Page 21 of Saving Jennifer
When they finally broke apart, neither spoke immediately, foreheads touching, and her breath caught at the surprising tenderness he’d shown. She licked her lips, and leaned forward, wanting him to kiss her again. Craved the feel of his lips against hers.
The sudden vibration of Jennifer’s secure phone shattered the moment. Only four people had this number—Noah, her attorney, Gator Boudreau, and Salem.
Jennifer pulled away reluctantly, retrieving the phone from her pocket. Her face paled as she read the message.
“What is it?” Noah asked, instantly alert, the vulnerability of moments before replaced by professional vigilance.
Jennifer’s hands trembled as she held out the phone.
The Amirs are mobilizing. Be careful. Trust no one except your shadow.
Noah’s expression hardened as he read. “Your shadow. That’s me?”
Jennifer nodded. “Salem’s code for my bodyguard. She never wanted to know your real name—said it was safer that way.”
“Smart woman.” Noah handed the phone back, already moving toward his weapon. “I need to contact Gator, see if this location has been compromised. We might need to change to another safe house. This place has been secure, but if they’re escalating…”
“There’s nowhere they won’t eventually find me,” Jennifer said, drawing in a steadying breath. “The Amirs have connections everywhere. Money. Influence.”
Noah turned toward her, his eyes intense. “Listen to me. I won’t let them touch you. Whatever happens, whatever it takes. You are not alone in this.”
The promise in his voice was fierce, absolute. Jennifer felt something shift inside her—the weight of guilt and fear momentarily lifted by the certainty that whatever came next, she wouldn’t face it alone.
“Pack up what we brought in case we need to move,” Noah instructed, his voice gentle but urgent. “Be ready to leave in ten minutes.”
As Jennifer walked across the cabin to gather their few belongings, she touched her fingertips to her lips briefly, the memory of their kiss still vivid. In the midst of danger and uncertainty, something unexpected bloomed between them—something more than simple attraction. More than need based on proximity. No, this felt remarkably like the promise of a future, if they managed to survive.
Outside, as the remnants of the storm echoed in the distance, a soft rain fell through the branches of the trees overhead, she couldn’t help feeling like the violence of the passing storm felt like a warning of what was to come.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The eastern skylinehad just begun to blush pink when Noah made the decision.
“Tennessee mountains,” he said, glancing over at Jennifer in the passenger seat. Her dark brunette hair was tousled from sleep, eyes still heavy as she straightened in her seat. “It’s our best option. I know every nook and cranny of those hills and valleys like the back of my hand.”
She rubbed her eyes, orienting herself after their long night of driving. “How much farther?”
“A couple of hours, give or take.” His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “We need to get off these main roads. We know they’re looking for us, and they’re getting closer. When we get to my cabin, I’ll be better equipped to deal with trespassers. Nobody shows up around my place uninvited.”
Jennifer nodded, checking the side mirror for the hundredth time. The highway stretched empty behind them, but emptiness no longer meant safety. Twice since they’d left the relative safety of the bayou, they’d spotted the same black SUV trailing several miles back. Noah had executed a series of abrupt driving maneuvers—which she still marveled at—throughout a small town in Alabama, and they’d lost the other vehicle, at least temporarily.
“The mountains will give us cover,” Noah continued, his voice low and steady despite the fatigue etched into the lines around his eyes. “Dense forest, limited access roads, and terrain that favors those who know it.”
“And you know it.” It wasn’t a question.
The corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Spent every summer since I was a teen. Later, it became my refuge when I came back from—” He stopped himself, his jaw tightening. “Let’s just say when I needed to disappear for a while.”
Jennifer studied his profile, the stubble darkening his jaw, the scar that ran through his eyebrow. Noah Temple was a walking contradiction—capable of clinical violence when needed, yet possessed of a gentleness she’d glimpsed in unguarded moments. A man who kept everyone at arm’s length, then risked everything to keep her safe.
“Why do you have a place there?” she asked. “Gator mentioned your family lived in Tennessee too.”
He was quiet so long she thought he might not answer. “Everyone needs somewhere that’s just theirs.”
The highway signs blurred past as they continued north. Jennifer kept watch, scanning every vehicle they passed, each overpass and mile marker. The rhythm of vigilance had become second nature in the days since she’d agreed to protection from Carpenter Security.
Noah suddenly tensed, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. Jennifer recognized the tension in his shoulders, the firm set of his jaw, knew he’d spotted something that had him on edge. She was beginning to recognize his expressions.
“What is it?” Jennifer turned to look behind them.