Page 51 of Black Bay Protector

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He’d wanted to be on that detail when the General had assigned it, pointing out that it was only logical that he be the one to look out for Paige considering their relationship. But the Old Man had quashed that idea. “It’s precisely that relationship that’s the problem. The last thing we need is you getting all hot under the collar and attacking if her brother says something you don’t like.”

Worse was that Paige had agreed. He’d been hurt at first when she’d sided with the General, thinking that she doubted his ability to protect her, but then she’d pointed out, “I need to be able to focus on my brother when I’m with him.” Pressing her body against his, she stroked his arms, and purred, “Not be distracted by your gorgeous body.”

As far as arguments go, it had been a good one, stroking his wounded ego while simultaneously turning him on.

“I need to get back to him,” Paige suddenly announced, pulling back just slightly to look up at him. “He was hit with the memory of a huge trauma today. I need to see if he’s okay.” She shook her head and tears welled in her eyes. “On my way out it sounded like he was in so much pain, Jace. He was yelling, and things were crashing like he was destroying his room.”

All the more reason to keep her out of that room and her brother’s immediate vicinity. If the Terminator was in the middle of some sort of violent melt-down, he didn’t want Paige anywhere near it.

Jace knew his woman well enough to know that while she wouldn’t necessarily back down, especially when it came to her brother, she could be reasoned with and a compromise reached. “How about you give him a little time to process things first? Get a handle on it and cool down. An hour, maybe two, and then I’ll take you to him.”

And this time, he would go with her no matter what the General ordered. He alone would decide if it was safe for her to enter after he’d done a full risk assessment. Her brother was a big man and would have been able to hurt her easily even before the robotic upgrades. With them, he was dangerous to everyone on this base – especially Paige – and who knew what psychotic switches had recently been flipped in his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jace spotted a peculiar flash of green light. Keeping Paige behind him, he moved to the windows to get a better look. Commander Grady Carter was out of his room and he was running through the central area of Black Bay, his laser optical scanning the buildings while his guards raced to catch up with him.

The fact that the guards weren’t shooting at him to stop him, merely trying to keep up with him, was the only reason Jace didn’t immediately grab his rifle.

A beam of green light washed over the tower and suddenly, Grady slowed his pace as if he’d found what he was looking for. With a grimace, Jace turned to look at Paige. “It looks like you won’t have to go to him.”

“What? Why?” Frowning, Paige stepped up beside him to look out over Black Bay herself. Her breathing hitched as she gripped the sill so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“He’s coming to you.”

Jace unslung his M4 and checked the magazine, then did a press check on his SIG. If Grady Carter was bringing trouble, he’d be ready. “Get behind me.”

“What? Why?” Snapping her head around, she looked at him in confusion before her eyes widened when she saw what he was doing. “You won’t need weapons.”

“You don’t know that. Not yet,” he added as he gently maneuvered her behind his back. “But I promise I won’t shoot him unless he proves a threat.”

There was no more time to talk about it. Her brother had arrived, his breathing ragged, and his eyes half-wild. “Paige!”

Without so much as blinking, Grady shoved Jace aside hard enough that he hit the wall with a bruising impact. “Fuck!”

Jace raised his SIG, but he didn’t have a shot. The man had pulled Paige into his arms and had made her a human shield. Shit. His mind spun with thoughts of what the soldier could do to her with that mechanical arm. He could crush her in seconds, break ribs, snap her spine, pulverize her internal organs, and Jace wouldn’t be able to stop him. Fear was like acid on his tongue. A cold sweat broke out all over his body and his stomach churned but a deeper look brought clarity, and with it, a shudder of relief. The man wasn’t intent on harm. He was hugging his sister.

Grady’s eyes closed and tears ran down his face as he murmured, “I’m sorry,” over and over again. And Paige, his Paige, looked like she’d just been given the most beloved of gifts. Tears swam in her eyes while joy suffused her face.Thiswas what she’d wanted from her brother, what she’d needed, and what he’d been denying her – breaking her heart each time she went to visit the man – and making Jace want to kill him for it. Finally, she was getting her wish. Her brother had come back to her. Jace’s chest swelled with happiness for her and a thickness of emotion clogged his throat.

Heads were popping through the door, the security detail having finally caught up with their charge, but the observation tower was too small to fit everyone. “We’re good here,” Jace called out. “Wait below.”

Grady pulled back from Paige, his arms slowly releasing her. “Thank you for what you did for me today.” Raising his hand, his fingers twitched by the side of his head. “It’s coming back to me. You unlocked it. I don’t know how long it would have taken if it hadn’t been for you.”

Paige swiped at the tears on her face and shot her brother a watery smile. “Thank Lark, too. I don’t think I ever would have thought of bringing up Graham if it hadn’t been for her.”

Grady nodded, looking thoughtful. “I will.”

Reaching out with his flesh and blood hand, he took Paige’s. “I love you, little sister. I’m going to be a better brother to you,” he promised. “Starting now.”

With that, Commander Grady Carter’s full attention swung to Jace. “What are your intentions towards my sister?”

While Paige laughed and swatted playfully at her brother’s arm, Jace was well aware this was no joke. Grady wasn’t teasing, but that was okay. Jace respected him more for his show of protectiveness toward his sister. It was about damn time. “I love her. She’s my everything.”

Paige looked at Jace with melting sweetness, her eyes shining with adoration, but her brother wasn’t done. “So you’ll be marrying her then.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Grady!” Paige protested, looking aggrieved, but Jace nodded. “I already have the ring and the proposal planned.”

“Wait. You do?” Paige asked with surprise, her face lighting up with excitement before she turned and glared murderously at her brother. “You spoiled the surprise, you big oaf.”