Page 98 of The Reluctant Siren
Harlow nodded. She shoved down her heartache because therewas a mystery to be solved and logic to be followed. It was good because sheknew this time when her heart broke, it might not come back together again.She’d been stupid to open it. But she wasn’t thinking about that now. “Allright. He goes with Jack when Jack left this morning. He needed roughly fourhours to get back to Dallas, and he’ll want to shower and shave before checkingin, so if he was planning to get to meet with his boss before he went to themeeting at the club to go over security for the Hamilton visit, he would haveleft around six a.m. It’s nine now, so he should be about an hour outside ofDallas. He would go with Jack so Jack can potentially put him in protectivecustody.”
“Leaving us with no protection at all,” Niall pointed out,his jaw tight. “He left us here like sitting fucking ducks.”
She understood his rage, but she couldn’t handle it rightnow. “Before they’ll protect him, he has to show his cards, and that meansstopping by his place and getting the data he has on Hamilton. They won’t givehim crap until they have it in their hands. It’s precisely why my parentswanted Uncle Lucas with him. If he surrenders it without an agreement in place,they don’t owe him anything.”
“Harlow, it doesn’t matter now. He made his choice. If hewants to go to fucking jail, then we did everything we could,” Niall spat backbitterly.
It was hard to deal with his anger and keep shoving down herpain, but she forced herself to do it. Jensen had blown them all up. Heprobably thought they would be fine without him, that they could move onthrough life like he had never been there at all, but there was a reasonnothing worked before there had been three of them. She picked up the smallsuitcase her sister brought her days ago and rushed to pack up as she talkedthrough the problem. It was a mechanical process. Pick up clothes. Shove themin. Let her brain work while her hands did. “Ruby said the hit is on. Fortoday.”
Niall stopped. “He left us here when they’re coming for us?He found out and didn’t even warn us?”
She didn’t think he would do that. In fact, she knew thatwasn’t what happened. It didn’t make her feel better. She believed Jensen wastrying to “save” them. He would walk into the fire and destroy everything theybuilt because he didn’t think he deserved any of it, but he wouldn’t leave thembehind to die. “He doesn’t know. Ruby found out because she’s been monitoringthe Dark Web. She’s got hundreds of connections. Scary connections. If she saysthis hit is happening, then it is and I’m worried… The only thing that changedbetween yesterday when they were still hoping to find us and today is Jack andmy parents showing up here. My dads have a woman who runs their office, and shewould die before she gave up info on them. She would also probably murder anyonewho asked. Mom wouldn’t tell her agent, and she damn straight wouldn’t bringher friends in.”
“That whole company of Taggarts know where we are,” Niallpointed out.
Harlow shook her head. “The first thing they do atorientation is put the fear of Big Tag in those men. And only Big Tag andCharlotte know. There are a couple of hackers who could get into their system,but they have safeguards. They would know. It’s why he’s going to kick my dad’sass. Did you call anyone?”
Niall’s head shook, but then he picked up his own bag andstarted shoving things in. “No. Who the hell would I call? Everyone I careabout was here. I didn’t even call my business after we got here. All I caredabout was protecting you and Jensen.”
“I know, babe. I’m sorry. I had to ask because that leavesone possibility, and it’s nothing I want to even contemplate.”
“You think Jack told someone?” Niall paled. “Oh, shit. Youthink Jack is working for Hamilton.”
She barely managed to not roll her eyes. This was not thetime nor the place for bratty behavior. Niall didn’t know Jack the way she did,so she had to forgive him for what might seem like a logical leap. “No. Jackwouldn’t, but he has a whole team he reports to. If he called in, he would haveasked for the department that would liaise with the prosecutor. So that’s theFBI and the DOJ, and I don’t know how many people are involved, but I do knowHamilton bragged a lot about having people on the inside. Bribing officials issomething he was excellent at, and the government doesn’t pay well enough tostop some people from taking it. It would be easy to pass along Jensen’saddress in Dallas.”
“They’re not coming after us. They’re going after Jensen.And he has no idea.” Niall’s eyes closed, and when they opened again there wasreal fear in them. “We have to call Jack. Jensen doesn’t have a phone.”
She picked up the sat phone, praying it still worked. “Rubysaid he wasn’t picking up.” It went straight to voice mail. She threw the phoneon the bed. “Ruby left him some texts, but Jack can be stubborn. I know exactlyhow he thinks, and he won’t give Jensen a single reason to rethink hisposition. Not once he’s called it in.”
“So he’ll use Jensen to make his case no matter what.”
“I doubt that. I would bet he tried to convince him heshould talk to us but he wouldn’t. Once the path is set, Jack won’t look back.He’s a good man but he’s very much about his job. Not simply because he’sambitious. Because he believes that what he’s doing is right. I would betanything Jensen convinced him this was for the best and that he’s protectingus. So don’t expect him to listen to pleas.”
There was a sound in the distance.
“We should get out of here.” Niall pulled his shirt overheadas Harlow started to get dressed, too. “I’ll drive us to the motel your parentsare at and we’ll figure out what to do from there. I need to get you someplacesafe even if we don’t think they’re coming here. Then I’ll deal with Jensen.”
That didn’t sound like he was going to give the guy a hug.But then he was still reeling. Her Master—if he was still her Master—had neverbeen put in a situation like this. But she had. “Niall, I’m going to ask you tolet me take the lead in this. I know your instinct is to protect me…”
He held up a hand. “But you know what you’re doing and mostof my military career was arresting drunk cadets and making sure no one got outof hand. I never once dealt with a criminal organization. Harlow, I’m reactingpoorly. I’m not taking your feelings into account and I’m sorry, baby. Can wetalk while we’re in the Jeep?”
That sound was getting closer. She pulled out the other bag.The one Ruby had brought her. While her sister had ensured she had makeup andclothes, Ruby had brought her other accessories. She pulled out the guns andensured they were loaded and ready. She handed Niall one. “I don’t think we’llhave much privacy since we’re not taking your Jeep. Ruby sent a helo.”
Niall’s head swiveled as he turned toward the sound. “Ahelicopter?”
Harlow shrugged as he took the pistol and placed it in hisbag after checking it himself. “She worries, and she’s into big gestures.Seriously, save a girl’s life one time and she never lets you forget she’sgrateful. As to my feelings… They have to wait. I know I can’t move forwardwith him after this, but I also can’t leave him to fate.”
“You’re going to save him.” It wasn’t a question. It wasmerely a statement.
She nodded. “And then we can be done.”
“We?” His jaw firmed. “Harlow, I’m never going to be donewith you. I know what Jensen did is dumb as shit, and I will follow your leadon how you want to deal with it, but don’t think I’m going to let you push meaway. We are not a packaged deal. Our agreement was to love you together if youlet us. And if you don’t then we’ll still love you. I will still love you andwant to be with you.”
He was shaking her walls, and she couldn’t have it. Still,she also couldn’t tell him no. She moved into his space. “I love you, too, Sir,but I don’t know that we can pretend like nothing happened and move on. Youlied to me. I understand why you did it, but this is bringing it all back.”
He reached out a hand as the sound of the chopper closed in.“You can trust me. I’ll do whatever it takes. If you need time I’ll give it toyou, but I won’t be far away. I’ll be waiting for you.”
She felt the ground thud as the chopper landed in the bigyard. Could she trust anyone after this? She squeezed his hand. “We should go.”
