He took Jana’s arm. “We need to move…now.” But there was no reaction from her. Instead, her fingers moved faster to get the message typed.
Words were useless, and hanging around until the guy in pursuit did whatever he had in mind was ridiculous. Thaddeus was frustrated. Jana wasn’t paying attention. Short of grabbing her phone, which would only make her mad and delay any escape, he had only one option.
In a split second, Thaddeus shifted gears. He scooped Jana up, tossed her over his shoulder, then turned down a side street at a fast pace and ducked behind a building. He ignored her screech and held her tight when she struggled against his hold.
The guy in pursuit had counted on having the element of surprise on his side. But the stunt of moving her out of the way alerted the enemy that he’d been spotted. Chances were that he would have walked away from the scene then. And Jana was in a safe location, so any attacker would have to get past Thaddeus.
Jana slipped off his shoulder with her feet back on the ground. “What was that about?” She looked furious.
Thaddeus glared at her.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jana was breathing fire. “I said, just a sec. I was in the middle of a conversation.”
“You wouldn’t listen to me.”
“I would have, if you’d been patient.”
“You were in danger; there wasn’t time for that.”
Jana huffed. “I didn’t see any danger.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Thaddeus said. “Your face was in the phone. We need to go.”
Jana held up her hand. “I’m walking…thank you.”
Thaddeus stepped out first. As he expected, the guy was nowhere in sight. “We walk straight to the Jeep, and no delaying. Match my pace.” He grabbed Jana’s hand, not trusting her to follow orders.
Thaddeus walked her straight to the Jeep, watching the environment every second. He secured her in the passenger seat and jogged around to the other side. Once inside, he locked the doors and started the engine.
He took a different route to depart, to throw any pursuer off the Jeep’s trail. A glance in the rearview assured him that no vehicle had followed, but he chose a circuitous route, just in case. The impound yard was across town, but he had no intention of going directly there.
It was best to get Jana to a secure location, then decide what to do. But he had another challenge on his hands. Jana wished to debate his actions.
“Who gave you the right to haul me around like…a bloody caveman or something?”
That wasn’t how Thaddeus saw it, and he wasn’t in the mood to argue the point.
“Thaddeus…talk to me. You can’t ignore me,” Jana said. “I respond to communication, not being manhandled or hauled around at your whim.”
“You’re angry,” Thaddeus said, keeping his eyes on the road. “I get that.”
“Of course I’m angry. What did you think I’d be?”
That was enough. Thaddeus checked the mirrors to be sure no other traffic was close. Then he whipped the Jeep onto the shoulder and slammed on the brakes. Jana lurched forward, held in by the seatbelt.
“I’m your bodyguard. It’s my job to keep you safe. And that is exactly what I will do.”
Jana looked stunned.
“It was a hairbrained move to text while walking down a public street. Anything could happen, and I do mean anything—without you being aware of it before it was too late.” Thaddeus slammed his palm on the steering wheel. “You could have been injured. You might have been killed. Is that what you want…for me to let you do anything you please? To just stand around and wait for disaster…when I damn well see it coming?”
Jana swallowed.
“So, that’s the last time. If you want me to protect you, then you’ll do as I ask. Otherwise, I’m off the job and you can find yourself some pansy-ass bodyguard.” Thaddeus was upset, a disturbing development, since he prided himself on self-control.
Thaddeus looked into Jana’s green eyes. It appeared that she’d gotten the point, so there was no need to say more. Which was fine with him. All the talking was a distraction.
Jana was in danger; that hadn’t changed. And that pissed him off more than anything. Thaddeus didn’t want harm to come to her. He cared. That was what it boiled down to. He cared a lot.
He waited for a scathing retort from Jana, for her to rail against him. Only it didn’t come.
Jana looked at him without saying a word, for what seemed like minutes. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I just…”
Thaddeus looked at her, wanting to hold her, wishing he could reassure her.
“I’m grateful that you’re here,” Jana said. “I really am.”
“Can we go now?” Thaddeus said, having no idea how to respond to her.
Jana nodded, so he pulled back onto the road and headed for the impound yard. She seemed all right, for the moment. But Thaddeus wasn’t.
He was in turmoil. He’d let his guard down. Even in battle, he’d kept his emotional barrier up. Whatever had come his way, he’d dealt with it. He hadn’t allowed anything to get to him—he wouldn’t have allowed it.
His thought processes didn’t mesh with the female psyche. He thought strategically, not emotionally. That was how he’d been trained. It was logical and was the best defense against attack.
Battle, competition, or anything physical, Thaddeus understood. That was where he was at home, on his own turf. Emotion and intimacy had been beyond his reach. He’d known that, so he hadn’t sought any enduring relationship with a woman.
Then why did he feel as vulnerable as hell? Thaddeus cared for Jana more than he should. It wasn’t just that she was his client, that he had a duty to protect her—although that would have been enough. It was her. He cared about her, as a woman, and as a person.
Chapter 11
The drive to the impound yard was awkward. Jana felt like an airhead for her behavior. After the car bomb incident, she should have been more alert. Alton had been texting about a supplier order, and it had seemed important.
But it wasn’t more important than her life. Thaddeus had made that point. He was trained in protection, including the smaller details that mattered. Jana admired his conscientious approach. It had saved her twice now, if she counted the suspicious guy Thaddeus had aided her to evade.
When Jana had heard about the situation that she’d been oblivious to, it rattled her. What if Thaddeus hadn’t been there? She’d have been an easy target by not paying attention. She shuddered to think of what could have happened.
At the yard, Jana paid the fee to get her truck back. It hardly seemed fair that it cost to pick up her vehicle, since she hadn’t been at fault for the incident. But apparently, the wheels of law enforcement didn’t operate that way.
The red truck was a mess from sitting in the yard for days. And the police examination hadn’t helped. Jana drove straight to the car wash, with Thaddeus following in the Jeep. While the soapy brush equipment washed her vehicle, Jana watched through the glass.
Thaddeus stood next to her, so she chatted about work and a few other things. It struck her that it was very domestic, as dinner with him had been. Despite the periodic bickering, her moodiness, and Thaddeus being royally pissed at her less than an hour before, she felt better with him by her side.
It wasn’t only that Thaddeus was there to protect her. It seemed right to be with him, although she couldn’t explain why. There was a list of reasons why they shouldn’t get along, but all that seemed to matter was being together.
Jana was pushing boundaries and knew it. She was attracted to a man who had the potential to break her heart. One bad breakup should have been enough. She had no business considering someone who was about as opposite from her as a man could be.
It was a good thing that Thaddeus hadn’t made a move. Jana wasn’t sure how she’d deal with that. He seemed to be acting normal, no longer angry with her. But he stood stiffly beside her, watching the surroundings an
d on constant alert.
The situation was hardly a romantic interlude. Yet without trying, Thaddeus was stealing her heart. She doubted that he even knew it. That was all she needed, considering the predicament she was in. It would be smart to handle the death threats before falling for her sexy Viking. But since when had she been smart in matters of the heart?
*****
The next morning, Jana planned to meet Coley at the gym for a workout. Besides skiing or rifle practice for the biathlon, she worked out with weights to stay fit and strong. Certain days she went through her routine with a coach. A few days a month, she met Coley so they could put each other through their paces.
Jana hadn’t bothered to tell Eva about the scary incident at the police station. It would only worry her grandmother more, so she didn’t see what good it could do. Thaddeus stayed close. He worked out early, as Jana had seen him outside, running in the snow and doing calisthenics. It was when he thought she was still sleeping.
When Jana was ready, Thaddeus drove her to the gym but announced he’d wait at the front. He wanted to give her some space. Apparently, he didn’t usually have to stick so close to clients. Many times, he just showed up at events or to accompany a client during travel.
Bodyguarding was limited duty, for the most part. But Jana’s situation was more the exception than the rule. Thaddeus told her that he wanted to be considerate and let her have personal time.
Jana appreciated that, and looked forward to chatting with Coley alone. Her mind was near to bursting with thoughts of what had been going on. She needed to process all that had happened and was still happening. She needed to talk with her friend.
Coley showed up dressed in black and gold gym wear. Her long hair was braided.
“New outfit?” Jana said.
“Yes, I’m tired of my others. What do you think?”
“I like it.” Jana ran her hands over her plain black shorts. “I should go shopping too. Once all this drama is over, I will. And you can come to help me pick out something that looks good on me.”
Music played through ceiling speakers. The clanging of machines and weights added discord to the harmony. The goal of the workout wasn’t to deplete strength but to energize. That was most advantageous for cross-country preparation.
That meant short, hard sessions. First was a warmup on the stationary bikes. And time to talk. Coley took the bike to Jana’s right and started pedaling. “I am so glad that Michael is home. I missed him.”
Jana enjoyed hearing that. It did her heart good to know that her friend had found the right man. “You guys are great together.”
“What about Thaddeus?” Coley said.
“You get right to the point, don’t you?”
Coley put her towel around her neck. “I like the guy. I don’t see how you can go wrong.”
Jana laughed. “You have to remember that this is me we’re talking about. I don’t have a good track record.”
“Oh, you mean Rakel? You can’t go by that. He’s not good husband material.”
“Um, you could have told me that before I married him.”
Coley shook her head. “Nope, couldn’t do it. You were all starry-eyed. And you know that once you make up your mind, you don’t care what I say.”
“That aside, there isn’t anything going on with Thaddeus. He’s been the perfect gentleman.”
“Too bad. He is a beauty,” Coley said. “I don’t see how you can resist.”
Jana didn’t see the point in hiding her feelings. “I do like Thaddeus…a lot. But there are issues. I can’t imagine that we’d get along like you and Michael. In the short time I’ve known him, we’ve already had too many disagreements to count.”
“It’s a stressful period. I’d be shocked if you didn’t have disagreements,” Coley said. “Hey, I disagree with Michael, more than you think. You don’t have to have matching personalities or views on things to love each other.”
Jana shook her head. “I don’t know about that.”
“Haven’t you heard that opposites attract?”
“Attract is one thing, but it’s no guarantee the relationship will last,” Jana said. “My ex-husband was the opposite of me, and all we did was clash.”
“You need to get over that,” Coley said. “It’s been years. All men aren’t like Rakel. He was a mistake.”
“And I’m trying to avoid another mistake.” Jana took a sip of water from her bottle. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. Thaddeus hasn’t shown interest.”
Coley smiled. “I beg to disagree. I saw how he looks at you. The guy is definitely interested. Trust me.”
“I’m glad you know so much about it.” Jana hoped that was true. Even though she had no right to. Thaddeus would leave when the danger had passed. He deserved a woman suited to him, not one who argued and resisted him. Since he was the quiet type, he’d be happier paired with a woman who could give him some peace.
Coley glanced over. “What are you thinking?”
“I like having Thaddeus with me, for as long as that’s possible. I know it will end, but it’s kind of nice for now,” Jana said. “Plus, he has a habit of saving my life.”
Coley raised her brows. “Did something else happen?”
Jana told her about the incident at the police station, including the altercation with Thaddeus afterwards. “It was a close call. Meanwhile…I was completely oblivious until it was over.”
Coley’s eyes gleamed. “That’s proof that he cares.”
“Are you crazy? It’s proof that he’s a good bodyguard. He saved my ass…again.”
“No, not that,” Coley said. “That he got upset with you. It means he cares.”
Jana didn’t want to debate that. She was just glad that he’d been there. The workout progressed to the harder stuff. The idea was to lift hard and stress the muscles. She’d do exercises in pairs then take a break before the next pair.
After the workout, Jana and Coley showered and dressed in warm clothes. Each stuffed their sweaty gym wear in a bag, then exited the stuffy, slightly smelly locker room. Before leaving, they stopped at the juice bar to refuel.
“What are you having?” Coley said.
“The protein shake with green food.”
“I’ll buy this time. You grab a table.”
Jana went to sit down to wait for the drink. While waiting, she thought of Thaddeus standing outside the gym entrance. It was weird having a bodyguard, especially since she thought of him as more of a friend.
Coley brought the shakes over. “I’m trying strawberry. It sounds good.”
Jana took a sip. “Green tastes better than you’d think. The grassy stuff is disguised with apple juice and banana.”
“Not for me,” Coley said, and wrinkled her nose. “I prefer fruity.”
“I’ll grab one for Thaddeus on the way out. He’ll probably like the powerhouse combo with extra protein.”
Coley raised her brows.
“Don’t get any ideas,” Jana said. “I’m only being considerate. After all, he has been waiting out there during our entire workout.”
Coley sipped the creamy drink through a straw. “Is the test still on for this weekend?”
“Yep, for sure. I can’t wait.” Jana reached into her bag and retrieved a box that fit in the palm of her hand.
“Is that it?”
“Yes, this is the new and improved version. I had the manufacturing company make some adjustments,” Jana said. “This should work even better now.”
Coley took the box. “I can’t get over how tiny it is, yet how much it does.”
“It doesn’t need to be big; it’s just a microchip.” Jana looked at the instrument that Coley lifted from the box. “The important thing is that you try it ahead of time, so you can practice. There are instructions in the box. I want to see if the instructions are clear, since that is all consumers will have. And you need to get comfortable using it, before we put it to the test.”
“I can go out a few times before the
n. I’ll drag Michael with me. He makes a good biathlon partner.”
“I have a slot scheduled for us at the club. I’ve reserved the whole morning,” Jana said. “We’ll have a trail to ourselves, designated for the test.”
“That must have cost you.”
“It’s worth it,” Jana said. “I’ve agonized over this for years. The patent takes so long to go through. And the manufacturers were difficult at first, but finally understood exactly what I required.”
“It’s a labor of love.”
“It truly is,” Jana said. “Once I know it works in the real world, and not just for me, I’ll be confident about putting it on the market. You’re my first beta tester. If our preliminary test goes well, I’ll have a few manufactured for the local team. If anything is going to malfunction, I want that to happen before it goes on sale to the general public.”
“It’s going to work beautifully,” Coley said. “I just know it.”
Jana smiled. “Spoken as a true friend.”
In truth, Jana was anxious about the trial runs. Minor adjustments had been made to the tool based on her personal use of it, but any little thing could throw it off. The chip could be clipped into a ski hat or jacket. It had a special attachment, designed for its small size. The radio wave emitted from the chip provided biofeedback in a unique way. She prayed it would work as intended but dared not be overly excited. A few more steps remained before it would be time to celebrate.
Chapter 12
While Jana was in the gym, Thaddeus hovered at the entrance. The members going in and out seemed harmless. The desk attendant was focused on paperwork, but looked up when a new arrival signed in. It was routine stuff.
Thaddeus took the opportunity to check in at Stealth. He texted Travis, hoping for news, but the boss had no more to offer. After being informed about the suspicious guy at the police station, he’d had Cooper investigate. There were ways to tap into police activity for that day and a few other things, but it hadn’t turned up anything useful.
Cooper texted that he was digging for information and would let Thaddeus know if he got any tips. As it stood, who was after Jana remained a mystery. There were no real suspects, just possibilities. But not one of those had solid evidence against them.
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