Beautiful Storm by Megan Isaacs Page A

consequences. “I think someone wants you.” I point to his phone. I can hear a voice shouting on the other end.
    He lifts the phone to his ear and speaks. “Give me a sec… Yeah, everything’s okay, just hold on.”
    Jase returns and holds out his hand to me. “Here. I know they won’t fit right, but it’s something.” He shrugs.
    I look at what he’s holding out.
    Both men glance at each other, and Alex smiles at me. “Everything okay now?”
    “Yes, I think so.”
    “Good. I need to finish this call and I’ll be right back.”
    Jase’s face flushes. “I, er, I’ll just go with him for a minute.” He follows Alex out.
    I open up the neatly folded boxer briefs, spreading them over my knees. My heart misses a beat. The kindness of these two men helps to erase the horrors from earlier. But neither of them can help erase the scar of Noah on my heart. An image of him walking in, half naked, flashes in my mind. His dirty words, his gentle touch, his deep love. I let myself bask in the memory before it’s replaced with dark, haunted eyes as he walked away. That’s a scar I wouldn’t want erased.
    I drag myself from my thoughts and struggle to pull on Jase’s underwear. They’re a loose fit, but cover up the area needed. It’s hard for me to ignore the bruises forming on my thighs, but I try.
    There’s a tap on the door and Jase pokes his head around. “Am I safe to come in?”
    His question provokes a small smile from me, until my cheek stings. “It’s your home.”
    Jase strides in and again kneels at my feet. “Okay, you ready to do this?”
    After I give him my consent, he rummages in his bag and pulls out dressings, spray plaster, and a folded pouch, amongst other things.
    He goes about unwrapping Alex’s makeshift dressings. His brows pinch when he removes the final wrap, and his lips form into a thin line.
    “Right. First things first. Have you had any painkillers?”
    “No. We haven’t really had time.”
    “Let’s get that sorted then. I’m going to have to work on you for a while.” He rubs his forehead with his fingertips. “There’s a fair amount of glass in these wounds.”
    Again he leaves the room but comes back with a glass of water and a couple of tablets in his hand.
    “Don’t worry, they’re just over the counter painkillers, but I think you’ll need them to take the edge off.”
    I take them from him and swallow both down with the water. If Alex trusts Jase, that’s enough for me. And since the adrenaline has seeped from my system, the pain in both my hands and knees has increased tenfold.
    He makes small talk for twenty minutes while he waits for the painkillers to take effect. I find him kind-hearted, even if he is a little rough around the edges, but equally there’s a darkness about him. When he’s happy that enough time has passed, he undoes the pouch to reveal a series of medical implements. Choosing a pair of tweezers, he sets about removing the shards from my knees. Alex enters the room and sits down opposite me.
    “How’d it go?” Jase asks Alex, without looking at him.
    “About as good as you’d expect. He was pretty pissed, but he understands.” I wonder who they’re referring to but have no time to ask.
    “Yeah, I bet. What are you going to do now?”
    “I’ve pulled in some favours and arranged a house for us. Also, I think it’s best we change Liz’s identity too. I’m not sure how far Mac would go to find her.”
    Jase nods and continues to clean and redress my cuts. He’s gentle, and every time I take a sharp breath he halts and inspects my face before he carries on.
    “Who’s he ?” I finally ask and wince as Jase wraps gauze around my palm a little too tight.
    “My boss,” Alex replies.
    “Mac?” My voice rises.
    He shakes his head and gives me a small smile. “No, sweetheart. He was never my boss. I work for Pegasus. The firm that runs your… runs his internal security.”
    Jase finishes up, wipes his hands down his jeans,