herself an unguarded moment of indulgence. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of Tabu, her mother’s perfume, and absorbing her softness.
“Oh, honey, are you okay?” her mother murmured, but didn’t try to move away. “What happened?”
Max opened her eyes to catch Jackson looking at her, the expression on his face warming her…and confusing her.
She’d had no idea he’d called her mother to meet her there. She was grateful. And heartbroken. She hadn’t known what she’d expected, hoped? That he might take her home? That she might finally get a chance to talk to him? Ask him what was going through his head?
Now she wasn’t going to get that.
And what about him? Who would be looking after him?
Her mother finally drew back just a bit and smoothed her hair back from her face. “You look like you’ve been through hell and back.”
Funny, she felt as if she had. In more ways than one.
She looked around as the remaining team members greeted their families. It appeared her mother wasn’t the only one Jax had contacted.
“Come on. I know you don’t like to talk about stuff. So let’s just get you home and into a nice, hot bath.” She linked arms with her. “And maybe later we can go Christmas shopping.”
Max found comfort in her mother’s ramblings as they headed toward the exit, but not enough to touch the pool of pain growing in her chest. She looked over her shoulder at Jackson, but found he had turned to continue talking to the man he’d met outside. While she walked forward, she felt oddly like her feet were stuck in mud, time having stopped at the moment she’d looked into his eyes and registered everything had changed.
And she had no idea how to go about starting it up again…
“HEY, MAN,” LINCOLN Williams said. “You okay?”
Jackson hauled his gaze away from Max’s retreating back, although his thoughts remained with her. He was glad her mother made it in to pick her up. He hadn’t told Cindy much beyond the fact that Max had been through a difficult mission and would need a ride home. But just knowing she was going to be looked after made him feel better.
But not as good as he’d hoped it would.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
He considered the man who had not hesitated to do the impossible by getting him and the others out of Africa. Linc had served with his brother Jason and was one of the partners at Lazarus Security. A fellow ex-Marine, then F.B.I., none of them were sure of the extent of his connections. They just knew they were considerable.
As recent events merely served to prove.
“No problem. I’d have been upset if you hadn’t called me.”
“Chances are I’d be dead if I hadn’t called you.”
“No. I’m sure you would have gotten you and your remaining team members out.”
Polson came up, effusively thanked Linc, grudgingly acknowledged Jackson, then told him he’d meet up with him back at Pegasus the following day.
“Sorry, man, but I won’t be going back,” Jackson said, shaking his hand.
“What? Scared?”
Jackson chuckled without humor. “Yeah. Of their piss-poor support. I’d advise you to look elsewhere, as well.”
He knew some tended to forget the heat of battle the instant they were out of it. Polson appeared to be one of them. He’d rush right back into the fray, having forgotten everything that had come before. The word “lesson” was completely foreign to him.
While it bothered Jackson to think the guy would be going back to that piece of shit operation, it was Polson’s decision. And this was where his responsibilities officially ended.
As for his team, he’d spoken to them on the plane and not one was going back.
“Yeah, right,” Polson said, grinning. “See you around then.”
“Yeah. Good luck.”
Polson walked away, chuckling.
“I don’t know him and already I don’t like him,” Linc said.
Jackson nodded. “Yeah. Real ass.”
“Maybe you should have left him back in the
“Oh, honey, are you okay?” her mother murmured, but didn’t try to move away. “What happened?”
Max opened her eyes to catch Jackson looking at her, the expression on his face warming her…and confusing her.
She’d had no idea he’d called her mother to meet her there. She was grateful. And heartbroken. She hadn’t known what she’d expected, hoped? That he might take her home? That she might finally get a chance to talk to him? Ask him what was going through his head?
Now she wasn’t going to get that.
And what about him? Who would be looking after him?
Her mother finally drew back just a bit and smoothed her hair back from her face. “You look like you’ve been through hell and back.”
Funny, she felt as if she had. In more ways than one.
She looked around as the remaining team members greeted their families. It appeared her mother wasn’t the only one Jax had contacted.
“Come on. I know you don’t like to talk about stuff. So let’s just get you home and into a nice, hot bath.” She linked arms with her. “And maybe later we can go Christmas shopping.”
Max found comfort in her mother’s ramblings as they headed toward the exit, but not enough to touch the pool of pain growing in her chest. She looked over her shoulder at Jackson, but found he had turned to continue talking to the man he’d met outside. While she walked forward, she felt oddly like her feet were stuck in mud, time having stopped at the moment she’d looked into his eyes and registered everything had changed.
And she had no idea how to go about starting it up again…
“HEY, MAN,” LINCOLN Williams said. “You okay?”
Jackson hauled his gaze away from Max’s retreating back, although his thoughts remained with her. He was glad her mother made it in to pick her up. He hadn’t told Cindy much beyond the fact that Max had been through a difficult mission and would need a ride home. But just knowing she was going to be looked after made him feel better.
But not as good as he’d hoped it would.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
He considered the man who had not hesitated to do the impossible by getting him and the others out of Africa. Linc had served with his brother Jason and was one of the partners at Lazarus Security. A fellow ex-Marine, then F.B.I., none of them were sure of the extent of his connections. They just knew they were considerable.
As recent events merely served to prove.
“No problem. I’d have been upset if you hadn’t called me.”
“Chances are I’d be dead if I hadn’t called you.”
“No. I’m sure you would have gotten you and your remaining team members out.”
Polson came up, effusively thanked Linc, grudgingly acknowledged Jackson, then told him he’d meet up with him back at Pegasus the following day.
“Sorry, man, but I won’t be going back,” Jackson said, shaking his hand.
“What? Scared?”
Jackson chuckled without humor. “Yeah. Of their piss-poor support. I’d advise you to look elsewhere, as well.”
He knew some tended to forget the heat of battle the instant they were out of it. Polson appeared to be one of them. He’d rush right back into the fray, having forgotten everything that had come before. The word “lesson” was completely foreign to him.
While it bothered Jackson to think the guy would be going back to that piece of shit operation, it was Polson’s decision. And this was where his responsibilities officially ended.
As for his team, he’d spoken to them on the plane and not one was going back.
“Yeah, right,” Polson said, grinning. “See you around then.”
“Yeah. Good luck.”
Polson walked away, chuckling.
“I don’t know him and already I don’t like him,” Linc said.
Jackson nodded. “Yeah. Real ass.”
“Maybe you should have left him back in the
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