Chapter 63

Dana hadtrouble hearing over the whoosh of her own heartbeat. Jake had just dropped the L word and then changed the subject in the same breath. She blinked through the sensation of whiplash, trying to focus on what he was saying about Claire.

"Where is she?" Dana asked, struggling to regain her composure.

"I'm right here," Claire answered, walking into the room.

Jake whirled around. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I thought you said she was in her room?" Dana interjected.

"I was," Claire insisted, but something in Jake's intimidating stance suddenly made her change her tune. "I mean, I was, but I just had to get some air."

Dana looked from Claire to Jake. The bulging vein in his neck was hard to miss, and it was enough to make anyone spill their secrets. But all Claire offered was a meek apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Jake stalked closer to Claire, his frame towering over her. She trembled in his presence, and rightly so. Dana had never seen Jake treat Claire with anything but kid gloves. But now, seeing him flip off his humanity and go full FBI interrogator on her raised an unexpected protectiveness in Dana.

She crossed the room to stand next to Claire in a show of solidarity. She didn't know what was going on between Claire and Jake, but whatever it was, she wanted everyone to remember they were on the same team.

"Hey," Dana interjected softly. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

Claire looked nervously at Jake, who gave an eventual nod.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"That's been established," Jake muttered. "What hasn't been is your whereabouts. Start talking."