In Dublin, Ireland for more than a week and the only thing Joslynn Ashburn had seen was the inside of the hotel and now this dark pub. This wasn’t how the trip was supposed to turn out. It had been intended as a romantic getaway with a little work on the side, but it ended up being full of work and zero romance. The moments she had with Sal were few and far between and when she did see him, there was nothing fun about it. If anything, the experience was teetering on the edge of violent.

A breath caught in her lungs as the pub door opened. Fearful it was Sal, she scooted further into the booth, hoping the darkness from the pub would keep her hidden. A couple walked in, locked in an embrace.

Seeing them together made her long for what they appeared to have. But, reality had already shown her that relationships were not always what they seemed, and even though the couple appeared to be happy, there might be dark secrets hiding beneath the surface.

“Hey there, lass.”

Lost in her thoughts about relationships and couples, she hadn’t noticed one of the guys from the bar had moseyed up to her table. As she turned her attention to him, she caught the pungent aroma of alcohol rolling off him in waves. The scent was so strong she would have thought he’d bathed in it, but from the way he could barely stay upright, she had no doubt that he’d drunk it.

Not wanting to cause any problems, she kept quiet and took the man in. His dark hair was shaggy, nearly reaching his ears, and his jaw was covered with a day’s growth, giving him a more unkempt appearance. Something about the way he looked at her made her heart race and her chest tighten.

“Let me buy you a drink and get to know you.”

“I…um….” Needing a place to hide and get out of the rain until she could figure out what to do, she didn’t want any issues. Telling this guy to get lost could bring unnecessary attention to her sitting in the dark corner, nursing a soda. Yet, allowing him to join her would lead him on.

“Come on.” The man stepped closer and leaned down toward her. “A young lass like yourself alone in a bar—what else could you be looking for?”

“I’m…”

“Back off.” A deep, gruff voice cut through the thick air between them.

“Screw you man, I was here first.”

“Doubt that.” He slipped into the booth next to her and slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Hey babe, sorry I’m late.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at the man sitting beside her. His appearance might have changed since the last time she’d seen him but there was no doubt that voice belonged to her brother’s best friend, Chip Olson. As the sound of her own heartbeat filled her ears, their gazes locked on one another. With every blink, she realized he was actually there in front of her, but she still couldn’t believe her eyes. How had he found her?

“What the hell?”

Chip turned his attention back to the other man. “Get lost. My fiancée and I have plans.”

The man stumbled back, mumbling something Joslynn didn’t catch. As he did she turned to face Chip, whose arm stayed around her shoulders.

“What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?” A couple of months had passed since she’d seen him and it looked as if he’d spent most of that time in the gym. For as long as she had known him he’d always been toned, yet now his muscles were more defined.

“Your cell phone.”

“What?” The question came out louder than she expected, causing the bartender to glance in their direction.

“Yesterday…hell, it might have been the day before with the time difference. I don’t know.” He glanced around the dark bar as if he was looking for someone. “I stopped by your apartment and Annie was there. She told me what was happening.”

“She told you.” Even as disbelief bubbled within her, she knew she shouldn’t be surprised. Annie and Chip were cousins and they were close. She would have confided in him without thinking anything about it. “Still that doesn’t explain why you’re here or why you hacked my cell phone to find me. How is that even possible?”

“Friends,” he stated as if it explained everything. “Come on, let’s go somewhere else.”

“Ah…” She wasn’t even sure why she tried to argue. What was she going to say? Instead, she grabbed her bag and followed him as he rose from the booth. Guilt coursed through her as realization dawned on her. If Chip’s here, Jack knows.

Being deployed, her brother could be in a dangerous territory and the last thing she wanted was to be the reason his head wasn’t in the action. If he got hurt because of her, she’d never be able to forgive herself. Stay safe Jack.

* * *

After Chip stepped off the plane, the only thing he wanted was a stiff drink but the moment he walked into the bar and found Joslynn sitting there, the need for alcohol disappeared. All he could think about was getting her out of there to somewhere safe. The way the guy watched them, even after Chip had told him she was his fiancée, unnerved him. The darkened atmosphere made it harder for him to see everything and played havoc with his already deteriorated vision. They needed to make their exit before the alcohol could give the other man any stupid ideas.

Leading her out of the bar, he made sure to keep his arm on her. He wanted to say that it was all part of playing his role as fiancé. Though, if he was honest with himself, he didn’t want to let go of her. The concern and anger that rushed through him when he heard of her situation had drove him to the brink as he made his way across the ocean to her.

Outside the rain had begun to fall again, making him wish he’d brought a jacket with him. Without one, he used it as an excuse to keep her close. Drawing her tight against his body, he guided her down the sidewalk in the direction he’d come from only minutes before.

“Where are we going?”

“I got a hotel room. It’s just up the street.”

“Hotel room.” She stumbled as she looked up at him.

“It’s a place we can talk. Then you can…” He wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Go back to that asshole? No, that wasn’t an option.

“Can what?” she pushed.

“Anything you want, Jos. Anything.” Except go back to him.

Between the rain and the late hour, the roads were clear. Still, he scanned the area looking for any threats. Even as a civilian, he wasn’t able to stop. His training had kept him alive while overseas and now, even with his injuries, he was still in warrior mode. They took me out of the fight, but they can’t take the fight out of me.

That thought had gotten him through months of rehab and had somehow became his motto to live by. He wasn’t giving up and he wasn’t about to allow Jos to give up, either. Even in the dim light of the bar he could see she was cracked from what had happened, but he wasn’t going to allow it to break her. He’d do what he could to pull her through it, just like she had done for him. She didn’t know how much her messages to him after his accident had meant to him, but it was time to show her. She had been his rock and now he’d return the favor.