Mark.
His voice pulled her back from the dread spinning through her mind like a cyclone. She looked over at him. He had bent his legs so their faces were on the same level. All she could see were those green eyes.
“I—I—” She couldn’t get further words out.
“I know,” he whispered. “Stay here. Let me get the car.”
“Hey, you okay, Jenna?” Lexi called from behind her.
She couldn’t answer. Thankfully, Mark answered for her. “I think our girl’s had a stressful day. I’m going to drive her home. Let me grab her car and bring it up to the door.”
“You Zodiac guys are such gentlemen,” Lexi responded. “Of course, my hubby is too.”
Mark got right in front of Jenna’s face again. “I’m going outside and getting the car. Stay here.”
As if she could go anywhere else. Before she could say a word, he was gone. She watched, still feeling outside her own body, as he ran to get her car then pulled it just as close as she had when she’d arrived. A few seconds later, he was back at her side.
“I’m going to put my arm around you, and we’ll make a dash for it. Okay?”
She forced words out. “I can drive.”
He rolled those green eyes. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you drive. I’ll get you home then call Ian to come get me.”
She wanted to argue, but she didn’t have it in her.
And then his arm was around her, and they were moving. She didn’t even have a chance to take a breath or freak out more—they were outside.
And just as the fear began to claw her from the inside out, he opened the passenger’s side door and she was in the car.
She was safe.
She could breathe.
She snapped back into her own body.
Mark ran around and got in behind the wheel. She didn’t try to talk, just pressed the navigation button on the console so he’d know where to go.
He didn’t talk on the way either, which was good since she wasn’t sure she could answer. At a red light, he shot off a text with her address.
As they pulled up to her house, she pressed in the code for her garage, and he pulled the car all the way inside and shut it off. She still didn’t say anything.
“I’ll get out then you close the garage door behind me.”
She nodded. She wanted to say more—to say thanks or laugh this off in some way, but she couldn’t. She’d been stretched too thin too many times today.
“Get some rest. Put ice on those knuckles, or they’ll hurt even worse tomorrow.”
With that, he was gone. As soon as he made it out of the garage, she closed the door behind him.
And cried for the second time that day.
Chapter 7
“We have another dead body.”
Mark looked up from the plans he was drawing in the Linear Tactical conference room. He didn’t often put his architectural and civil engineering background to much use, even though the Navy had made sure he had ample experience in both. But he had been for the past few days since Callum had shown up at the Eagle’s Nest.
And now here he was, back again.