I am so sorry I have been MIA. My laptop keyboard was difficult to navigate without the 'e' key. Luckily my dog didn't eat the key and I now have a new keyboard. I will try to update more this week since I finally have it back! Thanks for all the reviews and new follows! (I also started this chapter with the review question that was posed about Carly wanting Jason dead. Hope this clarifies the issue)

Chapter 14: Truths

Sam POV

"You think Carly wants you dead?"

Jason looks at me as though I may have lost my mind.

"No. No. It's not like that. Carly has this need to be everyone's hero. I caught something she said about you saving me; I know how her mind works, she wants to be just as valuable as you are or more. She may not have been in the garage when the shooting happened, but she wants to be the one to solve the case. To her it's a challenge."

I couldn't believe Jason opened up to me. This was still confusing though.

"So she slept with Alcazar? Knowing Sonny wouldn't forgive her? Knowing he tried to kill you?"

"Sam, I can't rationalize or justify Carly to anyone. But she wants information and sometimes she forgets to worry about her safety or what will come next when she gets like this."

"She doesn't have to. She knows you will make it okay for her."

Jason sighs as he walks to the window. He doesn't say anything and I think he is shutting down again.

"I can't change who I am. There's a lot you don't know about me. There's a lot you don't know about her. Our relationship has always been criticized by those around us. There's just a lot there I can't justify, or talk about."

I think about what Jason has said. This must have been an issue for every woman in his past. Competing for Jason's attention and affection couldn't be easy for anyone. Maybe Carly felt the same about competing with women in his life as well.

"Hey Jason?"

Jason doesn't move. I watch the outline of his back as he looks out the window. For a moment I don't know that he has heard me or not.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer, but I was just wondering if you and Carly ever tried your own relationship? Like a romantic one."

The words have left a bitter aftertaste. I don't know that I want to hear the answer. I'm not sure that Jason will answer me, but then he turns and looks at me. His eyes find mine immediately, like blue magnets. They pull me in and I find it hard to think about anything except pools of blue.

"Sam, yeah. It was fleeting. It was more of hooking up than anything. She was there, I was there. We just repeated it when needed."

"You make it sound like doing laundry."

Jason laughs for the first time today.

"It was release. There's a lot you don't know about me. I'll explain it all one day, but I raised Carly's son Michael when she couldn't. We'll always be bonded through Michael. Carly ended up falling for Sonny. I left for a while. When I came back I didn't care as much. Carly became someone I needed to protect. No matter what she does, she'll always be Michael's mother. I swore to protect Michael and he needs his mom. No matter how many stupid stunts she pulls."

If anyone else had given me that explanation I would call bullshit, but this is Jason. I don't think Jason can lie.

"Is Michael yours?"

"No. He's not. It's complicated.."

Jason doesn't get to finish. Max comes through the door.

"Boss, we gotta talk. There's some new information."

I know I am about to be dismissed. I go to walk out of the room but Jason stops me.

"Sam, will you be okay while I go with Max do a perimeter check and talk?"

"Sure. I can handle myself."

"I know you can."

Jason hands me the shotgun he is holding. He doesn't look me in the eye as he hands it to me; there are no soft touches or lingering glances. He turns and walks out the door with Max in tow.

Is it possible to care so strongly for someone without romantic feelings? The only reference I have is Danny and I always considered him a brother. I suppose I could understand the 'sex is just sex' mantra, but I don't know that I could be so involved and not feel something for someone. I mean I haven't know Jason a month yet and I'm already in dangerous territory. Maybe Jason is Carly's end game and he doesn't even know it.

I hear a gunshot and run to the corner. I don't want to alert anyone to my presence, but what if Milo is hurt?

There's a knock on the door and I rack the shotgun so it is loaded. It's then that I hear Milo through the door.

"Sam? Are you okay?"

I walk closer to the door so that we aren't yelling. I open the door an inch or two. I can see Milo if I squint, but I don't want any eyes to see that it is open. I lowly ask the questions through the door.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"I am. There isn't any communication on the radio. It could have been an animal."

I can't help the silent laugh of disbelief.

"Milo, you know that it wasn't an animal. It sounded like it wasn't too close. Is there anyone at the back of the cabin?"

"Yeah. There's a guy back there. I think they would let us know if something was up. Sam, can you go hide in the corner of the bedroom? Jason will come back as soon as it's safe."

"Sorry Milo, I'm not a hide in the corner kind of girl. You know this."

Milo laughs a little. "Don't I know it. Thank God for it. But seriously, Sam, if you hear anything please go hide. Jason would kill me if anything happened to you."

"Milo, I can't make that kind of promise. I'll tell you that I will try to help as much as I can and if we are completely outnumbered I will go and hide."

"That's as good as I'm getting, isn't it?"

"Yes Milo. That's as good as it gets."

Milo doesn't say anything for a moment.

"Sam, you have to know, you're by far the coolest person I've met in a long time."

The smile comes naturally as I hear the compliment.

"Thanks Milo, you aren't so bad yourself."

Milo closes the door completely and I listen to his footsteps as he walks around the perimeter of the porch. He covers a lot of ground quickly, and it sounds as though he is pacing. It's probably a smart move, it's harder to get a lock on a moving target. As long as he paces it'll be harder for a sniper to shoot him.

%%

I've been crouched down for hours now. Milo stopped pacing a while ago, but as I hear him begin to pace again I realize I need to stretch. I get up and walk to the bathroom to empty my bladder. The shotgun sits in the corner where I left it, and I think of Jason wearing the same type of vest I am. Time moves so slowly when he's away; but when the action begins time seems to happen so fast it's hard to keep up.

I look in the mirror and see that there is no makeup on my face anymore. It's all gone. This vest is hot, but necessary.

I pull my hair up in a loose bun atop my head and wet my face. I suddenly want some water and I think of the cases I saw in the kitchen area. I'm grabbing a bottle when Jason walks in. He's alone and I hear voices outside. I grab another water for him and pass it over.

"You okay?"

Jason nods and drinks heavily from the water. I open my own bottle and relish the taste.

I look up to find Jason staring at me. He looks tired. I turn and find a protein bar stash.

"Peanut butter chocolate or double chocolate chip?"

"Peanut butter chocolate is better. Trust me."

I hand him two bars and get one of my own. I sit at the table and Jason joins me.

"I thought I heard a gunshot earlier?"

"You did. There was a guy following us. Not ours."

"Alcazar's?"

"Not sure. We didn't get to question him."

"Oh. Are you sure there was only one?"

"Pretty sure. We doubled back a few times. I think he was just following us. We'll lie low until later and then we will move."

"Where will we go?"

"Not sure. Possibly home. Sonny sent a code that we were good to go home, but I don't want to move if there were others we didn't see."

"Okay."

We hear knocks and then shuffling.

Jason stands quickly, pistol in hand. He turns back to me and points to the bedroom.

I tip toe to the bedroom and hunker down beside the bed. I hear Jason go outside.

Minutes later Jason is back in the cabin, sitting in front of me on the floor. I want to ask if we are okay, but I don't want anyone to hear me.

After a while I grab a pillow from the bed and put it behind my back that's against the wall. Jason turns and then moments later he does the same until he is sitting beside me. No words are spoken but the safety of Jason permeates through the room.

Jason sighs heavily and even though it is dark I look at the bags under his eyes.

As softly as I can I lean in and whisper, "If you want to try and sleep, I can wake you up."

Jason looks at me momentarily before whispering back, "No way. If anyone needs to sleep, it's you. I'm used to this."

"I'm not tired. This isn't so bad."

Jason lets out a grunt.

"I can't think of any other woman I know who would be like this."

"I'm sure there are others."

I can't see his facial features because it's so dark in the room but I see the outline of Jason's face. He leans his head back on the wall.

"Trust me, I don't know anyone else like you."

"I do trust you."

"Good."

"Good."

We sit in silence for some time without saying a word.

"I missed calling Danny."

"I got word to him, he'll know you're okay."

"Thanks for that."

"What do you normally talk about?"

"Food. What he ate. What he did. Baseball. Engines. It's repetitive at times, but the happiness in his voice carries me through terrible days."

"Sorry that you have terrible days like today."

"Oh no Jason, this isn't terrible. This isn't even close. This is adventure. A little action. I'm okay. Really."

"Sam, I hate the idea that you had to do anything dangerous. I don't like you being here in danger now."

"Jason, I promise I'm fine."

"I know you're capable. It doesn't mean I ever want to be the reason that you're tested."

"it's okay. I got to know more about you today. "

"Me too."

The admission from Jason shocks me a little.

"Jason, you didn't learn that much about me today."

"I saw more than you thought."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Jason leans closer to me. I can feel the breath on my cheek as he whispers, "You don't ask questions. You knew what I was doing when I was spreading the shotguns around the cabin. You knew to stay down on the ride up. Knew to arm yourself when you heard someone coming to the car. You put on a vest without questioning it. You even grabbed some clothes and threw them in the bag when we were leaving. Trust me, I've seen women in safe houses before. There's always a million questions, hand holding, going around the truth so you don't scare them. The exact opposite of you today."

I love the way he gives compliments.

"I trust you. You told me to stay down so I did. Although if I knew you would hold my hand the entire time I would have reacted differently."

Jason laughs. A full belly laugh. I pull my knees up to my chest and look at his silhouette laughing.

"You know you don't have to ask for that when I'm around."

"I don't?"

Jason shakes his head. He slowly grabs my hand. Our palms touch and my arm tingles. The spark isn't gone.

"Now what?"

"Another ten minutes and we will make our way out of the room. I'll radio for the car and it'll be here. We will quickly get in, and I will make a call. After we decide where we go then hopefully you won't have to lay down the entire time."

"Jason, when do you sleep?"

"I get sleep. I'll sleep for a few days when this is over. Like full nine hours a night or day kind of thing. I'm used to about four hours a night. Once a week or every other week I completely sleep for hours without waking up. Then I do it all over again."

"Yeah, Nyquil coma sounds good right about now."

"Nyquil coma?"

"Yeah. I normally can't get my mind to stop working when we dock sometimes. Alcohol only makes me sleep for a few hours. I only do it in safe ports, but every once in a while I'll take some Nyquil and zonk out."

Jason laughs a little.

"You've slept pretty hard at the penthouse."

"Yeah, but some of the time it was the pain killers. Sometimes it was just knowing you were home."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You make me feel safe."

Jason's thumb stops moving over the back of my hand. He leans in and slowly kisses my lips without warning. It's different than before. He's gentle, as though I may break. Before it goes any further he leans back.

"Definitely different."

I can't help but smile as he says it.

We hear Milo knock on the door three times.

"That's the signal."

Jason stands up, rolling his neck and shoulders. He extends his arms and then his hand to me. I grab his arm with both hands and he pulls me up, almost flying me through the air. I laugh silently before feeling his strong arms balance around my waist. I can't resist the urge to lean into his side. I do.

Jason's walkie talkie begins to make noise, and Jason fires off commands as I walk to the bathroom. I carry the shotgun back into the bedroom, trying to locate the panel I saw him retrieve it from earlier. I hear Jason talking, and the ride should be here in five minutes. A strong arm finds my side. Jason leans over and takes the gun from me and whispers in my ear, "Definitely different."

I turn to him and smile, even though he can't see it. I lean up and kiss his cheek.

"I'm beginning to think different is good."

Jason laughs before walking away and finding the panel. I was about fifteen panels too far over. I take off my shirt and begin to remove the strap from the vest. Jason is behind me instantly, helping to loosen the top strap. His hand wraps around my waist for the other, and I have to resist the urge to lean back and grind into him like some college kid on Girls Gone Wild.

With the vest off I feel the temperature drop significantly. My tank top isn't as sweaty as I thought it might be, so I slip my shirt back over my head. It's still dark but I notice Jason completely still.

I flip my hair and we both hear Max's voice telling us he is approaching the cabin. Jason then removes his shirt and I watch his silhouette as he removes the vest. As he's putting his shirt back on I see the lights shine through the front window. I wait for Jason to come into the room and he quickly places my body protectively behind his. His gun is drawn.

"Stay close Sam."

"I'm with you."

Jason turns his head to look at me. I can see his facial features partially illuminated by the SUV's lights.

"Good."