Page 14 of Her Unflinching Warrior (Omega Sky)
“I’m not against the age difference. I’m against the fact he met and fell in love with her in less than two weeks. That kid is too impetuous.”
Just hearing that description, Gideon thought of Jada. Is that what happened to her? Had she done something impetuous and ended up in real trouble?
Ryker yawned.
“When was the last time you slept?” Gideon asked.
“I caught a couple of hours yesterday.”
“We’ve got four hours before we land in Minneapolis, take a nap. Hopefully, by then we’ll know more and we can talk through a game plan on the flight to Oregon.”
“Sounds good.”
Ryker leaned his seat back and closed his eyes.
After he heard Ryker’s deep breathing that indicated sleep, Gideon decided to get some rest as well. He looked behind him and saw a man who was as big as he was. He didn’t push back his seat, knowing that it would disrupt the guy’s comfort. Instead, he got as comfortable as he could and closed his eyes to see if he could find some solace in sleep as well. But he highly doubted he could. Too many thoughts of Jada were swirling around in his head.
* * *
Thinking backto a year and a half ago, Gideon remembered the first time he’d even read the name Jada Harlow. It had taken less than fifteen minutes to have most of her life parsed out in front of him. She was the youngest child in a big boisterous family, so different from his own.
There were six kids, and she was clearly anoopsbaby because there were seven years between her and the last brother. Her mother, Camila Diaz, immigrated with her family from San Juan, Puerto Rico to New York. There she met and married Edward Harlow. He was a private in the Marines, but by the time he’d put in his papers after twenty-five years, he was a Master Sergeant. Pretty damned impressive.
Jada was a go-getter from day one, and being raised by Camila and Ed, and following five successful brothers, she didn’t think anything could stop her, and nothing rarely did. Which was why, when he first encountered her, she was embroiled in a mess of epic proportions, positive she could handle it and keep Sebastian’s woman out of danger. Boy, had she screwed the pooch on that one.
Gianna Prentiss was Jada’s college roommate and best friend and she had been kidnapped by the time Gideon was face-to-face with Jada, via a computer screen. It had been Jada and Gianna’s screwball plan to get information to take down Sebastian’s uncle and grandfather by having Gianna go undercover working at a bar.
It had all gone to shit by the time Jada had called in the calvary. She’d kept it tight, pushed and prodded Sebastian and Gideon to listen to her, and Gideon had to admit, he’d been blown away by her stubbornness, loyalty, and genius. Of course, he was pissed as hell at her recklessness. The only redeeming fact was that she seemed to realize it and was doing everything in her power to rectify her mistake.
Gideon was stuck in the middle—he ached for his brother Sebastian as he suffered over Gianna’s capture, but he also felt deeply for this woman he’d just met as she agonized over her friend’s plight. Yet, somehow Jada kept her shit together, and with her help, he and Sebastian were able to do what they needed to do to find and rescue Gianna. In spite of the fact that Jada threw buckets of attitude Gideon’s way during the entire process, Jada was positive she knew best how to help during the rescue efforts, and what surprised the fuck out of Gideon—sometimes she was right!
The airplane hit turbulence and he opened his eyes and looked over at Ryker. His friend was softly snoring. Gideon gritted his teeth and tried to ignore his sense of dread. He knew Jada Harlow; the woman was hell on wheels. There was no way she could be in real danger.
Was there?
Yeah, like there was no way Gianna could have ended up kidnapped.
Gideon rubbed the top of his head, then smoothed his hand down until he was kneading the tense muscles in his neck. What the hell was she doing in Tillamook? Did she need cheese for fuck’s sake?
You better be okay, because if you’re not I’m going to paddle your ass!
Thinking about how Gianna ended up beaten and in a coma, Gideon found himself staring at the seat in front of him, imagining every awful scenario known to mankind.
* * *
Scad.
Scared and mad. That sounded plain stupid. Kind of like Bennifer.Need to come up with something better.
Mafraid.
Harlow, that’s pathetic.
Frifurious.
“I like it,” she whispered into the dank darkness.
I’m frightened and I’m furious, and some kind of fried food would not go unappreciated. Maybe crab wontons?
