Page 20 of The Fixer

“What mission?” Lyndsey asked, leaning forward.

Jake hesitated, his jaw tightening. He rarely talked about his work—part of the job was to carry the burden of things he knew silently. But something in Lyndsey’s eyes made him relent. “About six months ago, I was tasked with apprehending an information broker named Pavel Lebedev. He was trying to sell stolen nanobot technology.”

Lyndsey’s breath hitched. “Nanobots? My nanobots?”

Jake shook his head. “Not yours. At least, not directly. But the tech was eerily similar—same concept, different execution. Lang’s name came up as one of the potential buyers. He didn’t show at the deal, but his interest was noted. If Lang’s after your research, it’s not just because it’s cutting-edge. He knows its potential, and he’s willing to kill to get it.”

Lyndsey looked away, her gaze falling to the fireplace. “I don’t understand. Why would someone like him want nanobot technology? It’s meant to heal, not harm.”

Jake’s voice softened. “In the right hands, sure. But in the wrong ones? Nanobots could be weaponized. If someone could figure out how to program those bots to target whatever tissue or cells they wanted…”

“The effects could be catastrophic.”

Jake nodded. “Lang doesn’t care about saving lives, Lyndsey. He cares about leverage. Power. Money.”

She shuddered, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. “This isn’t what I signed up for. I just wanted to make a difference.”

“And you still can,” Jake said, his tone unwavering. “But first, we have to stop Lang and whoever’s working with him.”

The room fell into silence, the crackle of the fire the only sound. Finally, Lyndsey spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “You ever wonder why I’m so stubborn?”

Jake tilted his head, his lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile. “The question has crossed my mind.”

Lyndsey smiled back. “I grew up in a small town. My mom raised me on her own. She worked two jobs just to keep us afloat. I was the kid who loved science when everyone else was playing sports or chasing boys. I didn’t fit in.”

Jake watched her intently, sensing she wasn’t just sharing for the sake of conversation. “That couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t,” she admitted. “But I got through it. College was the first place I felt like I belonged. Until I realized that being a woman in science came with its own set of challenges.”

Jake leaned back, his gaze never leaving her. “What kind of challenges?”

She laughed bitterly. “Being underestimated. Having my ideas dismissed until a male colleague repeated them. Constantly feeling like I had to prove I deserved to be there. And when I started getting noticed for my work? That’s when the rumors started. ‘She must’ve slept her way to the top.’” Her voice cracked, but she quickly composed herself. “Marcus was the first person who saw my potential without questioning it. He pushed me to keep going.”

Jake nodded, understanding the gravity of her words. “And you did. You got here because you earned it.”

“Sometimes, it doesn’t feel that way,” Lyndsey admitted. “Especially now. Knowing someone on my team might be betraying me—it’s like everything I’ve worked for is a lie.”

Jake moved to sit on the edge of the coffee table, closer to her. “It’s not a lie. You built this. No one can take that away from you. And whoever’s behind this? They’re the ones who don’t belong.”

Lyndsey looked up at him, her eyes glistening. “For a tough guy, you sure seem to know how to say the right thing.”

He chuckled softly. “I don’t. Not even close, but I do mean everything I say, unless I’m working undercover or playing poker. Then, I can lie with the best of them.”

For the space of a heartbeat, Jake thought about closing the distance between them—literally and metaphorically. Instead, he pulled back, standing instead.

“Go to bed, Lyndsey,” he said, his voice gruff. “We’ve got a long fight ahead of us.”

Lyndsey nodded, though her gaze lingered on him before she said, “Goodnight, Jake.”

“Goodnight, Lyndsey,” he echoed, retreating to his post by the door.

As he stood there, watching as the bedroom door closed behind her, Jake couldn’t shake the thought that this mission was different. It wasn’t just about protecting her research or stopping Lang—it was about keeping Lyndsey safe. And the more time he spent with her, the more that felt like the most important thing he’d ever done.

After a couple of hours, Jake prowled the room, his Glock held loose but ready in his hand. The fire had burned down, and Jake had turned off all the lights. Lyndsey was tucked away in bed. He was headed over to poke his head in and check on her, when the faint sound of something shifting outside caught his attention. He froze, his entire body going still, ears straining to pick up the noise. There it was again—a soft scrape, like metal against wood.

Sticking his head into the bedroom, he ordered “Stay here,” in a low growl.

Lyndsey’s head snapped up. “What is it?”

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