did I?”
“No. I’m not getting in that van with you. I’m not made of glass, you know—you didn’t hurt me. I can take care of myself. Despite recent evidence to the contrary.”
“Izzie, don’t make me put you there. I can do it, too. You won’t be able to stop me. Now, in, lady. I’m tired and sore, and I want to get someplace safe for the night sooner rather than later. You’re going to have to tolerate me for a few days.” Weeks. Elliot had indicated it could be a few weeks when he’d thanked Allen for stepping up. Told him again that he didn’t have to do this. There was no way Allen was going to tell the woman that, though.
“Why you?” She raised her chin and shot him a challenging look, just visible in the low light of the garage. “How did I get stuck with you instead of Jake or someone else from the TSP? I wouldn’t mind being on the lam with Daniel McKellen or Mike Evers.”
The last was said around a yawn. He’d make a point of checking her every few hours. Drowsiness could be a sign of complications from the concussion. Although a sedative did the exact same thing.
“Anyone but me, huh?” He wrapped his fingers around the sweatshirt band. She wasn’t escaping him. “Well, I’m the one you’re stuck with. I’m the one who carried you into the damned hospital. I’m the one who made certain you were going to be ok. I’m the one who fought to protect you tonight. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. For some reason, I’m the one trusted to keep you safe now. I take that seriously.”
“Why don’t I remember any of this?” She was trembling beneath his hands. Allen tightened his hold.
She truly was an attractive, intriguing woman. Big extra-dark brown eyes were surrounded by long black eyelashes that almost looked fake.
Fairy eyes.
Her skin was faintly olive. There were freckles on her high cheekbones, but they were light. A man had to look extra-close to see them. Her lips were pink and soft looking.
The chin was small and pointed and stubborn. Extra stubborn, if a chin could be.
No surprise there.
She was too thin—a testament to the hell she’d recently been through—and a bit shorter than average.
Quietly beautiful in an understated way.
Allen took a step toward the van, guiding her with him. She wasn’t going to like what he did, but damn it, he was going to keep her safe.
“In, lady. We have an escape to make at the moment.”
55
This was crazy. She’d basically been abducted by Allen Jacobson.
Her friends had been in on it.
Izzie hated that she had missed such an important conversation that pertained to her life here. “What did Jake say?”
“After we wheeled you into Rafe’s office through the back way—Rafe did that with Nikkie Jean by his side—you settled on Rafe’s couch and fell asleep. A great stream of drool was left on the leather, by the way. The rest of us discussed what happened, why it happened, and how to deal with it. Especially Marshall and Rafe.”
“What were you doing? Where was Jake?”
“No one could reach him, Izzie. Believe me: they tried. Even Marshall. As for me, I was keeping Nikkie Jean from calling the governor and requesting the national guard be assigned to follow your every move for the rest of your life. That, or the FBI had been mentioned as a possible resource. Or sending you to a shipping-container fortress somewhere in St. Louis, complete with a dozen armed guards.”
Well, ok, she could almost see that being necessary. Nikkie Jean being involved with Rafe’s twin meant that her calling the governor—who was married to Rafe’s sister—was a distinct possibility. Nikkie Jean didn’t panic often, but when she did, it was chaos. When Nikkie Jean was afraid, it was so much worse. Panicked and afraid—catastrophe. “But why you?”
“Because Marshall insisted that I stay close. Trying to limit who knew I was out there with you.”
“Why?”
“No one saw us out there together. Nikkie Jean and Rafe were already on their way outside. He was walking her back to the hospital to get her things and was going to take her back to his and Jillian’s place to meet up with his uncle and the children, who were visiting. If they hadn’t already been in the hall at W4HAV, they wouldn’t have heard me yelling in time to chase off the attackers. Marshall wants to use that to the TSP’s advantage right