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Was he trying to say he had people everywhere, even here in this hospital?

Or were there higher authorities than the police handling this situation?

He nodded as I sent him a questioning gaze, and I knew that was exactly what he was telling me.

The implications of that were a little overwhelming, but it didn’t seem like an impossibility to me.

The man had to be working with the government at an extremely high level, even though he insisted that Last Hope was a volunteer organization.

Maybe Last Hope did work on a volunteer basis, but there was no way they could run an operation like my rescue in Mexico without full government cooperation.

There was also no way they could cover all of this up like it never happened without a hell of a lot of assistance from people in high places.

To me, Last Hope felt more like black ops than a volunteer rescue operation, and when I voiced that observation, Marshall simply raised a brow and said, “We don’t talk about it, and I’m the only one who knows exactly how Last Hope is or isn’t connected to the government. I guarantee you that every guy who is heavily involved in Last Hope thinks we have some government cooperation, but it’s not something we discuss. Nobody asks because they respect me, and I appreciate their silence. You don’t know me well enough to respect me, and you’re a very intelligent woman. It doesn’t surprise me that you have questions.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe it just doesn’t matter to the volunteers?” I queried. “They have a reason, a purpose for being involved in Last Hope. Maybe they don’t give a damn whether the group is government sanctioned or not if they’re still doing good, useful things. Why don’t you just tell them the truth?”

Marshall shrugged. “If there is a different truth than the one they’ve been told,” he started carefully. “The less they know, the better. Once I walk out of this hospital room, I’ll never acknowledge or discuss this subject with you again, either. If there’s something my guys need to know for their safety, I’ll tell them. Otherwise, ignorance is safer sometimes. They’ll never be targets for government information if they know next to nothing.”

I glanced at the volatile look on Marshall’s face.

God, the man was intense, but I had a feeling there was a reason for that.

I had to respect the fact that he wanted to protect the people he cared about.

It made me curious about exactly how tied Marshall was to the government, but I knew those were details I was never going to know.

I doubted that he shared that information with anyone, maybe not even with his wife. Judging by the adoring looks Marshall had sent Emma’s way when I’d met her yesterday, his wife was number one on his list of people to protect.

“I respect that,” I said solemnly. “I’ll never mention it again.”

Marshall suddenly grinned, and I realized just how handsome the older man was when his guard was down.

“I like you, Jenna,” Marshall told me. “I hope Brock agrees to let you help him out. I think he needs someone like you.”

I’d gone to Brock’s room to see him yesterday.

His team had been there visiting, and he’d joked with his friends like his injury had never happened.

He’d been pale and in pain, even though he hadn’t wanted to admit it.

So yeah, Marshall was right. Brock needed someone like me right now. Maybe he’d be more open with a female who had nothing to do with Last Hope.

When I’d discovered that he had no blood family in Michigan and no significant other to stay with him, that was the moment when I’d decided that I was going to be there for the guy who had saved me.

There was something about Brock’s situation that had touched a nerve with me, and I couldn’t leave a man who had risked his life for me.

“He’ll agree,” I told Marshall confidently.

I’d find a way to take care of Brock until he was well again.

Maybe Marshall was right.

Maybe the two of us could help each other.

I pushed that thought out of my mind almost immediately.

I wasn’t afraid to be alone because of the kidnapping.