“I’m not suggesting he’s underage, just that if he’s not hiding anything, he’s way too innocent for you.”
I blew out a long breath. “That’s why I need to find someplace else for him to go.”
“You mean another safehouse?”
“Yeah, one where we send decent people.”
Rhys laughed.
“You mean the women and children? Because Jacob is neither.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
“I’m sure you do.”
I glared at him but gave no other response.
“Don’t hurt him.”
“A second ago, you thought he might be a spy for the Russos, and now you’re telling me not to hurt him. Make up your fucking mind.”
“I had to ask. You needed a push to make sure your instincts were firing on this one. I didn’t want you blinded by his pretty face.”
I snarled at my brother. “I have enough sense not to think with my dick.”
“Really? Because it didn’t look much like it when I found you out here. You looked like you were about to lay Jacob down in the pasture and go at it.”
“There’s not going to be any going at it. I’m protecting Jacob. That’s all.”
Rhys sputtered with laughter. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“You just told me not to hurt him. I don’t want him to have any misconceptions about what’s happening. He’s here because he’s in danger. Not because I…”
“Want to fuck him?”
He was trying to piss me off, and I wasn’t going to let him. “Once Jacob’s problem is solved, we’ll find him a better place, some place even safer.”
“Safer than with you watching over him like a big, angry bear?”
“He doesn’t need to be around our guests.”
“Or you?”
I sighed. I really hated how well he knew me. “Or me.”
“You’re a good man, Grant. A hell of a lot of people owe their lives to you.”
I snorted. “Tell that to my commanding officer.”
“You did the right thing. It doesn’t matter what they say. You did what was right.”
“But not what I was ordered to do, and that’s all they care about.”
“That’s why you gave up fighting it. You did exactly what you should have done.”
I hated thinking about my decision not to fight my sentence any longer. “I don’t like giving up.”
“Sometimes you have to let go.”