Brian was also being tested.

The one in his arms was beautifully delicate and frail. With her drawing closer, all he smelled and sensed was the fragrance of camellia exuding from her body. What killed him the most was that his hand had touched her skin without any obstruction. And the sense of touch was as good as always. A soft and warm body filled his arms. Her exquisite and beautiful curve was within his reach...

It just happened that her two brushes of fanny eyelashes were blinking over and over. Her pair of peachy eyes, which should have been flirty, were as clear as the stream in deep mountains making people could not have the heart to hold any vicious thoughts towards her.

Never had Brian struggled like this before. Moreover, never had he controlled so strenuously that he was finally able to refrain himself from thinking about those messy things.

While down below the apartment building, without anything to do, Gavin was chatting with his team members about their little madam. It was the captain who had first seen Brian holding Joanne out and he was so astonished that he almost dropped his chin. Hurriedly, he signaled other ones to look over.

All of a sudden, the several persons who had been talking and laughing a moment ago were quiet one by one.

Who was Brian?

He belonged to the sect of abstinence! Never had he been close to a woman! There was no difference between man and woman in his eyes! Never had he known tenderness!

But he actually came down from upstairs with a woman in his arms? And also the holding motion... was filled with protectiveness!

What the fuck! Kindly sincerely accept their astonishment and dropping chins, please!

It never occurred to Joanne that there had been so many people downstairs and those people were even staring at her in a way like they had seen a wonder of the century. At the moment she felt embarrassed and she subconsciously buried her face deep inside Brian's chest.

"Who, who are they?"

She was losing almost all her face...

With flush spreading already all over half of her cheek, the one in his arms got a voice as timid as that of a tiny beast which got scared. Brian unconsciously softened his voice, "Bodyguards, just ignore them."

It was till then that the "bodyguards" finally reacted. They lowered their heads and went upstairs to deal with "The Brothers of Brooks", pretending that they had not seen anything. Gavin opened the car door on the passenger side for Brian.

Brian arranged a suitable position for Joanne on the passenger seat. After he closed the car door, then he heard Gavin asking, "How should we deal with Jordan and his brother?"

"Whatever, it is up to you. I don't want to see them in Arlington again." Circling back to the driver's seat, Brian started his car and drove away.

Soon the car was on the highway. Brian was driving expressionlessly. While Joanne shrunk in the passenger's seat and peeped at him.

The car was driving at a fast speed. The street lights swept by from time and time with the light temporarily shedding on Brian's face.

Every time when Joanne looked at him, she would be amazed by his good-looking features. His distinct profile resumed his previous sternness. It seemed that the somewhat mild man a moment ago was just an illusion of Joanne.

Strangely, Joanne felt a little moody deep inside her heart. But she had to speak out what she needed to say.

"Thanks, Brian".

"Joanne, have you lost your sense?" Brian glanced at Joanne with coldness, "Without me, you would not have been abducted by Jordan. Why do you still say thanks to me?"

"But in the end, it was me who volunteered to go with Jordan."

Back to the time when she was held as a hostage by Jordan in the banquet hall, Joanne moved her fingers for a few times, which might be a randomly petty action from other people's perspective. But actually, she was making the signal and playing the code word which was exclusively known to people in the police team. The point was to let Brian choose to keep Rosalyn.

At first, she was not sure whether Brian could get her point, but later Brian's expression showed her that he had understood her intention. However--

"Brian, only the people in the police team like us can understand the signal and code word. Why could you get my point?"

"It should be me who ask you this question: you are just a specially-appointed medical examiner who does not need to participate in any operation. Why could you understand the signal and code words?"

If at normal times, it was impossible for Joanne to be directed to other topics so easily. While for today, neither did she know whether she had been affected by the toughness of Brian or not, she just answered truthfully, "I learned it from Shawn when I was bored in the police station." She had stupidly forgotten that it was herself who had asked Brian that question at first.

Almost everyone in the police team understood the signals and code words. Why did she just choose Shawn as her teacher?

Squinting his eyes a bit, Brian could not help stepping on the accelerator and kicked the car forward.

Joanne hardly noticed the peculiar sentiment on Brian's side and continued her self-talking, "The moment when I decided to go with Jordan, it had been my own choice and the whole issue had nothing to do with you already. So thanks for coming to look for me."

These harsh words "nothing to do with you" deeply irritated Brian. He asked coldly, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Joanne responded with full confidence, "I have learned self-defense skills from Shawn. It is obvious that Jordan and his brother have no skills. Not to mention the strength of catching the chickens, they don't even have the strength to catch the chicken feathers! Then why should I be afraid of them?" But if it was Rosalyn who had been abducted, she might not be able to deal with The Brothers of Brooks. Consequently, the rescue would have been more troublesome."

"..."

Brian was silent. His attention was all drawn to Joanne's front half-lines - How much exactly had Joanne learned from Shawn?

Seeing Brian utter silence, Joanne rubbed her nose point and also fell into silence.

It was too hard to predict some people's emotion... She would rather close her eyes and have a sleep.