Page 13 of The Fixer
Jake’s lips twitched into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Helping and doing what’s necessary aren’t always the same thing.” He dialed the secure line, his gaze steady on hers as he waited for Marcus to answer.
“Marcus Vance,” Marcus’s voice came through the speaker, cool and measured.
“Dr. Vance, Jake Sands here. I’m the one providing close cover to Lyndsey.”
“I assume this isn’t a social call.”
“No,” Jake replied, his tone firm. “I wanted to clarify something. Lyndsey’s safety comes first. Above the research, above everything else.”
“And you think I don’t know that?” Marcus shot back. “Do you think I’d put her in harm’s way?”
Jake’s jaw tightened. “Intentions don’t matter if the outcome is the same. If there’s a choice between saving her or saving the research, I’ll choose her. Every time.”
There was a pause on the other end, then Marcus’s voice softened. “We’re on the same side, Sands. But Lyndsey’s work has the potential to save millions of lives. That’s not something we can dismiss lightly.”
“I’m not dismissing it,” Jake said, his voice like steel. “But I’m not gambling with her life to protect it, either.”
“Perhaps you’re too close to this,” Marcus suggested. “It’s understandable, given the circumstances, but...”
“I’m close enough to keep her alive,” Jake interrupted. “That’s all that matters.”
Lyndsey watched the exchange with growing unease, her gaze flicking between Jake and the phone. She felt torn, her admiration for Marcus clashing with the growing trust she’d started to feel toward Jake.
Marcus sighed audibly. “You’re a difficult man, Sands.”
“So I’ve been told,” Jake replied. “But I get results. Let me do my job, and we’ll all get through this.”
Another pause, then Marcus said, “Keep her safe. That’s all I ask.”
“That’s the plan,” Jake said before ending the call and setting the phone on the counter, leaving the cabin in heavy silence. Jake stepped closer, his presence grounding her.
Lyndsey crossed her arms, a mixture of frustration and gratitude simmering beneath the surface. “Did you have to be so—soJakeabout it?”
He raised an eyebrow. “So ‘Jake’?”
“You know what I mean,” she said, exhaling sharply. “Marcus isn’t the enemy here.”
“No, but he’s not in the clear, either,” Jake replied, moving past her to the stove. “It’s easy to have theories about what’s best when you’re not the one pulling the trigger.”
She shook her head. “I can’t—I won’t—believe Marcus had anything to do with any of this. I’ve known him since myundergrad days. He’s more than just a mentor, he’s almost like family.”
Jake snorted. “Whatever.” He looked at her closely, “You okay?” he asked, his voice softer now.
“I don’t know,” Lyndsey admitted, her gaze meeting his. “Marcus has always been the steady voice of reason in my life. Thinking about him like this... it’s frightening.”
Jake knelt in front of her, his hands braced on his knees. “You have every right to be scared. But fear’s not the enemy. Complacency is. You’re smart, resourceful, and tougher than you think.”
Lyndsey managed a faint smile. “Was that another compliment, Sands?”
“Don’t get used to it,” he said, but there was a warmth in his tone that hadn’t been there before. “I’ve never been fond of the praise kink.”
“What do you prefer?”
Jake shrugged his shoulders, “Control, discipline, seeing that a sub can be the best version of herself. Just remember, you’re not in this alone. As long as I’m here, nothing’s going to happen to you.”
The intensity in his gaze made her shiver inwardly, but it wasn’t fear this time. It was something else entirely, something that made her heart race and her breath hitch.
“Jake...” she started, but the words caught in her throat.