A month later, Jade ran for her life. The streets of San Francisco were covered in pounding rain, and her heels slipped several times on the wet cement.

Jade clutched at her purse, where she had hidden the item that had instantly changed her life forever. Now, two very large men were chasing her for it.

She slipped into an alley and found a dumpster to hide behind. Jade pressed her back up against it and tried to catch her breath. She pushed at the wet strands of red hair that were plastered to her face with her shaking hand. The sound of clamoring feet approaching her had Jade holding her breath and saying a silent prayer.

"You look down that way. I'm going to check out these stores," a gruff voice called.

Jade slowly squatted down behind the dumpster.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" another voice called down the alley.

She heard the banging of trash cans as he knocked them over. Jade pressed a hand to her red lips to prevent any sobs from coming out.

Jade could feel her tears streaming down her face, which was drenched in rain. She was sure her makeup was a mess, even though that should have been the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. Always self conscious, Jade thought, shaking her head.

She couldn't help it. Jade was teased relentlessly in middle school and high school. It was hard to not be scarred by that.

Every time Jade looked in a mirror, despite her being in the best shape of her life, having straight teeth from those horrible braces, and finally having had Lasik eye surgery to correct her awful vision, she still felt like she wasn't good enough, not pretty enough, and someone that no one looked twice at.

It wasn't surprising to her that when she was about to die that she'd be thinking about how she looked.

"Just come on out and give me the thumb drive. No one's going to hurt you if you hand it on over," the voice of her boss' cronie called.

Jade looked down at her purse considering it. These were businessmen. They weren't street criminals. So, she found evidence her boss had been embezzling, so what? She heard of companies doing it all the time. If she just turned over the thumb drive, she could just quit her job and get another one elsewhere. No big deal.

The gun in her face snapped her back to reality.

"Come on. Hand it over, Jade, and this will all be over," her boss said, almost apologetically.

Jade was glad that he felt a bit sorry for involving her in his scheme. She had actually liked him as a boss. He had always treated her well, and she'd never had any problems working with him.

That was until she had seen her past few bank statements. The first one, Jade and the bank had dismissed it as a mistake.

Obviously, the company had put all of the employees paychecks accidentally into Jade's account, and once they had realized their mistake, they had moved it out within the same day.

The second pay period, Jade had called the payroll office to find out why it had happened again, and they claimed to have no knowledge of the matter. They asked if the amount she was supposed to get in her paycheck was in her account? She had replied that it was, and the rest had been moved back out. They had said, "then we don't see the problem here."

Jade had shrugged and she figured that they were right, and if it didn't bother them, then it shouldn't bother her. But when it happened a third time...Jade knew that something fishy was going on and began looking into it herself.

She didn't want to have any problems come tax time because her bank account showed millions of dollars coming and going in and out of her bank account.

And Jade was sure that something illegal was happening. One mistake, she could understand. Possibly two mistakes, even. But when a third time had occurred, then the company had to be the ones making it happen on purpose. Or someone did.

It had to be on purpose as Jade had reported it three times. It should have been resolved. It was millions of dollars. It wasn't only five dollars where they wouldn't be concerned about the error. Why, oh, why, had she looked into it herself?

Jade should have gone straight to the police or the FBI with her suspicions. And now she had proof, her first thought had been to run to the authorities but her boss and his goon had been coming out of his office when she was leaving to do just that. They had read the terrified expression on her face and tried to stop her.

Her running to stay in shape had helped her escape the office but they had caught up to her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." she said, her back sliding up the wall, as she got up.

"I'm sure you are, honey. Now, just give me the thumb drive, and we can all go home and forget about this, huh?" her boss said gently and held out his hand expectantly.

"Forget about it?! The bitch knows too much!" another voice said from around the dumpster and aimed his gun right at her.

"I'm a businessman. We can settle this in a civilized manner!" Mr. Jeffries exclaimed, turning to him.

"Well, I'm not," the other guy glared at him.

Jade used their sudden lack of attention on her and ran.

They cursed and ran after her. Shots with the ping of a silencer rang out, and Jade screamed. No one except anyone close by would have heard the shots. Only her screams would bring attention to what was happening.

Jade made her way through another alley way. She had to get more public! They wouldn't shoot her if there were people around. Would they? She headed south towards where the bars and clubs were located.

She slipped again, falling on her knees and ripping her black hose. Jade scrambled for her purse and kicked off her high heels, which were slowing her down, and ignored the pain from her scraped knees and legs.

Jade sobbed as she reached the main drag. She heard people. Music. Life.

She threw herself into the crowd pushing her way through. Jade pushed herself onwards. Where would she go? Who could she call? They knew who she was and where she lived. Soon they would know who her friends were, her family...

Jade saw a familiar place and opened the door to go inside. She shook the rain off of her and clutched her hands across her body in self warmth.

The restaurant was busy, but not packed. Would she be safe in there? Would they see her if she casually took a table in the corner?

The bathroom! She could hide in there for ten minutes, half an hour, and then they would be gone, looking for her somewhere else.

Jade moved through the restaurant into the bar area. She spotted the bathroom, then looked around to see if anyone would see her go in. There was only one set of eyes that met hers. Emerald gems in the dim light of the club.

"Are you okay, darlin'?" he walked towards the end of the bar, a frown, and perhaps a worried look on his face.

She bit her lip. It was nice having someone worry about her. A man, someone. Even if he was a stranger.

"Would you mind if I use the bathroom?" Jade glanced over her shoulder, back towards the front door and then back at the friendly bartender.

It'd be so nice to tell him what was going on. To have someone to lean on, to talk to, to get advice from, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright. But Jade couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell anyone.

"Sure, sweetheart, go right ahead."

Jade took a step towards the bathroom.

"Wait up a sec..." he ducked behind the bar.

She tingled at being called sweetheart. Jade knew he didn't mean anything by it. He probably said that to all the women customers. But hearing him say it- it made her feel special.

"Here," the bartender held out a couple of white, dry, bar towels.

"Oh, thank you!" Jade gratefully took them from him.

Tears spilled down her face. That simple act of kindness shook her. She was in fear for her life by men that wanted to kill her. And he was a man that was being nice to her.

He had always been nice to her since the night they first met, and there hadn't been that many men in her life that had been good to her.

Jade hoped that he wouldn't notice her crying in gratitude, and that her tears would just blend into her rain soaked face.

"Hey, hey," he put his hands gently on her arms. Her breath hitched at his touch. "Are you okay? What happened?"

His fingers pinched the sleeve of her shirt and pulled it gently away from her skin. "God, you're soaking wet."

She nodded numbly. Jade didn't know what to say, and all she wanted to do was to step into his warm embrace and beg him to protect her.

Jade needed someone, she couldn't deal with this on her own or at all. She wanted her life back the way it was before she'd discovered what her boss had been doing.

"Um.." Jade nervously glanced over her shoulder to the front door, "I need to use your bathroom," she reluctantly stepped away from him and walked quickly to it.

****************************

Lawson watched her go in. He was concerned about the state of her. He would be patient and wait until she came back out to find out what the hell happened. Because she was shaking from more than being caught in a rain storm.

He went over to the other end of the bar where a couple of new customers had sat down, and placed their orders while keeping an eye on the bathroom door, as well as, the front door. It hadn't escaped him that she had been nervously watching the front door and was scared of whoever might walk in.

"Hey, you, bartender," a brute of a guy approached the bar a few minutes later, "have you seen a pretty little redhead come in here?"

"I've see a lot of 'em," Lawson shrugged carelessly. "Any one in particular?"

Law dried a glass, held it up as if to examine it for spots, but really he was examining the bulge in the man's jacket. He rubbed the glass again, ignoring his growing need to pull his own gun from under the bar.

"She's...ah...a classy lady. Great bod but all covered up like a nun. White shirt, dark blue skirt. Would've come in the past few minutes."

"Ah, yeah, sure. She used the bathroom and left about...I don't know...maybe five minutes ago. Looked in a hurry."

"That'd be her. Thanks, buddy."

"Anytime," Lawson shrugged like he didn't give a damn. He watched the guy hurry back through the restaurant and out the front door.

He pulled out his cell phone and studied the room. There was nobody but him and a couple of regular drunks. Lawson's other customers had moved into the restaurant as a table had become available.

Gus had the drunks checked out from the very beginning, and they were legitimate drunks. They were not anyone else watching out for Jade.

"Follow the guy coming out of the restaurant," Law murmured into his phone, under his breath. "What?! Where the hell are you? What's going on?" he watched the room since his voice had risen, but the drunks were too busy falling asleep on the bar.

"You were supposed to be follow..." he said. "Jesus, what good are you?! No, no, I don't want to hear it! This isn't going as planned. I'm going another way with this. Let Martinez know and remain close, but not too close."

Lawson turned off his phone in frustration and put it back in his pocket.

"Damn it," he muttered and threw the dish rag across the bar in frustration.

He waited for her to come out from the bathroom. There was no exit from it, except for the door. There wasn't even a window. It was a stupid mistake on her part, in Lawson's mind. You always have to have another way out.

Law kept an eye on the bathroom door and the front door. It was, at least, another half an hour before she came out.

Jade sat down on a stool at the end of the bar, shivering so hard he could hear her teeth clatter.

"Can I help you, darlin'?" Law asked as gently as he could. It was difficult as he was so angry.

He wanted to hurt the men that had obviously chased her here. Law was angry that she was involved with the whole situation.

And Law was angry that he couldn't tell Jade yet that he was there to protect her. And, of course, Law was angry that he had failed that day to protect her.

He hadn't been there when Jade had needed him, and it killed him. Just like it killed him when he couldn't protect...Lawson counted in his head. God, the list was growing...

Lawson shook off the memories of everyone he had failed. He couldn't think about that now. He had to focus on Jade.

"Do you have any hot tea?"

"You're shivering." Law took one of her cold hands in his.

"I got a little wet." Jade pulled her hand away nervously and put the towels that he had given her onto the bar. They were soaking wet, despite the little good that they had did drying her.

"We don't have tea here. Maybe over at the restaurant. But, I don't think you look in any condition to go over there," he said gently, looking her over.

Lawson had taken notice of what she looked like when she had entered the restaurant. Her makeup was streaked down her face. Her hair was a mess. Her white blouse was plastered to her skin barely covering anything any longer. Her skirt was crooked and torn. Her knees were bloody and her stockings were ruined. Her painted pink toes were poking out of large holes in her stockings. She carried no shoes, having had deserted them somewhere along the way.

"Plus, they have a no shoes, no service policy." He attempted a comforting smile.

"Oh, my God! I forgot! I'm so, so sorry!" her face finally growing a little color as she blushed ashamed of her condition.

She quickly covered one foot over the other, though he could no longer see her feet from behind the bar.

"Jade, um, I'm getting off my shift now. Is there anywhere that I can take you?"

"I'm alright."

"Oh, you look alright. And the guy with the gun under his jacket looked alright, as well," he said, eying her.

If she wasn't already as white as a sheet, he would have thought that the blood would have drained right then from her face.

"Please, come with me. I swear that you can trust me," Lawson said gently, taking her hand.

"I don't know you," she cried and tried to take her hand back.

"You can trust me," he repeated. She didn't move. "Look, it's either me or the guy that's looking for you."

"Okay," she nodded in agreement, not knowing what else she could do.

She trusted this handsome bartender, even though he was a virtual stranger, a thousand times more than the men chasing her. She'd known her boss for years. "I'll go with you."

"I'll be right back," he told her, squeezing her hand reassuringly, before heading over to the other bartender, who had thankfully just walked in to start his shift.

Lawson didn't really have a shift. He could come and go as he pleased, being that his working at the bar was dependent on when Jade would be there.

The other bartenders just thought that he was part-time. He was just picking up a few hours here and there to make a little cash on the side of whatever his real job was. No one had cared to even ask.

The new bartender nodded at whatever her savior had said to him. Her handsome knight, took off his apron from around his waist and walked around the bar to her.

"Let's go," he put out his hand for her to take. She slid off the stool and walked ahead of him, leaving his hand empty, because she couldn't rely on some silly dream of a knight in shining armor.

Though he was giving her a ride to... somewhere, that didn't mean that she was going to depend on him. Jade had to depend on herself. Like she had always done.

Lawson opened the front door and looked around to see if he could see anyone suspicious. It looked clear despite the weather.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand before she could protest again and led her out into the rain.

They quickly walked a few blocks and came to a black car. He opened the passenger door, and she quickly got in. "Mind telling me why this guy's looking for you?" he asked as they pulled away.

She shivered in her seat. He flicked on the heat and turned the fans on full blast, pointing them towards her.

"Where do you live?"

Jade turned quickly to him. "No, they'll find me there!"

Law firmly set his teeth, frustrated that she wasn't telling him anything. "My place then," he ground out.

"Oh, I couldn't," she gasped, suddenly feeling very vulnerable to be in a car with a man she didn't even know.

He looked her over again in concern."Police station?"

"No. No, not yet. I have to think. I just have to think." Jade wiped at the rain water and tears covering her face.

Lawson studied her. Jade was definitely in trouble. He cursed her shadows for losing her and letting whatever happen to her happen.

Damn rookie agents. They would be hearing it from him as soon as he had the chance to get them face to face. And they would live to regret ever taking their eyes off the ball. He glanced over at the ball.

"Look, darlin', come to my place. I'll get you some dry clothes. That hot tea you wanted. Then you can think. And then you can decide what you want to do. I'll help you do whatever it is you want to do. No questions asked, if you want."

"Thank you," Jade answered and looked over to him gratefully. "Really."

She was at a loss for words. Thank you wasn't enough, but Jade didn't have the energy, physically or mentally, to think of anything better to say in gratitude.

"No problem," he replied, looking at her tired face with concern.

God, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms, warm her up, and reassure her that he would protect her. That he wouldn't let anyone hurt her on his watch.

****************************

Law took her to his undercover apartment. His home away from home. Lawson really lived with two other agents, his best friends, who walked around with guns pretty much glued to their sides. It wouldn't be a good place to take her until she was more stable. Right now, she would run if she saw a gun, or another person.

He led her shaking body through the garage, into the elevator, down the hall, through his front door, to his bedroom, and then pushed her gently into the adjoining bathroom.

"Here. Take a hot shower. I'll leave some dry clothes on the bed. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." He shut the door gently behind him.

Jade stood in the middle of the bathroom in shock. She turned to the mirror seeing herself for the first time since that morning.

In the bathroom at the restaurant, she had gone straight into a stall and sat Indian style on top of a closed toilet seat. Jade had stayed there as long as she thought was necessary. She hadn't even thought to look into the bathroom mirror at her condition.

The view was quite a difference from her perfectly made up face, and her perfectly swept up French twist, she had gone to work that morning.

Now, her hair was now half up and half down; mostly down, and extremely tangled. Her mascara, that had once framed her sky blue eyes, was now streaked down her cheeks in ugly, black smudges.

Jade was freezing cold and was shaking uncontrollably. The thought of a hot shower sounded like heaven, even if it was in a stranger's apartment. A handsome stranger whom she wouldn't half mind joining her in the shower.

She shook her head at the thought. Like that would ever happen. Jade concentrated to make her unsteady hands work the buttons of her blouse, and she pulled it away from her skin with a wet slopping sound. She set it in the sink.

Next off was her bra and then her skirt. Jade grimaced as she pulled the hose away from her scratched knees, legs, and even her feet. She tossed the hose in a trash can that was conveniently next to the toilet.

Jade stepped into the glass shower box and turned on the water, letting the heat of it slowly warm her up.

When she finally felt a little warmer, cleaner, and a bit more mentally stable, she stepped out and toweled herself off with a navy blue towel that smelled freshly washed, yet vaguely like the gorgeous bartender. She wondered if he had used it that morning.

Jade took a deep breath and shook her head again at all these sexual thoughts she kept having about him. She'd never been a person that easily got turned on, but just the thought of his skin touching the same towel... Jade was quickly heating up, and it wasn't from the steam filled room from her shower.

She picked up her purse from the countertop, grateful she hadn't lost it along the way, and opened it up, pulling out a hairbrush and her makeup bag. She re-applied her makeup and wrapped the towel more firmly around her body.

Jade opened the bathroom door slightly and peeked through. She saw gray sweats sitting on top of a queen sized bed and noticed the bedroom door was closed. Jade stepped out of the bathroom fully, and quickly reached for the clothes.

She pulled on the sweatpants, feeling uncomfortable without any underwear beneath it, but the fact that it was dry and warm more than made up for it.

Jade tied the string in the waistband as tight as it would go. She stuck her head into the sweatshirt and she was assaulted with the scent of the bartender. Jade was tempted to stay inside of the shirt, but she knew that was just foolish. She pushed her hands into the sleeves, chastising herself for enjoying his scent so much.

Smiling to herself, she pulled the too large shirt to her nose for one last whiff. Jade groaned as it electrified her hormones, and she let the shirt fall back down around her. She rolled up the too long sleeves over her arms, and then sat on the bed.

Jade pulled on a pair of thick white socks that had been lying next to the clothes on the navy blue comforter of the bed. The socks, like the whole outfit, were huge on her size six feet.

It was certainly not an outfit that she would ever consider again to be wearing, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

And besides, there was something to be said about wearing a sexy guy's clothes. Jade was certainly enjoying it more than she should.

She took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door. A wonderful scent met her nostrils, her stomach grumbled, her mouth watered, and her nose led her over to the kitchen.

Again, she was struck by him. He had an athletic build. His face was that of a model's, with great bone structure. A square jaw, straight nose, and amazing emerald green eyes.

His hair was short, and despite being wet from the rain, it was neat. He had changed his clothes while she had showered. He was wearing blue jeans, and a thin black sweater pushed up to the elbows, showing off his tanned arms. He was no longer soaked with rain as he had been from their short walk to the car.

Jade vaguely remembered his shirt clinging to hard muscles as he had raced them to the car. Had she not been so scared and numb, she would have paid more attention at the time.

She put her hand to her forehead. Here she was in the worst possible situation of her life, which brought her to the apartment of the stranger whom she'd been fantasizing about for months since she first saw him behind the bar, and all she could do was get weak-kneed over his good looks.

He looked up, spotting her, and he moved quickly to her, taking her by the arm gently. "It's alright now," he said in a gentle, reassuring voice, and led her over to the couch. She didn't argue, but went with him easily.

He had lit a fire in the gas fireplace in front of her. A glass coffee table was between the couches and the fireplace, and it cast off a nice reflection of the light.

He set a big, blue decorative pillow behind her back, pulled a throw blanket from the top of the matching navy blue couch, and placed it lightly on top of her.

"Thank you," Jade managed to say, pulling the blanket tightly around her.

No one had ever taken so much care of her. Especially not a guy. Her eyes fixed on his. They were so gentle, so kind. She wanted to reach out and touch his beautiful face. Jade wanted to kiss the lips that spoke the kind words to her. Would they be as soft and giving as the words that came out of them?

He looked like he was going to say something to her but took a step back almost uncertainly, "I assumed that you hadn't had dinner. I hope you like spaghetti." He said moving quickly towards the kitchen.

Jade put a hand to her eyes not believing what she'd been thinking. She didn't even know the guy and she was getting ready to kiss him? She didn't even know his name! Had he known what she'd been thinking. Is that why he'd quickly retreated to the safety of the kitchen?

"My name's Lawson, by the way. I may have mentioned it at the bar, but I don't think we were ever properly introduced," he said from the kitchen as if he had read her thoughts.

"Thank you, Lawson, you've been too kind. I really shouldn't intrude on you," Jade told him as she got up, and pushed the blanket aside.

She really shouldn't be getting so comfortable on his couch like she had every right to be there. She really should be leaving now that she was warm and dry.

"I had nothing else to do tonight," Lawson told her as he pulled out garlic bread from the oven.

Jade reached the hallway area between the kitchen and the bedroom. Her eyes went to the bread as he set it on top of the oven and her mouth watered more as the smell of garlic filled the room.

"You've got to at least stay for dinner. I couldn't possibly eat all this all by myself." He gestured to the pans as if he had sensed her wanting a fast retreat.

"I really shouldn't," she said, moving towards the bedroom to get her things.

He followed her in and to the bathroom.

"Where are you going to go?" Lawson asked, watching her pick up her wet things out of the sink.

Jade wrung and squeezed, creating a stream of water. "I don't know," she sighed.

"Why don't you..." he said, moving in, and he took the wet garments from her limp hands, "let me put these in the dryer while we eat. When they're done, we should be done eating." He looked into her eyes. "And then you can go, if that's what you want."

"Well, I am... a little hungry," Jade admitted. Her body filled with heat from looking into his incredible eyes, and from the closeness of his body. One look and he could ask her to do anything, she thought.

He grinned at her, and she had to place a hand on the wall to steady herself from falling over in a heap of goo.

"Great, I'm famished," he said happily and walked back to the kitchen as if he hadn't been affected at all.

Jade put a hand over her heart hoping to slow it down, "Damn," she gasped, blowing out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

****************************

Law opened a door in the corner of the kitchen and revealed a washer and dryer. He tossed the clothes in the washer and turned it on. Might as well clean them first, he thought. Plus, it would give him about fifteen minutes extra time with her.

Keep it calm, Lawson, he thought, straining the spaghetti. She was incredibly hot. When she came out in his sweats, he thought he would die right then and there. He never thought, in his entire life, that a woman could be so sexy wearing sweats. But she was. She had looked so small, fragile, and scared. Like a little wounded bird. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted to keep her there and never let her go.

First, would be convincing her to stay. Then, he would find out what had happened to her. Finally, he'd work on keeping her.

Jade complimented his cooking. It was the best spaghetti she'd ever eaten, and the garlic bread was divine. She had nearly eaten a half of a loaf herself.

Jade offered to help him clean up, but he shooed her away and made her sit in front of the fire with a cup of tea.

She curled up on the couch with the blanket and watched him clean up the kitchen. She could go on watching him all night, Jade thought, setting the empty tea cup on the table. She leaned her head against the soft couch and watched him methodically clean.

****************************

Jade felt being lifted up, strong arms around her. She fought against them.

"Shh. Shh," was the answer as she was set back down on a soft bed.

Her eyes opened alarmed, as to where she was being put.

Lawson pulled blankets around her shoulders. "You're safe here, darlin'. Sleep," he said, touching her lightly on the forehead and frowned.

Jade sat up quickly. She watched as he went into the bathroom and came back with a glass of water. Lawson handed her what was in the other hand. A couple of pills.

"What's this?"

"Tylenol. You have a fever," he replied, kneeling down next to the bed.

She studied them in the dim light from the bathroom. They had the familiar Tylenol logo written on them, and Jade felt like crap, so she put them in her mouth and drank them down with the water.

Lawson took the glass back from her.

"Sleep now. You'll feel better in the morning," he said, touching her lightly on the forehead again, his eyes frowning in concern.

"I can't stay here," Jade told him, looking into his eyes. He really was concerned about her. Her heart pulled in emotion, heat went to her cheeks, and it wasn't from the fever.

"It's late. There's nowhere else to go now. I'll take you wherever you want to go tomorrow morning, I promise," Lawson touched her on the arm. "Stay. Please. You can lock the bedroom door if you feel safer."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks," she said, lying back down, not wanting to fight her urge to sleep. She was so tired. Her eyes fell close.

Jade felt him stroke her hair. Normally, she would have protested. She never let a guy touch her on a first date. And this wasn't even a date. She didn't even know this guy. Jade wanted to protest, but her eyes were too heavy to keep open, and his hands were like magic on her head, which lulled her deeper, and deeper, into a heavy sleep. The last thing she heard was, "I'll protect you, Jade, I promise."