Page 20 of Jacob

Jacob hung his head. “Look, Alex,” he began.

“Don’t you ‘look Alex’ me,” she said. “We’ve gone over this. There’s no way you can access the expertise to deal with this, if technical problems come up. Elias and I work in highly specialized fields. Our knowledge wouldn’t be available to you. There wouldn’t be anyone you can call up.”

Jacob said nothing.

Alex’s face softened, just a little. “Look. I understand you don’t want a civilian, a non-security expert along. You think I’ll hamper your movements. But I promise to stay out of your way. I just want—need—to be there because I can advise you and your team in real time, on the ground. This is serious stuff and you need an expert along. And no, hiring someone to moonlight from the CDC won’t do it.”

That was exactly what he was thinking. “No?”

“No. I know Elias better than anyone else. I know how he thinks and, above all, I know his fields of expertise. Virology is a very big field. You’re not going to find someone better than me to help.”

Jacob opened his hands, almost a symbol of helplessness, for a man who was never helpless. “The idea of putting you in danger makes me a little crazy,” he confessed, words he had never said before.

“I understand.” Alex’s face was no longer stiff with anger, but she was clearly stressed. “Look. I am not a thrill seeker, not an adrenaline junkie. I don’t rock climb, I don’t surf, I don’t hang glide for fun. I don’t even run. Most days I am too tired to work out, and the most exercise I get is going for long walks on the weekend, when it’s not raining. I took a self-defense course once and I’ve forgotten everything. I only took it because two of my female colleagues had been assaulted. I always meant to start up again, but it never seemed to be the right time and I have no idea where to start. I’ve never held a gun, I’ve never hit anyone in my life.” She side-eyed him. “Though I was tempted today.”

He bowed his head, eyes never leaving hers. Yeah. If she were the violent temper type of person, she’d have definitely slapped him. But that wasn’t Alexandra Hethering. Alex was a gentle person and that hadn’t changed. He, on the other hand, had never been a gentle person. He’d have definitely punched himself, right in the face.

“So, I’m not going to be of any use from the security point of view. But you have my word that I will follow instructions to the letter and will not knowingly put myself in danger. But by the same token, I will be invaluable when it comes to dealing with Elias and whatever he has gotten himself into.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m coming and that’s it.”

Like any good soldier, Jacob knew when to retreat. He wasn’t going to win this battle because he wasn’t prepared to restrain her, which was the only way to stop her. The only thing he could do was make sure she stayed far, far away from any danger and acted only as a consultant.

Which made this not only a mission but a close protection job, harder and with more variables. Well, he’d done hard before. Hard didn’t scare him, but the idea of Alex hurt did. Right down to his bones.

None of that showed on his face, he knew.

“Okay,” he said.

Her eyes rounded. “Okay? Just like that? You’re not going back on that decision?”

Jacob sketched a smile, stretching unused muscles. “You’re not giving up, are you?”

“No.” Alex’s shoulders straightened.

“So either you come with me or I tie you up or stash you somewhere with guards, against your will. I’m not willing to do that, so…” He shrugged his shoulders.

They looked at each other for a long moment. It wasn’t a hardship. She was just so beautiful. She’d been an uncommonly pretty girl, but part of that was, he knew, genetics and money for orthodontics and good food on a regular basis. But now she had a beauty that was all her own. Her face had slimmed down, cheekbones prominent. She had lines in her face that denoted character. She looked powerful. Not the kind of power he was used to. Not dominance, which was his kind of power, but rather the power of holding deep specialized knowledge and using it always for good.

The power of good, which he knew, from decades wading through the filth of evil, had its own allure.The way she held herself, the way she spoke, was the fruit of years and years of self-discipline and hard work and made her a natural aristocrat. A woman of substance, who automatically inspired respect.

A woman in a million, and he’d lost her.

“Okay.” He stood and she tilted her head back to watch him.

“Okay, what?”

“We need to get started. Make travel arrangements, I need to put together a team, brief my teammate Nikolai. Or rather maybe you should.”

She gestured at her briefcase. “I’m also going to have to order some clothes. I had no idea I was going to be shanghaied and flown across the country.”

“You weren’t—” he began heatedly, when he saw her watching him for his reaction. “You’re baiting me.”

She gave the tiniest of smiles. “A little. Apparently, it’s not hard to do. I would have thought the great Jacob Black was tougher than that. But no.”

Jacob bit his back teeth. No sense rising again to the bait. She couldn’t know that he was unbaitable. Tough as they come. Except when it came to her.

“Here.” Jacob held out a black credit card. “Buy anything you want, from the skin out. Anything you think you might need.” He leaned forward and tapped on a built-in tablet. “Looks like we’ll have bad weather in Vostokova. Maybe a storm front, some snow. Buy warm clothes. I have plenty of suitcases but buy yourself any kind you like.”

She didn’t take the card, just looked at him.

---