“I need to be there to see he’s okay,” she stated.
Jaden pulled her to the side. Anger flashed in his eyes. “Too risky.”
“This is my problem. He’s my brother. I think I realize what we’re facing. I have the bumps and bruises to prove it.”
“We don’t even know what we’re facing. If there’s a leak from my agency, we could be ambushed again,” Jaden said, anger pulsing off him in waves. “Did you hear Gunner before? Did you see the blood on his coat?”
“I have to go with you. I don’t expect you to understand. But information is leaking on your side and you can’t guarantee my safety if you leave me here. The only way you can watch over me is if I’m with you.”
Jaden’s face twisted. He looked to be contemplating her words. It was true. No one could deny it.
Gunner’s cell buzzed. Lauren froze.
Gunner’s gaze shifted from his phone to Jaden. “Helena’s out front with Gabriel.”
“Helena’s here? I thought she was in the States.” Jaden sounded startled.
“Guess not.” Gunner shot a look.
Jaden’s response was a quick nod. “I should’ve known. Must be what Gabriel wanted to show me.”
“You need to decide what you’re going to do with her.” Gunner’s head inclined toward Lauren.
“She stays,” he barked.
“No. I don’t. Besides, you guys have been talking about a mole or whatever. How am I supposed to defend myself against one of yours? Especially if they come here?”
Anguish and frustration scored Jaden’s forehead. “Dammit.”
Gunner dragged his hand across the stubble on his chin. “She’s right. We don’t know how they’re staying ahead of us, but they are. She might be vulnerable here. The only way to ensure her safety is to keep our eyes on her at all times.”
Jaden grabbed a jacket and tossed dry clothes to her. “Fine. She goes. But she stays inside the vehicle.”
Lauren wouldn’t argue. She took the clothes and dressed.
“I’m ready,” Lauren said when she emerged from the bathroom. Jaden’s hand closed on hers.
He didn’t say a word as he led her out the door. His dark, brooding expression tied knots in her stomach. He didn’t need to speak for her to know what was on his mind. This mission might be a death trap.
Lauren climbed into the back of Gunner’s SUV at Jaden’s urging. His heft blocked her view of the driver until she sat down and found her seatbelt being strapped around her. “I got it. Thanks.”
Her nerves would’ve been completely unhinged by now, but physical contact with Jaden kept her a notch below panic. He’d wedged himself in the middle seat, and his thigh brushed against hers. Electricity hummed between them.
Her first glimpse of the man in the front passenger seat almost made her smile. Were all operatives seriously this good looking? Gabriel had sandy-brown hair and the greenest eyes. She guessed he’d stand an inch or two shorter than Jaden. He was almost as muscular.
Gabriel turned around, smiled, and winked. “Nasty weather today.”
Jaden’s shoulder came forward, blocking more of her view. “There’s no good weather for what we’re about to do.”
She strained to get a good look at Helena.
Huge dark brown eyes looked at her from the rearview. Long thick lashes framed them.
“You’ve had quite a day,” her smooth voice said. “We’ll get your brother out of there.”
A band of jealousy tightened around Lauren’s heart.
Jaden’s muscles tensed. “When we do, you and I need to have a sit down, Helena.”
The dark beautiful eyes blinked. Dark. Beautiful. Dangerous.
Lauren saw a flash of rage behind those eyes.
“I’ve been watching this place today. Hoping. They weren’t there this morning. They must’ve brought him when things went south at the beach,” Helena said.
The drive was short. Fifteen to twenty minutes max. The house was located in the center of town.
“What now?” Lauren quietly asked Jaden.
“We assess.” He paused a beat. “But you wait.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this. I wish my brother hadn’t dragged me into it too. But I’m here. I don’t plan to sit in this car while you guys risk your lives.”
“We’re trained. You’re not.”
Motion from the driver’s seat caught Lauren’s attention. Helena turned in the seat with the butt of a gun toward Lauren. “She can use my backup weapon. We need all the fire power we can get.”
Jaden’s hand covered Helena’s, and a tidal wave of jealousy rolled up, burning through Lauren’s chest.
“We don’t risk civilians,” he said, his eyes flashing a warning.
The face that came with the cat-like eyes was staggering to look at. Her hair, dark and radiant, framed an almond-shaped face. Sultry auburn streaks could be seen around the edges. She shifted her head slightly as she spoke, and light seeped in, barely settling on each strand, revealing a brilliant shine breaking through everywhere the storm’s darkness didn’t obscure.
“Like it or not, she’s involved. Her help might just mean the difference between life and death.”
Jaden’s body, poised for battle, stiffened. His fists clenched. “I said—”
“We have enough manpower without her,” Gunner interrupted.
Helena’s gaze intensified. “Leave her in the car and someone has to stay back to watch her. We’ll be more vulnerable if we split up. Besides, we’ve already lost five men. It’s not prudent to risk more. I’ll cover her inside.”
Impatience shot from Jaden’s glare. “Then she comes with me.”
The house they watched wasn’t bigger than a shack. There was almost no yard, the buildings sandwiched right next to each other. Jaden scouted the area carefully. Lauren followed his gaze to an eighteenth century church across the street. Its whitewashed walls offered a hint of light in the darkness surrounding them. He glanced toward her, and then his gaze shifted back to the church.
She nodded. If it goes awry, meet him in the chapel.
Helena’s gaze locked onto Lauren, making her uncomfortable. “They say he has a tattoo of a dragon on his neck. The man who killed Tim,” she said, anger causing her voice to tremble.
The front door of the shack opened as
