That man wasn’t just assaulting her. He was going to kill her.
The image of the bastard’s gun moving toward his Sophie was a sight he’d never forget.
She’s not yours, dumbass.
No, she wasn’t. He’d only spent the last four yearswishingshe was his while doing everything in his power to stay clear of her so she wouldn’t know the truth.
A truth that he refused to fully admit to himself, let alone those jackasses out there.
Cupping his hands under the running faucet, Jason splashed the cold water over his face. He repeated the move twice more before drying his face with one of the clean hand towels in the built-in cabinet to his right.
Tossing it into the small hamper beneath the sink, he grabbed hold of the ceramic bowl’s edge and locked his elbows. Staring at his reflection, he noticed a few silver hairs scattered throughout his temples and beard.
Jesus, man. When the hell did you get so old?
At thirty-eight, he knew he wasn’t actuallyold. But damn if he didn’t feel as though he was, most days.
The responsibility of holding people’s lives in his hands on a daily basis took its toll on a person. Body, mind, and soul. And he’d been shouldering that responsibility for over half a decade.
Granted, he and his unit had saved many more lives than they’d lost—much with the help of R.I.S.C. But being the one to make the call on who goes where and when...that shit wears on you after a while.
At least it had him.
For a minute there, Jason almost crossed the point of no return. He’d gotten so caught up in the end game, he’d damn near lost sight of the very thing that had driven him to do this job in the first place.
The phrase ‘for the greater good’ had been so ingrained in him, he’d become blinded to the other lives that were affected by the choices he made and the plans he put into action.
Like the choice he’d made years before. The one that had cost him his entire fucking future.
Maybe that’s why he felt the need to personally intervene with this rescue mission. Maybe that’s why he had such a strong, almost overwhelming urge to be hands-on with the rescue of one of his people. Maybe that’s why—
You know exactly why you wanted to tag along with Jake and the others. And she’s sitting right outside this door.
He met his own gaze once more and he knew. That damn voice was right...again.
Though they had nothing more than a cordial, professional relationship, Jason had wanted to be the one to find her and bring her home. No, he’dneededto be the one.
Because when it came to Sophia Ruiz, he didn’t trust anyone else to keep her safe.
There was a knock on the door followed by Derek’s southern voice. “You ‘bout done in there, Ryker? You didn’t fall in, did ya?”
Pushing away from the sink, Jason opened the door and stepped into the small area just outside the restroom. “It’s all yours.”
“Thanks, man.” Derek moved past him quickly. “Drank too much damn Gatorade. My bladder’s about to burst.”
“Didn’t need to know that, but okay.”
With a grin, the other man shut the door as Jason turned to head back to his seat. He glanced down at Sophie, expecting her to still be asleep. Instead those brown eyes of hers were looking straight at him.
“Hey,” he muttered low.
Smooth, Jason. Really smooth.
Sitting up a little straighter, she adjusted the thin blanket he’d found in one of the compartments when they’d boarded.
“Hey.” Her lips curved into a smile that didn’t come close to reaching her eyes.
Her smiles can light up an entire room. They should always,alwaysreach her fucking eyes.