Page 121 of Jep

“Lift up your shirt,” Em said, pulling out her phone and turning on the flashlight. The floodlights had been set up nearby, but she and Jep were standing in shadow.

“What is it you expect to find?”

“I want to see how bad it is.”

He pulled up his shirt, and she followed the hem of his T as it lifted, not trying very hard to ignore the waves of muscle. She focused the light on the bruised lump near his heart.

“Ouch,” she said, shaking her head. “That must have hurt.”

“It did.”

“You going to get it checked out like Lawson ordered?”

“That wasn’t an order,” Jep said, tugging his shirt back into place.

“What if you have a cracked rib?”

“Then they’ll x-ray me and tell me I have a cracked rib and that I should rest.”

“And you should. You should at least take a few days off.”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking more than that.”

“Good. You deserve a break after everything you’ve done.”

“Em.” He reached for her hand but looked around at all the people. “Come here.” He led her away from the noise. “I’m taking more than a break.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was only brought back for this one job.”

“I was talking to Lawson. He’s changed his mind about you. I think if you wanted to stay, he’d be happy to have you.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

He sighed. “It’s the work I was doing back at the shop with the boys. I thought I was wasting my time, but somehow, through all of this, I realized how important it was. How much those guys need me. Otherwise, they end up in a building like this creating bombs or carrying drugs for someone who would shoot them if they made one small mistake. I need to go back there.”

“You can’t do both this and that?”

“If I’m going to make it work, I have to put everything into it.”

She nodded. “I know you’re right. Of course you are.” She swallowed back the emotions she’d had plenty of practice ignoring.

“Besides, they don’t need me,” Jep said. “They have you.”

“Very funny.”

“I’m not joking. They now know what an amazing agent you would make.”

“Lawson asked me about it tonight.”

“About being a field agent? Great. I hope you said yes.”

“No way. I can’t take that kind of pressure. The thought of going back out there. Especially without you… Sitting at a desk is more my speed. And I can still do good work there. Maybe more.”

“You don’t want to go into the field at all?”

---