Page 58 of Healing Love

Cam rocked back, determined to let Jobe have that one punch for his sister’s sake knowing he would have the same reaction if he walked in on one of his sisters.

Cam rounded Jobe to keep him from landing another punch when Miriam tried to get behind him and her brother, taking his cocked elbow right in the forehead.

Dropping to her knees, she cried out in pain as she saw stars.

“Oh, fuck, Miriam!” Jobe exclaimed.

Cam scooped her up in his arms before Jobe could react and hustled her to the sofa. Setting her down gently, he said, “Baby, let me see. Move your hands so I can see.”

As she lifted her head up, he quickly assessed that she was just bruised on her forehead. “Thank God it’s not your eye,” he said. Yelling over his shoulder for Jobe to get ice, he brushed her hair away from her face. “Babe, never and I mean fuckin’ never get between two men who are fighting.”

The nausea from the pain was slowly receding and she wanted to glower, but it hurt too much. “I couldn’t let him hit you.”

“I let him get that punch in. I knew if I was the brother, I woulda done it also.”

Jobe walked over with ice in a plastic bag with paper towels surrounding it. Handing it to Cam, he sat on the coffee table trying to ascertain her injury. “Sis, swear to God, you know better than that.”

This time she managed a glower despite the pain and bit out, “How is this my fault? You two should be ashamed of yourselves.”

The two men eyed each other warily, both knowing she was wrong when it came to men and both silently agreeing on a truce…for the moment.

“Jobe, I didn’t say anything when we got back because I wasn’t sure what Cam and my relationship was, but we’re together now.”

Jobe glared at Cam once more, saying, “You took advantage of my baby sister at a time when she was vulnerable?”

“No!” Miriam exclaimed, not allowing Cam to speak.

He turned and said, “Jobe, you want to step outside with me?”

“Fuck yeah,” was the response.

Miriam tried to rise from the sofa, but Cam gently pushed her back replacing the ice pack on her head. “Babe, I once told you to do exactly what I said because it could be life or death. Right now, plant your ass on that sofa, keep the ice on your head, and do not move. Jobe and I will chat and when we get back, you’d better not have moved.”

“Fine, just go kill each other and see if I care,” she groused, angry at both of them.

The two men stepped through the front door onto the porch, Cam closing the door behind them. “Going to lay it out and then you do what you need to do. I’m a brother also, so I get where you’re coming from but, just letting you know, that was the last punch I’ll let you land.”

Jobe pursed his lips but, for the man who saved his sister’s life, he was willing to hear what Cam had to say.

“The picture you showed me captured me from the moment my eyes landed on it, but I told myself it was just because it made me angry to think of a woman being snatched and scared. Got down there and swearto God, she had a will of steel, and she was all I could think about. I kept my mind on the mission, and we made it. Along the way, we got to know each other really well. Talked a lot, shared a lot. It started as a way to pass the time and try to keep her mind off what I figured was following us.”

At this, Jobe’s eyes gave away the distress he felt at having his sister in such danger.

“But it wasn’t until the end that we decided we wanted to see if what we had could go anywhere.”

“Did you two?—”

“Not goin’ there, bro. Whatever happened was consensual and between two adults. If Miriam wants to discuss it with you, that’s her choice, but I’m not going to stand out here on my front porch with my woman inside on the couch with a knot on her head and discuss any particulars.”

Jobe held his gaze for a moment, his emotions warring inside for the woman he still felt like was his little sister and the realization that she was the same age as his wife. Heaving a sigh, he lifted his hand in conciliation toward Cam, who shook it willingly.

“Now, let’s get down to what’s happening. In just a bit, I’m taking her to Jack’s where we’re all meeting. Jack’ll keep you and Tony in the loop. We’ll get on it with our DEA, CIA, and FBI contacts and see if we can identify who made the call. My place here is wired, watched, and fuckin’ impervious. She’s quit her job at the hospital?—”

“What?” Jobe growled. “Shit, she’s not telling the family a goddamn thing!”

“I think it’s just happened, but she can talk to you about that. Bottom line, she’s escorted at all times and we’re keeping you aware of everything.”

Jobe nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I appreciate it, man.” Sighing heavily again, he said, “I’d better go in there and make up with my sister, before heading back to my pregnant wife who’s going to flip out when I tell her I clocked Miriam in the head.”

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