“Dogs are good judges of character, so you’ve always told us.” Jack murmured, leaning in to kiss the side of Jenniffer’s head.
“Yeah, they are. Anyways, shortly after that fiasco, Jeff looked around and noticed a woman coming out of nowhere, since we were basically in the desert, so we assumed she had come from of the hillsides nearby, wearing a suicide vest and had a kid with her. Axel was going ballistics. It was hard to keep him under control since he wanted to go after them. Jeff was yelling at me to get to safety while the woman was yelling in Arabic. Several of my guys and Jeff’s team came running while the other half was getting the political people in the Humvees to get them to safety when the woman blew herself and her kid’s vest to hell and back.”
“Fuck!” Was murmured by those around her.
“When I came through a couple of weeks later in the hospital in Germany, Jeff was dead, along with Axel who had apparently jumped on me to save me, taking most of the blast, as well as several of my teammates and a couple of Jeff’s. They’d already had his funeral and word got out that Jeff had another girl on the side who was seven months pregnant with his baby and claimed they were engaged.”
Jack pulled Jenniffer into his lap, holding her tight as she teared up at the memory of coming out of the coma with the news that was relayed to her of all that she’d lost. “I’m so sorry.” Jack whispered into her hair.
“I called one of Jeff’s former teammates, Miller, earlier tonight after getting the latest lawsuit served to me, seeing he was listed as a witness against me.”
“Latest lawsuit?” Dom asked, sitting up straighter. “Is that the one Davis brought over today, well yesterday?” Dom corrected after looking at his watch.
“Yes. His baby momma, Kimberlee Bickman, keeps trying to sue me. See, what many didn’t know was that Jeff and I, while having our own accounts, set up a specific account, that was in my name for some reason. That account, we both put so much in each payday specifically for this. He believed we would make it huge in training dogs for law enforcement and the military. I just wanted to work with dogs. As long as I wouldn’t go hungry and could make enough to buy the land, and everything needed for the dogs, I didn’t care about making it rich. Just before our last deployment, Jeff had bought this land with the account that has only my name on it. He put everything concerning the land in my name.”
“It actually makes sense if you really stop to think about it. Around the time that he did all that, it was a big deal for a woman to get property or start a business in their name. Women actually get a huge tax break if property or a business are in their name. It’s not a wide known fact, but it’s a fact.” Pratt informed the group after hearing Jenniffer’s admission about the property.
“Wait, if she’s baby momma, she’s trying to take this away or at least get half because she believes as the baby momma, she’s entitled to have his estate.” Raso concluded sitting straight.
“Yes. But here’s the thing, Jeff’s name isn’t on the deed for the land, or anything related to this. Hell, Jeff’s name wasn’t even on the account. Yes, there’s a paper trail that portions of his check, each payday, went into the account, but that was it. His life insurance from the military is still on hold, which he had me as the one designated to get it, because she’s been contesting me getting it because she has his kid. I’ve already told the military to send it to the kid, the Marine Corps said fine but she’s fighting it because they put it in some kind of trust the kid can’t touch until he’s eighteen.”
“She hasn’t proven the kid is his, has she?” Dom asked, his head tilting to the side as he considered what Jenniffer just told them.
“Wait, you said this is the fifth lawsuit. So, I’m taking it she’s lost the other four?” Pratt asked, looking at Jenniffer, her mind whirling.
“Yeah. She refuses to have the DNA test done on the kid, saying it’s a violation of their rights. She’s provided photos and pictures of her and Jeff together, especially with ones of her pregnant. Letters and emails between the two of them and so forth. But the Marine Corps and the courts are demanding DNA tests to prove her claim because it’s also been found out she’s had a couple of other boyfriends while she was with Jeff.”
“Shite” Highlander, Mike and Marcus said at the same time, causing Jack and Dom to chuckle when they all looked over at Pratt and Raso who were smirking at each other.
“What?” Jennifer asked in confusion.
“We all know the hell those two, as well as their team can cause when someone they deem family has been wronged. And make no mistakes, babe. Those two have taken you into their fold, so no matter what, you are family to them. So, this Kimberlee person is gonna be hurting, physically, emotionally, mentally or financially when they are done, if not all four by the time those two get done with her.”
CHAPTERTEN
Jenniffer laid her head down and fell into a fitful sleep once everyone, but Jack and Spock left. Jack wouldn’t hear of leaving her alone after the shit show she’d already been through so Jenniffer gave up trying to send him home. Spock laid at the foot of the bed on a blanket she’d put down for him and Jack laid curled up at her back, also closing his eyes for the few hours they were going to finally nap.
Jenniffer was woken up three hours later with Jack’s head between her legs, licking her awake. Three orgasms, a shower with two more orgasms later, they were seated at her kitchen table, eating the breakfast that Jack had made for her, carrying on a light conversation.
“A girl could get used to all this.” Jenniffer laughed, as Jack poured her another cup of coffee.
“I don’t care about just any ‘girl’. I only care about you getting used to all this. That’s my plan, you know. Getting you used to all this and sweep you off your feet.” Jack winked down at Jenniffer as he took a sip of his own coffee.
Jenniffer’s breath hitched at the thought. Staring at Jack, all her fears came to the surface. “I can’t. Jack, I can’t drag you into this. Kimberlee is ruthless. She has been since the beginning. If she’s the one doing all this, she’s not going to stop until I have nothing left, including you. I can’t…”
“Breathe, Jenn! I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to fight alone anymore.” Jack promised, pulling Jenniffer into his arms.
“You don’t get it. I still have…”
“Nightmares? Hang ups from your ex?” Jack prodded, not giving Jenniffer a chance to answer. “I get it. Trust me, if it’s the nightmares, I totally get it. I’ve been through that myself. I still get them now and then, although it’s rare these days. I figured you were so damn exhausted that’s why you didn’t have one last night. If it’s the hang ups from your ex, I’ll prove to you, whatever it takes, I’m not him. You are the one I want Jenniffer. I haven’t really dated since I’ve been home from the Army.”
Jenniffer followed Jacks prodding when he nodded for her to sit. She watched as Jack sat down then leaned onto his forearms on the table.
“I was on the same team as Dom, in Delta Force. So, you know the hell we’ve seen in Afghanistan. You’ve seen some of the same hell as I have. I’ve lost teammates and taken lives in the line of duty. Dom and I were even captured once. Neither of us talk about it because it’s something we don’t like to remember. I’ve even had to take a child’s life, who was wearing a vest, screaming whatever it was his mother and father taught him to say, thinking we were the bad guys.” Jack said, never breaking eye contact with Jenn.
Jenn reached out, taking Jack’s hand in comfort, squeezing to let him know that she was there with him. “Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, sexy. Thing is, after Dom got out, I stayed in. Dom and I kept in touch through the years, as you know. My last mission technically should have been my last in more ways than one. I lost two teammates. I should have been number three. I survived and I have no idea why. Seeing you siting next to me, I’m glad I did now. I was in a really bad place after that mission. I even attempted to take my life one night. Right after I had taken a bottle of pills, I called Dom to say my goodbyes, wanting to make sure he was the one who found me, not my mother. Dom rushed to my side, saved my life, along with his sister, whom you’ve already met. Those two are the reason I’m here now, honestly. I can’t forget Laura’s son Cody either. That boy is beyond special to me.”
