Page 38 of Guarding Truth
She shook her head. “There wasn’t anything you could do. You needed time to grieve the loss of Laz. Plus, you had your own drama to deal with. I couldn’t let you take on my issues. It didn’t seem fair.”
“When you left, I didn’t fight for you. I should have done more to find you.”
“I didn’t want to be found,” she whispered.
He swallowed. Was this just something he’d have to try to let go of? “I know you’ll make a good bodyguard for Ivy. Hazard Pay Montgomery will show up just when I need her to. Unlike me, who plays it safe every single time.” Ivy would be safe with Juliette, but at what cost? He prayed nothing would happen to either of them.
“I’ll watch out for her,” Juliette said. “And you too.”
He swallowed a lump forming in his throat. “Back at you. We’re in this fight together.”
Sure, they were battling threats from these hackers-turned-terrorists. But the bigger battle, the one his soul raged against every day, still lingered. He still couldn’t risk his heart. Because it hurt him to the core to think about the what-ifs. “We always did make a formidable team.”
She smiled. “Well, I shoved you out of your comfort zone from time to time.”
“We taught each other a lot during some dark days,” he said.
“Right. I’ve missed you being my nerd translator.”
“I’ve missed that too. I never even started your Marvel education.”
Her laughter cut him off. “Some things never change. Ivy definitely takes after you.” Her words mixed with a giggle and sent his pulse skyrocketing. He fought every impulse to grab her hand, which defied logic. He never let people invade his space. But Juliette? He leaned in closer, erasing the space between them as if the move was as natural as breathing. Her eyes connected with his, making him want to dive into the depths of their past and discuss the things that had remained unsaid for years. The hurt and loss. The pain that connected them.
Whether it was fatigue or Juliette’s magnetic presence scrambling his brain, he struggled to form coherent sentences.
“I’m sure losing your sister was hard on both you and Ivy. I can’t imagine. Especially after losing Laz.” Whoa. Apparently Juliette wasn’t having the same brain scramble.
“Hard? Try apocalyptic devastation. Finding out Tessa had died in a car crash just brought me right back to that day on the mountainside, watching Laz die and being helpless to rescue him. I got to the Humvee too late. I’ve lost everyone—my parents, Laz, Tessa…” He didn’t finish the list. “The grief piles up to where it’s easier to shut down than risk my heart. I can’t lose Ivy.”
And I can’t lose you again.
The unbidden thought short-circuited his brain. Where had that come from?
“What happened with your mom?” Juliette leaned closer—close enough that he caught a whiff of her coconut shampoo. “You don’t talk about it. Ever.”
He sighed. He didn’t want to share, but the way she put her hand on his arm coaxed the story out of him. “My mom walked out of my life. I was six, and she just said goodbye like she was heading to the office. And never came back. Tessa and I grew up taking care of each other. Because after that, my dad found companionship in the form of whiskey. Alcohol took him from us early.”
Her hand covered his, sending an electric current racing through his body. “I can’t imagine being so young and having my family destroyed like that,” she said.
“According to my dad, she’d never wanted to be a mother.”
“Well, I’m not leaving you or Ivy.” He blinked in surprise, and she added, “While I’m on duty as bodyguard, anyway.”
The words squeezed his heart. Wasn’t there any way he could get her to stick around once the bad guys were behind bars and life got back to normal again?
Normal. That’s all he wanted for Ivy. He wanted her to have a childhood free from the adult stresses like he’d faced. But look how much grief she’d already encountered in her twelve years. “Ivy’s lost so much. I’m so angry that these hackers are trying to destroy the last ounce of innocence she has in this world.”
His eyelids grew heavy, and Juliette stood. “It’s late. We both need some sleep.” She said goodnight and headed to her room.
It didn’t take Caleb more than a few minutes to pass out.
A thump sounded in the dark, and Caleb was up off the couch with a gun in hand before his eyes fully opened. A motor roared in the distance. He shook off the vivid nightmare of Ivy being chased by a man in black.
He checked his watch. Five a.m.
“What was that?” Juliette whispered, her gun in hand.
“Ivy?” he mouthed.