“You in?” Max asked, and Ashlynn realized he was talking to her.

“What do you need?”

“Jase.”

Ashlynn nodded.

From the sound of things, they were looking for some backup, and she was willing to do whatever her brother needed. Especially if it meant she didn’t have to sit around and do nothing for the rest of the night.

Max turned to Leyton. “If we need Jase to help, I want you to keep an eye on my sister.”

Leyton’s grunt was affirmation, although he didn’t sound too happy about that plan.

No way. Nuh-uh. If Leyton stuck around, she would be twiddling her thumbs while he glared at her from across the room.

“Take him with you,” Ashlynn told Max. “We’ll be fine here. This place is a fortress.”

Her brother didn’t look thrilled with the suggestion, but Ashlynn wasn’t going to back down. “I’ve got Leo and Teddy. I don’t need him, too.”

Ashlynn spared Leyton a look, saw the way his eyes burned with something akin to frustration, possibly anger. When she turned back to Max, she was happy to see his nod of acceptance.

Now that that was over, it was time for another drink.

Chapter Four

Helping the good guys. Can you say ‘ironic’?

“Where the fuck is Max?” Courtney yelled into the communication device she’d been outfitted with before the others had disappeared twenty minutes ago.

Jase had been informed that he would be needed as backup, and though helping out with situations like this weren’t in his job description, he’d learned that when Max said jump, he jumped. Well, technically, when Ashlynn gave the order, he followed. But tonight, Max had been the one needing help, and Ashlynn had offered his assistance.

So here he was.

“I want all four of you to check in right now, dammit,” Courtney declared, looking at no one in particular as she spoke.

Jase had no idea what was happening on the other end of that comm link, but he waited patiently for Courtney to tell him what she needed him to do. Had he been in charge, he would’ve grabbed the M4 hidden in the back panel of the SUV, waltzed right in, and made his presence known. But according to what he’d heard, the S1S team preferred stealth, which meant his plan was out.

So instead of offering a solution, Jase had piled into the back of Max’s armored Escalade along with Sal, Dane, and Leyton a short while ago while Rock got behind the wheel and Courtney joined them in the passenger seat.

“I’m bringin’ backup with me,” Courtney declared. “Be there in two.” Courtney twisted in her seat and glanced back at them. “They’ve got an army of twelve, or so I’m told. Most of them are in the house, so I’m gonna try to distract them.” Courtney looked directly at Jase. “I’m gonna lure them to the Escalade, and I want this done as quietly as possible. So you be ready.”

Jase nodded. Something else he was good at, aside from protecting the life of one of the most wanted women in the state of Texas, was mixed martial arts. It’d been a means of survival in his younger days, something he’d found he was quite good at. Thanks to the teacher he’d had, who had been willing to train a worthless kid with no hope for a future, Jase had come out the other side with a skill he’d honed over the years.

When the Escalade came to a stop, he got out, checked his Sig, then took a spot behind the armored vehicle while Courtney ventured up to the house with Rock in tow. To his surprise, Leyton joined him.

“What’re you doin’?” he asked Leyton, keeping his eyes on Courtney and Rock as they made their way up the intricate walkway toward the front door.

“Backup,” Leyton grumbled.

For whatever reason, Leyton didn’t speak much to Jase these days. Why that was, he couldn’t figure out, other than the man was clearly in denial. It was evident that Leyton was attracted to him, and had been for quite some time. And yes, Jase returned that attraction, had even attempted to get Leyton to see it, to no avail. The man was rather stubborn, that was for damn sure.

Even now, as the two of them stood side by side, shielded from view by the Escalade, Jase got the impression Leyton was trying to keep his distance. Hell, the man should’ve just stayed in the SUV for all the good it was doing to have him there.

Not that Jase had time to worry about Leyton at the moment. He was there for a job, and he took that seriously.

He’d been kept in the dark for most of what this mission was about, but he didn’t really need to know the logistics. He was focused, but mostly because he needed to get back to the house and check on Ashlynn. He hated leaving her, didn’t trust anyone else to keep her safe, but they’d all agreed that bringing her with them would only be an added liability. Which was how she’d ended up staying back with Teddy and Leo.

Before he’d left, Ashlynn had told him how she’d insisted that Leyton go along with them because she didn’t particularly care to have him glaring at her. The thought made him smile, followed by an assortment of dirty thoughts that ran amuck in his oversexed brain. He was surprised that Ashlynn hadn’t taken advantage of the situation and worked her magic on Leyton. The guy was pretending not to be interested, but Jase knew better, knew it was only a matter of time before they cracked that tough exterior and convinced Leyton to take a walk on the wild side.

“It’s in the Escalade,” Courtney said, her voice syrupy sweet and so unlike her Jase had to peer around the corner of the vehicle just to make sure it was really her. He had to assume she was talking about the painting the Sniper 1 team had stashed there before they’d headed out. “I was hopin’ you boys could help me get it. It’s kinda heavy.”

Yep. They had company, all right, and she was luring them right where she wanted them.

Jase waited until Courtney and her newly acquired entourage had made it to the Escalade. When she made her move, he snuck around and helped, taking one of the guys down with a quick blow to the back of the head while Courtney disengaged two others. He had no idea how many more there were, or if there would be more joining them, but he knew, for now, his sole responsibility was to keep an eye on Courtney. Rock had clearly been detained at the house, but that, too, had been the plan.

Most people wouldn’t go up against Rock—due to his sheer size and the menacing look on his face—which also meant they didn’t trust him. Not that Jase blamed them. Going up against Rock was just stupid, unless, of course, you were in the mood to get taken down.

“Three out here,” Courtney noted, her gaze on the house.

Jase wanted to ask her what was happening, but he knew better. She was already a mess, though on the outside, she was just as put together and calm as usual. She was likely worried about Max being inside the house. But Jase knew Max. The guy could take care of himself.

Honing his patience, Jase waited beside Courtney and Leyton. Ready for whatever came next.

Half an hour later, after that relatively uneventful outing, Jase was back at Max’s house with Ashlynn. Max had taken Courtney to the hospital because apparently one of the guys had been shot, the bullet shattering his elbow. Or so Jase had heard during the commotion afterward. Not that he’d stuck around long enough to find out everything that had gone down. When Rock had commanded him to get back in the Escalade, he’d done so without question. Last fucking thing he needed was to have a run-in with the cops. Although the Adorites had some pretty powerful people on their payroll, that didn’t mean he was willing to take any unnecessary risks. So he’d climbed in the backseat while Leyton rode shotgun. For the few minutes it took to get back to Max’s, Jase had spent nearly every second staring at Leyton, wondering just how long it would be before the sexy-as-sin man finally gave in.