Page 46 of The Reluctant Siren
“Well, it’s take her back in or watch her blow everythingup,” Jensen replied. “With you sitting there. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking she had a job to do. You never bothered totell me what club you were working at. You didn’t even mention it was alifestyle club. I thought you were a bouncer at a nightclub or something. Isshe not supposed to work? Am I not supposed to back her up? You know I wasactually doing exactly what you sent me in to do.”
“I did not send you in to fuck her,” Jensen snarled.
“No, you wanted her alone and miserable so you couldhopefully manipulate her back into a relationship with you. Tell me something,Jensen. What happens to her if this mission of yours kills you? Should I makesure she’s alone so she can enter the afterlife pure for you? Same question,but this time you’re in jail.”
Jensen went a faint shade of pink. “I wasn’t planning ondoing either.”
“You chose your revenge over her once. Why should I believeyou would do anything differently now?”
Jensen’s jaw went tight. “I might not have a fuckingchoice.”
“But you’re already thinking about how to get back in. So doit and I’ll take care of her.” It was time to start laying some groundworkbecause the truth was no matter how pissed he was with Jensen right now, hestill wanted this chance. “Or you can accept that Jack and the FBI have thisand start giving Harlow what she needs.”
Jensen was quiet for a moment. “You would walk away soeasily?”
“I’m not walking away at all. I think she needs both of us.”There it was. Everything he’d been working through in his brain for the lastfew months. He knew she loved Jensen, but she cared about him, too. At least hethought she did. He could show her what he had to offer. Jensen might be thebig, attractive, over-the-top heroic guy, but he would probably forget hercoffee in the morning and also forget that he could get arrested at any moment.Niall could be there, the steady presence in both of their lives.
They needed each other.
Jensen stared for a moment and then opened his mouth to saysomething, but whatever he had to say was stopped by Dad Number 1 reaching forhis throat.
“You little shit,” Chase Dawson was saying. “You’re the one.You’re the reason my daughter nearly got killed in California.”
So he’d worked that out. Well, it had only been a matter oftime. “Jensen, remember he’s her dad.”
Jensen stood, facing off with Chase Dawson, who was roughlythe same height but leaner in build. “Mr. Dawson, I did what I needed to do tosave Harlow. We were undercover, but things were about to get seriouslydangerous. So I made the call to get her out. I should have done it myself, butI thought she would fight me. I thought getting arrested would keep her out ofan intensely dangerous situation. A cartel was involved at that point, and theywanted to use her. I couldn’t let it happen.”
“So you left her to get the shit kicked out of her?” Chasepractically roared the question.
That was when he noticed the big guy’s wife was walking outthe door. Likely to go tell Harlow her dad was about to murder her ex.
He needed to calm this situation down. “He didn’t realizethat would happen, Mr. Dawson. By allowing her to be arrested, he eliminatedthe chance that the cartel would use her. It’s what they did. They used theirclubs to identify vulnerable people who could run their drugs for them. Harlowput herself in that position hoping to get picked. When Jensen found out shewas next, he stopped it.”
“What the fuck were you doing in there in the first place?”Chase backed off slightly but there was still rage in those dark eyes.
Jensen squared off, and Niall knew this was going to go bad.“It’s none of your business.”
“His brother was murdered,” Niall explained. “He lovedTommy. Most of their lives they were all they had. I don’t know if you know howthat feels, but he was older and his dad was long gone. He felt…”
“Responsible for his brother,” Chase said with a long sigh.
“Yes, we do understand what it means to be siblings withoutparents we could count on,” the other dad said. Ben. His name was Ben. “Chase,could we calm down and talk this out?”
“Oh, he’s about to explode again.” Taggart hung up his cell.
“Or we could not tell him shit,” Jack offered. He also hadhis cell in his hand. There was a text there. “You know technically this is myjurisdiction.”
“Hush, you toddler,” Taggart said. “I’m not going to hidethis, and Ruby found it all on her own, so unless your jurisdiction includesthe entire Dark Web, you should brace yourself for Hurricane Chase.”
“What?” Chase asked as his brother moved in beside him.
Oddly enough, Jensen took a step back and was suddenlybeside Niall, even though he didn’t look his way.
“Ruby found a hit order on Harlow and Jensen,” Taggartannounced. “Those pictures got to the right people, well the wrong people forus. Jensen, unless you’re ready to pull whatever crazy shit you were planningon pulling, you’re shut down. That’s my professional advice.”
“Oh, Jensen doesn’t look like a guy who takes professionaladvice,” Chase said, his eyes narrow. “He looks like a reckless asshole whowon’t want to miss his shot.”
