let him, but that was beside the point. She needed release from the tension building within, from having her life shattered, and Jack had provided it.
“I’m coming. You don’t have to snap at me, you know,” she muttered.
- 50 -
He turned on Sydney then, glaring at her with his obsidian eye. “Let’s get one thing straight before we go inside. I set the rules, not you. Got it?” Sydney’s defensive mode kicked in. Leader or not, she refused to allow anyone, man or woman, to speak to her in that manner. “I got it, but if you want respect, you have to give it. I won’t have you talk to me any way you feel like it, so it’s time you get over yourself right now.” She refused to back down from this confrontation.
Moving so swiftly she barely saw him advance, he grasped Sydney by the forearms. “If I wanted to, I could leave you out here. We don’t have to let you in.” She clenched and unclenched her jaw. “I didn’t ask for your sorry protection anyway,” Sydney retorted, hoping to call his bluff. Would he really leave her out here alone, with no food, shelter or anywhere to go? Though the thought was terrifying, her pride fueled her ire.
“Try me, sweetheart.”
“Jack! What the hell is going on? Why are you just standing out there? Come in,” a man with wavy blond hair called out to him on the other side of the gate.
The next thing Sydney knew, Jack released her so abruptly she nearly fell on her ass. Damn, he was infuriating.
She followed Jack inside, daring him to say anything. He didn’t.
The blond offered her a friendly smile. “So this must be the mysterious Sydney.
Welcome to our home. Heard you got into a bit of trouble.” Sydney liked this man instantly. There was something about him that put one at ease. Could this be the man Holly had met, the one who’d blown up the clinic?
She laughed a little more casually than she felt. “Yes, you can say I’m in some trouble right now.”
“There’s no time to chitchat. Let’s go in,” Jack rudely interrupted the banter.
Killjoy.
One of these days, Sydney was going to strangle him, but she’d reserve that for a later date.
- 51 -
The blond shot her a questioning look as though to ask what was going on between the two of them. She had to admit the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Sydney simply shrugged, not bothering to offer comment. She had enough to deal with without starting an argument.
The blond closed the gate and locked it. Once that task was complete the two men led the way along a path through the grass made by treading feet, and up some rickety stairs.
The inside wasn’t as bad as the exterior. In fact, it contained all the amenities one would have found in any house in the city. “Wow, who decorated this place?”
“We all had a bit of a hand in it, but I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be here.
Unfortunately we’re scouting out another location.” Grinning at her with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes, he held his hand out to Sydney. “Chase Hudson. It’s nice to meet you, Sydney.”
“Likewise.”
“Ahem. If you two are finished exchanging pleasantries, I need you in the strategy room, Chase.”
“Sure. I’ll have Anna show Sydney to her room.”
Sydney didn’t realize there was a fourth person in the room until she turned to see a petite blonde woman standing in the far corner. Her steady blue gaze was focused on Jack. Was that a look of longing Sydney had spotted?
Was this another one of Jack’s conquests? Goodness gracious, the man seemed to get around. She was correct in her original assessment of him, and though it should have been gratifying to be right, Sydney didn’t feel that way. In fact she was slightly annoyed, even though she knew she had no right to be. Who needed him anyway? She certainly didn’t.
The woman finally walked over to where Sydney stood. She didn’t offer a hand like Chase had. In fact, her only form of greeting was a curt
“I’m coming. You don’t have to snap at me, you know,” she muttered.
- 50 -
He turned on Sydney then, glaring at her with his obsidian eye. “Let’s get one thing straight before we go inside. I set the rules, not you. Got it?” Sydney’s defensive mode kicked in. Leader or not, she refused to allow anyone, man or woman, to speak to her in that manner. “I got it, but if you want respect, you have to give it. I won’t have you talk to me any way you feel like it, so it’s time you get over yourself right now.” She refused to back down from this confrontation.
Moving so swiftly she barely saw him advance, he grasped Sydney by the forearms. “If I wanted to, I could leave you out here. We don’t have to let you in.” She clenched and unclenched her jaw. “I didn’t ask for your sorry protection anyway,” Sydney retorted, hoping to call his bluff. Would he really leave her out here alone, with no food, shelter or anywhere to go? Though the thought was terrifying, her pride fueled her ire.
“Try me, sweetheart.”
“Jack! What the hell is going on? Why are you just standing out there? Come in,” a man with wavy blond hair called out to him on the other side of the gate.
The next thing Sydney knew, Jack released her so abruptly she nearly fell on her ass. Damn, he was infuriating.
She followed Jack inside, daring him to say anything. He didn’t.
The blond offered her a friendly smile. “So this must be the mysterious Sydney.
Welcome to our home. Heard you got into a bit of trouble.” Sydney liked this man instantly. There was something about him that put one at ease. Could this be the man Holly had met, the one who’d blown up the clinic?
She laughed a little more casually than she felt. “Yes, you can say I’m in some trouble right now.”
“There’s no time to chitchat. Let’s go in,” Jack rudely interrupted the banter.
Killjoy.
One of these days, Sydney was going to strangle him, but she’d reserve that for a later date.
- 51 -
The blond shot her a questioning look as though to ask what was going on between the two of them. She had to admit the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Sydney simply shrugged, not bothering to offer comment. She had enough to deal with without starting an argument.
The blond closed the gate and locked it. Once that task was complete the two men led the way along a path through the grass made by treading feet, and up some rickety stairs.
The inside wasn’t as bad as the exterior. In fact, it contained all the amenities one would have found in any house in the city. “Wow, who decorated this place?”
“We all had a bit of a hand in it, but I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be here.
Unfortunately we’re scouting out another location.” Grinning at her with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes, he held his hand out to Sydney. “Chase Hudson. It’s nice to meet you, Sydney.”
“Likewise.”
“Ahem. If you two are finished exchanging pleasantries, I need you in the strategy room, Chase.”
“Sure. I’ll have Anna show Sydney to her room.”
Sydney didn’t realize there was a fourth person in the room until she turned to see a petite blonde woman standing in the far corner. Her steady blue gaze was focused on Jack. Was that a look of longing Sydney had spotted?
Was this another one of Jack’s conquests? Goodness gracious, the man seemed to get around. She was correct in her original assessment of him, and though it should have been gratifying to be right, Sydney didn’t feel that way. In fact she was slightly annoyed, even though she knew she had no right to be. Who needed him anyway? She certainly didn’t.
The woman finally walked over to where Sydney stood. She didn’t offer a hand like Chase had. In fact, her only form of greeting was a curt
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