“Not good enough. She’s a civilian. She doesn’t belong here. It’s too risky. What if she’s caught in the crossfire? What if—”
“I can take care of myself,” Summer said, entering the boardroom with the baby in her arms. “Sorry for eavesdropping, Jay. I was coming to give you Halia when I heard my name.”
“Ah, fuck,” Jamie huffed too low for Summer to hear. Body gone stiff, and eyes squeezed shut tight, he didn’t acknowledge her presence as she brushed by him.
“She’s a little fussy this morning,” she said, transferring the baby to Jay’s arms. “I’ll be quick.”
“Take your time,” he said. “I’ve got this.” He looked forward to his morning cuddle with Halia while Summer took a shower. It had become a part of his daily routine, a brief opportunity for him to step away from his computers. A chance to shut his brain off and not worry about anything except for the life he held in his hands.
“Thanks. I won’t be gone long.”
“Where’re you going?” Jamie demanded, his lids snapping open, his hard gaze landing on Summer with surprising intensity.
“To shower,” she replied, her back straightening and her chin lifting. “Then I’m going to move my stuff into Halia’s room.”
“I told you last night—”
“News flash, Mr. Snow-it-all, I don’t take orders from you, and I’ll sleep wherever I want to sleep. So, you can have your bed back, or you can leave it empty. Your choice.” She turned to go, but deciding she wasn’t done putting Jamie in his place, she swiveled back around. “And one more thing.” Her expression matching the weather, she pointed at her chest. “I decide where I belong. Not you. Not Jay. Not anyone. Got it?”
His jaw clenched, Jamie stood to his full height, and taking a step toward her, he towered over her small frame, the act meant to intimidate. Lifting her chin even higher, her eyes blazed with fire, and if looks could burn, hers would sear him around the edges.
“I’m just trying to do the right thing,buttercup. I don’t know what you’ve been told, but it’s not safe for you here.”
She rolled her eyes, her hands curling into fists. “I’ve been told enough. The rest I figured out on my own. And guess what? Living with a black ops unit harboring the most wanted man in Americaisthe safest I’ve ever been. Sorry, Jay.” She leaned around Jamie’s torso to look him in the eyes. “It took a few days, but I eventually figured out why you looked familiar.”
He grinned. “I figured you would. My picture’s been all over the TV.”
She grinned back at him. “You should know, I asked Adam about you. He explained a few things, and I believe him. So you can trust me. I promise. I won’t do anything to put you in danger.”
“I knew that before I brought you here, Summer.”
“Really? How?”
“Tech genius, remember?”
“Jesus Christ,” Jamie growled, glancing back and forth between them. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not safe for either one of you, never mind a fucking baby. You want Halia, Summer? Take her. Jay can set you up with new identities. I’ll make sure you have all the money you need to raise her on your own. You’ll never have to worry about—”
“Now, wait a minute,” Jay said, his arms tightening around the little girl.
“Not happening,” Summer shot back at the same time, her voice carrying the conviction her rigid posture portrayed. “This is Halia’s home, and the JTT’s her family. Mine too. And if you can’t come to terms with us being here, we’re not the ones who’ll have to go.” Hands still clenched, she pivoted and made her way to the door. “I’ll be back for Halia in thirty minutes.”
She left without another word, and after several heartbeats of charged silence while Jamie stared at the exit she disappeared through, he huffed. “Did she just tell me to fuck off and quit the JTT if I didn’t get on board with her being here?”
“Yep,” Jay replied, hiding his smile in a kiss on the baby’s head. Yeah. He’d known Summer was the right fit for Jamie and the JTT from the start. “You want to hold Halia?”
“No.” Jamie grabbed his cane and started for the exit. “I gotta go before I’m late for my appointment with Eve. Meet you in the weight room at four-thirty?”
“Sounds good. And Jamie?”
“Yeah?” He pressed pause on his departure and glanced over his shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re back, man. But if you try to intimidate Summer again, losing teeth will be the least of your problems.”
“Copy that,” he mumbled, shaking his head as he left the boardroom.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
“Not bad,”Eve said, making a final notation in Jamie’s patient chart after measuring the dismal range of motion of his bad knee.
