Page 122 of Defenders of Jawhara

“You’re right. They’re not. So let me be frank. I’m fairly sure that Jason’s my son and if that’s the case, I’m willing to let you adopt him.”

The air lodged in Bethany’s chest. “You are?”

Slade nodded. “Before we get there, I’d like to find out just how Jason might fit into my life. I’d like to see him on my own turf and also see if I can help him. Not just because he very well could be my son, but also because he is Tayra’s son. She became part of my family when she married Brock, and that’s never changed. But I also—Bethany, I’m here to help you, too. I don’t walk away from someone who needs help.”

She tipped her head. She wasn’t sure what to do with this macho guy. He was like a force of nature. She could protest all she wanted that she could look after herself, and she knew he’d listen, and then he’d fill her fridge and cook her food to eat. He’d shown that. Voice dry, she told him, “Your armor’s showing again.”

He touched the front of his shirt. “Damn, I thought I had that buttoned up. Come on. It’s bull that you don’t know me. So what else do you want to know?”

She let out a breath. She knew him, but he was still a complete stranger to her. How could she trust him with what was most precious to her?

“How about something a bit more personal other than you once slept with my sister?”

* * *

Slade wanted to roll his eyes. She was making this tough on him. Intentionally. Okay, if that was the price, he was willing to pay. He picked up the plates, carried them to the sink, and left them there. Coming back, he sat down. “What else do you want? Resume? Net worth?”

“Family background,” she said.

“My people are my family. I’ve got a couple of guys, brothers—Trent and Travis Larson—you’ll meet them in San Diego. They’re good folks. Computer geeks. You’ll like ’em. They’ll like you. You know Brock already. He’s my business partner, but he’s also part of the team we have in the Middle East right now. You already know I was a SEAL. We all were.”

She propped her elbows on the table. “Why’d you leave?”

“One too many missions of doing the wrong thing for what I hoped were the right reasons. But I wasn’t sure. When it gets so that you can’t tell if you’re one of the good guys or the bad guys, it’s time to step out. It was time for me. Brock followed as soon as his contract was up, called in some favors, and we opened our own security firm. Brock never wanted to run the business side of it, so that’s why my name is on the door. I’m better at new client interactions, while Brock is better when he’s in the thick of it. So I vet the clients, know for sure if they’re in trouble because of someone else or because they’re doing things they shouldn’t be doing.”

“Is it dangerous?” Slade gave her a flat look, and Bethany said, “Okay, dumb question. I already know it pays well.”

Slade nodded. Reaching out, he put a hand over Bethany’s. “Something else you should know—I don’t want to take Jason from you, but I’m not going to let you shut me out either. Tayra ran, but I won’t let you do that now that I know about him.”

She pulled away. “This is where I get the bad cop part of the lecture.”

“It’s not a lecture—it’s me explaining how it’s going to be. Yes, I’ve got the money to hire lawyers who could take Jason from you. That’s not in Jason’s best interest. But if you make this a fight, I’ll fight. I’d rather find out if we can work together on this—if…dammit, Bethany, I want to see if this spark between us is something that could be more.”

Standing up, he took her by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her until his heart was pounding harder than it had on his run. He held her face between his hands and kissed her until she opened to him, and softened, and gave a groan that told him all he needed to know about how she felt about him.

Stepping back, he asked, “Any more questions?”

She licked her lips. It took all of his control not to sweep her up and carry her off to the guest room where he could take his time with the next kiss. She nodded. “Just one. What’s the weather like this time of year in San Diego?”

12

On the flight to San Diego, Bethany slept. From the dark circles under her eyes and the way she simply crashed when she could, Slade assumed she really needed some rest. He set Jason up with a hand-held video game, and Slade caught up on work issues.

Flipping open his laptop, he checked the time. It was late, but not overly so. He tapped Brock’s contact and then started a video call and listened as the line rang and then connected. But it wasn’t just Brock. Keira sat beside him.

“Good to see you both.”

Keira waved but Brock glared at him before speaking. “How are things at your end?”

“Well enough. I’m on my way to San Diego and have Bethany and Jason with me.” Hopefully that would appease Brock. “Touching base regarding the file I sent. How goes things?”

Keira reached for something while Brock filled him in. “The family is safe but the recent attacks on the oil rigs are escalating. The Larson twins had tapped into some grumblings coming from distant cousins in Bashiria, and it’s possible they’re the money behind the sabotage here in Jawhara, but we won’t know until we can get more intel on the group responsible.”

Slade agreed, pulling up the latest report. “Trent is on it. He’s hoping to make contact with someone inside the organization and work it from that angle.”

“Good, because right now we seem to be two steps behind them every time, and I’m sick of it. Have there been any problems with the SoCal rigs?”

“No, we’re good there, but we’re also getting assistance from the Coast Guard and local sheriff’s department with increased surveillance both by boat and helos. How is Kam handling all this, and how is Erin?”

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