Page 21 of His To Protect

Chapter Seven

They’d been through so much the last few days, so much so, it felt as if years rather than days had passed. But now time could go back to its normal pace. They were out of Colombia and finally safe. At least that’s what Jack had told her.

Men had come for them in the mountains. They didn’t speak to her—hell they didn’t speak at all except to give curt orders. Jack wouldn’t tell her who they were or where they were going just that they were going to be okay and that she should be quiet.

She fell asleep on a cargo plane and only woke up when he carried her to a big black truck. From there, they drove to a pier and took a boat to a house nestled on another lush green mountain with a beach stretching out before them. There they were ushered inside. The place was light and airy, with ocean breezes billowing though filmy curtains. The men had brought them food and fresh clothes. They’d eaten, showered and slept, her barely noticing much for the first twenty-four hours.

That morning, when she was still in a sleep shirt, she watched as the men gave Jack an envelope with some papers to look over. The men—all in black, and still heavily armed stood watch, as stone-faced as any statue she’d ever seen, waiting until Jack read the papers. When he nodded solemnly, they handed over some keys and left. She watched them drive away, staying quiet until she couldn’t see them any longer. But with them went her silence.

“What the hell was that?” she demanded. Jack took a patient breath and poured her a coffee from the pot on the counter before answering.

“Good morning, baby.”

“Jack,” she replied in exasperation.

“A job offer.”

Alexis examined his green eyes. They held no fear, no anger, no hurt.

“One I accepted,” he added.

“As payment?” She seemed to have developed some intuition on the trip, maybe not so much developed as started paying attention to it.

“Yes, but it has its perks, little one.” He closed the gap between them, took her chin with her hand and tipped her mouth up so he could kiss her gently. “You’re safe, I get this place and some tax problems Pete got us into will be taken care of.”

“Jack, those weren’t good guys,” she stated, feeling numb.

“No, but not the worst.” His eyes were soft, understanding.

“Where is this place?”

“Costa Rica.”

“Forever?” She looked out the garden doors over the veranda, past the verdant vegetation that led down to the beach beyond, and stared at the water. The mountains behind them were alive with the sounds of birds and wildlife. It was isolated but for one other house on a cliff a half a kilometer away. Forever here wouldn’t be the worst either, she thought.

“For a long time.”

“What kind of job?”

“Bodyguard.”

“Can I ask for whom?” She already knew the answer to that, but asked anyway and then nodded when he shook his head.

“Is it safe?”

“I’m not worried.”

Releasing her, Jack took the envelope off the table and reached inside to pull out a ticket. He handed it to her. “It also came with this.”

She looked down at it. It was a ticket to Calgary half a country away from her home in Toronto. Her eyes narrowed in confusion, the sting of rejection stealing her breath, but before she could question the location and dismissal, Jack spoke.

“It’s where your father lives. He didn’t know your mother was pregnant when she left him. He’s eager to meet you.” Her eyes widened. “And he’s a good man, Alexis.”

“My father?”

“His name is Justin Litster…”

As Jack explained how her mother was still alive and had been the woman in the apartment and had played a key role in helping them escape, Alexis sat down, stunned. Her heart was pounding, her gut rolling and her chest aching with the flood of information. Clutching the ticket to her chest she looked up from the wicker chair she’d sat in.

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