Page 3 of Exhale
“Genesis isn’t a place for you. For one, you don’t do that kind of work,” Dave pointed out, gripping the fence.
The ranch was actually a training facility for active and former military assassins as well as another specialty team. The place wasn’t right for Jordan, who had a much softer heart.
“Who’s to say this place isn’t for me?” Jordan volleyed back with a tip of his chin.
“Do you want to be an assassin? To kill people like that?” Dave squinted. Granted, they were bad people, but killing someone wasn’t easy. Something like that could stick around and haunt someone.
“No,” Jordan sighed, and after a moment, spoke again. “Tell me about this job.”
“Owen will fill you in,” Dave said.
Jordan tensed. “Why does it have to be Owen?”
“He is former military and available. He can keep you safe while you’re on the job,” Dave said, turning to face him.
“Okay,” Jordan said resignedly. He could see that Dave wasn’t going to budge on this, and he respected the man, so he gave in. “If I must.”
“Can I ask you something?” Dave said.
“Sure.”
“What sent you running from California?”
“Stuff,” Jordan murmured and avoided Dave’s searching gaze.
How could he tell Dave, a man he respected, about his shady past? Sure, they all knew he’d been a drug runner as a teenager, but that was it. Only Seth, Frost, and Storm knew that he had also sold himself for money.
The rest of them? Well, they thought they knew him, but they didn’t.
Dave had no clue what it was like growing up in foster care and deciding at the age of thirteen that it was better to live on the streets instead. He, on the other hand, had firsthand knowledge because he had lived it. The only one who came close to what he had experienced would be Storm, who had also grown up in the foster care system.
The worst part of it all was that hewantedto tell Owen. He wanted to share about his past, but the thought of disappointing the man was holding him back. He couldn’t face a look of distaste on Owen’s face…that would fucking crush him.
“Hey…I’m here if you want to talk about it,” Dave said, regaining his attention.
That was one of the things Jordan liked best about Dave. The man didn’t pry. The former Secretary of Defense was, in a nutshell, one of the many things he was thankful for in his life.
His life wouldn’t be what it was today without the man standing beside him. In truth, Jordan considered Dave more of a father than a boss.
Dave was part of his family.
He only wished he didn’t feel like he was living a lie.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
Dave smiled, patted his shoulder, and then headed through the morning light toward the mess hall.
Jordan stayed where he was for several moments and then turned back to the horses.
His friends and the men of Pegasus and Phoenix were all he needed.
But everything was at risk right now.
Because he was starting to care about Owen.
And fear was paralyzing him.
Owen’s face hit the dirt, and his hands planted, pushing himself up.
