Dane nodded slowly. "Don't do what Eliza did, Isaac. I'll be pissed. No going it alone to protect the rest of us. We're big boys and we make our own choices. You're family and nothing is too much to ask of us. For now, I agree with your play, but I'm not going to sit around on my hands and do nothing for long. So find out what you need to know and find out fast so we can assess the situation and come up with a plan going forward. If she can do all you said she can and did do, then the people after her aren't just going to give up and walk away at the first sign of difficulty. They'll just go harder after her and they won't care what kind of mess they make in the process. And Isaac?"
Isaac's gaze lifted to his team leader and drifted over to Beau, who was staring every bit as intently at him. "Yeah?"
"You need to understand what you're taking on. This isn't a temporary assignment where we take out a threat and then the client walks away safe and able to resume their life. Someone with her abilities is always going to be sought after. Someone will always want to use her, control her, and it'll never go away. You need to think about that before you decide just how involved you want to be in this. You've already hit their radar and you damn near died. There's no shame in walking away and letting one of us take on her protection. Just say the word and I'll make it happen."
Rage boiled in Isaac's veins and he barely managed to hold on to his temper. Barely. Only the knowledge that these men and this organization would go to the wall for him just as he would for them every goddamn day prevented him from putting his fist right through Dane's face.
"She's mine, Dane. No one else's. I told you I'd ask if and when I need backup or help. Until then, it's better that none of you are associated with her or are seen anywhere near her. She risked everything to save me when I could have been no better than the assholes trying to get to her. She sealed her fate in that moment because I'm not going anywhere. I need time to hear her side and I have a feeling she's not just going to volunteer any information about herself, so I'm also going to need time to gain her trust and I'm going to prove to her that she can trust me. I appreciate the offer. More than you know. But she isn't a DSS client or assignment. She's mine, and I'll protect her with my life."
Dane sighed but nodded then held up a hand to stop Isaac before he left. "If you can get any information from her at all, call Quinn and put him to work on it. God knows he already spends twenty-four seven with his goddamn computers. Might as well give him some real work to do and let him wow us with his technical prowess. His pride is still smarting over the fact that Lizzie is very likely far more adept at hacking than he is, but she pretends to be dumber than she is to spare him the embarrassment."
Dane snorted at the very idea of Lizzie playing dumb, but she had a soft spot for the youngest Devereaux brother and it didn't surprise Isaac at all that she'd play down her abilities to make him look better.
"Good idea," Isaac said, as he turned to hurry out. "I'll give him a call if I have anything he can work with."
FIVE
ISAAC parked in his garage and then hurried in through the garage entrance. He was met by Dex, whose expression gave nothing away.
"How is she?" Isaac demanded.
Dex shrugged. "She's been out like a light. Never even stirred when we carried her in and put her in your bed."
In his bed. Something within Isaac settled at those words, as if everything had righted itself. Then concern took over his momentary inattention.
"She hasn't come to even once?"
Dex shook his head. "We've taken turns watching her. Didn't want her to wake up and freak out, so we've made sure someone has been in the room with her so we could calm her fears if she roused. But she hasn't so much as twitched. She looks like she's completely out of gas."
Isaac frowned and then pushed by Dex on his way to his bedroom. Zeke was in the living room watching television. He paused at the door of his bedroom and turned back to the two men.
"Eliza and Sterling are coming over at seven with dinner. Since Lizzie is officially off for another three months and Sterling is a man of many talents, I've enlisted their help. If at all possible, I want to keep DSS off the radar with this. I don't want my actions to bring danger to everyone's doorstep. Our women have suffered enough, and I won't be the cause of more pain to any of them."
"You want us here for the sit-down?" Zeke asked carefully.
Isaac stared at him and then at Dex. "Yeah. But only if you want to be. This isn't official. It's off the books and you won't be paid for it."