Page 20 of Jacqueline's Quest

“Exactly!”

"As long as you get it done, fuck'em." He dismissed his team's antics, knowing full well when he got the chance, he'd be telling Asher to have the guys back up. AJ and Scotty were helping them without asking for anything in return. “Full disclosure, I teared up when Black Widow and Tony died.”

AJ grinned as though she’d already figured as much about him.

“So did Scotty.” Her tone softened like she’d been worried Scotty might discover she’d given voice to his deepest and darkest secrets.

Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. Murray rushed to reassure her, something he wished someone—anyone would have done for him after Hannah disappeared. “We’re going to get him out, kid. I promise you.”

She nodded, clamping down on her bottom lip to still the tremble while swallowing hard.

“He’s alive.” Murray eased her from her chair then tucked her into his side. “We’re not going to leave him behind. I promise. It’s one of our mottos. Never leave a man behind.”

“But at what cost?” Her voice warbled as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Murray resisted the urge to wipe away her tears. It wasn't his responsibility, however, the person who should be doing it—Thomas, probably didn't know how to approach her—yet. "Without sounding like a total asshole, he'll be alive. He'll heal from whatever they mentally or physically do to him with you and Thomas by his side. It might take a while though, so you'll have to give him space, while also lending a shoulder when he has to talk it out."

“Is that how you deal with Hannah being gone?” She glanced up at him with red and glassy, tear-filled eyes.

He signed, cracked all of his knuckles on his right hand before answering her question as truthfully as he could. “Hannah has been gone a long time and how I’ve dealt or felt about it has run the emotional gambit. I gave up on thinking she was alive. Figured with her medical condition, no would want to deal with it. What kept me going was locating the mother fuckers responsible for taking her and destroying every last one of them.” He rubbed at his neck before turning his attention back to AJ. “Finding out she was alive and perhaps suffering all these years. Gutted me.”

AJ nodded. “I worry…”

“About what they’re doing to him or not doing for him and it’s eating you alive?”

“Yes,” she whimpered. “To the point, I can’t even talk to Thomas.”

“It’s not his fault Scotty was taken. You know that, right?”

“I know.”

“It wasn’t yours, either,” he added.

She glanced away.

So, she blames herself. Interesting.Murray was surprised by how AJ said a lot without saying very much. Deep down, he suspected, she blamed Thomas and herself for Scotty being taken from her life, not the real wrongdoers, the cartel. "It's alright to worry. No one is saying not to. Don't let it consume your every waking second, though. It can and will drive you insane and Scotty's going to need you." He reached over to tap her nose. "Don't let it isolate you either, especially from those who are trying to help you." When she didn't indicate she understood what he'd told her, he pressed on, knowing part of her issues were due to being locked in a system meant to break a child's spirit. "He's only going to give you so much rope beforehepulls you back, and demands you talk to him.”

Thomas wasn't just playing at being a Dom. Nope… It radiated from the man. Personality-wise, Thomas carried himself with a confident intimidation flare. Of course, Murray was always a firm believer of like recognizing like. Murray wondered how the other man would react when he found out Murray would be the submissive for this mission. Like he told Jaqueline, she was the only one he'd feel comfortable kneeling for. They knew the truth about his submission and how much it went against everything he knew. However, when this shit was over, he was going to show Jaqueline what it meant to be dominated by a true dominant. Desire pulsed through his body at the anticipation of the moment when he bent Jaqueline to his will and dominated her.

"I know." She struggled, Murray noticed, not only with Scotty's kidnapping but her role within the trio. As much as Murray wanted to assure her, it wasn't his job. It was the man who was currently sleeping upstairs, blissfully unaware of the torment the young woman, standing next to Murray was going through.

Murray also recognized the fact Thomas wouldn’t appreciate his involvement, because if the roles had been reversed, Murray wouldn’t appreciate the other man sticking his nose into Murray’s dealings.

“Let’s get to work.” AJ peered at the photos on the screen.

“Atta girl.” Murray hooked her into one of the unused laptops and gave her access to file Hank had sent while he did his own thing.

“What are we looking for?” She cut her eyes toward him. “Specifically?”

“Anything out of the ordinary. Any pictures with people outside. Cars moving from their spots. Lights turned on at night. Whatever you think seems suspicious mark it and send it to me.” He sat in his chair and swiveled back to the console he’d been using before AJ arrived.

"Right. I got this." A steely resolve filled her words.

The creak of wood and footsteps drew his attention from the computer sometime later. Since their conversation earlier, AJ hadn’t said a word, she’d been hyper-focused on all of the pictures she scanned through. He glanced up at the stairs and found Jaqueline entering the security room. Her jeans were ripped, and dirt covered her shirt. Her cheeks were smeared with something as well. It appeared he’d taken the wrong morning to skip out on ranch duties.

“Issues?” Jaqueline was stubborn to a fault. From his cursory glance, he hadn’t seen her bleeding anywhere, though she did seem a bit uncomfortable. He wouldn’t ask her about it though. If she wanted him to know, she’d tell him. She didn’t like burdening people which coupled with her obstinate ways, well, it was like pulling teeth from a lion’s mouth. Not recommended.

“Normal ranching issues,” she replied.

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