Page 43 of Savage Escape

He’d been so incredibly right about everything that they’d had to infiltrate Russia, without attracting the notice of the Russian government or with the blessing of the United States government, and invade a whole goddamn compound. All because he’d been so right and Nathan had refused to listen to him.

Maddox said something in Cajun and Jackson couldn’t help but roll his eyes. How hard could he smack the pilot without endangering everyone on the plane? Daisy was a better pilot anyway. They could survive with just one.

“Don’t be getting all spitty and angry and whipping out the Cajun like I don’t know that you’re threatening me. I can get pissy in my native tongue too—” He jerked his head around and narrowed his eyes before pitching his voice low and all intimidating-like. “¿Querrías bailar conmigo?”

“Pfft.” It was only then that Daisy, Maddox’s co-pilot, decided to speak up. “You can try.”

“What?” Maddox glanced sideways at her, grinning like an idiot. “You got something to contribute, D? Did I not threaten him correctly?”

“You asked him to dance—that’s a weak ass threat if I ever heard one.” The petite woman giggled and Jackson suffered a small sense of disorientation at the sound. “Unless it wasn’t a threat? Maybe I should leave you two alone and see what I can do for three minutes while you...dance.” Maddox threw his head back and laughed outright. Jackson only growled some more.

Daisy looked like sunshine and flowers and everything that was nice in the world. It was such a contradiction to her skill level and the sheer lethality of the woman that Jackson always had to remind himself that she was a warrior. Her guileless smiles and sunny demeanor did not equal soft innocence and complacency.

“Three minutes? Oh, you wound me, woman! Four minutes at least. You know how long it takes me just to unlace my boots?”

“Two minutes.” She nodded solemnly, and Maddox laughed out loud again.

“Okay, well, you can play out whatever twisted fantasies you harbor for me—I know there’s a lot, but I said it all menacing-like. I went old west on his ass.”

It was at that point Jackson decided to take his leave. They were doing the witty, sexual innuendo, bantering thing again. Which were three things Jackson didn’t do. Well, maybecouldn’twas the better word.

“Jackson.” Maddox finally turned around to face him. “Wait.”

“What?”

“Just admit that the only reason you’re on the warpath is because you’re emotionally damaged and don’t know how to tell him you love him and that you’re happy he’s safe.” He said it like it was the truest thing in the world and it would be madness if anyone disagreed with him. Dick.

Unfortunately, all Jackson could think to do in rebuff was to mimic the asshole in the highest falsetto his damaged vocal cords could manage.

“Nice comeback, Jack.” Maddox’s deep, stupid laugh followed him out of the cockpit and into the lounge area.

“Shut up.”

Jackson didn’t think he was being unreasonable.

Nathan attracted trouble. Was it too much to expect that knowing it, Nathan would live accordingly? Like maybe, and this was just a thought, he wouldn’t vacation alone and unarmed to a country where he was well known as an American G-man?

Granted, there weren’t a lot of places left available to him to visit, but fuck, what was wrong with staying home? Or at least staying within the continental borders? No brutal torture thereand it was a hell of a lot less likely that he was going to get shot in good ol’ Redhawk Ridge, Texas. Standard shit, right?

Kade was sprawled in the cushioned seat with his head thrown over the headrest, an ice pack plopped on his face. He was favoring his right side, and to all accounts, he looked asleep. Kade was charged with watching the woman, and Kade was a man that took every one of his duties seriously. So Jackson knew the man wasn’t asleep. Kade, no matter how tired or beat, would never fall asleep on the job.

“You gonna live?” Jackson examined his brother with a critical eye. Kade looked bruised and battered, but alive.

“No,” was the grunted reply.

“Reid give you something for the pain?” At the sound of his brother’s disgruntled voice, Jackson couldn’t help but grin. It was almost funny. Kade hadn’t gotten his ass so thoroughly handed to him in a long time.

“Nah, he’s seeing about Nate.” His normally deep voice was now all nasally and hilarious.

“Where are they?”

“In the back. If you listen real hard, you can hear the dulcet tones of Holden yelling at him. Although Nate’s so high right now, he’s probably seein’ pink elephants. Why, you want your turn at him?”

Sure enough, Jackson could detect the sounds of deep growls and consonants in the air. He couldn’t decipher any actual words. Knowing Holden, there was lots of cussing, colorful phrasing, and ranting going on.

“I’m not being unreasonable.” So what if his voice was all defensive and squeaky? He wasnotbeing unreasonable. Kade only let out a tired sigh, but otherwise remained silent. “What? You think it’s ridiculous to expect Nathan to go to a foreign and hostile country armed?”

“No, I think it’s unreasonable that ya’ll need to jump up his ass for doing normal Nate things. The mission was a success. No one’s dead or wounded—well, not fatally. And Nate’s alive.”

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