Page 74 of Fight for You
Calm. Complete stillness was crucial, particularly given the half-constructed rifle. With a blink of my eyes, I peered through the lens. Exhaled. Took the shot.
The man jerked sideways.
My chest rose and fell. I tossed the rifle to Enzo, who was strolling around the front of my brother’s truck. I walked over wearily, shoving the corpse to the side, picked Jordyn up, and kissed her repeatedly. Each kiss sent shivers through me. “I’m sorry, JorJor. I’m so sorry.”
I expected her to hit me. To get angry. Really angry. And she had every right to. I left her with?—
Wait.
My family had some explaining to do.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“Rocket,” she murmured.
“Look at me.” I took her face in my hands. “You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore.”
Through trembling lips, she murmured, “I know.”
I glanced at the vehicle and the body.Crap. The job was unfinished.
“Take her inside, Jamie.” Enzo seemed to understand what tore me in half. Needing to console her and deal with Rocket.
With Jordyn quiet, cuddled against my chest, I rubbed her back. “Put Rocket in the trunk of his car for now. I’ve got plans for him. And my family. Evidently, they can’t protect one person.”
“Copy.”
As I carried Jordyn to the back deck, she murmured, “These plans, do they have anything to do with a meat tenderizer?”
A shell-shocked gaze I hadn’t seen since knee-deep in war flicked as I glanced down at her. I’d wanted to break down the walls of Jordyn’s pride and dismantle the fear that lurked underneath when I stole her from Aleksandr Chelomey. Apathy had shielded her then. Now, the barrier that protected her and kept her numb had broken. Was this what I wanted? To see her so affected by the crap humans could do? And what did she mean by a meat tenderizer?
I passed through the sliding glass door and up the stairs. I shouldered the door to the primary suite open. Navigating a path between blankets I’d folded on the floor and a smoldering fire in the hearth, I entered the bathroom. I placed Jordyn on the counter. Her gorgeous dark brown face had lost the glow that had become my treasure once we broke through the barriers of her hatred for me. Her body trembled—not from the cold, but the aftermath. Shock.
Wild panic didn’t light her eyes. Nothing did. I reached in, planted myself between her legs, and hugged her. Signs of lifecame from her when she hugged me back. Clung to me like a lifeline.
“My parents should’ve checked the perimeter. They should’ve …”Ishould’ve done better. For my girl. My girls …
Rebel? Where was she? Somewhere hiding beneath the stairs? My Rottie wasn’t a people person. But I’d just set eyes on something that made me want to resurrect Rocket and shoot him again.
Blood.
A sticky, red trickle ran between a crack in Jordyn’s bottom lip. Forcefully, I snatched her face towel from the rack, waited for the water to warm, then rang out the towel. I pressed the cloth gently to her scraped chin, wiping away the blood with reverence. Made a silent vow always to keep Jordyn safe and submitted it to heaven.
I then tugged her shirt from over her head and pulled off her pajama pants. Goosebumps ran over her flesh. I hurried to grab another pair of clothes, not wet with snow or soiled with dirt.
“Let’s get you warm.” I took the greatest care of dressing her, then held her close as I carried her into the bedroom.
The dim orange glow flickered across the wooden walls. I placed Jordyn in the bed. Shot Enzo a quick text.
ME
Make yourself at home, bro. Know you’re always hungry, so the kitchen’s all yours. If you find an empty bedroom, take it. If you don’t, my bad.
ENZO
Don’t worry about a bed, fra. If I can’t find blankets, then we’ve got a problem.
Jordyn hadn’t spoken another word. The last thing she mumbled had something to do with a meat tender … At least, that was what I thought she’d said when her voice trailed off mid-sentence. Then it hit me. We had standard and custom weaponry in the military. Mam had her own devices.
