Dani didn’t fight the exhaustion that pulled at her. She let it consume her and trusted in the man holding her to keep her safe. Jolting awake minutes or hours later, strong arms comforted her, and her lover's voice at her ear calmed her racing heart.

"It's okay, we’re pulling up to the aircraft. I'll carry you on board."

The vehicle emptied rapidly. Justin opened his door and carefully maneuvered them out. She would have objected, but exhaustion and whatever rush of adrenaline sustained her during the escape from the compound had drained away. Besides, her feet hurt. She held onto his neck as he climbed the ramp leading into the back of the military-style aircraft. The inside was the size of a small warehouse, and when the Jeeps were pulled in after them, she understood why.

"Here you go." Justin sat her down in a seat made of nylon straps. He kneeled at her feet and cupped her chin, keeping eye contact with her. "As soon as Doc looks at your injuries and we get some water and food into you, I'll explain everything. But first, we'll be taking off. Let me tell you from experience, you need to be strapped in."

She could see a hesitancy in him as he moved around her. It was foreign and unexpected. Dani caught his wrist as he used his fingertips to pull the harness over her shoulder. "Hey." He kept his head down for a moment before he lifted his eyes to hers. "What happened doesn't change anything. I'm not sure what is going on…why this happened to me, but none of this changes how I feel about you." She saw the moment her words registered. The light in his soul that had dimmed, flared, and he smiled that slow, sexy smile that had trapped so many women in the past. She lifted his hand and twisted his wrist bringing his raw palm up. She kissed a spot on his thumb that wasn't injured and whispered, "I love you."

He leaned in, so their foreheads were pressed together. He lifted his damaged hands and ran his fingertips down the sides of her face. His touch elicited a full body shudder. He drew a shaking breath. She could sense the emotion that ran through him. He whispered just loud enough that she could hear him, "You saw the real me, and you smiled. No one has ever done that. You looked past the wealth and the status, and you found me." He moved a few inches away, he glanced right and left making sure they were alone. "No one knows me. I've kept everyone away. My family has no idea who I really am. I'm an illusion to them. But, you…” his voice thickened and he swallowed once, “…you saw me. How can I not be completely lost in my love for you?" A tear slipped from his eye, blazing a slow path through the dirt and blood on his face.

Dani's heart swelled so big she felt like it was going to burst through her body. This sleek, debonair man who wore ten-thousand-dollar suits, and managed a multi-national company had laid his soul bare for her to see. She reached out and traced the tear with her finger. "Even if God were to take my eyes this minute, I would always see the man you are inside of the illusion." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

The emotion that flowed through them was a physical reaction of two unique persons combining to find in each other the perfect fit. Love consumed them, bound them together and made them both stronger together than they’d been alone.

"Yo, I kinda hate to break this up, but if you don't buckle up, your ass is going to be plastered against the back ramp." Jacob walked past as he spoke and slapped Justin on the shoulder.

Justin dropped his head and shook it.

"You've got an interesting family dynamic going on here." Danielle put her other arm through the harness and tried to figure out the buckling system.

"Here, let me." Justin used his fingers to bring the clasps together. "My brothers are...unique."

"More unique than Jade?" Danielle asked as he sat down beside her.

"Ahh...well, unique in a completely opposite way. Jade's just batshit crazy."

"Hey! I heard that!" Jade punched forward in her harness three seats down. Her hair flew forward at the movement. "I'm not crazy! Guardian has me tested! Once a year!"

Danielle blinked at Justin's sister.

The cabin was still for several seconds until laughter spilled into the hold of the aircraft. The engines roared, and the plane lurched forward sending her sideways into Justin who had just buckled his own harness. Dani tilted her head, laying it on Justin's shoulder. Her arm linked with his as the plane picked up speed. Goodness, she'd never flown in a transport plane before. The lurching and jarring as the aircraft raced down the runway was fifty times that of a passenger plane. She gritted her teeth and literally squealed as the aircraft shot up. Like, straight up! Not a moderate climb.

"It will level out in a minute," Justin yelled over the engine noise.

Dani grabbed his arm. "What is this? A rocket?" She yelled the question back to him. He grinned and winked. What kind of answer was that?

The aircraft banked suddenly and within a minute, leveled off. The red light that had been casting a glow over the cargo space blinked out, and a pale-yellow light appeared. As one person, everyone unbuckled their harnesses and started moving. Dani didn't. There was no way she was taking the harness off. One rocket ride was enough for her, thank you very much.

A blonde man with an eyepatch came across the bay. He carried a canvas backpack. "Hey, I'm Doctor Adam Cassidy. May I look at your injuries?" He knelt at her feet but didn't move to touch her.

She glanced at Justin who winked at her. Danielle turned her attention back to the doctor. "I'm sure it’s just a bunch of small cuts."

"I understand, but we don't know what cut you or if any of the lacerations need stitching. The foot takes all the weight of the body, and you don't want a wound to keep breaking open. Plus, you could've gotten dirt or foreign bodies embedded that could cause infection. When was your last tetanus shot?"

"Ummm...maybe high school?" Dani pulled her bottom lip between her teeth when the doctor gently lifted her foot and sat the heel on his thigh.

"Then, I'm going to recommend you let me give you that immunization, just to be safe. May I?" He nodded toward the gloved foot perched on his leg. She nodded and watched as he peeled the tape from around the wrist portion of the glove. He carefully cut the glove off the top of her foot. The material stuck to the sole of her foot. He pulled a small basin out of the backpack and opened a sealed bottle of water, pouring some into it before lowering her foot to soak. He repeated the process on the second foot and also placed it in the water. "We'll let that work to loosen the material for a couple minutes. You have quite a few scrapes and scratches." He motioned toward her arms and legs.

"The branches were brutal." She sighed. The mere mention of the injuries seemed to remind her body that she hurt.

"I don't want to be forward." He glanced up at Justin and motioned for him to squat down beside him. "I can see what appears to be a nasty rope burn on your thigh."

Justin blinked and moved the largest piece of her skirt that still clung to the waistband. "Damn it."

Danielle blinked at the comment. It wasn't like Justin to swear. She knew the rope had chaffed her skin, but she wasn't going to cry about it. She looked down and held the skirt to the top of her thighs, providing some semblance of privacy as she pulled the material away from her sore thigh.

"This is nothing compared to his hands." Dani pushed the filthy wool back over her legs. With her feet in water and her clothes in tatters, she was starting to get cold.

"I've asked Jade to set up an area over there for you to wash. You'll have to remain seated while you do it, so your feet don't get wet again. I want you to get as clean as possible. Then we'll attack those scrapes with some antibacterial cream."

The doctor turned towards Justin. "Let me see them." His tone was nowhere near as kind as when he talked to Danielle. Justin flipped his hands over, and the doctor shook his head.

"Alright. Sit your ass down." He pointed to the netted seat next to Dani. More sterile water was poured into another basin. He set it on Justin's lap and nodded at the plastic tray. Justin dunked his hands down and winced.

"Since we have a minute, would you please tell me what happened?" She rolled her head toward Justin.

He drew a deep breath and locked his stare with hers. "I couldn't reach you." He shrugged. "It wasn't like you, and I got worried. When Max told me that you’d missed two meetings without calling in, I freaked. I tried to get your father, but my call went to voicemail. By that time, I was at the airport, and I'd already called my brother."

Danielle examined his three brothers across the bay who were huddled in conversation. "Which one?"

Justin followed her glance. "None of them." She raised her eyebrows and turned back to him. "My brother Jason is the CEO of Guardian International. Jacob," he pointed to the man on the right wearing the arsenal of weaponry, "is in charge of international operations. Jared, the one in the middle, is the CEO of Domestic Operations and Joseph, the one on the left, well, I'm not sure what he does anymore, but I think he used to work with Jacob. Jade is now one of the people in charge of the Personal Security contingent Guardian has under Domestic Operations. My sister Jewell is in charge of the cybersecurity element. Her fiancé works for Guardian as well. Jasmine is the only one who no longer works for the company."

Dani dropped her eyes and watched the doctor as he tended to her feet. There were several deep lacerations.

He looked up. "Don't worry, it gets easier."

"The cuts?" Danielle was confused as to how it would get easier, because what he was doing stung.

He laughed and lifted her foot, examining the arch. "No, figuring out who is who and what they do."

"What do you do?" Dani asked on reflex.

"Well, I'm the Chief Medical Officer at a complex Guardian runs in South Dakota."

Danielle swung her attention to Justin. "Where your mom lives?"

"Yes." Justin didn't lift his eyes from what the doctor was doing to her feet.

"So, she's Guardian?" Dani glanced back down at the doctor.

The doctor looked up briefly with a smile. "No, she's married to Frank Marshall. He owns the ranch where the complex is located. Frank is my wife's father. Jacob," the doctor, nodded at the walking arsenal, "Is married to my wife's sister."

"Frank's daughters?" She glanced at Justin. "So, your brother is married to your mom's husband's daughter? He's married to his step-sister?"

Justin's brow furrowed. "Technically, but Jacob and Tori were married before Frank and Mom married. So, it isn't the way it sounds."

Danielle snorted. "It sounds complicated." She leaned against him and plodded through the information dump. She blinked and slid up, so she could turn and look at Justin. "You said Jasmine was the only sibling not working for Guardian."

He nodded.

She pointed a finger at him."That means you work for Guardian."

"I do."

"And how exactly does that work? You work more hours at JK Holdings than any other person on your staff. When do you find time to work for Guardian?"

Justin moved in his seat, sloshing the water in the basin.

The doctor looked up at him and lifted an eyebrow. "I'd love to know the same thing."

Justin shot the doctor a look that could kill and cleared his throat.

Dani glanced around and noticed all of the people in the cargo hold were standing nearby in a loose semi-circle. He shrugged. "Remember how I told you I got into some trouble and went to jail while I was in college?"

Dani didn't get the chance to acknowledge his words before Jade let loose with a peel of laughter. "Holy Shit! Perfect Justin has a criminal record!"

"No, I don't, brat." Justin drew a breath and slumped into his chair. "Gabriel cleared my record. I was caught breaking and entering a building downtown. I'd managed to deactivate the alarm systems, but some nosey old woman walking her rat of a dog saw me entering. She called the cops. They arrested me for trespassing because they couldn't prove I'd deactivated the alarm. Gabriel showed up and took me back to the dorm. He gave me an ultimatum. I chose to go to work with him. I couldn't face the alternative."

“Juvenile detention?” Dani asked.

“Juvie? No.” He appealed to his family. "He was going to tell Mom.” Several of his brothers visibly winced. “Anyway, Gabriel found the best locksmiths and alarm systems engineers for me apprentice under. I worked learning my trade while I was on summer vacation, and when I had downtime. In return, he got me access to the finest chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs in the business. I worked my ass off to be the best at both careers."

"So, the restaurants are a smoke screen?" The brother she thought was Jared asked.

"No, that is my passion. I love it. What I do for Guardian happens once, maybe twice a year, sometimes more, but it isn't frequent. Working for Jason gives me another type of release, I guess. It is a rush. Pure and simple. I live for the rush."

He finally glanced at Dani. She smiled at him and winked, needing him to know that she was more than okay with his need for adrenaline. "That's why Guardian sent you to help rescue me? To break into the compound?" The doctor was wrapping her feet in a dry gauze bandage.

"Yes, except there were no alarms." Justin looked up at Jacob, who cast a glance at the dark, brooding brother, the one who'd stopped that madman from killing both her and Justin. Joseph...maybe?

Tall, dark and broody nodded and glanced around the semi-circle before he looked directly at Justin. "Jason couldn't send you without a verifiable need. Each of us, with the exception of Double D over there, have been where you were. Stopping you from coming on this operation wasn't an option. You needed to be here for your woman."

"How did you three get here?" Justin motioned to him, Jared and Jade.

"Low-level drop." Joseph shrugged as if it were nothing.

"Hell, yes! It was awesome!" Jade let out a whoop of joy.

"Never fucking happening again!" Jared spat the words out and was immediately pelted with catcalls and laughter.

"Okay, the next question is why are you here?" Justin looked and sounded perplexed.

"Because you're family, dickhead. No matter how far you push us away. You're family," Jared said and then looked from Justin to Joseph. Joseph raised a single eyebrow and stared at his brother, not flinching or giving an inch. Jared finally glanced back to Justin. Dani assumed there were all sorts of words being exchanged that weren’t spoken aloud, but shifted her attention from the testosterone laden battle of wills in front of her when the doctor patted her leg and moved to tend Justin's hands. "But why Libya? I mean I was in a cab, then the man who'd been following me—"

"Excuse me?" Justin cut her off.

"Remember that older gentleman from the lodge? The one I thought I'd seen in Perth? He was the one driving the cab. After I woke up, I figured I was taken for ransom because of what he said. But for what? God...how is my dad?"

Jacob scratched his jaw and glanced at Jared. Dani saw the subtle shake of the man's head. Jacob dropped his hand and laid it on his automatic. Almost as if he was reassuring himself it was still there. "Your dad was working with another security company trying to figure out how to get you back. When Justin got us involved, we pulled the ‘national security’ card and sent the other players packing. If I had to guess, he is still at Guardian waiting for word we are on approach before he hightails it to the flight line. I might add that we were all impressed with his integrity. Jewell ran a microscope up his company's ass. He runs a tight ship. Something we all appreciate."

Dani nodded, but when no more information was forthcoming she asked, "Why was I drugged and taken to Libya?"

"You were being held by a terrorist organization. We aren't sure of the connections or how they knew your father had a new weapon. They wanted him to surrender the armament his people developed. If it fell into the wrong hands, it could be devastating on several levels," Justin answered, without looking at his brothers for permission.

"Which weapon?" Dani racked her brain trying to think of which R&D project that a terrorist group would want enough to kidnap her. Not that she knew all the projects.

Justin shrugged. "Does it matter?" Dani heard the inflection change in Justin's voice. It was minuscule, but it was there. He'd been forced to violate his beliefs today. The man hated weapons, and yet he picked up that assault rifle and protected his brother's team and her.

Jade held out her hand. "Danielle, if you'll follow me I'll take you to where you can clean up. We've scrounged up some clothes. They won't fit. These assholes are massive, but at least they brought extras."

Danielle glanced at Justin again. He gave her a small smile and nodded for her to follow Jade. She lifted up and grasped Jade's hand. She had to. The needles shooting through the bottom of her feet made her gasp. Justin lurched toward her, almost knocking the doctor on his ass.

Jared stepped forward and swept her off her feet. "Let me carry you. Justin can give you a ride back when his hands are bandaged and taped."

She glanced at Justin. She could see his desire to be the one to help her, but he needed his own injuries tended. Danielle blushed at being held by one of his brothers but thanked him because, alone, she wouldn't have made it across the metal plating to the corner Jade had sectioned off.

"Here. Take this. It will ease the pain." Doc shook out two tablets. "By the time you get back, you'll be feeling better."

Danielle popped the pills and took a drink from the bottle of water someone thrust in front of her. Jared carried her across the metal plating. It was rigid and had holes in it. She grimaced at the thought of walking across it. He gently set her down on a hard, black, plastic box. "Thank you...for everything." She smiled up at him.

"There is nothing I wouldn't do for him, or for you. It is what family does."

Dani blinked and shook her head. "I wouldn't know. It is just my dad and me."

"Well, get used to too many people in your business. They mean well, but...you know...brothers," Jade snarked as she approached with three liter size bottles of water and an armful of material.

"I'll take that as my cue to leave." Jared stood and turned. He smiled at Jade. "We are the best brothers in the world."

"Yeah, yeah. Get yourself out of here so she can get cleaned up." Jade winked at Danielle as she closed off the blanketed portion of the corner. "Okay my new BFF, time to get you out of those rags and cleaned up. I hope you're not bashful."

Dani glanced at the blanket and back toward Jade. "I lost bashful when I had to pee in a bucket in a terrorist jail cell."

"Oh hell, woman, you and I are going to get along just fine." Jade threw down the clothes on another plastic box and set down the water bottles. Dani started taking off the shredded material she still wore. She knew without a doubt she'd get along with all of Justin's family, because they loved Justin. No matter how crazy or unique they were, she'd love them in return.