Just One Touch (Slow Burn #5)(20)

"I will protect her," Isaac growled. "I will never leave her to the kind of life you described. I will never allow her to live the hell she's lived her entire life until now."

"Can you make that promise?" Dex challenged, speaking up for the first time. "Even knowing nothing about her, who she is, who's after her or knowing what she wants? Are you sure you even want to? Do you fully understand what you're signing up for?"

"You get one pass and only one, but if you ever ask me that shit again you and I are going to have serious problems. No one is making you participate. This isn't even an official assignment, so if you want out, say the word. Go back to HQ and have Dane put you on a different case."

"Look, man, I'm just looking out for you. She comes with a lot of baggage and already two of you nearly became collateral damage. I just need to know that you have your head on straight and have fully thought this through," Dex said calmly.

"I carry her baggage and her burdens from now on," Isaac said, fire in his eyes and words. "Never said it would be easy. But there is no fucking way in hell I'm turning my back on this girl and throwing her to the wolves."

"Then I guess we better come up with a plan once we get to Sterling's hidey-hole," Dex said. "With the speed in which they found us at the last one, I'm worried as fuck as to just what we're up against. It's obvious they don't mess around, and equally obvious they don't give a fuck who gets in their way or about taking out anyone between them and the end goal."

"I'll know more when I talk to Jenna," Isaac said as he cradled her even closer to his body. "Once I hear all she has to say, we'll have a better idea of what we're dealing with and can act accordingly."





EIGHT

STERLING stepped from the shadows when they pulled up at a very out-of-the-way, very hard-to-find and likely not-on-any-map house that had been constructed to seamlessly blend with the hillside it had been carved into. It was in a forested area and it had been a very bumpy ride with no road or pathway to smooth the way, making it necessary for Isaac to hold tightly to Jenna so she wasn't jostled right out of his lap. 

Instead of the heavy growth falling away as they approached the house, the trees and brush grew much denser. It was a perfect place to stash someone because it wasn't a place that could easily be found from the ground or air.

"You took fire when you left?" Sterling demanded.

Knight got out on his side to allow Dex and Zeke to crawl out of the back while Isaac got out on the other side and carefully helped Jenna down, not letting go of her waist until he was sure she was steady on her feet. She looked washed out. Completely exhausted.

Knight jerked his thumb over his back in Shadow's direction. "He took a hit, but he's fine now."

Sterling swore. "I'll have my doctor out to take a look."

"I'm fine," Shadow said as he walked around the front of the vehicle. "See?"

He pulled up the bloodied shirt to display perfectly unmarred skin with no evidence of any trauma.

"What the fuck?" Sterling demanded.

"Jenna," he said simply. "Now, we need to get inside. Jenna is wiped. We're wiped. And we have a lot of shit to go over."

Sterling's piercing stare moved over Jenna, a hint of concern in his usually unreadable gaze. "Come on in and make yourself comfortable," he said in a soft voice. "Eliza and I will have a meal ready for all of you in a few minutes. Until then, make yourself at home."

At that statement, Jenna sent Sterling a startled look and confusion was evident in her expression. Isaac honed in on her obvious befuddlement and wondered what about Sterling announcing the presence of food would cause her to react in such a way.

Then his jaw clenched as he realized that he had no way of knowing when the last time she'd eaten a decent meal was.

Jenna's expression suddenly eased. "Oh, I understand now. I misunderstood, sorry."

Sterling cocked his head but his words were still gentle, almost as if he were wary of spooking a wild animal. "Misunderstood what, sweetheart?"

"You were being a good host," she said, causing everyone to stare at her, wondering where on earth that statement came from or why she'd said it. "You meant that Eliza was preparing the meal and you were merely letting the men know they could eat soon."

Isaac ran his hand through his hair, picking up on the oddity of more than one part of her assessment.

Sterling looked no less perplexed. "No, that isn't what I meant at all," he said, careful to not sound as though he were reprimanding her. "I did most of the cooking. Eliza helped, but she mostly gave me a hard time and called my manhood into question," he added with a laugh.