“I’m afraid for you,” she burst out.
Isaac sighed. “Okay, before we get into what I really wanted to discuss, I think it’s a better idea to tell you who and what I am so that your fears will be eased.”
She looked puzzled.
“I work for a security company. Personal protection. We’re the best, Jenna, and that’s not an idle boast. Our job is to protect people and we’re damn good at it. So you don’t need to be worried about me or any of the men who will take part in protecting you.”
Her eyes widened at that statement.
“They will offer peripheral protection, but I am the one who will protect you. The only damn one,” he said gruffly. “And listen to me, Jenna, because I don’t make promises lightly. Anyone who tries to hurt you or take you away from me will have to come through me to do that.”
“But you don’t even know me,” she said softly.
“You’re right. But I will.”
It came out as a vow. Matter of fact. Inevitable. She looked too stunned to respond to his promise.
“But why?” she choked out.
He touched her cheek, stroking it in the lightest of caresses. “You may not know why yet. But you will.” Another promise.
“Now, tell me about the people after you. I assume they want you because of what you can do.”
Her expression turned bitter, but before she could respond, a forceful knock sounded at the door. She jumped, her gaze jerking to the closed door and Isaac shouted, “Not right now! Whatever it is can wait. Just give me a goddamn minute,” he bellowed in frustration.
Instead of going away as Isaac had ordered, someone knocked again. More forcefully than before, and this time, there was no waiting for Isaac’s invitation to enter. Sterling burst inside holding some of Eliza’s clothing, a grim expression on his face.
“We need to move. Now. We have company. My men just reported movement in the northern quadrant, which means Eliza and I need to get out now. You wait fifteen minutes and then head west. One of my men will pick you up and take you to a safe house. We don’t have time to hash this out unless we want to engage, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to do that when my wife’s safety is at risk and she still hasn’t fully recovered from the last time she was shot.”
Isaac cursed the timing, but knew hers and the others’ safety came first. He’d just have to get Jenna to talk whenever they got settled again. He turned to Jenna, all business now, and handed her the clothing Sterling had tossed him. “Get dressed and make it fast. There’s a bathroom there,” he said, pointing to another door in the room. “You need to hurry, Jenna. We don’t have much time.”
Jenna jumped off the bed and fled to the bathroom, already pulling the T-shirt one of his men had put on her over her head when she closed the door behind her.
“Three minutes, sweetheart. Then we have to roll,” Isaac called loudly enough that she’d hear through the door.
Isaac turned to Sterling and then eyed him seriously. “I appreciate this more than you’ll ever know. Keep Lizzie safe. I don’t want her hurt because she’s helping me.”
“No one is going to so much as touch my wife,” Sterling said in a rigid tone. Then he turned and stalked from the room.
SEVEN
ISAAC stood with Jenna in the back of the house where it was dark, and long shadows were cast over the rear entrance. A slight rustle was his only indication that they were no longer alone and then Shadow appeared, barely discernible, much like his name indicated.
“Dex, Zeke and Knight have scouted the perimeter, and it appears they took the bait and are following Sterling and Eliza.”
“What the fuck is Knight doing here?” Isaac demanded.
Shadow sent him a look. “If you think this job is about money to him any more than it is for us, then fuck you.”
“I never said that.”
“Yeah? Then why would you expect any of us to stand down when one of our own is in danger and an innocent woman is being pursued by assholes who’ve already roughed her up once?”
“Gratitude,” Isaac whispered.
“Fuck your gratitude,” Shadow grumbled.
Isaac chuckled. “Anyone ever tell you how graciously you accept a thank you?”
“Even if she wasn’t wearing bruises and her safety wasn’t at stake, she saved you. That’s enough for me—for us. She gets our protection whether you like it or not.”
He almost said thanks again but just shook his head, grinning. “Nice to have the backup,” he said instead. “Never said I’d turn it down.”
Shadow checked his watch. “Time to roll. Sterling arranged for a pickup, but it’s a bit of a hike, and we need to keep to the shadows and be as quiet as possible.”
Isaac turned, twining his fingers with Jenna’s. “You ready, sweetheart?”
She looked dazed and shell-shocked, as though she was still trying to process the day’s events. Then she gave a short nod. But when she took a step forward, Isaac didn’t miss her wince, though she tried hard to cover it up.
“Fuck this,” he muttered.
He swung her slight form into his arms, cradling her close to his chest, and took off after Shadow.
“Isaac, what are you doing?” she asked in bewilderment.
“You’re hurting, and there’s no way in hell I’m making you walk through the woods in the dark.”
“You can’t carry me the entire way,” she said, embarrassment clouding her words.
“Can’t I?” he challenged. “Honey, you’re a tiny slip of a thing. I barely notice the extra weight. Besides, we’ll move faster this way, and the quicker we get to the rendezvous point the safer you’ll be. And when we get there, I’m having you checked out by a doctor. I’m worried you may have broken some ribs and by the way, Jenna? You’re going to tell me exactly how you got those bruises. Every single one.”
His tone was fiercer than he intended, and she stiffened in his arms, whether in fear or embarrassment he didn’t know.
“I will never hurt you, Jenna,” he said softly. “And there is nothing for you to feel shame over. Ever. Do you understand me?”
She buried her face in his chest, avoiding both of his statements, but it didn’t bother him because by burrowing closer into him, she’d displayed another gesture of trust, even if she wasn’t aware of it.
A dark vehicle loomed ahead and Isaac quickened his step, wanting Jenna out of harm’s way as quickly as possible. Then the unmistakable whine of a bullet striking metal sounded just as Shadow grunted beside him.
“Fuck. Fuck!” Isaac roared. He vaulted toward the open door and threw Jenna into the backseat, where Knight broke her fall and immediately pushed her down to the floor, out of the line of fire.
“Shadow, you hit?” Isaac demanded as his teammate threw himself into the front seat of the SUV.
“Doesn’t matter,” Shadow growled. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
The man Sterling had sent to drive them to the safe house wasted no time and floored it, roaring through the wooded area while Zeke, who was in the third row seat with Dex, lifted his head, staring toward the front seat.