Page 10

CHAPTER NINE

N oah stepped out onto the wooden porch, the bourbon in his glass catching the moonlight as he settled onto the Adirondack chair. The night air carried the scent of pine and the distant call of a whippoorwill echoed through the trees. He let out a deep sigh. The sights, the sounds—it felt like home. Though he hadn’t been gone all that long, the trip to New Orleans had been eventful. It felt good to be able to let his guard down, even if it was only for a few minutes.

His brother joined him, easing into the adjacent chair with a quiet sigh. “Jennifer finally asleep?” Marcel asked before taking a sip from his own glass.

Noah nodded, glancing at the cabin door. “Yeah. She’s been through a lot these past few days. She could use the rest.”

The brothers sat in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the symphony of night creatures and the gentle rustle of wind through the trees. The cabin, perched on the mountainside and surrounded on three sides by the solid foundation of rock from the mountain itself, offered a sense of isolation that Noah had initially found comforting. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

“I’ll stay,” Marcel said suddenly, breaking the silence. “You might need the assist.”

Noah turned to his brother. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I do. I mentioned Uncle Gator called earlier,” Marcel said, his voice dropping. “Karim Amir has mercenaries combing throughout New Orleans looking for you and Jennifer.” Noah’s grip tightened on his glass. “He thought they might not know you’ve left the city yet, but it won’t take long for them to widen their search. With enough money, they’ll eventually find witnesses or CCTV footage of you on the road.” Marcel paused, the silence fraught with a million possibilities. He studied his brother’s profile in the moonlight, and Noah sat still. His brother’s perusal wasn’t uncomfortable, simply questioning. “It’s good to see you, Noah. It’s been too long.”

Noah stared out at the darkness. “Yeah, I know.”

“A year.” Marcel’s voice carried a hint of reproach. “It’s been months since you moved yourself up here and practically disappeared. No visits home, no calls. Mom’s been worried sick. Every time one of us comes up here, you send us away.”

Noah’s jaw tightened. “I needed space, Marcel.”

“Space is one thing. Dropping off the face of the earth is another.” Marcel set his glass down on the small table between them. “We’re family, Noah. You don’t have to go through everything alone.”

“After what happened with Donovan—” Noah began, his voice rough.

“Your commander’s betrayal wasn’t your fault, everybody knows that,” Marcel interrupted. “None of that whole mess was on you.”

Noah shook his head. “You don’t understand. I trusted him with my life, with the lives of my team. And he sold us out. Just like that.” He snapped his fingers, the sound sharp in the quiet night. “Good men died, because I was stupid enough to follow his orders, even though I had questions, doubts. I did what I was told like a good little tin soldier, and my men—men who counted on me—died. How do you come back from something like that?”

“You come back to the people who love you,” Marcel said simply. “You let them help you carry the weight.”

Noah took a long swallow of bourbon, weighing his answer. “I didn’t want to burden any of you.”

Marcel laughed, a short, incredulous sound. “Burden us? Noah, do you remember when I was sixteen and wrapped your truck around that oak tree on Route7?”

Noah’s lips quirked despite himself. “Hard to forget. Dad was ready to skin you alive.”

“But you took the blame,” Marcel said. “Told him you’d been the one driving, even though you were away at college that weekend and had to drive back just to cover for me.”

“You’d have lost your scholarship if they pulled your license.”

“And what about when Caleb got into that mess with the Carlton brothers? Or when Gray got caught up with that girl whose father was the sheriff?”

Noah shrugged. “That’s different.”

“How?” Marcel challenged. “How is it any different from what you’re going through now?”

“Because I’m supposed to be the strong one!” Noah’s voice rose, startling a bird from a nearby tree. “I’m the oldest. I’m supposed to have my life together.”

Marcel was quiet for a moment. “You know what I’ve missed most this past year?” he finally asked. “Sunday mornings at the homestead. All of us around that big table, fighting over the last pancake, you home on leave telling us about your latest mission—the parts you could share, anyway.”

Noah closed his eyes, memories washing over him—the boisterous laughter, the easy camaraderie, the feeling of belonging.

“We’ve all missed you,” Marcel continued softly. “Dylan keeps asking when you’re coming back. Abraham saved that bottle of thirty-year scotch he found in New York, says he’s waiting for you to open it with him.” He paused. “We’re not just your brothers, Noah. We’re your friends. Your support system. Your backup when the world knocks you down. We’re the ones who’ll be there with a hand to help you up again.”

Noah stared into his glass, emotion tightening his throat. “I’ve got it covered, Marcel,” he said, echoing his earlier words but with less conviction. “It’s just a few more days until Jennifer has to be in New Orleans to testify.”

“And then what?” Marcel asked, his voice gentle but probing.

Noah closed his eyes briefly. The question he’d been avoiding hung heavy in the night air. When he opened them again, the stars seemed dimmer somehow.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he admitted, the words feeling raw in his throat. “Even if we stop Karim, even after she testifies, I don’t think she’ll ever truly be safe.” He took a long swallow of bourbon, welcoming the burn. “There are more members of the Amir family who might come after her.”

“Abdullah is still the head of the family,” Marcel pointed out.

“Yeah, and he’s recovering from what his mother and brother did to him,” Noah countered. “He’s in no position to call off the dogs if they decide she’s still a problem.”

Marcel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We’ll do the best we can to keep her safe now, and in the future too.”

“We?”

“You’re not alone in this, Noah,” Marcel said firmly. “You’ve never been alone. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“I know, I just—”

“No, I don’t think you do know.” Marcel’s voice was uncharacteristically stern. “You’ve been hiding up here on this mountain, cutting yourself off from everyone who loves you, like you’re the only one who can handle whatever comes your way.”

Noah couldn’t meet his brother’s gaze. “It’s my responsibility.”

“Says who?” Marcel challenged. “Where is it written that Noah Temple has to carry the weight of the world by himself?” He shook his head. “I’ve missed you, man. We all have. And not just because we need our big brother, but because we want to be there for you too.”

The words hit Noah like a physical blow. He’d been so caught up in his own pain, his own sense of betrayal and failure, that he hadn’t considered what his absence might mean to his family.

“Caleb, Jonah, Gray, Scott, Abraham, and Dylan are all at the family homestead at the base of the mountain,” Marcel said quietly.

Noah blinked in surprise. “All of them?”

“All of them,” Marcel confirmed. “Uncle Gator might have mentioned you could use backup. Every single one of them showed up, and they’re waiting. They can be here as quickly as they can get up this mountain. One call, Noah. That’s all it would take.”

“They came for me?” Noah’s voice was barely audible.

“Of course they did.” Marcel’s tone suggested it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Just like you’d come for any of us. That’s what being a Temple means. We show up when it matters.”

Something broke open inside Noah then, a dam he hadn’t realized he’d built. The emotions he’d kept bottled up for months—the anger, the hurt, the fear—came flooding out.

“I don’t deserve it,” he whispered.

Marcel reached over and gripped his shoulder. “You don’t have to deserve family, Noah. That’s not how it works. We’re here because we love you, not because you earned it.”

Noah looked at his brother, really looked at him, and saw the fierce loyalty in his eyes. It struck him then, with the force of revelation, that he wasn’t alone in this. That he had never been alone.

“I’ve missed you too,” Noah admitted, his voice rough with emotion. “All of you.”

Marcel smiled, relief evident in his expression. “Then stop hiding. Let us help you protect Jennifer. Let us be your family again.”

Noah nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. Above them, the stars seemed to shine brighter, as if in affirmation. A gentle breeze stirred the trees, carrying with it the promise of dawn eventually breaking through the darkness.

“Tell me about them,” Noah said after a moment. “How’s Gray doing with that new garage? Did Scott finally propose to Melissa?”

Marcel’s smile widened. “Gray’s garage is booming. He’s got a six-month waiting list for custom work. He’s got customers coming from all over the state, and even some from Georgia and Kentucky. His reputation is growing. As for Scott…” He laughed. “That’s a whole story in itself.”

As Marcel filled Noah in on the family news he’d missed, Noah felt something he hadn’t experienced in a long time: belonging and a sense of peace. With his brothers standing with him, he had a better chance of keeping Jennifer safe. Perhaps give her a future where she didn’t have to look over her shoulder, where the shadow of the Amir family didn’t darken her days.

And perhaps, just perhaps, there was a place for him at that Sunday morning table again. Almost immediately a picture of Jennifer seated at his side sprang into his head, fully formed. She was smiling and laughing at something his mother said, and it felt—right.

He took another sip of bourbon, letting the warmth spread through him. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges, but tonight, for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t facing them alone.

Jennifer awoke to the enticing aroma of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon. For a moment, she lay still, savoring the unfamiliar comfort of feeling safe. The early morning light filtered through the cabin’s windows, the curtains pulled back to allow sunshine to spill inside, casting honeyed patterns across the hardwood floors.

Six days. In six days, she would have to face them again—Sayifa and Rashid Amir. The thought sent a familiar chill down her spine. She pulled the quilt closer, trying to push away memories of their cold, calculating eyes, the echo of their voices as they plotted to kidnap Chloe Hudson and murder her mother. And the entire time they’d expected her to help them, simply because she “owed it to Tarik.” Even now, she felt like such a fool for having trusted Tarik, believing he wanted her to be part of his family, part of his life. It had all been lies, because he wanted to use her. He’d tossed her aside when her usefulness came to an end.

Voices drifted from across the room, the direction of the kitchen—Noah’s deep, reassuring tone mingled with another similar yet distinctive male voice. Lying on the bed in the loft, and facing away from the kitchen, she couldn’t see them but knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. Instead, she slipped into her robe and rose from the bed, padding quietly to the kitchen.

“Bonjour,” she said softly, tugging the robe tight.

Noah turned, his face softening at the sight of her. “Morning, Jen. Sleep okay?”

“Better than I have in months,” she admitted, before nodding to the other man standing across the kitchen. “Good morning, Marcel.”

Standing at the stove with his back to her, Marcel turned and shot a grin at her over his shoulder. His resemblance to Noah was striking, despite him being slightly shorter and leaner. He had the same familial features—sharp cheekbones, piercing gray eyes, and an air of quiet vigilance.

“Hey, Jen,” Marcel waved the spatula in his hand. “I already knew you were beautiful, but Noah failed to mention you were also punctual for breakfast. Hope you like bacon and eggs.”

Jennifer felt a blush rise to her cheeks at the backhanded compliment. “Thank you. That smells wonderful.”

Noah slid a mug of coffee across the table. “Marcel decided to stay the night. I wanted to toss him down the mountain after all his tall tales yesterday, but didn’t want to wake you.”

Jennifer wrapped her hands around the warm mug, inhaling the rich aroma. “I doubt I’d have heard a thing. After looking over my shoulder while staying in New Orleans, I think I’m finally learning to relax here.”

Noah’s expression darkened as Marcel placed a plate of bacon and eggs before her. “Don’t relax too much. Not yet.”

Marcel nodded grimly. “That’s partly why I’m here.”

Jennifer felt her appetite wane, anxiety and dread assailing her. “They’ve found us?”

“No,” Noah was quick to reassure her. “But Karim is getting desperate. He’s brought in more mercenaries.”

“Hired guns,” Marcel added, his voice matter of fact. “Professional trackers, former military. Not the kind of men who give up easily. At least that’s what Uncle Gator told me when I talked to him yesterday.”

Jennifer pushed the eggs around her plate. “I’m sorry to have brought this to your doorstep.”

Noah’s hand found hers across the table. “You didn’t bring anything. I chose to help you, remember?”

His touch sent a wave of warmth through her that had nothing to do with the coffee. She pulled her hand away, suddenly self-conscious under Marcel’s observant gaze.

“I’ll be heading back down to the homestead today,” Marcel said, breaking the momentary tension. “I think it might be best to bring a couple more of our brothers here. Especially if Karim is upping the ante. More money means more problems and we can use the help. Uncle Gator’s our eyes and ears in New Orleans. I know he’ll try to check in with Noah, but even with a sat phone, reception can be sketchy this high up the mountain. I’ll check in with him, see what he’s learned about Karim’s movements.”

Jennifer nodded. “And you’ll be back?”

“Tomorrow, maybe the next day. I’ll bring Caleb and Dylan with me.” Marcel’s eyes met Jennifer’s. “More protection for the journey back to New Orleans.”

“Your brothers?” Jennifer asked.

Noah’s lips curved into a small smile. “The Temple family doesn’t lack for manpower.”

“We take care of our own,” Marcel added with a pointed look at Jennifer that made her heart skip.

“I’m not—” she began.

“You are,” Noah interrupted firmly. “For now, at least.”

Jennifer fell silent, focusing on her breakfast. A warm tingle settled into her chest at their words. The brothers continued discussing security arrangements, contingency plans, and Marcel’s journey down the mountain. Their calm efficiency was reassuring, yet it underscored the danger still lurking.

“I should leave,” Jennifer blurted out, the words spilling out before she could stop them. “Go somewhere else. I’m putting all of you at risk.”

Noah’s jaw tightened. “We’ve been through this.”

“But your family—”

“Knows exactly what they’re getting into,” Marcel finished. “The Amirs aren’t the only ones with connections and resources.”

Noah refilled her coffee cup. “Besides, you’re the key witness. Without your testimony, Sayifa and Rashid walk. Free to try again to take Chloe Hudson.”

Jennifer closed her eyes briefly, remembering Salem’s face when Jennifer told the young woman about the Amirs’ plot. At least she’d finally done one thing right, and Salem and Chloe were safe. “I know. I just—”

A sound from outside silenced her instantly. A crunch of tires on rock.

Marcel was on his feet in one fluid motion, gun in hand. Noah moved to the window, staying carefully to the side as he peered out, a weapon in his hand too. Jennifer’s heart hammered in her chest, her mind racing through escape scenarios, and all the training she’d been doing with Noah.

Noah’s posture relaxed first. “It’s Caleb and Jonah,” he said, holstering his weapon. “And…Ma?”

Marcel lowered his gun, surprise evident on his face. “She wasn’t supposed to come.”

“When has Ma ever done what she’s supposed to do?” Noah muttered, already heading for the door.

Jennifer rose and walked toward the window, watching Noah stride across the yard, his gait strong and sure. Two men who shared the unmistakable Temple features emerged from the edge of the wooded area, followed by a diminutive woman with steel-gray hair and ramrod-straight posture.

“I should have known,” Marcel whispered to her, leaning close. “Ma’s been wanting to meet you since Gator called and mentioned you staying up here with Noah.”

Jennifer turned to him, startled. “Me? Why?”

Marcel’s smile was tinged with humor. “Noah doesn’t bring many people to his mountain.”

Before Jennifer could process this, the cabin door opened, and Noah’s family poured in. The two brothers—Jonah, tall and solemn, and Caleb, a mischievous glint in his eye—nodded respectfully to Jennifer. But it was their mother who commanded the room.

Vivian Temple was barely five feet tall, but her presence filled the cabin. Her eyes—the same piercing gray as her sons’—assessed Jennifer in one swift glance before her weathered face broke into a warm smile.

“So, you’re the French girl who’s got my Noah tied up in knots,” she said, her Tennessee drawl softening the bluntness of her words.

“Ma,” Noah warned, but Vivian waved him off.

“Hush, boy. I’ve come all this way to meet her.” She stepped forward, taking Jennifer’s hands in her own. “You look half-starved, child. Didn’t these boys feed you?”

Jennifer found herself smiling despite her nervousness. “They’ve been very kind, Mrs. Temple. I promise, I’m getting fed regularly.”

“Vivian, honey. Mrs. Temple was my mother-in-law, and that woman was a holy terror.” She patted Jennifer’s cheek. “Now, sit back down and finish your breakfast while I make something proper for later.”

“Ma, you shouldn’t have come,” Noah said, though his protest lacked conviction.

Vivian was already rummaging through the kitchen cupboards. “When my son says his brother is protecting a witness against international criminals, you think I’m going to sit at home and knit? Besides, I’ve got four strapping boys here to protect me. I’m safer here than in church on Sunday.”

Jennifer watched as the family fell into easy patterns—Caleb teasing Marcel about his late arrival with a detour by the fishing hole, Jonah quietly discussing security with Noah, all while Vivian commandeered the kitchen with practiced efficiency. The cabin, which had seemed small but big enough for two, now felt wonderfully full.

“More coffee, Jennifer?” Vivian asked, already refilling her cup. “You’ll need it. These boys can be a handful on the best of days. When they are in protective mode? Oy…”

“I—thank you,” Jennifer managed, overwhelmed by the woman’s casual acceptance.

Vivian paused, studying Jennifer’s face. “You miss your mama, don’t you?”

The unexpected question caught Jennifer off guard. “How did you—”

“I know that look,” she said gently. “How long since you’ve seen her?”

“It’s been months,” Jennifer whispered. “Since I came to America, doing a favor for my half-brother.” She practically spit out the word favor. Every time she thought about how she’d fallen for Tarik’s lies, she felt like a fool. “Turns out he wasn’t the man I thought, and he was using me. After he was killed, and I was pretty much run out of Texas and told to never come back, his family contacted me. Long story short, they tried to use me the same way Tarik had, but I eventually realized they were planning something so horrible, so heinous, I couldn’t stay silent. And now I am to testify against them.”

Vivian clicked her tongue sympathetically. “That’s a long time for a girl to be away from her mama. Especially when danger’s all around.”

Jennifer nodded, fighting the sudden tightness in her throat, the unshed tears choking her. “She doesn’t know. About any of this. I couldn’t risk telling her.”

Noah looked up sharply. “You haven’t contacted your mother at all?”

“It wasn’t safe,” Jennifer said. “The Amirs have connections. They could trace calls, monitor emails. I couldn’t risk leading them to my mother. As it is, she’s had to go in hiding to keep the Amirs from finding her.”

Vivian’s hand covered Jennifer’s. “You’ve been carrying this all alone, haven’t you?”

Something in the older woman’s voice—the simple, maternal concern—broke a wall inside Jennifer. Months of fear, of loneliness, of constantly looking over her shoulder came rushing to the surface. Her eyes burned with tears.

“I’m sorry,” she managed, trying to blink them away. “I don’t usually—”

“Oh, honey,” Vivian said, pulling Jennifer into a fierce hug. “You go right ahead and cry. Lord knows you’ve earned it.”

Jennifer stiffened at first, then melted into the embrace. It had been so long since anyone had held her like this—like she mattered, like she was more than just a witness to be protected. She thought of her mother’s apartment in Paris, the scent of lavender and fresh bread, the view of the Seine from her balcony. Her job, her friends, her favorite café…all of it suspended in a life that now seemed to belong to someone else.

When she finally pulled back, wiping her eyes, she found the Temple brothers studiously avoiding her gaze, giving her the dignity of privacy even in the small cabin.

All except Noah, who watched her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

“Better?” Vivian asked, smoothing Jennifer’s hair as if she were one of her own.

Jennifer nodded. “Thank you. I’m usually stronger than this.”

“Strength isn’t about not crying,” Vivian said firmly. “It’s about standing when the crying’s done. Letting it out is always better than trying to keep it inside. It’ll build up and then you’ll have an explosion—usually at the worst possible time.”

Jennifer managed a watery smile. “My mother would like you.”

“And I’m sure I’d like her,” Vivian declared. “Any woman who raised a daughter brave enough to stand up to criminals like the Amirs must be somebody special.”

Jennifer looked around at the Temple family: Noah’s quiet strength, Marcel’s strategic mind, Jonah’s watchful presence, Caleb’s protective humor, and Vivian’s nurturing force. They had welcomed her into their sanctuary without hesitation, offering protection not just of body, but of spirit.

For the first time in months, Jennifer felt the hollow emptiness inside her fill with something warm and unfamiliar. Something that felt dangerously like love.

“Six days,” she said softly, meeting Noah’s eyes across the room. “And then I testify.”

Noah nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. “Six days. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

In that moment, with the morning sun streaming through the windows and the Temple family surrounding her, Jennifer allowed herself to believe it might be true.