Page 67 of In Hiding

Standing, Jake bundled her sodden clothing together and carried it to his room. Dumping his clean laundry on a chair, he tossed her clothes in the basket. When he returned to the living room, he found she hadn’t moved. Standing there, naked under the blanket, shivering, she shook her head.

“Who sent you?”

The fear in her eyes was like a dagger to the heart. “Your brother.”

She blinked. “Erik?”

He nodded. “We shared a cell together in prison. When I got news of my release, he made me promise to find you and keep you safe.”

“I haven’t seen him in so long.”

“He misses you, too.”

She swallowed, her slender throat bobbing with the action. “How?”

Jake smiled. “I told you, I know a private investigator. It took her a few days, but she was the one who tracked you down. I’m not here to hurt you, Sarah.”

Tears gathered in her eyes. “You weren’t sent by my ex?”

He stepped closer. “No. I’m not a friend of his.” He placed a finger to the scar on his cheek. “This was how your ex-husband welcomed me to prison. He did not send me, Sarah. Please believe me.”

“Be honest with me, Jake.”

“First,” he held up one finger, “I promised you I wouldn’t lie to you and since then, I haven’t. Second,” he raised a second finger, “Erik told me you wouldn’t trust me, so he made me memorize a story only you and he would know. About a time when you were about twelve and wanted to visit the zoo. He said your parents were too busy and even though they forbid it, he took you on the train and you got lost in the city. They grounded him for a month.”

Her mouth tipped into a faint smile, giving him hope. “They were furious with us.”

“He said Ryan didn’t know the story.”

She shivered again. “Erik saved my life.”

Jake picked up the clothing he offered her. He crouched and held open the pants, looking up at her in the hope she’d see sense. “You really need to put some clothes on.” With a nod, she stepped into them. He stood and pulled the drawstring as tight as it would go, but the pants were still a little loose at her waist. She huffed in amusement. He touched her nose and this time, she didn’t flinch. “Your brother would give his life to save yours, Sarah.”

“I know.”

Taking her by the shoulders, he held her. “That’s what you do when you love someone. Just like you’d give your life to protect Will.”

“What about you, Jake Langley? Why did you agree to do as my brother asked?”

“Your brother is one scary dude, Sarah.”

“True.”

He pulled her closer, all too aware of the material separating him from her nakedness. “I told you, I’ve made some big mistakes in my life. My instinct told me to trust your brother and it led me to you, and for that, I will forever be thankful.”

“So, I’m your ticket to redemption?”

Jake shook his head and tugged her against his chest. “Make no mistake, Sarah Andersen. I’m in this for the long haul. I might have come here at Erik’s request, but I’m staying for you and you alone.”

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