Jameson (In the Company of Snipers #22) - Irish Winters Page 0,54

time-out, Sasha. Wait until this catastrophe is over. I don’t want to lose you.”

That honest admission broke her steely-eyed stare. Her nostrils flared with a huff. “That’s decent of you. I’ll consider it. Th-thanks.”

He had to ask, “Where’s Justice? I haven’t seen him once since you’ve been—”

“He’s gone. Don’t ask.”

Another piece of the puzzle settled into place. Justice had stood by Mother throughout Dempsey’s illness and death. If she’d cut him off the same way she was alienating The TEAM, Alex knew damned well that the know-it-all, gossiping woman he’d nicknamed Mother was so riddled with grief that she was no longer herself. Bitterness had replaced her nosy, sunny disposition. She was drowning. She needed a lifeline. Something to hold onto.

Alex let that lifeline be him. Tipping his head to her, he said, “Life can be a real son of a bitch sometimes, Sasha. But look around. We’re all still here for you. We always were.” He bit back reminding her that they weren’t the ones who’d betrayed her.

Her eyes glistened. She swallowed hard. And aww, hell. Alex did what he should’ve done the first morning she’d come back to work. He rounded his desk and pulled her into one arm. “You’re not alone, damn it. Stay with me, Sasha. Let me take care of this problem, then we’ll talk. Over coffee. For as long as you need.”

“I’ll stay until you get back,” she whispered.

That would have to do. He squeezed her tight, then let her go.

“I tracked the GPS locator in Lucy Shade’s limo,” she admitted quietly. “I’ll send you the coordinates.”

“I knew you could do it,” he told her sincerely.

Mark held the door as Alex ran for The TEAM’s underground parking. He had a helo to catch, and a lying reporter to hunt down. But he wasn’t giving up on Mother. Hell, no.

Chapter Fourteen

Jameson couldn’t get over how much Maddie accomplished during the short time between when she’d left him in the basement and when she’d returned. She wasn’t the shrinking violet she thought she was. It was high time she realized that, and kicked her old man’s negativity to the curb. She’d proven him wrong tonight. Yet somehow, she still allowed his shadow to hover over her and slap her down.

Even now after they’d driven through more weeds and bushes than a limo should be able to traverse. He’d gone back into the house and retrieved that high-capacity, double-barreled, bullpup pump action, twelve-gauge shotgun, as well as the two extra pistols he’d confiscated from his first attackers. No sense leaving good weaponry behind. They went in the limo’s trunk. His Magnum went back under his arm.

But damn. Maddie was a beast behind the wheel, cussing every bump they lurched over and every sapling she mashed under the limo’s grill. “Damn you, trees, get out of my way. Shit, I didn’t see that rut! Sorry! This is all my fault. I thought I knew the way back to the road, but I got us lost and—hang on!”

“Relax,” he murmured even as he held onto the suicide handle over the window while she performed a sharp left turn.

“Whew. That was a big tree stump. H-how’s Mr. Vlad?”

Jameson had no way to know. He couldn’t see Mr. Vlad to begin with, nor could he reach all the way to the rear seat where the man whose first name was probably Vladimir lay. The guy hadn’t said a word since Jameson and Maddie had climbed into the limo and taken off into the dark. A paved road would sure be a nice change.

“Good grief! Did you see that deer? It nearly hit us!”

“Sure didn’t.” Jameson couldn’t help the smile that cracked his face. His blindness seemed to be as much of an adjustment for Maddie as it had been for him. Well, almost…

Right on cue, “I’m so, so sorry! You can’t see and I can but—”

“It’s okay. Pull over, and I’ll be glad to check on him.”

“Pull over, oh, that’s real funny. Like there are shoulders and curbs out here in the sticks. How about I just stop?” She stepped on the brakes and they came to a full stop.

“That’ll work. Don’t go anywhere,” he teased as he climbed to his feet and kicked his way through the thick grasses to the rear door. Jameson enjoyed the easy banter with Maddie.

“How are you doing?” he asked the quiet man after he opened the door and leaned inside. “I know you probably aren’t strong enough to speak, Vlad, but reach for my