Page 104 of Last Chance
“Yes, sir. In this business, things happen fast. Janie and I have been through more in the past four days than many couples experience in a lifetime. I know what I want, Brent. What I need. She’s everything.”
“And if I’m wrong and she can’t handle your job with Fortress?”
“I’ll ask you to assign me to a position that won’t send me on missions.”
“You would leave the Texas Team for Janie?”
“In a heartbeat, if that’s what she needs to be happy.”
“What about you? Can you live with that decision?”
“I can live without my team. I can’t live without Janie.”
Brent held his gaze for a long moment. “Is this one sided or does she feel the same?”
“It goes both ways.”
More staring, then, “Your objectivity is shot, Chapman. I should set you down and assign another operative to cover Janie.”
“You can, but I won’t leave her side. Why tie up another operative when I’ll be her bodyguard, regardless of what you choose to do?”
Another scowl. “Don’t tempt me. I want to suspend you until this matter is resolved. I don’t want to lose you to distraction at the wrong moment, and I especially don’t want to lose Rowan’s best friend.”
A ball of ice formed in Sawyer’s stomach. “Leave me on the team, Brent,” he said, voice soft. “No one is more invested in protecting Janie than I am. No one will touch her on my watch. You have my word.”
His boss pointed at him. “That’s the only reason I’m leaving you in place.”
Thank God.
“However, I’ll have a word with Brody. He’ll report to me every two hours. If he feels you’re a danger to yourself, Janie, and your teammates, you’ll be suspended for the duration of this op. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Screw this up and hurt Janie, Chapman, and you’ll answer to me.” He bared his teeth. “And then my wife will mop the floor with you.”
Sawyer flinched. “That’s cruel, boss.”
“It’s the price you pay for ticking off my woman.”
“Noted.” He’d do everything humanly possible to avoid that scenario. Rowan Maddox was protective of her friends and didn’t mind using a mean streak to do it.
“You have my blessing. Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.” Sawyer left the office before his boss lit into him again and counted himself lucky to have survived with his skin intact. Brent Maddox was not the man to tick off. No question in Sawyer’s mind that Brent would make sure he paid dearly if he did anything to hurt Janie.
Never going to happen. He’d sooner slit his own throat than hurt the woman who owned his heart.
All he had to do was keep his head in the game and protect her while he and his teammates tracked down the person giving orders to kidnap Janie and everything would be fine. Simple, right?
His stomach knotted. If the plan was so simple, why did his gut tell him he was running out of time to bring this to an end before Janie ended up paying the price?
He returned to Simone’s office and paused in the doorway, watching Janie play with Goose. The worry weighing her down since they found her brother on the floor of his hotel room was nowhere in evidence as she played tug of war with the tiny poodle.
She glanced up and her smile faded. Sawyer regretted the loss. “Time to go?”
“I need a few minutes to set up the surveillance equipment in your brother’s room.”
Janie gave Goose a scratch between his ears and stood. “Thanks for letting me spend time with Goose, Simone. Your dog is wonderful.”