He reluctantly let her hair fall and moved his hand away from her neck with one more soft caress.
“And I have a phone for you, too.” He handed her the little red device. “It doesn’t have any bells or whistles, but you can use it to call me anytime once you get to Omega. Anytime. For any reason. It’s going to be okay.”
She tried to smile, but all the fear was back. “I know you believe that. I hope I’ll be able to believe it soon, as well.” She glanced back at the windows, tension once again strumming through her lithe body, and he knew her need to check them had returned.
“Let’s finish double-checking the locks. Maybe then you can get some rest.”
“I’ve already double-checked them,” she whispered. “It will just get worse from here. I can’t help it. I move from lock to lock, rechecking them even though I know I’ve already made certain they’re secure.”
He wanted to take her into his arms more than he wanted his next breath, but knew she would resist. Knew fighting him would just add to her burden.
“Can I help with anything?” Andrea stepped up next to them and asked.
“Do we have any sticky notes? Or even just paper and tape?” he asked her. “Natalie uses them to keep track of what locks she’s checked.”
Her face crumpled. “It’s stupid, I know.”
Andrea touched her on the arm. “Actually, it’s a pretty smart coping mechanism that helps you keep situational OCD under control. Did a psychiatrist suggest it to you?”
“No, I came up with it on my own.”
Andrea smiled. “Then I think it’s even smarter. Let me see what I can find, then I’ll help.”
Ren turned around and found the rest of the team there.
“We’ll all help,” Steve said.
Natalie just stared at them. “B-but I’m your enemy,” she finally stuttered.
“No, you’re not.” Ren kept his arm wrapped around her. “You’ve lost more than all of us at Damien’s hands. And you’renever going to fight him alone again. Now you’ve got a family who will fight with you.”
“Let’s get those locks checked,” Steve said. “Because that’s how family gets through things. Together.”
* * *
NATALIEFINALLYFELLasleep on the couch with the lights on and everyone sitting and talking around her.
That was fine with Ren; he was going to have trouble letting her out of his sight until Freihof was caught. Even once she was at Omega HQ it wouldn’t be easy for him.
Everyone had moved the conversation into the kitchen to give Natalie some quiet. Ren had stayed. Watching her from the chair next to the couch, wishing he had the right to scoop her up in his arms and hold her while she slept.
“I would say you’ve got it bad, brother, but I think you already know that.” Steve, one of Ren’s oldest friends and colleagues, took the chair across from him.
“That doesn’t mean she’s going to forgive me for what I did.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But at least at the end of the day, she’ll be safe.”
Ren nodded. If she couldn’t forgive him, couldn’t trust him again, he’d have to find a way to live with that. But Steve was right. At least he would know she was safe.
“I just got a call from Homeland.”
Ren rolled his eyes. “Knew that was coming.”
“We’ll fight it. All of us. Everybody knows things happen in the field that are unexpected. You have to make decisions on the fly and sometimes—”
“I’m out, Steve.” There wasn’t any point in anyone taking a political bullet for him.
“Is that what you want?”
