Isaac couldn’t stand being a passive participant any longer. He curled his hands around her shoulders, turning her until she faced him, and then he pulled her against his chest, listening to her weary sigh as he guided her damp face into his neck.
“Then believe, honey,” Isaac whispered against her ear. “Everyone has to believe in something. I want your something to believe in to be me.”
“Everyone always leaves,” she choked out. “They never stay. They never keep their promises. They lie. They never mean what they say. They hurt . . .”
She went utterly still, refusing to say anything more. Isaac bristled with rage. He knew damn well what she’d been about to say. They hurt her. God, she’d been hurt her entire life. Treated as a subhuman. Used for others’ conveniences, no doubt. It enraged him and broke his heart at the same time.
“We’re going to talk about the people who hurt you,” he said firmly. “But for right now you’re exhausted from healing Shadow and we still have an hour to drive, so I want you to try to relax and get some rest. Try not to think or worry about anything. We’re going to protect you, baby. If you believe in nothing else, if you trust in nothing else, hold this one truth to your heart. We will protect you and I will take care of you, and I don’t make promises lightly. Others may not mean what they say, but I do. We all do. Our word isn’t given lightly, but it is given to you.”
Not even caring that the others would see or that he didn’t know anything about this woman in his arms other than she was in trouble and that she was an angel, he pressed his lips to her soft hair to seal his vow.
She stiffened for a moment and then finally relaxed in his hold. Within seconds she was completely under. Warm, limp and unconscious, her weight so very precious against his body.
For a long moment, no one said anything, though plenty of looks were cast her way and Shadow’s. After half an hour, Shadow turned in his seat and looked first to see that Jenna was still sleeping before glancing up at Isaac, raw emotion simmering in his usually unreadable eyes.
“Jesus Christ, Isaac. You didn’t tell me how . . .” He shook his head. “Hell, I don’t even have the words to explain it, so how can I expect you to have had them?”
“I was too mind-fucked at the time and convinced I had died and that she was welcoming me to heaven,” Isaac said grimly.
“That was the most . . .” Again he shook his head. “Jesus, I still don’t have words. It was the most beautiful, peaceful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. It felt like liquid sunshine had invaded my body and warmed me from the inside out, erasing any pain, worry or guilt. Removing a lifetime of pain and regret and replacing it with something more precious than I’ve ever possessed. She’s a fucking miracle, man.”
“I know,” Isaac said quietly.
My miracle.
He couldn’t help the possessive claim that bubbled from the depths of his heart. It was crazy, it was ten kinds of fucked up, it was something right out of a science fiction movie, but one simple truth prevailed. She was his, and she’d been his the moment she’d laid her hands on him and he’d felt her touch all the way to his soul. She’d saved him, and there was no way in hell he’d ever allow anyone to hurt her again.
Shadow’s eyes were worried as they stared intently back at Isaac. “Do you even know what her life will be like? Will always be like? She’ll always have assholes trying to take her and use her and even if she had a chance at a normal life, if it got out what she can do, she’d never have a moment’s peace. People would never let her be. There’d always be someone wanting her to save a loved one, someone hurt, someone dying. And it takes a piece of her every time she does it. I could feel it. I could feel what it did to her even as what she gave me was the most fucking beautiful thing I’ve ever been given. It chips away at her, Isaac. And if it happens enough, there won’t be anything left of her and she’ll be left broken.”
Isaac’s chest tightened and his throat knotted as Shadow’s words sank in. She was already so damaged. He was right. She had little left to give and yet she hadn’t hesitated to give it to him and to Shadow, two men she didn’t know and to whom she didn’t owe a single thing.
“You said you’d protect her,” Zeke said from behind him. “That we’d protect her. But can we, Isaac? Can we really? This is way bigger than what Ari, Ramie, Gracie and Tori can do. This is bigger than all of us. How the hell can we guarantee her any kind of safety? How can we make her promises we don’t know for sure we can keep?”
“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.
Jenna’s mouth dropped open in obvious shock and then nervousness crowded her features.
“You aren’t angry with her, are you?” she asked anxiously.
What the fuck?
Isaac’s mouth fell open and his teammates’ reactions were much the same. Sterling looked surprised himself, but then his expression softened and he reached for Jenna’s hand, squeezing in reassurance.
“Of course I’m not angry. I love Eliza dearly. She’s my whole world.”
Jenna seemed stunned that he would openly express his love for his wife. Then she blushed and looked downward once she realized everyone was staring at her.
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my place to question you.”
Jesus, but this got weirder by the minute, and Isaac had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Come on, let’s go inside or Eliza’s going to wonder where we are,” Sterling said, motioning for everyone to precede him into the house.
Isaac fell into step beside Jenna, making sure she was steady enough to make it on her own.
When they entered the house, Jenna stepped away from Isaac, a look of wonder on her face. She began examining the contents, stopping to run her fingers almost reverently over some of the pictures and knickknacks, allowing her hands to slide over the expensive furnishings.
At times, her lips pursed and her brow furrowed in confusion as if she had no idea what some of the items were. The others watched her odd behavior and exchanged puzzled glances.
“Is this where you live?” she asked Sterling in a soft voice.
“It’s one of the many residences I own,” he replied. “But this isn’t where Eliza and I make our home.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said wistfully. “Is this what all homes look like?”
Isaac’s heart nearly shattered on the spot. What kind of hell had she endured in her life that she didn’t even know what a normal home looked like?
“Where I was kept looked nothing like this,” she said sadly. “I’ve never seen a real home. It must be nice.”
Then, as if realizing she was revealing something she wasn’t ready to share, she clamped her mouth shut and looked down at her hands, effectively ending any further outbursts. Instead she retreated to the far end of the living room and wrapped her arms protectively around herself and withdrew.
There wasn’t a single man in the room whose expression didn’t reflect absolute fury.
“Hey, isn’t the game on?” Dex said, flopping onto one of the couches and pointing the remote at the television. It was obvious he was trying to take the focus off Jenna and alleviate the heavy tension filling the room.
As soon as it flashed on and the loud noise filled the room, Jenna nearly jumped out of her skin and let out a startled cry. She looked in horror at the TV screen, rooted to the spot where she was standing.
“What is that?” she demanded in an almost hysterical tone. “What is that thing?”
By now, however odd Isaac’s teammates considered her behavior before, now there was genuine concern, and it was obvious no one knew how to handle the situation.
Isaac tentatively put his hand on Jenna’s shoulder, feeling the tension radiating from her in waves.
“It’s a television, honey.”
He didn’t think it was possible for her to look more horrified.
“Turn it off!” she said in a shrill voice. “It’s the devil’s instrument. It’s evil. It isn’t allowed. It’s forbidden!”
She was near tears, her hands curled into tight fists at her sides as Dex quickly turned off the TV.
Eliza poked her head into the living room. “Soup’s on, guys. Come and get it while it’s hot.”
Isaac left Jenna staring at the television, shaking so hard that her teeth chattered. He murmured to Eliza so Jenna wouldn’t hear.
“I think it best if Jenna and I eat out here and the rest of you eat in the kitchen. I need time. Something is very wrong here and she’s beyond upset. This situation is so fucked up I can’t wrap my head around it. I need to get her to talk to me and tell me everything fast, and she’s not going to do that in front of a room full of people.”
“If I can do anything to help, you know I will,” Eliza said, compassion in her voice.
“I know, Lizzie, and I appreciate it. Jenna isn’t like anyone I’ve ever known. It’s like she’s a child in an adult’s body and she has no knowledge of everyday things you and I take for granted. I have a very bad feeling about what her life has been like.”
“You only have to look into her eyes to see that she is one very damaged woman, Isaac. You’re going to have to take it slow and not push too hard.”
“I just hope I can get her to trust me enough to open up because until she does, we’re flying blind. We have no clue who’s after her, though the reason is evident enough. We’ve already been through this with Ramie and Ari, but this is way beyond what we faced protecting them. I think she’s been held captive and forced to use her gift for a very long time. That she managed to escape tells me more than I can handle without losing my shit.
“Whoever is after her means business and they aren’t going to give up. They shot me and they shot Shadow. If it weren’t for Jenna, I would have bled out and died within minutes.”
Something dark and feral flashed in Eliza’s eyes.
“Don’t even think about it, Lizzie,” Isaac warned. “You’re still on leave whether you like it or not and you’re not fully healed from your own brush with death. If I think, even for a minute, that you’re plotting anything, I won’t hesitate to rat you out not only to Sterling but to Dane as well.”
Annoyance shone in her expression. Scowling at him, she walked back to the island and prepared two plates, gathered utensils for him and Jenna, and then shoved them at him.
“I’ll make sure y’all get the privacy you need,” she said, despite her irritation. “Wade and I will be shoving off after dinner anyway, but he’s leaving several of his men around the perimeter of the property to keep an eye on things.”
Isaac grinned. “You know you love me, Lizzie.”
She rolled her eyes and then made a shooing motion with her hand.
Isaac walked back into the living room, where Jenna still stood rigidly in the same spot he’d left her. He sighed and then sat down on the couch, setting the plates on the coffee table.
“Come eat with me, sweetheart. I don’t even want to think about when the last time was that you had a decent meal.”
Jenna moved forward, eyeing the plates. As she sat down, she sniffed appreciatively. Her eyes were wide when she took in the steak, baked potato with all the fixings and grilled asparagus.
Her gaze was hesitant when it lifted to Isaac’s. “You mean I can have all this?”
He frowned. “Why the hell couldn’t you? As you can see, I have my own plate.”
She twisted her fingers nervously together until she was wringing her hands. “It’s just that I was never allowed to have . . .”
She broke off, immediately closing herself off once more, and then picked up the fork and knife, looking down as if she didn’t know which part of the meal she wanted to try first.
Just like that she became distant, the shields going up, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to get any of the answers to the questions burning his tongue tonight. Damn it, but the parts she’d inadvertently disclosed frustrated and angered him and had him thinking that wherever she’d come from, whoever she was running from hadn’t treated her any better than an animal.
There was something unworldly about her, a cloud of innocence and ignorance of the most basic things that made him believe she’d been kept tightly under wraps. A prisoner never allowed out of whatever hellhole she’d been sequestered in. And the fact that she knew so little of the modern world also told him she hadn’t been there a short time, either.
He sighed, seeing that she was tense and wary, probably expecting him to start demanding answers at any time. After all, he’d told her as much on their way here. That she was going to tell him everything.
Wanting to give her one night when she wasn’t so burdened down that she staggered under the weight of so much worry, he reached over and brushed his fingertip down the line of her cheek.
“Just eat, Jenna. We’ll talk when you trust me enough to let me in and share what you were running from. Until then, I’m just going to have to prove to you that I’ll never hurt you, I’ll always protect you and that I’m willing to wait until you’re ready to tell me your secrets.”
He nearly groaned because when she lifted her gaze to his, she looked at him like he was the only man in the world. Like he was some kind of damn hero. Her hero. Her eyes went shiny with tears and her smile . . . Jesus, her smile. It had the effect of a sledgehammer to his gut.
“No one has ever been nice to me,” she said, almost whispering. “I had given up hope that kindness existed in the world, but you—all of you—have shown me that it does. You’ll never know how much this has meant to me.”
He wanted to weep at the sincerity in her words. The calm, matter-of-fact way she’d said that no one had ever shown her kindness. And yet she was an angel in a world that had shown her no mercy. His damaged angel. An angel with broken wings just dying to fly. He made a vow that she would fly again, no matter what he had to do in order to make that happen.
“Eat,” he ordered in a gruff voice laced with emotion. It was all he could say without risking breaking down in front of her. He wanted to put his fist through the wall, but what he most wanted was to get his hands on the bastards who’d made her suffer, who’d made her life a living hell for so long.
She excitedly dug into the steak first and he watched her expression as the first bite hit her tongue. She chewed reverently and then closed her eyes, sighing deeply as she savored the taste of the perfectly cooked meat.
“Good?” he teased.
“Amazing,” she breathed.
He noticed she dug into the steak and the baked potato with enthusiasm, delighting in every single bite. In fact he’d never seen anyone take such pleasure in such a simple meal, but then he had to remember it was doubtful she found much satisfaction at all in the food she’d eaten before. Yet despite her obvious enjoyment of the steak and potato, she didn’t so much as touch the asparagus.
“Not a vegetable eater?” he teased.
But then he cursed his words and his attempt to lighten the mood when her face fell and once again she became fidgety.
“Vegetables were all I was ever allowed to eat,” she said, her head low in embarrassment. “Sometimes bread as a reward when I . . .”
Once more she broke off before revealing further information.
Isaac ignored the anger simmering in his veins, determined to make the meal as enjoyable for his angel as possible.
“Then I’ll make sure you never have to eat anything you don’t want again,” he said, solemnly.
Her smile was small, but at least she lifted her head again and most of the shame shadowing her eyes had disappeared. Just to make her smile again, he leaned over and forked her asparagus, moving the stalks to his plate.
“Now their offending presence is gone from your plate and won’t interfere with your steak and potato,” he said with an exaggerated grin.
Her smile broadened and once more he felt like he’d been punched in the stomach, momentarily robbed of air. Even bruised and fragile looking, she was the most beautiful, tiny angel he’d ever seen in his life.
“There. That’s better. I like it when my girl smiles.”
She blinked in surprise and he wondered if he’d gone too far in his teasing. There was sadness in her eyes, but also what looked like a flash of hope and yearning, as if she wanted more than anything to belong to anyone.
Fuck that. She might not know it yet, but she did belong to someone. She belonged to him.
NINE