Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“Understood. I’m keeping her close. Public appearances as a couple. Private security tight.”
“Good. How’s she holding up? Anniston was worried about her sister getting dragged into this.”
“She’s tough,” I say, and the words come out softer than I intend. “Stubborn as hell. Smart. She doesn’t like the situation, but she’s playing along. Asked tonight if she could call Anniston tomorrow. I told her yes first thing.”
Sloane makes a thoughtful sound. “Family ties are strong with those two. Keep that in mind. It could be useful if Anniston has any new intel from her side.”
We talk for another twenty minutes about logistics. Supply runs. Backup protocols if things go sideways. Possible extraction points along the coast. Sloane gives me the latest sitrep on the rest of the team. Colt’s still stateside training. Crewe is deep in recon. Banks is buried in data. No one’s slept much since Nash and Sin vanished.
After we hang up, I sit in the dark living room for a long time. The only light comes from the moon through the front windows and the faint glow of the porch light outside. I replay both conversations in my head. Mack’s advice about keeping feelings out of the job. Sloane’s confirmation that Liotta’s shadow stretches further than we thought. My own words to Sadie on the boardwalk keep surfacing. The kind of woman I’d burn down every rule for.
I stand and walk to the window, peering out at the dunes. The ocean glitters under the stars. Somewhere out there, my brothers are waiting for us to find them. My father might still be alive, caught in the same web. And here in this safe house, a woman I barely knew a week ago is sleeping under my protection. The weight of all of it presses down, but it doesn’t crush me. It sharpens me.
I check the locks one more time. I walk the interior perimeter again, pausing outside Sadie’s door to listen. Steady breathing. Safe.
Back on the couch I stretch out, one arm behind my head, the other resting on my chest where my heart still beats a little too fast. Tomorrow we shop again or hit the marina. We keep selling the story. I keep her close. I stay sharp. Mack’s voice echoes. Safety first. Don’t think with your dick.
I close my eyes, but sleep stays away. Instead I plan. Routes. Contingencies. The next move at the Lobster Shack.
The waves keep rolling outside. The house settles around me. I stay awake a long time, listening to every sound, guarding the woman down the hall, and wondering how much longer I can keep the professional line from blurring completely.
8
Sadie
Morning light filters through the sheer curtains in my bedroom and warms the sheets around me. I stretch slowly, my muscles still carrying the faint ache from yesterday’s tension. For a moment I forget where I am. Then the sound of steady breathing and rhythmic movement drifts down the hallway. I sit up and rub my eyes. The clock on the nightstand reads a little after seven. Jace is already awake.
I slip out of bed and pull on a light robe over my sleep shorts and tank top. My bare feet pad quietly down the hallway. I stop at the edge of the living room and peek around the corner. Jace works out in the open space between the couch and the sliding glass doors. He faces away from me, shirtless, sweat glistening on his broad back and shoulders. Every muscle stands out in sharp definition as he moves through a series of push-ups, his body lowering and rising with controlled power. The morning sun catches the lines of his arms and the way his shoulders flex. I know he’s good-looking. I’ve known it since the moment he leaned against his Jeep in my driveway. But this is something else. It’s different. It’s magnetic and I can’t turn away. Like my very own thirst trap I can’t stop staring at.
I stand there longer than I should, watching the way his body moves with such discipline. The steady rhythm of his breathing fills the quiet room. My pulse quickens. Heat creeps up my neck. I should turn around. I should go back to my room and pretend I saw nothing. Instead I stay rooted in place, eyes tracing the curve of his spine and the way sweat trails down his skin.
Jace finishes a set and pushes up to his feet in one fluid motion. He turns toward the kitchen for water and freezes when he spots me. His eyes lock on mine. A slow, knowing grin spreads across his face.
I blush hard. The heat rushes across my cheeks and down my throat. I feel exposed even though I wear a robe and stand fully covered. “Good morning,” I say quickly, trying to sound casual. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your workout. I’m going for a run on the beach. Clear my head.”