Page 9 of Desert Wind

“I said,” he said, raising his voice and clearing his throat, “I could go with you. We could share a hotel room, two beds obviously, but I’ll be there to protect you. If you need time alone, I’ll be happy to give that to you, but I won’t be far away. I’d be there to protect you, Jenna.”

“Why? Why would you do that? Why would you leave your friends and family for me? You have a life here, Nash. You have a job and all these people that count on you. Why on earth would you be willing to drive all the way to Arizona with me?” she asked.

Because I love you! Because you’re the woman I’ve always waited for! Because you’re amazing!

“Because we’re friends, and that’s what friends do.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“She said yes,” said Nash, walking into the offices. Nine, Ghost, Gaspar, Ian, and Kane were sitting around a table laughing. They all turned and stared at him.

“She said yes. She wants me to go with her. I’m going. I have to,” he said, staring at them.

“Brother, we support that,” said Ian. “Maybe the two of you can figure out where you belong. Together. Or…”

“Don’t say it,” said Nash, shaking his head. “Don’t even put that thought into the universe. It has to be together.”

“You really love this woman?” asked Gaspar.

“When you first saw your wives, what went through your minds?” he asked.

“Maybe not a good question for us,” said Ian. “All of us met our wives after they’d been attacked, beaten, or were being stalked. But once the saving and protecting part was done, I remember looking at Faith and thinking I’d never be able to live without her.”

“Same,” nodded Gaspar. “Alexandra was a mess after the attack. She looked nothing like what you see today. I sat by that hospital bed for days, then brought her here. Before I knew it, I realized that I would never be able to leave her side. Never.”

“It was the same for me as well,” said Ghost. “Grace stumbled into our clubhouse property, beaten, starved, and absolutely cracking my heart.”

“I was sent into a remote village to rescue who I thought was a male doctor,” smirked Nine. “Best fucking snafu ever. I knew right away that I wouldn’t be able to walk away from her.”

“You already know my story with Aislinn,” smiled Kane. “Why are you asking this?”

“On that last day of high school, I planned on asking Jenna to marry me. We were kids. Just eighteen years old,” he said, shaking his head. “I knew I loved her. I knew she was kind, beautiful, sweet, intelligent, everything I wanted in my life. When I left the house that morning, I told my father what I was planning.”

“What did he say?” asked Kane.

“He said that I should reconsider. I wasn’t being fair to Jenna by marrying her and then being deployed somewhere, leaving her all alone to fend for herself. He said there was all the time in the world, which turned out to be a lie.”

“Surely you understand what he meant, right?” asked Nine.

“I do. Now, I do. But I’m trying to tell you that I loved her then, and I love her now. There’s a reason I never married or had a long-term partner, and it had nothing to do with that fucking pink dust. I just knew that Jenna was the only woman meant for me.”

The five men smiled at him, nodding. They knew how he felt and more than happy that he was going to pursue the woman. Except she wasn’t exactly in the frame of mind to be pursued.

“She’s going to be skittish as shit, brother. Victims of sexual assault can’t just jump into a relationship. Their counseling actually tells them not to do that,” said Ghost. He nodded.

“I know. I know that it might not work out. I know she might wake up one morning and run for the hills. Hell, we mightget to Arizona, and she could turn to me and say thank you, adios. But I have to try.”

“Then try,” smiled Kane. “But. All the bells and whistles need to be on. We’ll have eyes on you and her the entire time.”

“Actually,” said Nash, “I came here hoping that maybe you could send two guys to follow us. Just for a while. I don’t want her to know. I’ve got a feeling that something is wrong, but I don’t know what it is.”

“If you got a feeling,” said Nine, “then follow that damn feeling. We understand instincts better than anyone, and they’re rarely wrong.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to send a few guys with both of you? They can stay in another hotel, but then she’d know they were there,” said Kane.

“No. She seems determined to do this but doesn’t want a lot of people around her. I don’t know. She’s still very quiet about it all.”

“We’re here if you need us,” said Nine. He looked at the others, nodding, and then turned to Gaspar. “Who do we send to follow?”

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