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The dog whined as if he had just taken her favorite toy. She hopped down onto the floor on the other side of the bed. She rested her head on the mattress. He sat on the edge of the bed near Jordan and took her into his arms. He wrapped her up in a strong hug. She returned it and released a shaky breath.
“I don’t want to lose you, Rhys,” she whispered.
Her arms tightened around him. She needed him at the moment, and he would be there for her. Wild horses wouldn’t be able to pull him from her.
“I just don’t want to see you hurt, and it would certainly kill me if something happened to Nova.”
He held on to her for a while longer before she drew away from him. She reached up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Rhys cupped her face with his hand. She leaned into it, her large brown eyes watching him. This woman obviously didn’t understand how much he loved her. He was going to have to work on that. He would blame himself for her not understanding the true nature of what loving her meant to him.
“You are never going to lose me, and Bravon will not lay a hand on Nova. I promise you this.” He swooped down and took her lips in a gentle kiss. Rhys was a man of his word, and he meant this. No one would harm his family.
20
As much as Jordan had thought she didn’t want Rhys with her at the hospital, she did. The way he had faced down her team without batting an eye had so many emotions coursing through her. He would be willing to go through seven stubborn men to get to be at her side.
She needed him.
“Move over,” Rhys said gruffly.
She carefully slid over to make more room for him. Rhys’s big figure made it tough. He still had on his gear, but she didn’t care. She needed him with her. His presence was already calming her down.
The conversation with the team had been a tough one. She had laid everything out on the table for the guys. She didn’t have time to go over every little detail of what had happened in Atlanta, but she’d given them the CliffsNotes to bring them up to speed on the situation with Bravon. When it came to Bravon demanding she bring him the SWAT team, the air in the room had shifted.
“He wants us, he knows where he can find us,” Mac growled.
“He can come see me any day.” Myles snorted.
The former Army Ranger held a deadly glint in his eyes as the words left his lips. It had left Jordan happy that she was on their good side. Each of the men standing in the room were deadly in their own right.
Her news of Bravon wanting Mac and her team hadn’t gone over too well. Jordan knew her team. If possible, they would leave right now and go on the hunt for Bravon.
“But I refused. I will not give him what he wants,” Jordan said. She looked each of them in the eye. They meant the world to her. This was her newfound family that she would lay down her life for. “He wants me. I’ll —”
“Don’t even say anything stupid, Knight.” Iker stalked over to the bed and leaned down to be eye level with her. His blond hair was slicked back away from his face from tunneling his fingers through the thick strands. “Did you forget we are a fucking team? That means we don’t do anything without the other.”
“That’s right.” Zain came to stand behind Iker. He laid a hand on Iker’s shoulder. “Only this fucker is allowed to do stupid shit. You’re not allowed to.”
Chuckles went around, breaking up the tension. Jordan relaxed and smiled. She didn’t know what she would ever do without these guys. She balled her hand into a fist and gently tapped it on Iker’s chin. Her friend may be smiling, but she saw the seriousness in his gaze. These men had her back.
They were her true brothers.
“So why wasn’t I called when you were brought in to the emergency room?” Rhys’s drawl broke through Jordan’s thoughts.
She blinked and came back to the present. She turned to him and rested her head on his arm. She slid her hand along it until she could entwine her fingers with his.
“I didn’t know if Bravon’s men would come here to finish off the job. I didn’t want you anywhere near this place,” she murmured.
With her SWAT brothers out there, no one would be coming near her. They had already come up with a schedule to have one of them stay with her at all times.
“And you didn’t think I could make that decision for myself?” he said.
She shook her head and sighed.
“It’s not that, Rhys. All my life I have been a protector. I feel as if I was born to do this, and it was like second nature to want to keep you out of harm’s way. You have Nova at home waiting for you. She needs her father.”
Rhys exhaled loudly. He reached over and tipped her chin up to force her to meet his gaze. Jordan loved how soft and gentle he could be with her. He never saw her as a cop first, then a woman. For Rhys, she was all woman who was a cop, and she appreciated that. There were times when she needed to be held and cuddled. She wasn’t a tough chick all the time.
“Woman, I’m close to putting you over my damn knee. Stop thinking for me. I’ve been doing it for forty-five years, and there’s only one time in my life where I didn’t make a good decision,” he said gruffly.
