Jace stops walking completely and turns to face me. He grabs my other hand so we stand there in the middle of the boardwalk, fully connected, with the harbor lights dancing on the water behind us like a private show. His thumbs brush slow circles over my knuckles. He looks straight into my eyes, his voice calm and steady, carrying enough weight to make my breath catch.
“The one makes the chaos feel worth coming home to,” he says. “She challenges me every single day, calls me out on my crap, and still makes me laugh even when the world feels heavy as hell. I want someone I can protect with everything I have, but who also stands right beside me, not behind me waiting to besaved. Someone whose smile hits me harder than any mission adrenaline rush ever could. The kind of woman I’d burn down every rule, every protocol, every careful plan for if it meant keeping her safe and happy. Someone real. Someone who sees the man behind the badge and the jokes.”
Heat floods my cheeks. I blush hard and drop my gaze to our joined hands, my heart beating faster than the waves hitting the shore below. For a second the whole busy boardwalk fades away. Only his words and the warmth of his skin against mine remain, wrapping around me like the summer night itself.
We start walking again, still hand in hand. The water reflects all the colorful lights of the harbor, turning the surface into a shimmering, living painting of oranges, pinks, and golds. The scene feels impossibly romantic. Part of me wants to lean into his side, rest my head on his shoulder, and let the moment carry me away. But reality presses in hard. This is a protection detail. A job. I’m not the woman he described in those quiet, heartfelt words. I’m the assignment he needs to keep alive until this mess with my sister and his family blows over.
“Is that man still following us?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “No, we lost him.”
I release a deep breath as my thoughts drift to Anniston. My baby sister always charges straight into danger with her heart first and her head catching up later. I’ve looked out for her since we were little girls sharing a bedroom, me making sure she ate her vegetables and stayed out of trouble. Now she chases dangerous leads on powerful people while I hide in this beautiful beach town pretending to be someone else entirely.
I squeeze Jace’s hand a little tighter. “Can I call Anniston tomorrow? Just to check on her. Not knowing how she’s doing, whether she’s safe, drives me crazy. I need to hear her voice.”
Jace nods without hesitation. He lifts our joined hands and presses a light, lingering kiss to the back of mine. The featherlight touch of his mouth unravels me. “Yes. First thing in the morning. We’ll make it happen. I promise. We’ll keep her in the loop as much as we safely can. I know how important family is. I’ve got like a million brothers.”
I laugh at that. “I can’t keep them all straight. Who’s the eldest?”
“Nash. He’ll remind you about it too. Next is Crewe, then Mack. Sin’s next and he’s the other one who was taken. He and Nash were there one second and gone the next. Banks is after that and we’re the closest in age.”
My breath catches. “I’m so sorry about Nash and Sin.”
“It’s okay. We’re all doing our part. Even Colt, he’s the youngest and he’s beside himself because he couldn’t save them from getting snatched.”
I squeeze his hand, wanting to be closer to him. Wanting to touch him in some small way. “We’ll find them.”
He gives me a soft smile. “We definitely will.”
We keep walking along the boardwalk, hands linked, the romantic lights dancing on the water. My mind spins with everything he said and everything I can’t let myself believe right now. For now I hold his hand a little tighter and let the harbor night wrap around us like a soft blanket. Tomorrow I’ll hear my sister’s voice and know she’s okay. Tonight I walk beside a man who confuses every single rule I thought I had about keeping mydistance. And that scares me more than any threat lurking in the shadows.
7
Jace
The Jeep hums along the quiet coastal road as we head back to the safe house. The top’s still down, and the night air rushes over us, carrying the heavy scent of salt and distant bonfires from the beach. Sadie sits beside me with her hands folded in her lap, her sundress fluttering lightly against her legs. She hasn’t said much since we left the boardwalk. The lights from the marina fade behind us, replaced by the darker stretch of road lined with sea oats and dunes. I keep one hand on the wheel and the other resting near the gear shift, close enough that I could reach for her again if I wanted. However, I don’t. Not yet. The memory of her blush when I told her what I wanted in a woman still burns behind my eyes.
She glances over once, her profile soft in the glow of the dashboard. “Thanks for tonight. The dinner. The walk. It almost felt normal.”
“Almost is good enough for now,” I reply, keeping my voice light even though my chest feels tight. “We sold the story well. You were convincing as the smitten fiancée.”
She gives a small laugh that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’re the convincing one. I followed your lead.”
The safe house comes into view, tucked behind dunes with its light blue shutters and wide porch. I pull under the carport and kill the engine. The sudden silence feels loud. Crickets chirp from the tall grass, and the constant crash of waves provides a steady rhythm. I walk around to Sadie’s side and open the door. She steps out, and for a moment we stand close in the dim light from the porch fixture. Her hand brushes mine as she moves past me toward the steps.
Inside, the bungalow feels cooler than the night air. The living room lamp casts a warm pool of light over the couch where I’ve been sleeping. Sadie pauses in the hallway entrance, one hand on the doorframe. She looks tired, the kind of tired that comes from holding tension in your shoulders all day.
“I think I’m going to head to bed,” she says. “It’s been a long day.”
“Get some rest,” I tell her. “I’ll do a final check on the perimeter and lock up.”
She nods, offers a small smile that lingers a second too long, then disappears down the hallway. Her bedroom door closes with a soft click. The sound echoes in the quiet house. I stand there for a moment, listening to the faint sounds of her moving around, the rustle of fabric, the click of a lamp. Then silence.
Nervous energy floods through me the second she’s out of sight. I can’t sit still. I pace the length of the living room twice, checking the front door lock even though I know it’s secure. My boots thud softly on the hardwood. I move to the kitchen and check the back sliding door, sliding it open a few inches to listento the night. The ocean breathes in and out. No unusual sounds. No footsteps in the dunes. Still, my skin prickles with awareness.
I step outside onto the back porch and walk the short perimeter of the bungalow. The sea oats whisper against my legs. I scan the tree line and the road beyond, my eyes adjusted to the dark. Nothing moves except the wind. Satisfied for now, I return inside and lock the door. The house feels too empty without her in the room. I drop onto the couch and lean forward, elbows on my knees, rubbing my hands over my face.
The conversation on the boardwalk plays on repeat in my head. The way Sadie looked at me when she asked about my type. The easy way those words about “the one” came out of my mouth. I meant every damn word. The realization hits me harder now that I’m alone. The thought of her getting hurt twists something inside me. It isn’t about keeping Anniston’s sister safe for the sake of the family mission. It’s about Sadie herself. The softness that slips through when she talks about her sister. She’s getting under my skin, and I don’t know how to stop it.
