Savor the Danger
Page 73

She said nothing else as they made their way through the hospital. Once they reached the elevator, they could see people in the lobby, which, to Alani’s mind, diminished some of the danger.
But still she couldn’t relax.
“Hey.” Jackson drew her into his side. “Take a deep breath.”
She tried, but it didn’t help. And that frustrated her, too. He was so blasé that her edginess seemed amplified in comparison.
Jackson looked down at her. “You did good.”
If only, but she knew the truth. “I did nothing.”
“You didn’t get in my way. You didn’t scream.” He teased a lock of her hair. “You didn’t faint. Or puke.”
True. She put her hands behind her, not wanting him to know how she trembled. “There’s no doubt they were bad guys?”
“Definitely bad. You saw the knife and gun, right?”
She pointed out the obvious. “I’ve seen yours before, too.”
He snorted. “Not the same thing and you know it.” The elevator doors opened, and Jackson drew her inside with him. “They weren’t selling cookies, babe.”
Odd, considering what had just happened, but Jackson no longer oozed menace. “You seem more relaxed now.”
“Yeah, well, I knew that was coming but didn’t know when, and I was a little…wary?” He liked that word and nodded. “About how you’d take to it, I mean. I didn’t want to upset you.”
That had been his uppermost concern?
“But like I said, you did good. Real professional.”
She’d cowered in the closet as instructed. “You like how I follow orders, do you?”
“Is that what you were doing?” He bent and took her mouth in a warm kiss. “Maybe I should try a few orders in bed. What do you think?”
It stunned Alani, but she sort of liked that idea. “Maybe.”
His eyes flared—and then he kissed her again. “Dirty pool, woman. You’re giving me a jones when I can’t do anything about it.”
Alani started to look to see if that was true, but he hugged her closer.
“No, don’t stare. It’ll make it worse.”
When she laughed, he grinned at her. Amazing, amusing, macho Jackson. Surely no other man could be like him.
The second the elevator doors opened on the right floor, he caught her hand and stepped out. “Let’s keep it together while we see your ex, and then I can get you out of here and maybe someplace more private.”
Now knowing that Marc played a part in the recent tribulations, she didn’t appreciate the teasing. “You don’t have to refer to him that way.”
“Why not? You dated the putz, remember?”
And that was his point? To make her remember? She wanted to elbow him, but decided against it when he stopped outside a door.
“Ready?”
Nervousness overtook her. She thought of the pictures he’d shown her, the way Marc had betrayed her. No, she wasn’t ready at all, but she nodded anyway.
Jackson wasn’t fooled. He cupped both hands around her neck under the fall of her hair. “You’re a gutsy broad, Alani. You’ll do fine, trust me.”
Gutsy broad. Coming from someone of Jackson’s caliber, it was the nicest compliment she’d had in a long while. “All right, then. Let’s get this over with.” She pushed the door open, stepped inside and drew up short at the sight of the bloodied, battered, unrecognizable man resting in the hospital bed.
Now she might faint.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JACKSON DIDN’T GIVE ALANI a chance to get too wobbly. That she put on such a brave front was admirable enough. He appreciated the effort, but he wanted her to know it wasn’t necessary. He put an arm around her, as much to steady her as to reinforce his claim for Tobin’s benefit.
Looking a lot like peeled, bruised fruit, Tobin peered toward them with one black-and-purple eye so swollen it was a miracle he could see out of it. A white bandage covered the other eye. Dark bruises spread out over the bridge of his misshapen nose. With bloody ears, fat lips and various other injuries—and that was just on his face—he made a pitiful sight.
Not that Jackson planned to show him any pity. Hell, no. “How’s it hangin’, Tobin?”
When the bastard groaned, Alani came alive. “Marc, oh God, are you all right?”
“I’ll survive,” he whispered in a pained rasp. “I’m sorry…a drink. Please.”
Jackson held Alani back. “I’ll do it.” He didn’t want Alani anywhere near the prick. She was so bighearted that she’d be forgiving before they even knew how badly Tobin had compromised her security.
Circling to the other side of the bed, Jackson lifted the paper cup with the straw and put it to Tobin’s cracked lips. Alani stared at him in wonder, as if he’d surprised her again.
She’d done that a lot today.
After several sips, Jackson set the cup back on the rolling bedside table. He pulled up a chair for Alani, making sure she kept a safe distance away, then crossed his arms and stared down at Tobin.
“So you got worked over, huh?”
“Yes.”
Unwilling to hold back his disdain, Jackson grunted. “No more than you probably deserved.”
Tobin surprised him by agreeing. “I f**ked up.”
“No shit? And you’re smart enough to realize it?”
“You thought I got rich by accident?” He shifted, his face frozen in pain for several seconds as he caught his breath. Finally, moving slower, he got situated in a more upright position. “I’m not an idiot.”