra-loose waistband. How much weight had he lost? Too much.

  “Jesus. Fine.” He unbuckled his belt, on the tightest setting, ripped open the button fly of his cargos and let the canvas pool around his ankles. As if the simple act had drained all his energy, he plopped onto the closed toilet lid and hung his head. “Go ahead. Tell me how fucked up it is.”

  Jambrea swallowed hard, completely ignoring the beautiful frame that didn’t quite support his injured limb. She honed in on the urgent issue. Black splotches screaming of infection and necrosis smeared the already scarred tissue of his mangled leg. She’d bet his toes were a telltale shade of purple. That he hadn’t yet collapsed from the toll on his system bewildered her. After thousands of traumatic injury patients, she had a pretty good idea of where this was heading. It wasn’t a utopian place. “Lucas, you need a doctor. The hospital. Immediately. I’m texting Lacey, Mason and Tyler to pick you up and take you over to St. Joseph’s.”