by Barb Han
As Max closed his eyes again, a loud beeping sound came from his IV monitor.
“When did he wake up?” A nurse scurried into the room. Her name plate read: Serena.
“Not long.” Lauren looked to Jaden. “Five minutes?”
He nodded agreement.
The machine settled, pulsing rhythmically again. Lauren issued a breath.
“You must be his sister. He perked up as soon as he heard you were coming, but he needs his rest. I’m sorry to tell you think but you need to go,” Serena said.
“We just got here.” Based on Lauren’s slumped shoulders and deep worry lines nothing in her body language said she was ready to get up and walk out that door.
“He’s been through a lot. Believe me, with the amount of pain meds he’s on, he won’t even remember you’re here. This will all be a blur for him later.” Serena stopped for a second and gave Lauren a compassionate look. “Your brother is in the best hands.”
“Is there someone I can speak to about staying?” Lauren asked but Jaden realized the battle was lost before it had been fought.
“You can take it up with administration. Won’t do any good. Not on this floor. I’m sorry. I can see you love your brother very much. I know you want what’s best for him. He needs rest if he’s going to get better. You do, too. His recover is going to be a marathon, honey.” Serena’s compassion seemed to strike a chord with Lauren.
There was no way Jaden would tell her to leave. But he could see the argument playing out in her mind. She didn’t want to leave but the last thing she wanted was to get in the way of his healing.
Jaden leaned into her ear. “He knows you’re here. We can come back tomorrow.”
“Promise?” Her hopeful eyes nearly gutted him.
“Yes. As soon as they open the doors and give us the okay.” Jaden didn’t do promises but this was Lauren. And nothing would stop him from coming through for her.
Serena, who had been fidgeting with knobs, rocked her head. “He’s on a strict schedule. His visitation is so restricted I’m surprised you got through today. But come back tomorrow. It never hurts to keep trying until you wear them down.”
The nurse winked at Lauren, who returned with a tearful smile.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Let’s grab lunch,” Jaden said to Lauren.
It was clear that Lauren didn’t want to leave. Jaden understood that seeing her brother in this condition must be difficult but not as hard as facing the thought of leaving him twice. The thought that her brother could disappear at any moment into Witness Protection was probably weighing heavily on her mind.
Serena, looking sympathetic, said, “Look, I’ll speak to the doctor and see if we can get you some extra time tomorrow.”
“You can’t know what that would mean to me,” Lauren said gratefully.
Jaden’s hand never left her back as they walked out. She eased onto the back of the motorcycle, wrapped her arms around him and leaned her face against his back. He didn’t pit stop on the way home. He kept going until they returned safely to his place.
“Just remember he’s going to be fine,” he said once they were back inside.
“He was trying to tell me something and I couldn’t make it out.” Lauren’s hands worked the ends of a pillow as she sat on the sofa.
“Maybe we’ll get another chance to talk to him tomorrow. I know he looks bad to you right now, but believe me when I say that I’ve seen a lot worse,” Jaden tried to offer reassurance as he took a seat next to her.
“Like your injuries?” She brought her hand up to his shoulder with the bullet hole.
“That’s nothing.” She tensed when he said what was supposed to reassure her.
Lauren’s finger traced the rough skin, the scars covering what had been a hole in his shoulder. She brushed a kiss there. “This woman you trusted, did the two of you get very close?”
“Not this close,” he said and his lips found hers.
Jaden knew all too well this feeling of the world being right for just a second wouldn’t last.
Chapter 21
Lauren lay sleeping in Jaden’s bed, his protective arms encircling her. Her steady, even breathing said she was asleep. She’d managed to get a few bites down before another round of the best sex of Jaden’s life.
She stirred a place deep inside him—a place that had lain dormant forever—a place that made him want to protect her, to do whatever it took to keep her safe and happy, to tell her all his secrets.
His first instinct was to fight the feeling.
Not wanting to get inside his head about what that meant, how it all would work, he focused on what he knew. He wanted to be with her.
Something about the case bothered him. His thoughts circled back to Lauren. The same question haunted him. Why did they seem so intent on involving her?
He was overlooking something. A connection or link he hadn’t thought of already. Who else was connected to Lauren? Looking at her, their bodies linked, a thought struck. Him. He was the only person, aside from Max, she was connected to.
Hells bells.
Couldn’t be. What if the cartel had been trying to ferret out Jaden? But why? What was Max trying to tell them? He’d repeated “Herrr.”
The realization hit Jaden like a jackhammer to his solar plexus. Herrrr was a woman. Helena? Now his worst fears might be playing out that Helena was behind this.
When he really thought about it everyone around her dropped like napalm. Why hadn’t he pieced this together before? The hollow look in her eyes the day of Tim’s funeral had haunted Jaden. Something broke in her the day she’d lost him. What if Helena was never after Max or Lauren. She was using them to get to Jaden. Why? Did she blame him for Tim’s death? That would make this personal.
She was focused on the man with the angel tattoo and Jaden.
Guilt hit him fast and hard, rolling his insides. Lauren might be safe by now if not for him. One of the Menendez boys must’ve identified Jaden on the beach.
It felt like the worst kind of betrayal lying next to Lauren, having her feel his protection, when, in fact, she could be in more danger because of him.
Icy fingers squeezed his heart. Jaden slid out of the covers, snatched his cell from the makeshift bedside table, pulled on a pair of jeans, and slipped out the front door.
Was Gabriel still with Helena? He texted him. Nothing. He called Gunner next. No answer.
Wishing he had a friend to talk to had him thinking of his old buddy, Tate “Bear” Parker. But, damn, it had been a long time since the two had talked. Jaden knew that Bear had been medically discharged from the Army and was now working in Montana for the Brotherhood Protectors as a bodyguard. The last Jaden had heard, Bear had found what sounded like the real deal with a screenwriter by the name of Mia.
Good for him.
The private agency job he’d taken in Montana seemed to make him happy. Jaden had some serious contemplating to do. Could he set up his own shop in Texas? Bring in a few good men? Help others and know who the hell he was fighting and what they were fighting for? No more black ops. No more secrets. It gave him a lot to think about. Living life on his own terms sounded damn good about now.
A former D-Force soldier, Bear had lost most of his men when an Iraqi informant double crossed them. If not for the close air support that had been called in, Bear wouldn’t be alive right now. He’d had a long road to recovery after taking a hit to his leg, but the last time the two talked Bear sounded like a new man.
Out of desperation, Jaden called his former friend. A true handyman, Bear could fix just about anything. Could he fix this? Fix Jaden?
As Jaden always did, he sent a coded text first.
“Hey.” Bear picked up on the first ring.
“It’s good to hear your voice, bro,” Jaden said.
“Are you about to ask me on a date?” Bear teased. Jaden missed the easy way he had with his former friend.
“Yeah, why? Have you gone all exclusiv
e now with Mia?”
“How’d you kno—” Bear stopped midsentence. He chuckled again, realizing he wasn’t exactly incognito in Montana and he was having a conversation with basically a ghost. “Never mind that. I’m sure you have your ways. What’s going on?”
“Does something have to be up for me to reconnect with an old friend?” Jaden’s comeback fell flat.
There was silence on the line.
“We have a mole.” Jaden dove right in.
“Shit. Do you know who it is?”
“I think so,” Jaden admitted. “The problem is, she’s one of our best.”
“Then you have to do whatever it takes to bring her out of the shadows.” Bear was right. Jaden could only think of one way to do that but damn it was dangerous…
His cell buzzed in his hand. He moved it away from his ear and checked the screen. Gunner.
“I have to take this one.” Jaden cursed the timing.
“Sure, I understand. You need any help out there wherever you are?”
Jaden figured he had to handle this one. “No. I got this. But, Bear…”
“Yeah?”
“Think we could grab a beer sometime?”
“I’d like that a lot.”
“Keep your eye on the news if you want to find me.” Jaden didn’t say goodbye. That word was too hard for him lately. He clicked over to answer the call coming in.
“Have you heard from Gabriel?” Jaden wasted no time asking.
“No.”
“Get men on it. He’s in danger. I’m afraid that I know who is behind all this. I think I know who’s calling the shots.” Jaden paused. “You’re not going to like this. I think it’s Helena. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. She’s working with Menendez to draw out the man responsible for killing Tim and focusing on Lauren because I got the assignment.”
Jaden’s accusation was met with silence.
Then came, “Why you?”
“I gave him that assignment and now everyone around me has been shot. She’s using Menendez as a cover, infiltrating them to get close to the guy with the angel tattoo. She blames me for Tim’s death. Hell, I do, too. He was all she had. She tried to kill me when I was on assignment with Smith. When she didn’t succeed, she knew I’d be on my guard this time even more. She also knew I’d take an easy assignment while I healed and probably had access to the assignments in the database.”
“She got to the intel before I made it disappear. She’s been using the Menendez cartel as a front.” Regret laced Gunner’s tone as he caught on.
“This started with me, and it ends with me. I have a plan. I’ll need your help,” Jaden said.
“Name it.”
Jaden relayed a few details before closing the phone. His chest was heavy as his thoughts snapped to his biggest issue—a problem he didn’t want to face. If Helena kidnapped Max so she could target Lauren in order to draw Jaden out, the only way to keep her safe would be to distance himself from her.
To leave her.
A knife stabbed his chest. This was going to hurt far worse than a bullet to the heart. She’d awakened a place in him he thought was long dead. Now that it was awake, he couldn’t imagine the pain involved in shutting it down.
Jaden walked inside the apartment, woke her and sat on the edge of the bed.
Lauren took one look at his serious expression and sat straight up. “What’s wrong?”
She tried to touch him, but he pulled on all his strength and moved out of reach. “Gunner set up a safe house for you. You’ll be watched day and night. An agent will be here to pick you up in a few minutes.”
“And what about you?” She was pulling on her strength not to break down. He’d heard it in her voice before when she’d been talking about Max.
“I have a new assignment.” It wasn’t a lie. His mission had changed.
“So that’s it then. You ride off into the sunset, and don’t look back?” she asked bitterly.
“Look. It’s work. It’s what I do.” He needed her to believe that he could walk away even though it was killing him inside.
“Fine. Do what you have to.” She turned her face away from him.
Jaden stood up, dropped an envelope full of cash on the nightstand and then walked out.
Losing her forever was something he couldn’t fathom. He lied to himself, saying he’d see her again. In truth, he knew she’d never want to look at his face again after the way he’d just hurt her.
Jaden fired up his motorcycle engine, forcing his thoughts to what was important. She was safe now.
Anger burned through his lungs, making something as simple as taking in air painful.
What else could he do? Wheels were in motion. He had to sort out his thoughts, clear his focus, so he made damn sure no one would hurt her again.
Besides, he couldn’t concentrate when her body was pressed against his. Not even a holy man could resist that kind of temptation.
He was no saint.
No threat he’d be called up for that job anytime soon, either.
And right now?
He was a bastard instead.
By the time Lauren settled into the safe house, her body was nearing exhaustion. Alone was how she came into the world, and alone was how she’d probably leave. Life had a way of charting a course.
The apartment in the top floor of a downtown building was cozy, comfortable. Leather club chairs flanked an ottoman across from an exposed brick fireplace. An armoire in the corner encased a TV and DVDs. Save for the man parked outside her door, this felt as close to home as anything could, under the circumstances.
But without Jaden, even home seemed hollow.
All she could think about was a hot bath, candlelight, and a tall glass of wine. Arranging all her props, Lauren stepped into the bath water. She eased in and practically glided down the back of the tub.
In the warmth, her physical aches and pains melted into the water. The emotional ones wouldn’t wash away so easily. She exhaled slowly to clear her mind. No pressure. No outside distractions. She was alone with her thoughts. They wandered to Jaden first.
Her heart tore in half from missing him so much. She could scarcely breathe.
She reminded herself that she’d known all along this was going to happen. But it sure hurt like hell.
A full hour later, she stood, rinsed off, and put on pajamas. Curling up in bed, the distant rumble of a thunderstorm comforted her. She missed Jaden’s arms around her.
He’d made a life out of being on his own. Is that why he’d pushed her away?
An annoying voice reminded her that Max was safe now. Jaden had completed this mission and was on to the next. It hurt. And a question swirled around in her head, keeping her from sleep. Why did he push her away now?
Lauren fell asleep as the rains came, thunder and lightning cracking against the sky.
When she checked the clock the next morning, she realized she’d slept nearly twelve hours. Her thoughts slammed to Jaden. He’d been the one to teach her the lesson looping through her thoughts. You can’t change someone who doesn’t want to change.
Lauren slipped out onto the tiny patio. The noon sun was already overhead. Her newly-minted black hair whipped around in a rare cool summer breeze.
When she was sufficiently awake and grounded, she decided to plug back into life and watch the news. Maybe she could catch up a bit while she got ready for work. The flower shop was closed but she needed to get in there and assess the financial damage. See if there was anything left to save of her business. She slipped on jeans and a t-shirt.
One glance at the TV and she froze.
“An operative, known as Jaden Dean, linked to a secret organization called ManTech is speaking out against evil.”
Her pulse climbed. Lauren raced to the set, cranked up the volume. Why would he do this? Why would he blow his cover?
“The ex-special forces operative not only gives away his identity, but he delivers a call to action in this YouTube vide
o, which is going viral on the Internet…” the broadcaster continued.
Lauren blinked hard as the homemade video came up on the screen, featuring a man who was unmistakably Jaden.
“This is Jaden Orchard. The company I work for has been infiltrated by a South American cartel. Our operatives are being killed on assignment left and right. If you’re listening, assholes, you missed one. Me. You tried and failed. You want me? Come get me. I’m here in Caracas at the Parque Carabobo subway station, and I’m waiting for you.”
Chapter 22
Lauren’s heart dropped to the floor. Why would he do this? Why was he exposing himself? Taunting them. Why would he say his real name?
The shot in the video panned out to reveal several red tables and stools with men playing chess against the backdrop of what looked like a subway hub. They’d find him and kill him. What was he doing?
The doorbell rang.
Lauren answered quickly, fearing there’d be news about something happening to Jaden.
“Ma’am, it’s shift change. I need you to wait here while we secure the perimeter,” Dewey Burton, her night shift guard, said before disappearing down the hall.
Her nerves were fried. She couldn’t stop thinking about Jaden. He’d blasted his location to the world. Sitting there, waiting, made it worse.
But she’d be crazy to take off by herself, so she waited.
Once Granger Roxbury—a.k.a. Rocky—showed, she walked past him with a greeting and took off toward her shop. He must’ve picked up on her mood because he gave her space. She needed a minute to breathe, anyway.
On the walk to her shop, anxiety caused her knees to shake and her shoulders to slump forward. Her knuckles felt like they would bruise from dragging the pavement. Every step was a chore. She was tired. The physical bruises pounded and she was starting to rack up emotional ones of a similar scale.
Why would he do it? Why would he push her away and then go to Caracus to expose his identity?
A sudden thought hit her. If Jaden’s feelings had been real—and she knew in her heart they were—what if he’d pushed her away for her own good? He’d said he would do anything to keep her safe. Did that include forcing her away to reveal his own identity?