“Do you trust Gunner?” She shocked him with the question.
“Yes.” Jaden paused thoughtfully. He believed in Lauren, too.
“And you’re sure?”
“If I’m wrong, I’m dead…”
She pressed a finger to his shoulder. “Screwing up in my business means a supplier doesn’t get paid on time. People get upset, but no one dies.”
He didn’t respond. His finger flexed and released, wanting to hold her again.
“You ever think about changing your line of work?” she asked.
“No. Not until recently.” He was being honest. He’d never once considered doing anything besides being a soldier.
“Because you got shot?”
He shook his head. “I—” His cell phone buzzed before he could finish his sentence. He shot a look of apology. “I better get this.”
“Gunner?”
He nodded as Lauren sucked in a breath.
“Everything okay?” Jaden asked into the phone.
Chapter 20
Lauren held her breath waiting for news about her brother. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. Her gaze was glued to Jaden’s face, searching for any sign, a muscle twitch that might indicate bad news.
He looped his arm around her waist. He pulled her close enough for her to hear Gunner’s words. She momentarily thought about pulling away from him but her heart was all in. She sensed his might be, too, even though he’d gone quiet earlier.
“The security team is expecting you both. It should be safe. Move quickly and get out as soon as you can,” Gunner said.
With her body pressed against Jaden’s, she could feel his heartbeat and breathe in his musky, male scent.
As Jaden closed the phone, she felt a tender kiss press to the side of her head. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Of course, she wanted to see Max, but part of her feared she wouldn’t want to leave him. A thought haunted her. Soon, her brother would disappear into a new identity and she’d never see him.
Lauren couldn’t imagine facing this situation alone. Guilt twisted her insides.
“It’s not your fault,” Jaden said, his arm wrapped around her, reassuring her, pulling her closer to him.
“I was selfish. I only thought about protecting myself instead of caring for him when I could’ve helped. Maybe I could’ve prevented all this.” The thought kept replaying in her mind.
“You didn’t know. You couldn’t possibly have known how this situation would’ve turned out.” Jaden’s voice held no judgment, only compassion.
“With all that you went through with your brother. I’m sure you’d trade your life for the chance to see him one more time. I can tell how much you loved him.” She locked gazes. “What was his name?”
“I said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s not your fault.” Jaden paused a beat. “His name was Bobby.”
Pain darkened his blue eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she said quietly, reverently.
“When someone’s determined to destroy their life, you can’t stop them. You were right to protect yourself.” Jaden spoke with the conviction of a man who knew what he was talking about.
“I guess.” She didn’t argue because she wanted to get to the hospital as soon as she could. Besides, she could see it had taken a lot for Jaden to open up. And he’d closed up again just as quickly.
Lauren dressed and was ready to go inside of ten minutes.
They made it to Parkland Hospital in less than half an hour—a miracle in Dallas’s morning rush hour. The hospital was known for trauma care, it had a reputation for being the best.
“I wish you’d met Max when we were kids. He had the biggest heart. He would help anyone out who needed a hand. Liking them wasn’t a requirement.” She handed over her helmet and Jaden secured it on the back of the motorcycle.
“Bad things can happen to good people,” he said.
“You already know our dad left before I was born. Mom was a wreck. She drank too much. Brought different men in the house.”
Jaden’s jaw muscles clenched and his hands fisted but he said nothing.
“Max used to sleep on the floor. Right outside my door. Swore if anyone ever hurt me, he’d kill them.”
“He sounds like a good brother,” Jaden said, his set expression said he meant every word.
“We swore we’d never become like her.” Saying those words hurt but they were true.
“Kids shouldn’t be left to their own devices so young,” Jaden soothed. “The pull to the other side can become too strong without a proper anchor.”
She shrugged, wiping away a tear. “He dropped out of school at thirteen, faked a birth certificate, and got a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant to put food on the table so I could stay in school. He started hanging around with older guys, a bad crowd, which lead to partying. He didn’t have a chance at a normal life.”
“He does now,” Jaden said, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. “We’ll make sure he gets the second chance he deserves.”
She leaned into him. “Thank you. For everything.”
Jaden linked their fingers as they headed inside the tall white hospital building.
Lauren walked into the elevator with a mix of emotions. She’d had to hold it together up until now and would have to in front of her brother, but she couldn’t help but wonder what she would feel when she saw him again.
Was he the brother she remembered from childhood? The kind boy who’d taken more than his fair share of beatings for sticking up for his baby sister?
Or was he the rebellious criminal who broke her heart when he’d fallen in step with their mother?
The lab tests showed he hadn’t been on drugs, and being clean was a good thing. It was a start she could build on.
They turned left, rounded the corner toward Max’s room.
There were men in dark suits everywhere. Some wore business suits and had earpieces. Other wore police uniforms. Not exactly low-key but security was being taken very seriously.
As soon as Lauren took a step inside the hallway, she was stopped by one
