by Barb Han
All three operatives descended from the other SUV.
The scene slowed to a crawl for Lauren. Bullets flew. Sounds warped. Her heart stayed in her throat.
By the time she gathered her senses, a man was being pulled from the SUV. His frame was thin, his body limp, but she’d recognize her brother anywhere. Relief washed over her until she got a good look on his face.
Jaden climbed in the back, holding Max. “Go!”
The others slid inside Gunner’s SUV. Helena stopped at the door, aimed her weapon, and shot. An explosion rocked the pavement. For a split-second, Lauren feared they’d been hit.
Jaden’s hand covered hers reassuringly. “Max is safe.”
The drive back to the safe house seemed to take forever. Max might be safe, but he was unconscious. Fear gripped Lauren. He had to be okay.
As they settled her brother inside headquarters, Gunner said, looking concerned, “Think you can rest until air transportation arrives? You both look exhausted.”
She shot a worried look toward Jaden. Gunner, Gabriel, and Helena seemed honest enough, but she wasn’t exactly trained to pick out the good from the bad. Could they trust anyone?
Everyone in Jaden’s agency was trained to make people believe they were someone else. Hadn’t Jaden said something about eyes giving it away? Wouldn’t a man who’d been trained to hide his identity be skilled at tricking people?
“Gunner’s right. You need rest,” Jaden said. His tense posture said he was poised for battle. “I’ve got a few of my own wounds to dress. Plus, I need time to think about this.”
“Only if you promise to wake me if there’s any change in my brother’s condition,” she said through a yawn, checking on Max again. Arguing would do no good but she highly doubted she’d be able to sleep.
Max’s face, battered and bruised, sent her heart into a free fall.
“You have my word,” Jaden said.
“Now sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. Right next to you.” Jaden was telling her he’d keep an eye on things. She knew firsthand how he could handle himself in pretty much every situation. He’d collected the bumps and bruises to prove it.
“We need to get back out before the weather turns again,” Helena said, looking antsy.
“I know how bad you want these guys. Believe me, I do too,” Jaden said.
Her mouth twisted in anger. “No one wants the man who killed Tim dead more than me. Those men didn’t do it. I need to go back to the house and watch. He’s close by and I can feel it.”
“The dragon tattoo?” Jaden asked.
Gabriel eased off the desk he’d been sitting on. “I’ll go with her.”
Jaden shook his hand. “Be safe out there. Report back when you can.”
The door closed and Jaden’s attention turned to Lauren. “You need sleep and we’ll have to wait a while until it’s safe to be in the air.”
“And a hot meal. A warm bed. If a plane can fly, you’ll wake me up immediately, right?” she asked, stifling another yawn.
“As soon as the storm breaks, we’ll get you both out of here. You’re going home.”
Home? Where was that anymore?
Home felt a lot like Jaden.
A few hours of sleep and dry clothes made all the difference in the world to Lauren. She woke to find Jaden’s arms wrapped around her, her back pressed against the crook of his arm, and her head resting on his shoulder.
The moment she stirred, his eyes flew open, and his arms tightened around her protectively.
“I’m okay. Just thirsty. I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said.
He repositioned, loosening his grip. “Don’t get up. Stay here. Rest. I’ll get water for you. I want you to save your strength. We have a long journey home later.”
As soon as he moved, she missed the feel of his strong, warm body against hers. “Has my brother’s condition changed?”
Jaden shook his head. “He’s stable.”
“I can hardly imagine what it’ll be like to have my brother back. I mean….he left ages ago. I don’t really know him anymore,” she said.
“Your brother’s safe. You’re safe. Nothing else matters,” Jaden said, returning with a fresh bottle of water for her.
“Because of you, I’m alive.” She wondered about Jaden. Who kept him safe?
She heard rhythmic breathing coming from the makeshift bed Gunner had made.
“Speaking of my brother and his safety, what about the hospital? I mean, will anyone be able to get to him there?” she asked in a whisper.
“If he’s turning State’s evidence, then he’ll receive the best possible protection and care. Believe me. They’ll do everything in their power to keep him alive to testify. It’s not for the reason you want or because they care but the result is the same,” he said, taking his seat next to her again.
She leaned in closer to him, wanting to be as near as possible. “Can I stay at the hospital with him?”
“You can visit. He’s in critical condition which probably means a trip straight to ICU, so we’ll have visiting hours to consider. Other than that, you should be fine. We’ll have to figure out a way to disguise you.”
“Meaning it’s best if they don’t see me going in?”
“It’s just a precaution. We don’t know who might be watching, and until he breaks consciousness we don’t have a clue as to what all this is really about. Everything we said before was just guessing. Max is the key,” he said.
Lauren’s stomach dropped. “You don’t think there’s a chance he won’t—”
“He’ll be fine. He’ll get the new lease on life he needs when this is over. A new identity. A new location. A real job. This is his best chance to start over if he’s serious about wanting a new life,” Jaden said.
“Why not do that before? I mean, couldn’t he have turned himself in to the government?” She felt his body tense and it dawned on her. Jaden had said it before. She would have been in danger. Plus, if Max turned state’s evidence he would have to give up everyone he knew before. Which was basically her. She wondered if that could be the reason he’d called. Did he want her advice before making the commitment? Did he want to say good-bye? Guilt sat heavy on her chest.
Lauren hadn’t considered the possibility that once he testified she might never see him again. The sadness of the thought hit her hard.
One day at a time. For now, she’d be grateful her brother received the second chance Jaden’s didn’t. “You told me about your brother. Do you have parents out there somewhere waiting to hear from you? Or other siblings?”
“There’s no one.” His words came out calm, like he was used to life on his own. Lauren could relate on so many levels.
“Can I ask a personal question?” She didn’t expect him to answer, but it would be nice if he’d give her something, another reason to trust him.
“Go ahead.”
She issued a breath and went for it. “Is Jaden Dean your real name?”
“It is now.” There was no conviction in his voice.
“You don’t remember your real name, or you don’t tell people?”
“There a difference?” Had he gone so deep under cover that he’d forgotten who he really was? She’d read that happened to officers.
“You told me to trust you and I did. I still do. But I don’t even know your name. I know next to nothing about you. It makes me think you don’t trust me. Do you?” she asked.
“Look. My parents died in a car crash not long after my brother was killed. I had a grandmother who took me in. She lived long enough to see me graduate high school. From there I signed up for the military,” he said, looking pained from the admission.
And toughened up? Became so tough no one could ever get close to you? Yet, she felt surprisingly close to him. How was it even possible? She knew so little about him. But she felt closer to him than she’d ever felt to anyone. Including Max. “You’ve lost so many people in your life. People you must’ve cared about.”
He s
hrugged. “Not much loss really. My old man used to rough us up when we were little. Said he was teaching us how to be men.”
“I’m so sorry.” She touched his arm, ignoring the frissons of heat from contact.
“Don’t be. It’s how I know a real man would never hurt a person he loves,” Jaden said in a hiss.
Chapter 17
Whop. Whop. Whop.
The sweet sound of a UH60 Black Hawk came from the distance. Jaden squeezed Lauren’s hand. He’d told her more about himself in the last fifteen minutes than he’d told anyone in his life. Strangely, it felt good to spill his secrets to her. The load pressing against his shoulders eased and light peaked into the darkness encasing his heart.
It was time to fly. Gunner stirred and checked his cell. Lauren checked on her brother.
“We’re cleared. We gotta move fast.” Gunner hopped to his feet. “We didn’t get a chance to talk about this before. She’ll need protection from here on out until we unravel this. Should I assign an agent?”
“You aren’t saying you think they’ll go after me back home, are you?” Lauren asked, eyes wide.
“I’m staying with her,” Jaden said to Gunner before turning to Lauren. “It’s a precaution. As soon as we know you’re safe, you can have your life back. Until then, I’m not leaving your side, sweetheart.”
Jaden wanted to tell her he would stay by her side forever. It was a promise he knew he couldn’t keep. A man in his line of work couldn’t commit to forever. And especially one who was in so deep that he’d lost all sense of normal life.
When he’d waxed nostalgic and reached out to Bryce back on the beach, he’d been killed. A couple of agents had families. Daniel Damon had a wife and daughter. He seemed the exception. Smith was gone, leaving behind a wife and kids. Helena would never be the same after losing Tim.
What kind of life was that?
If Jaden ever had rogue thoughts about wanting to settle down, Lauren was exactly his type. Smart. Beautiful. Brave. Incredibly sexy. And yet, it wouldn’t be fair to risk her safety.
Lauren was already ensnared in a trap because of her brother. Her anguish was palpable. If she ached this much for her brother, how would she feel about her husband? Jaden’s line of work would keep her in danger, too. Anyone tied to him would be threatened. A wife? Family? Jaden had never expected those things.
The life he’d built was meant for one.
Jaden figured the best he could do was keep himself alive. He loved his work too much to consider changing professions. Besides, what else could he do? He was a soldier. And a damn good one. White picket fences and two point five kids had never been part of the plan. Lauren deserved both and anything else she wanted.
And yet, Jaden could admit that some of the thrill had been missing from his work lately. He’d been inside his head too much. Someday, when there were no more bad guys to fight or the fight drained from him, he’d retire and buy a fishing cabin. Then he’d fish until he couldn’t stand the smell of bait anymore.
Lauren showed up and had him thinking about things he knew better than to expect. He wouldn’t compromise her safety because he selfishly didn’t want to leave her.
When Max woke, they would have the evidence they needed to put the Ruiz and Menendez bastards away for a very long time, and Jaden would disappear from her life forever.
His military training had taught him a thing or two about personal sacrifice. This was his job. Lauren was his asset. This was a protection detail, not a relationship.
So why did an invisible band tighten around his chest?
Before Lauren could utter the words, “Blue skies,” Max was loaded and they were being whisked away on a Black Hawk helicopter bound for the States.
The noise from the rotors was deafening, and yet nothing could drown out the thoughts looping in her mind.
Her brother was safe.
She was heading home.
The experience seemed unreal to her now, like a dream, and she half expected to wake up any minute to realize none of it actually happened.
No one spoke on the long helicopter ride. Voices wouldn’t be heard over the sound of rotors cutting through the air anyway. Lauren watched as a medical team worked on Max. Before long, he had an IV drip of antibiotics and enough pain meds to keep him comfortable.
Her hand rested in Jaden’s the entire trip. He squeezed hers reassuringly from time to time.
They landed at Addison Airport in Dallas by eight o’ clock in the evening. Lauren wanted to kiss the ground underneath her feet after touchdown.
An ambulance waited. As soon as they landed, the team transferred Max and disappeared.
When words could finally be heard over the roar of chopper blades, Jaden thanked Gunner.
“Where are you headed?” Jaden asked his boss.
“Back to D.C. to put some of these puzzle pieces together,” Gunner said.
“You have the SIM card?” Jaden asked.
Gunner dipped his hand in his front pocket where he’d left it. “It’s gone.”
“Helena must’ve gotten to it. Damn. She’s on a witch hunt and we need that evidence to turn over.” Jaden swore again under his breath.
“I know she’s angry, but I have to believe she’ll be smart about this. I don’t want you going after her yet,” Gunner stated.
“For now, she’s my priority,” Jaden said, his hand pressed to Lauren’s back. “Besides, Gabriel is with Helena. He’ll keep things under control.”
Lauren’s heart practically danced, but then two words sunk in. For now. Her time with Jaden had an expiration date.
“Keep her safe. This’ll all be sorted out soon,” Gunner said.
A uniformed soldier interrupted them.
“These are yours,” Gunner said, tossing a set of keys to Jaden, and motioning toward a parked sedan.
Lauren followed Jaden to the car. “Are we going to the hospital?”
“No. I’m taking you home first. They won’t allow you to see him, and you’ve been through too much,” he insisted. His tone left no room for argument. As much as she wanted to put up a fight she also realized he was right. Exhaustion wore thin and walking took great effort.
The ride home went by in a flash.
Lauren sighed as they reached her two-story brick townhouse at Preston and Royal inside half an hour.
“That’s my place there,” she pointed, “and we can pull in the attached garage.”
Jaden didn’t blink.
“You already know that, don’t you?” What else did he know about her?
“It’ll be best if we park close but not in your usual spot. There’s a garage nearby that’ll offer better coverage.”
Of course, he knew where she lived. Her address—along with a host of other private information—would be in the same file the information about her parents could be found.
She hadn’t even considered the possibility that the men she ran from might also have been watching her for a while. The thought of Beady Eyes or his partner or someone just like them keeping tabs on her sent a chill racing up her arms. This felt a lot like showing up for a fight wearing a blindfold. At least she had Jaden to count on, and she had come to depend on him for her survival.
“You don’t think they’d come here, do you?” Lauren’s heart pulsed in her throat.
“Anything’s possible. We have to keep our guard up at all times.” Jaden was probably being overly cautious, but she couldn’t argue his logic. It was a smart play.
“We can park near the business over there. Their garages will be open and empty this time of night. Then we’ll slip in and take a look.” He drove up the garage to the fifth floor, parked strategically, and stared out the windshield.
Sitting there Lauren realized just how vulnerable she’d been. It was so easy to watch her front door. Anyone could sit there and track her comings and goings. Her routine could be memorized. A serial killer, stalker, or bum could keep track of all her movements from this spot without being detected
. A chill raced through her. Lauren had never felt so exposed.
She looked at Jaden. His jaw was set, his gaze determined. He seemed to be running through and checking off all the possible dangers.
After a beat, his gaze shifted and met hers. “Okay,” he said. “We can go now. Stick close by me.”
He braided their fingers together as they walked, and Lauren momentarily imagined they were strolling home after dinner at a nearby restaurant, not secretly eyeing every person who passed by in case the person tried to kill them.
The pleasant picture erased completely when Jaden stopped at the front door. Blocking the way with his big frame, his gaze intently focused on her. “I’d better go in first.”
A gasp escaped before Lauren could clamp it down. “You think someone might be inside?”
“I don’t want to risk your safety to find out. It’s better if you wait out here. You’ll have a head start. You hear anything strange going on, and I want you to make a run for it. Don’t stop.” He put the keys to their vehicle in her hand.
“What about you, Jaden? How am I supposed to leave without knowing if you’re okay?” she asked.
He took a step forward, pinning her to the wall of her landing. His mouth covered hers. His tongue, hot and needy, sent volts of want through her. All sense of time, place, and danger pooled around her feet in a knee melting kiss. Sensual pleasure heated her veins. A fierce need swirled warmth between her thighs.
Jaden pulled back, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That should do the trick for now.”
There were those two words again…for now. They reminded her of the temporary nature of their relationship and the absurdity of it ever having a real chance. Too bad she was starting to believe she could spend more time with him. She gave herself a mental slap back to reality.
Jaden pulled the gun from his ankle holster.
Slowly, quietly, he opened the door, and Lauren’s heart immediately dropped to the floor. She didn’t need to step inside to see the place had been ransacked. Her couch had been overturned. The cushions slashed. Broken and scattered picture frames littered the floor.
