by Honor James
“He won’t find anything,” Aidan commented, tipping his head. “But we can give you the lowdown if you stop acting like a bear with a thorn up his ass.”
Coming around the corner, Bulldog heard that last comment and cringed. Not what needed to be said to someone in that man’s position. Moving to intercept the general, Talon looked down at the man. “General, we need to talk, privately, now,” he said to him.
The general looked at the man and then frowned. “Talon?” he asked with a shake of his head and then looked back to the men, realization dawning. “Fuck me,” he groaned. “Fine. But I want them all watching her. I can’t lose her again, Talon, you have to understand. She’s all…” He took in a deep breath. “She’s all I have left of her mother,” he added, looking like a father instead of a military commander. He turned to his men and said, “I need three patrolling the grounds, two under her window, and snipers on the rooftops. Route all air traffic around the hospital. Have ER staff seeing patients on the far side of the floor. I want no one without previous clearance anywhere near her. Am I understood?” When the man snapped to attention, he turned back to Talon. “Lead the way, old man.”
Looking to the changers, Talon narrowed his eyes. “Behave yourselves, and for the love of the Gods don’t eat any of them. I do not feel like dealing with the paperwork,” he snapped out. Guiding the general up the hall, he found an empty room for them to slip into. Opening the door, he waited for the general to move past him and then closed and locked the door. “Where do you want me to begin, General?” he asked, moving to lean against a wall.
“First I want the name of her CO, because that fucker is going to be pushing a goddamn broom around the circle after I’m done with him,” Jackson said as he undid his tie. “And you’ve known me since I was five, Talon. No need to stand on ceremony now,” he grumbled and took a seat. “How the fuck did they get her involved in this? I should have known when all I kept getting from her were e-mails from all over Europe instead of calls. She always calls but I was so busy with the fucking bullshit of the ‘stan’ countries that I didn’t even notice she was gone.” Rubbing his hands over his face, he added, “And how is it that your team got her out? And I know I didn’t say it but, thanks. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Jackson,” Talon said honestly. Heaving a breath, he nodded. “Her CO is Colonel Bradley Marks. He is running Sector Thirteen, white ops. She’s one of their top operatives,” he said, watching the man’s blood pressure starting to rise. “She volunteered when she heard what l’Aurette was up to. As for us being there, it was a happy coincidence actually. We were running an op to put him out of business and she just happened to be there. She fit the profile for what we’d set our operative up as preferring in his females. He actually didn’t choose her because of that. She’s his bond-mate, Jackson.” Talon figured it was better to get that out ahead of time. “He’ll likely blow a gasket if you try and make off with her. And he’s Dragon to boot, so I’d recommend not taking him on bare-handed.”
“Could this get any fucking crazier?” Jackson asked as he dropped into a chair. “Fuck.” He bent his head and ran a hand through his graying hair and shook his head. “Marks. I know that name,” he said with a frown. “Fucking hell. I’m killing her goddamn brother.” He growled. “Zachary and Marks were roomies in boot and have been tighter than a whore’s corset all their lives. Goddamnit, I’m killing my son if he’s the one who turned her to this fucking covert ops bullshit.” Sighing, he leaned back and eyed Talon. “A Dragon, huh?” he asked and then, “Do you know him well? Will he be good to my girl? Get her out of this fucking disastrous game she’s playing?” He was fine with his sons being white and black ops, but not his baby girl. Never her.
“Allister is one of my Royal Guard,” Talon told him softly. “I’ve known him his entire life. He’s a good man. He’ll always have her best interests at heart, but that’s how we all are built to be with our bond-mates, Jackson. They always come first no matter what. As to getting her out”—he shrugged lazily—“if that’s her choice, she’s out. If not, he’ll be glued to her side for the rest of time and basically drive her so nuts she’ll quit just to stop him from being her shadow.” Talon chuckled softly. “We do have our ways of making females see things our way.”
“But she will be safe, right?” Jackson shot back. Pulling out his Blackberry, he sent a simple text to Zachary. Bring your Sector Thirteen buddies home. Noon tomorrow. No exceptions. Looking back to Talon, he said, “I take it that wily shit that you keep hidden from me is the one who hacked their files?” He couldn’t recall the man’s name. “Some kind of candy I think is what you called him last time you lost your blood pressure at one of our poker games.”
“Skittles, and yeah,” he told him with a chuckle. “He’s our top tech guy. Anything electronic he can talk into seeing his way of things. He’s the best of the best and one of mine, so mitts off,” he warned, quietly narrowing his eyes. Grinning again, Talon moved toward Jackson. “She will be safer than the most precious and rare blossom in the world. She will be treasured for who she is and given everything her heart desires. She will know unending and complete love, total devotion, and have a man willing to eat someone that pisses her off even if it gives him serious indigestion. She’ll be in good hands.” Talon sighed. “If she doesn’t wig out when he tells her just who he is to her and who he is period.”
“You mean if she doesn’t come up swinging,” Jackson said with a grin. “Remember she’s had all of us teaching her how to defend herself. She would come up swinging more often than not.” He sighed and then said, “All right. I’m not going to pull rank because I know just how precious bond-mates are, but he better be good to my baby, or I’m going to come after him. That’s a promise, not a threat, Talon, and you know that I keep my promises.”
“Dragons have rock-hard jaws.” Talon chuckled at him. “He will never willingly or inadvertently ever put her in harm’s way. He will risk his very life to ensure she is always protected. It’s just how it is, Jackson.” He clapped the other man on the shoulder. “Now, come on. Let’s go and see if they’ve figured out how to counteract that mess of a cocktail they were pumping her full of.” Wrapping an arm around the man’s shoulders, Talon scooped up his jacket and led him to the door. “Just remember, if you don’t want to be a toasty treat for a Dragon, tread lightly and remember that even the most civilized of us has our snapping points on our tempers.”
“And a bond-mate is one of those breaking points, right?” Jackson asked the obvious question. “In a way I kind of feel sorry for the bastard,” Jackson said with a grin. “In a way, then I recall that he’s taking my baby girl.” At Talon’s look, he said, “She is her father’s daughter, no two ways about it. That girl is tough as nails.” But she could still break, as was evident by her being laid up in the hospital right now.
“She’s also a woman at heart and will appreciate a man who can’t lie, cheat, and will always dote on her as the most important person in his life. Which she will be,” he told his friend and paused to help him back into his uniform jacket. “So try not to bust his balls too much. He’s worried about her even if it doesn’t appear like he is.”
“I reserve the right to bust his balls later,” Jackson muttered, “especially if she’s going to be a part of his life forever. That means he will be a part of mine forever. So he’s going to have to fucking get used to me busting his balls and giving him hell.” As long as his daughter woke. Jackson needed to see his baby girl’s eyes and talk to her, know she was all right.
Straightening the man’s collar, Talon grinned. “When she’s well and up and moving around busting his balls, then you can start in on him. Until then, go easy on him. Finding one’s bond-mate is rough enough without having to sit idly by while they are suffering through something the other half can’t help them with.”
“I’m killing Marks.” Jackson growled. “So that will give your man a reprieve for a time,” he muttered. “All
right, let’s go so that I can see my baby girl.” Damn, he couldn’t believe the lies that Jackie had told him for so long. She and he were going to have a come-to-Jesus meeting soon!
Clearing his throat, Talon waved him on and rubbed a hand to his mouth to hide the grin. “Slowly killing Marks would be preferable given the condition we found her in,” Talon threw out there. He might be ending the man’s life, but whatever. If it bought Allister some time it was all good.
“One day, Talon, when you have a kid, especially a daughter, you will get it,” Jackson told the man. “Because I swear to you that when you have a daughter everything changes. Absolutely everything. When it’s your little girl, the only thing you care about is her and her well-being.” Jackson grinned. “And when you finally do have a kid, I swear I hope it’s a girl just so I can remind you of this feeling that I’m having right now.”
Laughing, Talon smacked him on the shoulder lightly and shook his head. “Then I will be having sons and only sons.” Pushing open the door to the ER, he let the general go through first and then followed him in. Nodding to his men, he let them know all was well. Their tension instantly jacked down. The marines on the other hand were still looking ready to try and take on the changers, not that they even had a shot. With the six changers, Talon included, the nearly forty marines were seriously outnumbered.
Jackie’s eyes opened slightly and saw the man there at her side. She frowned, her mind recognizing him but not placing him. It took her several seconds until the puzzle pieces clicked into place. “Who?” Who was he? He had saved her, she knew that. He had somehow saved her, but how, why?
Everyone’s attention shifted in an instant but only Allister moved closer to her bed. Lightly stroking her hair back, he let out the breath he’d been holding since nearly the moment they’d gotten to the hospital. “Allister,” he said quietly. “My name is Allister,” he murmured gently. Shifting, he looked to the general and nodded, letting the man know that he could come forward.
“Hello, Al,” she breathed and closed her eyes.
“Hey, Jackie-Q,” her father murmured from his place at her feet. “When you are out of here, baby, we will discuss your lying to me for as long as you did, but for right now…” He paused and closed his hand over her foot. “For now, just heal, baby girl.”
“Daddy.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes again, blinking back the tears as she did so. She squeezed the hand that was holding hers and pulled it closer, the man as well. She needed to hold onto him, had to hold onto him.
Shifting in closer to her, she heard Allister pull up a stool and sit up close to her head. He gently ran his fingers through her hair as she held on tightly to his hand. “Sleep,” he whispered quietly to her, brushing a kiss to her temple. “You need to let your body finish pushing out the crap they gave you, so sleep, heal.”
“Don’t leave me? Please? Please stay, Al?”
“I’m not going anywhere, little one,” he promised, brushing his lips to her cheek. “Not even the entire Marine Corps could get me to leave.” And he actually meant it. Pussies. Shooting his brother a look, he let out another breath. They could speak mentally, but the benefit of being a twin, sometimes there was no need.
“They are good.” She closed her eyes again. Yawning, she moved in closer to him. “Like this.” She felt warm. She felt safe. It was nice. She had been determined to stand on her own feet for so long she had forgotten what it felt like to be able to lean on someone else.
Slipping his arm around her, Allister stroked her back lightly as he kept his face close to hers. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in. “Sleep,” he whispered again quietly. Shifting his stool slightly, he rested his head next to hers, his lips to her cheek. “I will be right here the entire time, I promise.”
“Thank you.” Another yawn as his arm wrapped closer to her and she sighed happily. “I love you, Daddy. Please be nice to Al because I like him. A lot. So be nice.”
Jackson grumbled, “Don’t worry, Jackie-Q. He’s not the one that I have a bone to pick with right now.” That would be Bradley Marks. He and soon-to-be Private Marks would have a long talk soon.
Rubbing his nose lightly to her skin, he breathed her in. Stroking her hair with one hand, he rubbed her back with the other. She needed to sleep, which meant it had to be quiet for her and soon. If people didn’t leave her alone to rest and recover he was going to have a fit.
Jackson watched everything happening and sighed. Looking to Allister, he patted his shoulder and said, “Let her rest, son. We will all be out in the waiting room if you need us.” He turned to Talon and then said, “Come on, let’s let Jackie-Q get some sleep with her bond-mate.”
Nodding, Talon looked pointedly at the military men and lifted a brow up high. Only when Jackson waved them out did they reluctantly leave the room. Turning to look at his men, he pointed at them. “All entrances to be guarded. No one interrupts them, period,” he said. “Doctors are permitted but only if they have the correct clearance, ditto on nurses. Anyone without it, hogtie them.”
“And no one to just check her fucking vitals either,” Jackson added. He looked to Talon and said, “Make sure that gets around to the doctors and we will all be good.” He walked out with Talon at his heels, turning off the light as he did so.
Jackie sighed and appeared to relax even more. “Better,” she whispered quietly and closed her eyes. “Just what I needed.”
“You should be sleeping, sweetheart,” Allister murmured quietly. Knowing likely what it was that she had needed, he shifted. “Shh,” he whispered when she protested. Kicking off his boots, he eased her over in the too-small bed and then settled in facing her. “Come here, Jackie,” he said, gently slipping an arm under her head and the other around her body.
Jackie wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his shoulder. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes. “Better,” she whispered and held him tightly. She didn’t know why this felt so right, didn’t know how she trusted so easily, but she did. She felt safe, and trusted him, so she let it go as that.
She felt Allister wrap her up tight in his arms, burying his face in her neck and breathing her in. Nipping lightly, he nuzzled her skin gently. “Sleep now, darling,” he murmured gently. “I’ve got you and I’m not letting you go.”
“That’s a good thing, because I think I would float away if you did.” With all the drugs that were still in her system, she had a feeling she would fly away. Yawning, she brushed her cheek to his chest and then within seconds was sound asleep.
Releasing a breath, Allister took her scent, not yet clear of the drugs but definitely much better, into his lungs. His Dragon wasn’t happy about the taint to her smell, but it could much easier get a sense of who she was and was definitely liking what he sensed. Soon, soon he’d have her to himself, without others loitering around, and he’d have to break the news to her, about so much.
* * * *
Several hours later
“I need to pee,” she whispered. “I hate to say that so bluntly but I really do need to go pee, really badly,” she told him softly. “Think you can help get me with this rigging to the potty, please?” “All right,” he murmured, getting untangled from her and slipping from the bed. Stretching, he cracked his back and immediately felt a hundred times better. “Puny beds,” he muttered darkly. Getting her IV unwrapped from around her and her various flip-flops during her sleep, he took her hand. “You want to try walking?” he asked softly.
“Yes, please.” She needed to move again, needed to get on her feet and moving because it was always the best way to get past any illness, getting up and moving as soon as humanly possible. With his help, she got up and out of the bed. Holding onto him, she closed her eyes and cracked her back. Sighing, she said, “Ah, better.” And it was so much better. “All right, if you will just walk alongside me and make sure that I don’t fall I would really appreciate it, Al.”
Rolling his eyes, he took her arm gently
, wrapping his other arm around her waist. “It’s Allister,” he told her softly. “I’ve never liked that shortening of my name,” he murmured. “My brother gets away with it because he’s an idiot and does it to annoy me. Talon does it because he’s my boss and likes to rub my nose in it from time to time. He’s got a slightly odd sense of humor though, and I’m pretty sure he’s had serious mental damage, so I’ll let it slide until I have evidence otherwise.”
“Sorry, Allister,” she said and then grinned. “But just so you know, I will from time to time call you Al just to get under your skin. It’s good to keep each other on our toes.” She felt an immediate connection to him, one that she had never in her life felt. Jackie was one of those weird women who went with her gut and her gut was telling her that he was it for her. She had to accept and keep that in her mind because it would be the one and only way that she would find happiness. She paused and then looked up. “Just don’t call me Jacqueline. If you call me that, just know that I will call you Al,” she added with a smirk. “Jackie. That’s the name that I prefer.” She preferred her name shortened and he not, which was something that she actually really liked about him, the opposites.
“Why don’t you like the name you were given at birth?” he asked, confused. He loved his name. It was a name of honor and value, one his mother and father had chosen with care and great thought. He and Aiden both loved their names. They were good, strong names that came from their roots and the place of their birth.
“Honestly?” At his nod Jackie sighed. “It reminds Daddy and my brothers of my mom. She died when giving birth to me and Daddy chose to name me for her. I was raised in a house full of men that had loved my mother to absolute distraction and my name was just another constant reminder to them that I killed her.” She knew what a horrible-sounding statement that was, but there it was, the truth. A truth she never told anyone.
