I don't own Blindspot or any of these amazing characters.
XX
Roman listened in silence to the report.
"So you're saying that Weller and his team followed up on a tattoo, but Jane wasn't with them?" He verified.
"That's right," The man confirmed.
"Where was she?" Roman asked bluntly.
"I…I don't know." The man stuttered.
"You're supposed to be keeping an eye on Jane, not Weller." Roman reminded him.
"She went into the office with Weller," The man insisted, "She just didn't go out in the field with him."
"Is she injured?" Roman demanded.
"Not to my knowledge." The man denied.
"So what you're saying," Roman clarified, "Is you have no information on the woman you are supposed to be reporting on."
The man blanched at that cold statement.
"I…"
"I'll do it myself," Roman dismissed him.
The man made haste, thankful to be alive.
Roman paced the room in agitation. No way would Jane not be with Weller in the field if everything was as it should be. Grabbing his jacket, Roman headed for the door.
XX
Jane sat next to Patterson, "How do you do this?" She demanded.
Patterson knew what she was asking, "It's hard to listen to the people you care about rush in to dangerous situations, but I know that the information I give them helps them to come home."
"I didn't mean that you weren't invaluable," Jane told her in surprised, "How do you listen to them taking fire and remain calm?"
"It's not easy," Patterson admitted, "Nor will it ever be."
"I don't know if I could do it," Jane was forced to admit.
"Well," Patterson smiled at her, "If you're pregnant, it's not like you have any choice."
"We're clear," Kurt told them over the coms.
Jane sank wearily back into the chair Patterson had pulled over for her.
Jane listened as the team wrapped up the op before signing off. She was tired, bone weary if she were honest. She stood up and the room began to spin around her. She grabbed the table, but darkness overcame her and she went down hard.
"Jane!" Patterson was beside her in an instant. When she received no response, she called for medical assistance.
Jane roused within a couple of minutes and she looked up at Patterson in confusion.
"What?" She asked trying to sit up.
"No," Patterson insisted, "Let the doctor check you."
"Did I faint?" Jane asked in surprise.
"You went down really hard," Patterson worried.
Jane reached up and realized that her head was throbbing.
"I think I hit my head," She admitted feeling the knot already forming.
"Don't move," Patterson warned her.
"I just stood up too fast," Jane insisted.
"Maybe," Patterson agreed, "When was the last time you ate?"
"Kurt made me breakfast," Jane assured her.
Patterson looked over at the clock and saw that it was already 7:23 PM.
"You didn't have lunch?" Patterson worried.
"Neither did you," Jane reminded her.
"Well," Patterson pointed out, "I'm not the one that fainted."
"She fainted?" Kurt demanded coming into the room.
Jane turned to look at him in dismay. No way should he be back already.
"I'm fine," Jane insisted, once again attempting to stand.
"Stay there," Kurt knelt down next to her and began to support her in his arms.
"How did you get back here so fast?" Patterson asked the question Jane wanted to know.
"Rich called me and told me Jane was unconscious." Kurt explained.
"What?" Jane glared at an unapologetic Rich.
"I'm on his side," Rich didn't even try to sound contrite.
"I want to get up," Jane insisted beginning to feel conspicuous.
Kurt didn't bother to argue with her, but stood up holding her against his chest.
"Kurt!" Jane protested.
"You're going to see a doctor," Kurt insisted heading toward the medical bay.
"I can walk," Jane could feel herself blush at the looks they were receiving.
"You couldn't earlier," Rich reminded her following after them.
"Rich," Jane warned him.
"She hit her head," Rich told Kurt helpfully.
Jane wearily rested her head against Kurt's chest. If only Rich had a mute button she thought.
Jane looked at the Doctor wearily.
He checked her eyes and ears.
"She might be pregnant," Kurt warned the physician.
"Well, I can run a blood test," The Doctor assured them, "But I can already tell you that she has an inner ear infection."
"What?" Jane looked at him with incomprehension. She'd assumed that she was pregnant, but now…she had to admit to disappointment.
"She was recently dunked in a pool," Kurt agreed, his eyes watching her intently.
"That will do it," The Doctor agreed.
Jane was silent while the nurse drew her blood. The truth was she wanted to cry.
Kurt was struggling too. He'd convinced himself that she was pregnant and he'd never wanted anything more.
Once they were alone, Jane looked over and whispered, "Kurt…"
"Even if you aren't," Kurt interrupted, "We can still try."
Jane closed her eyes to hide her expression. She could feel his disappointment acutely. It hurt her worse than her own.
"Jane," Kurt turned her to look up at him, "Trying is half the fun,"
She saw his teasing smile and gave him her trembling one. He closed the distance between them and claimed her mouth.
"I wanted to be pregnant," Jane admitted with a blush, "But if I'm not…we should probably wait. These new tattoos…"
"Are not going to dictate our lives," Kurt interrupted.
"They've been doing just that for the last six months," Jane denied.
"Only because we've let them," Kurt reminded her, "I won't let them take any more of you away from me."
"Kurt you have all of me," Jane insisted, "You know that."
"Well," Kurt looked at her seriously, "Then we have a problem, because every day I want more."
Before she could respond, the Doctor was back. "Not pregnant," He confirmed.
Jane felt Kurt's hand tighten around hers, but couldn't look at him.
Kurt accepted the prescription for her ear infection and Jane was relieved when he allowed her to walk out, although his arm remained securely around her.
They didn't go back to the lab, but he did text the team the news. He instead escorted Jane to the car before ensuring she ate. It was only when they were at home and she'd taken the prescribed medication that Kurt broached the subject again.
"I don't want to wait," He told her leaning over her on the bed.
"I don't want to either," Jane admitted.
His smile was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. It was only then that Jane realized that baby making Kurt was much different than sexy playful Kurt. He was more focused, more intent. The sexual side of their relationship had always been overwhelming, but this Kurt was insatiable. The night became a sea of endless feeling. Jane woke over and over again to Kurt's administrations. She met him each time with her own clawing need. She fell into an exhausted sleep as dawn was breaking, held securely in his arms. His hand covering her stomach protectively as though by sheer will alone he could make their dreams come true.
"Not pregnant," Patterson told her with a stricken expression.
Jane listened to the news with no expression. This conversation had replayed itself over and over for months. It was as if the universe was protecting any child from having her as a mother.
"Jane," Kurt pulled her attention back to him.
"I'm sorry," Jane whispered.
"There's nothing to be sorry for," Kurt insisted.
"I must be defective," Jane worried.
"You aren't defective," Kurt wanted to shake her.
"You've already had a baby with Allie," Jane reminded him, "So it has to be me."
"Sometimes it just takes a while," Patterson assured her.
"What if it never happens?" Jane asked the floor.
Kurt forced her to look up at him, "Then we still have each other. That's enough for me."
Jane just nodded. Kurt was enough for her, but she remembered the excitement on his face when he thought she was pregnant. He wanted a big family and if she couldn't provide him with one, would he start to resent her?
"I think I should have some tests done," Jane looked up at Kurt with a worried frown.
"If you want," Kurt reluctantly agreed, "I'll get checked too."
"I'll make you the appointments," Patterson assured them.
Kurt followed Jane from the lab. She didn't see his worried eyes focused on her. He pulled her into his office.
"Jane," Kurt insisted, "We're going to be fine."
"Promise?" Jane asked him.
"You are all I need," Kurt insisted, "Anything else would just be a bonus."
She believed that he meant it. She just hoped it was true.
XX
Roman didn't know what was going on. He watched the team regularly and Jane didn't accompany them each time. It wasn't like her and he wanted some answers.
He followed Jane and Weller and his concern escalated when they went to a Doctor's office located just outside the hospital.
He walked up and looked at the directory and various Doctors had offices in the building.
Turning away in frustration he went backside to wait. It was time to find out what exactly was going on and he knew of only one way to do it.
"Okay the results are in," the Doctor smiled at them in reassurance.
"Am I broken?" Jane worried.
"No," The Doctor looked at her strangely. "But if you want to have any chance of getting pregnant, you need your implant removed."
"What implant?" Jane asked with a puzzled frown.
"The one in your arm," The Doctor reminded her, "It puts out hormones to prevent pregnancy."
"I…" Jane looked at Kurt in confusion.
"Can you tell how long she's had it?" Kurt asked the Doctor.
"Not that long," The Doctor denied, "Less than a year, but it can last for up to four years."
"Less than a year," Jane repeated with a stricken look at Kurt.
"We would like it removed," Kurt assured the Doctor.
"I can do it now," The Doctor agreed.
"How long will it take before she can conceive?" Kurt asked.
"Immediately," the Doctor assured them.
Once he left the room to get his supplies ready Jane looked over at Kurt in dismay, "Why would the person who gave me the tattoos have given me an implant…unless…"
"We don't know what happened," Kurt insisted.
"Kurt," Jane was beginning to panic, "I didn't even think to check for any type of diseases before we got back together…"
"Jane," Kurt interrupted her, "The Doctor ran all of those tests already."
"So…you're okay?" She worried.
"We're okay." He assured her.
"Kurt," Jane was pale, "What if whoever gave me the tattoos…did other things?"
Kurt closed his eyes pained by her question.
"Nothing will ever change the way I feel about you," Kurt assured her.
"We need to take the implant with us," Jane realized, "Give it to Patterson, maybe she can find out about the person that tattooed me from the implant."
"We will," Kurt assured her. He was rattled by Jane's panic, but trying to keep it together. The thought of her helpless and abused was making his heart race. He knew that any answers they sought could be a long time coming. He couldn't imagine never knowing. One thing he knew with certainty was even the Jane that had felt she had to leave would never have cheated on him. That meant…whatever might have happened hadn't been consensual.
The Doctor came back in and it wasn't long before the implant was removed. The Doctor handed it over to Kurt with a puzzled expression.
XX
Roman watched Jane and Weller leave the building and was not reassured by their demeanor. Jane looked shell-shocked and Kurt was scowling.
Jane also had a bandage over her left arm.
Biopsy? Roman worried.
He was not reassured when Weller opened the door for Jane, but stopped her before she could get in. When he pulled her against him and held her tightly, Roman felt a tick in his cheek. Whatever happened in that office, it had clearly spooked both Weller and Jane. He knew first hand that these two were not prone to panic, so he was far from reassured.
He watched them drive away with his own frown of worry. His new plan would be risky, but he was going to do it anyway…
XX
Patterson took the implant from Kurt and looked over at Jane in concern.
"At least you know you don't have any trouble conceiving." Patterson tried to reassure her.
"No," Jane realized with a relieved smile.
"We need to see what you can find out about who implanted this in Jane's arm. What part of the world is it from, anything at all." Kurt implored.
"I'm on it," Patterson assured him.
"We have a hit on the tattoo data base," Rich warned them.
"What do you have?" Kurt looked back at Patterson.
"One of the new tattoos is pointing to a ship that just docked this morning." Patterson explained.
"What do we know about it?" Kurt worried.
"Not much," Patterson explained. Reed and Tasha joined them and she pulled up the ships manifest.
"It's out of the Mediterranean. Its cargo is supposed to be domestic imports. Furniture, toys, nothing military, but…" She pulled up a harbor camera, "They have armed guards patrolling the deck."
"That doesn't look too friendly," Tasha agreed.
"Get me a warrant," Kurt urged Patterson, "Let's gear up."
When Jane followed after him, he stopped her, "You need to sit this one out."
"Why?" She asked in confusion.
"You've had some shocks," Kurt insisted.
"The only way I'm not going with you," Jane insisted, "Is if I'm proven to be pregnant, which we both know with absolute certainty that I'm not."
"Jane," Kurt implored.
"I cannot sit here and listen to the teams risk their lives, knowing I can help. If anything happened to you or any of the others and I could have stopped it…" Jane took a deep breath, "I'm going."
"Fine," Kurt relented, "But you stay with me."
"Of course," Jane agreed.
They arrived at the ship after dark. Patterson used satellite technology to pinpoint the guard's locations and the team split up.
Jane and Kurt used a boat and entered the ship from the aft, port, stern and Reed and Zapata boarded dock side, forward bow.
It went smoothly until they went below deck. Their gunfire had alerted the ships occupants and each walkway was a maze of deadly traps.
It was one of the last few passes that Jane felt fire crease her side. She gasped and tackled Kurt where he walked in front of her. He locked an arm around her waist and rolled them out of the line of fire. She would have remained conscious, but the arm around her waist was directly over the bullet's trajectory and the pain proved too much.
Kurt returned fire while calling for backup. He knew immediately something was wrong with Jane. He could feel the moisture cover his arm and he knew exactly what it was.
"Jane's down," He told Patterson hoarsely.
"What?!" Patterson exclaimed in panic.
"We need paramedics," Kurt insisted.
Reed and Tasha arrived and Kurt could finally focus on Jane's condition.
"She's loosing blood," Tasha worried, kneeling next to Kurt and attempting to stem the flow of blood.
"She shot?" Reed worried guarding his team.
"In the side," Kurt confirmed, lifting up her shirt to inspect the damage.
"It's just a crease," Tasha realized in relief.
Kurt looked up at her in disbelief, as though Jane being shot in any way could be acceptable.
"As long as we stem the bleeding," Tasha assured him, "She's going to be fine."
Kurt turned back to Jane with trembling hands.
"Paramedics are in route," Patterson assured them.
"Ship is secure," Beta team advised.
"Reed," Kurt looked up at him, "You and Tasha have the scene."
Reed nodded and assured him, "We've got this."
Kurt waited impatiently while Tasha secured a bandage to Jane's side before picking her up and heading for the deck.
Tasha and Reed escorted him all the way to the dock.
"Keep us informed," Tasha warned him.
"I will," He assured her, looking down into Jane's pale unconscious face.
The paramedics were waiting for him and Kurt lowered Jane down on the gurney gently.
"She was grazed in the side," Kurt explained.
"Give us some room," The paramedic insisted.
Kurt took a couple of steps back, but that was the best he could do.
Jane became aware of her surroundings abruptly.
The first thing she realized was that she was off the ship. The second thing was that she couldn't see Kurt.
"Kurt," She gasped attempting to sit up.
Kurt was beside her immediately.
"I'm right here," He assured her cupping her cheek.
"Are you okay?" Jane worried.
Looking down at her blood soaked shirt Kurt was speechless. She always did this. She could be bleeding out and her first concern would be for him. Her love humbled him.
"I'm fine," Kurt assured her. "You, however, need to go to the hospital."
Jane looked down and grimaced. "It's not serious."
Kurt felt a tick in his cheek as she uttered the same words that Tasha had. He didn't know either of their definitions of serious, but it was damn serious to him. A single drop of her blood was too much and she'd lost a hell of a lot more than that.
"You're getting checked out," Kurt's tone broke no argument and Jane wisely fell silent.
The gurney was loaded into the ambulance and Kurt moved to join her, when he was stopped.
"I'm sorry," The paramedic insisted, "You can follow us to the hospital, but since her injury isn't life threatening, you can't ride along."
"I'm her husband," Kurt denied aggressively.
"It doesn't matter," The Paramedic denied, "We have rules."
"Kurt," Jane drew his attention, "Its fine. This is going to take a moment. Finish up here and come get me."
"No," Kurt denied stubbornly.
"Weller," Reed ran over to him, "We found some cells in the bow of the ship…it looks like human trafficking. They're children."
Kurt and Jane shared a look, "Stay," She insisted.
He turned away reluctantly, "Wait for me at the hospital," Kurt warned her.
"I'll head over and wait with her," Patterson assured him.
With that Kurt reluctantly agreed. He watched the doors close before following after Reed.
XX
Jane rested her head back against the gurney tiredly. The paramedic inserted an IV and she ignored his administrations. It was only when her head began to swim that she looked over at him in alarm. It was too late the drugs in her system overpowered her in moments. The satisfaction on his face the last thing she saw.
XX
Kurt was still standing on the dock when the ambulance pulled up.
"Are their more injuries?" Kurt looked over at Reed in confusion.
"No," Reed assured him.
Kurt waited while the paramedic ran over to him.
"We have a report of a gunshot wound," He confirmed.
"She just left in the ambulance," Kurt looked down at him in confusion.
"What ambulance?" The paramedic asked.
"Patterson," Kurt demanded over the com, "Where is Jane right now?"
"What do you mean?" Patterson worried.
"An ambulance arrived to pick her up…just now." Kurt explained.
"Oh, no," Patterson worried.
Patterson linked into the police scanner. She verified the information twice before telling Kurt the bad news, "They only dispatched one ambulance."
"So who the hell just picked up Jane?" Kurt roared.
"I don't know," Patterson admitted.
Reed and Kurt shared a concerned look.
"Find her," Kurt implored Patterson.
"We're on it," Rich answered for the distraught Patterson.
Tasha joined them at a dead run.
"What the hell?" She demanded breathlessly.
"Jane's been taken…" Kurt realized in horror.
XX
Jane woke up groggy. Her confused eyes scanned the cell for any clues. She realized that her side was bandaged, but knew immediately that she wasn't in any hospital.
"You're finally awake," Said a voice she knew all too well.
Turning her head she found Roman sitting in a chair next to her bed.
"Roman?" She didn't understand any of this.
"Hey sis," He greeted her.
"Where am I?" Jane demanded struggling to sit up.
Roman assisted her before stepping back.
"Someplace safe," He assured her.
"Why?" Jane didn't understand any of what was going on.
"I have some questions," Roman admitted.
"About what?" Jane didn't understand.
"What the hell is going on with you and Weller for a start," Roman admitted.
"What do you mean…what's going on?" Jane still couldn't seem to think straight.
"Why did you disappear for six months, why were Reed, Patterson and Tasha abducted, why are you sitting out cases, what's with the Doctor's visits and how the hell are your tattoos still relevant?" Roman asked her in frustration.
"What?" She looked at him strangely. If he really didn't know the answers to these questions…then who'd done this to her?
"I have…new tattoos," Jane admitted watching his face closely.
"New?" Roman looked down at her with a frown, "I recognize these…they aren't new."
"You can't see them without a key," Jane explained.
"What?" Roman seemed even more confused.
"They are bioluminescent," Jane explained.
"Where'd you get them?" Roman worried.
"I don't know," Jane admitted.
"How can you not know?" Roman shook his head.
"I lost about two months," Jane explained. "I thought something was wrong with me, I kept having blackouts. I was worried that Remi was taking over…so I left Kurt. Two months later I found myself in Asia with no memory of getting there. I was afraid to come back, afraid of what I might do. Kurt found me and told me the others had been taken. So I came home and discovered the new tattoos. That's when I realized that it wasn't Remi at all, someone was targeting me."
"How extensive are the tattoos?" Roman demanded.
"As extensive as the one's you can see." Jane admitted.
"Why aren't you going on missions?" Roman worried.
"Kurt and I thought I might be pregnant." Jane admitted.
Roman looked at her waist in concern, "Are you?"
"No," Jane denied, "Apparently someone implanted contraceptive in my arm in the missing months."
"What?" Roman looked at her in shock.
"I don't know what happened…" Jane felt herself tear up.
Roman looked down at her with a clenched fist.
"Where is Sheppard?" He demanded.
"I don't know," Jane admitted, "Neither does Kurt."
"You think she could have done this?" He worried.
"For a moment…" Jane admitted, "I thought it could be you."
"Me?" Roman looked down at her in consternation.
"You did try to kill me before," She reminded him.
"You know better than that," Roman chided her, "If I had actually wanted to kill you, I would have."
"So what was that all for then?" Jane demanded.
"I needed to know," Roman admitted, "If you really cared about me at all, or if it was all just about bringing down Sheppard."
"So you wanted me to shoot you for a test?" Jane looked at him stricken, "What if I had done it?"
"Then I wouldn't have wanted to live anyway," Roman told her, "But you didn't. It was only then that I realized that you really did care about me…and not just the mission. After everything I'd done…I couldn't even face you."
"What have you been doing all of this time?" Jane demanded.
"Living a normal life…for the first time," Roman admitted, "That is until you went missing. That's what pulled me back in, that's why we're sitting here right now."
"If all of that's true," Jane implored Roman, "Come back in with me."
"I still killed Emma," Roman reminded her, "I still tried to hurt you. Kurt will never forgive those things. I won't come between you."
"How long have I been out?" Jane worried.
"Twelve hours," Roman admitted, "The man I paid to bring you here, really didn't want any trouble."
"Kurt's going to be frantic," Jane realized.
"He is," Roman agreed.
"I need to get back," Jane insisted.
"I'll take you," Roman agreed, "But you need to be careful. I didn't do this to you,"
Roman placed a hood over Jane's head and drove for a while. When he removed it, she recognized that they were close to the office.
"How can I find you again?" Jane worried.
"I'll be around," Roman assured her. "If you need me I'll know."
Jane grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He looked at her before squeezing hers back.
Jane climbed from the car and watched him drive away before making her way to the elevator.
XX
Kurt was sitting in Patterson's lab while his team worked around him. He knew he needed to find her, but he couldn't even think. He was completely dependent on his team. He couldn't go another six months without her. Hell he couldn't go another six minutes…
"Kurt," Patterson repeated.
"Did you find her?" He stood and moved to her side.
"Not yet," Patterson denied, looking at him in concern.
He hadn't changed his clothes. Her blood was till on his clothing. Everyone had encouraged him to go change, but it was like he couldn't function. So he sat in the middle of his team, useless…desperate.
"What is it?" Kurt demanded focused.
"The ambulance headed out of the city," Patterson reminded him, "We lost it."
"I know that," Kurt said impatiently, "What do you know?"
"It was found abandoned in New Jersey," Patterson explained. "There were traces of Janes' blood, so we know it's the right one, but it had been whipped clean, no fingerprints, nothing."
"Where did it come from to begin with?" Kurt demanded, "Maybe we can find out who took it and that will lead us to Jane."
"Rich is looking into that," Patterson assured him.
"What about facial recognition?" Kurt looked over at Tasha, "Did the paramedic get a hit?"
"No," Tasha denied with a worried frown. "His hat partially blocks his face. We don't have enough for an id."
"What do we have?" Kurt demanded in frustration.
"Nothing yet," Reed admitted, "But we will find her."
Kurt turned away and headed out of the lab, his destination was his office. He needed a moment to gather his control.
"Kurt," Tasha worried, but he just kept walking.
Moving to the elevator he hit the call button. Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck he waited impatiently.
When the doors parted, he could only stare in disbelief. Jane stood before him. He actually shook his head in denial before his legs carried him to her side and his arms came around her gently.
"Are you okay?" He demanded in a broken voice.
"I'm fine," She assured him, reaching up to cup his face tenderly, "I'm sorry you were worried."
The doors closed behind him and since nobody had selected a floor, they were encased in their own private world. Kurt only turned long enough to hit the stop button before he was holding her tightly against him, his face buried in her neck. She felt the sobs that shook him and felt her own eyes fill with tears.
"I'm okay," She assured him rubbing the back of his head gently.
"What happened?" Kurt demanded pulling away to look down into her face, searching for signs of distress.
"Roman," Jane admitted.
"Roman," Kurt stiffened.
"He isn't responsible for the tattoos," Jane warned him.
"How do you know?" Kurt worried.
"He took me to find out what was going on." Jane explained.
"You were gone for fourteen hours," Kurt growled, "How long did that conversation take?"
"I was drugged by the paramedic," Jane explained, "We only talked about twenty minutes before he gave me a hood and drove me back here."
Kurt could feel the bandage around her waist and reached for the bottom of her shirt to inspect the damage for himself.
"Roman stitched me up," Jane assured him.
Shaking his head and closing his eyes, Kurt rested his forehead against hers.
"Let's go home," Kurt suggested, his hand cupping her neck.
"There's no place I'd rather be…" Jane agreed.
Kurt turned and it the button to turn the elevator back on. When the doors opened, he found Tasha and Reed standing there looking at them in varying stages of disbelief and relief.
"Jane!" It was Tasha that reacted first.
Her voice echoed and before long the lab had emptied as the others came to see what was going on.
Jane squeezed Tasha's hand while Reed placed his hand on her back in relief.
When Patterson saw her, Jane braced herself for her friend's teary embrace. It was a little awkward, because Kurt refused to release her.
"I'm fine," Jane assured them all.
Rich didn't come forward, but Jane could swear she saw him whip a tear away…
"Roman wanted to have a talk with his sister," Kurt explained to the room at large. "We can figure all of this out tomorrow. Let's go home and get some rest."
Before long, Jane found herself in their apartment. Kurt took his time cleaning her up. He wouldn't let her shower, but by the time he'd finished with his wet cloth, she was satisfied all the blood was gone. He only left her long enough to shower himself, before he gathered her against him in bed.
"I'd thought I lost you again," Kurt admitted with a shudder.
"I won't leave you," Jane assured him, "For any reason. If I'm able…I will always come back to you."
"Promise?" he demanded, holding her tightly.
"I promise," Jane assured him.
Closing his eyes in relief, Kurt held her while she slept. It was a while before he joined her, his arms never relaxing, his senses alert, he wouldn't lose her again. Nobody was taking her from him. God help anyone who tried.