Under Pressure(39)

Jason broke off from the conversation he was having with her brothers, turning his full attention back to her. The impact of his gaze hit her full force, comforting her. His fingertips brushed down her cheek as soft as butterfly wings. “You are the most important thing in my life now, Bella. I will do whatever it takes to make you safe. No one will take you from me,” he said softly before he stood to pick his phone up from the table to make another call.

Oh, wow, Bella could feel her insides melt. She wasn’t falling. No, she loved this man. How had this happened so fast? Oh, hell. Her mind raced with panic as all thoughts of the threat against her life were pushed aside by the tumultuous feelings reeling inside her. She could feel the color drain from her face, leaving her shaking.

“Bells? Are you okay?” Tony gripped her shoulders.

“Fine, I’m fine.” Oh God, oh God. She didn’t know how to handle all of the emotions she was feeling, but she’d be dammed if she would discuss it while her brothers were there. She slapped Tony’s hands away from her. “I said I’m fine.”

Jason didn’t look convinced as he pulled her up from between her brothers and cradled her next to him back on the couch. “Baby, I know you’re scared, but I swear I won’t let anything happen to you.”

No, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. A primal urge to protect her nearly rocked him on his heels, and he knew without a doubt in that moment that he would kill anyone who tried to take her from him.

She gifted him with a brilliant smile. “I know.”

“Bells, I’ll run home and grab some of your stuff for you. You’re staying here, right?” Tony asked as he stood up.

“Yes, she stays here,” Jason confirmed in a tone that dared them to argue with him.

Tony shrugged. “I’ll call you on the cell and you can tell me what you need once I’m there. I’ll also tell Danny to come by tomorrow for the meeting.”

Sal looked uneasy. “I think you should let us handle this. There are things—”

“You think I don’t know what team he means? Christ, Sal, who do you think is called in when you need to hack into something no one else can?” Tony snickered.

Shock filled Sal’s face before he laughed. “Shit, I should’ve known.”

Suddenly both of their heads swiveled to look at Bella, faces going blank.

Leaning back, Bella smiled smugly. “If you guys are talking about IAD, I’m already well aware that all my jerk-wad brothers are involved in international espionage, thank you very much.” Their jaws dropped, and they both went pale as they looked at Jason in disbelief. Having fun, Bella arched an eyebrow. “Thought you were the only ones who could keep a secret?”

They were left sputtering.

Jason took pity on them, a smile just for her softening his face. “Darling, you almost gave them both heart attacks. I told her about everything.”

Sal scowled at her, rubbing a hand over his chest like his heart hurt. “Christ, Bella, I was imagining you jumping out of planes or something. Shit, don’t scare me like that.”

Tony at least had the sense to find the amusement of the situation and winked.

Sal started out of the room then paused. “Wait a sec, you said all of us.”

Tony chuckled and threw his arm around Sal’s shoulder. “Danny helps out occasionally. No one’s better at getting info from people in this city than that sneaky son of a bitch. The bar is the perfect place to learn information. Plus that boy knows just about everyone in the city.”

“Damn, it’s always the nice ones.” Sal scrubbed his hands over his face. “All this time I thought I was protecting you guys. Bastards.”

After giving him a loud smacking kiss on the cheek, Tony walked away.





Chapter Fourteen




Bella was tired.

It had been a long day. A long day full of new, insightful experiences. It wasn’t every day that she got an inside view of a clandestine agency, complete with a tour and briefing. Her hair piled high on the top of her head, she lay back. Now, soaking in the hot tub, her muscles relaxed for the first time in what seemed like days.

Last night Jason had surprised her with moving her stuff into the apartment, filling his gray space with her colors. After her comment about his lack of courtship, Jason had painstakingly filled each room with a variety of flowers, hoping to erase the memory of Victor Dane’s macabre gift. The sweet scent of the blooms filled Bella with a quiet joy that Jason would go to such lengths to make her happy.

Now it felt like home, their home.

This morning Jason had taken them all down to the subterranean levels, and they had met with the team of IAD members that he had put together in one of the conference rooms. She knew that there were teams of IAD agents all over the world, but from what she heard Jason’s agents were known as being some of the best.