Page 11

Stunned,Jake stared at Dana over the barrel of his Sig Sauer. She held her own weapon trained on him like a pro.

Since when did Dana have a gun?

“Jake?” Her voice snapped him from his trance.

He holstered his weapon, crossing the room in a few quick strides only stopping when his chest struck the nose of Dana’s Ruger Max .380. “You gonna keep aiming that thing at me?”

As if just remembering she was holding a weapon, Dana expertly switched on the safety and tucked the gun into her waistband before throwing her arms around Jake. “What are you doing here?” she asked into his neck as he crushed her against him.

“I got your messages,” he said, unwilling to let her go just yet.

“I’m sorry,” Dana whispered, her voice muffled against him. “I didn’t mean to pull you away from your family, but Claire…”

Unease rolled through Dana in a tremor and Jake tightened his hold. “Claire’s family, too.”

“I didn’t know what else to do.” Dana pulled back and looked up at Jake, her bright brown eyes filled with concern. “I can’t get anything out of Jenkins. Did she tell you what’s going on?”

Jake shook his head. “She was tight-lipped. National Security issues.”

Dana threw her hands up and paced away from him. “I wish people would stop saying that like it’s an excuse! A prominent politician was murdered with a scythe. That’s not going to stay secret for long. Jenkins should just read us in so we can help!”

“Did you say scythe?”

Dana stopped pacing and faced Jake, her mind elsewhere. “Why are you bleeding?”

Rolling up his sleeve, Jake reexamined the gash on his forearm. It was superficial, but a bleeder. Adrenaline does that. Shrugging off the pain, he grabbed a kitchen towel and applied pressure. “It’s nothing. I cut myself breaking in. By the way, I noticed you didn’t install that security system yet. And when did you get a gun?”

Baffled, Dana blinked. “After our last case.”

“Please tell me you have a permit to carry.”

“Of course. Now why did you break into my house?”

Jake hesitated, not sure if telling her he’d seen someone in her home was the best idea at the moment, but Dana knew him too well.

“What aren’t you telling me, Jake?”

“I got your voicemail on my flight back and came straight here after talking to Jenkins. I was banging on your front door when I saw someone inside with a flashlight.”

Dana paled. “What?”

“I swept all the rooms, but they were gone by the time I got in.”

Taking a step back, Dana sagged against the kitchen counter. She pushed her glasses into her thick brown hair, giving Jake a glimpse at the weariness she normally masked. “I thought this was behind us.”

He was across the kitchen again, pulling her back into his arms. “Hey, it is.”

Dana pulled back. “You don’t know that. Someone was in my house. Claire is missing. It’s starting all over again.”

“This isn’t Vega or Fuller,” Jake said. “We put those monsters to rest.”

“Then who?”

“I don’t know. But we’re gonna figure it out just like we always do, okay?”

She didn’t look convinced, but this time, Dana didn’t resist when Jake pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, finally releasing the stress she’d been carrying. Guilt tightened his chest knowing his disappearing act had added to it.

Rage shrieked inside his veins at the thought of anyone hurting Dana. The fact that it was him … it was too much to bear.

Holding her tighter was the only way to quiet his demons.

Jake surrendered, burying his face in Dana’s soft brown hair. Inhaling her soothing floral scent instantly brought him back to their intimate moment in his apartment.

Jake wanted more of those moments. More of her.

With Dana in his arms a foreign feeling settled over him. Home.

To some it might not mean much, but to Jake Shepard it was everything.

He was used to fitting his life into his rucksack, moving from mission to mission, never settling, never connecting. A man with a country, with a conscience, yes. But never a man with a home.

Dana changed all of that.

He hadn’t wanted her to. But it happened all the same.

Jake lived his life by a code. He’d been called to protect and serve his country above all else. He saw things in black and white, following policy and procedure to the letter. First in the Army and now the FBI. He still believed in his calling. But Dana had introduced shades of gray into his black and white world changing it forever.

Somehow when he wasn’t looking, she’d shifted the order of things.

Now, no matter what the cost, he knew he would protect and serve her above all else.

It made him feel even more foolish for leaving her behind when he went to Nevada. That place was a house, but never a home. It wasn’t his mother’s fault. It wasn’t even Wade’s. But Jake needed to stop letting his past rule his life. Instead, he wanted to focus on the woman in his arms and building a future with her.

Leaning back, so he could look into those gorgeous brown eyes, Jake gently tipped Dana’s chin up. “I’m sorry I left. But I’m back now and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

She gave a weak nod, but that wasn’t good enough. Jake needed her to know he meant it this time. Plain and simple, he was done biding his time. He was choosing her.

The moonlight lapped at the milk-white skin of her neck, making Jake’s tongue ache to trace its path. He preferred actions over words, but Jake knew one word could get his point across better than anything. “Dana, I came back for you. I won’t walk away again. I promise.”