by K. C. Crowne
And then there was Jesse.
I couldn’t stop thinking about him. How powerful he was. How he’d fended those men off long enough for me to come to my senses and help. I was adamant about staying hidden, about running, just like he ordered. But hearing him struggle, fight for not just his life, but mine… I couldn’t cower in the bathroom like a frightened little girl. I knew I had to do something.
And that something was grabbing the heaviest thing at my disposal and knocking the daylights out of a man who looked like he was two seconds away from murdering Jesse.
His reaction to the who situation was frighteningly sexy.
I pressed my face into my pillow and groaned. That was not what I should be thinking about. I should be thinking about how grateful I was that he was there, not swooning over how devilishly handsome he looked with his messy hair and sleeves rolled up to the elbow. I shouldn’t be thinking about how good he looked, fresh from the fight and sweat covering his brow.
He smelled musky, but only in the best of ways. He smelled like strength and something feral and strong. Jesse looked at those men with fury in his eyes, like he wanted to rip them apart. But when he saw me…everything about his eyes changed. He looked at me like I was something precious, something to hold and care for and be tender with. Even his posturing was different. Relaxed. Cautious, like I was a deer he was afraid of spooking.
When he held my hands, I almost lost it. We were so close, gravitating toward one another, stuck in each other’s orbit. I never wanted him to let go. His hands were rough from the fight, but oh-so-delicate while holding mine.
The duality wasn’t lost on me. I knew he could feel it, too, whatever this electricity between us was. I just didn’t know what to make of it, if I should act on it. There were so many unspoken questions up in the air, but I was too overwhelmed to ask any of them.
I rubbed my knees together and nibbled on my bottom lip, remembering how Jesse leapt into action. God. Nobody had a right to look that sexy. Even when he was upset at me afterwards, he spoke in a low tone. He was keeping it together for my sake, refusing to raise his voice despite his obvious disappointment.
A warm ache bloomed between my legs.
You said you’d obey my orders.
I groaned, frustrated and tired and distressingly turned on. Now was most certainly not the time to be thinking dirty thoughts about a man who was literally doing me a favor by housing me and keeping me out of harm’s way.
Rolling onto my side, I glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.
5:34 a.m.
“Fuck,” I grumbled.
I threw the covers off and swung my legs over the edge of the mattress. Maybe a glass of water would help calm my thoughts.
Padding down the long hall, I noticed that a light was on in the kitchen. I approached quietly, not wanting to disturb, sticking as close to the wall as possible. Jesse was seated at the kitchen island with his laptop open. He was typing away, a pair of reading glasses balanced on the bridge of his nose. I liked the way they made him look. Distinguished. Intelligent. Charming.
I rubbed my knees together, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Seriously? What had gotten into me?
When Jesse moved to rub the back of his neck, I spotted several bruises running up the length of his forearm and bicep. They were large and red, purpling at the edges. My heart twisted in my chest, realizing that he must have gotten them in the fight. His knuckles were bruised, too, and his jaw was a little swollen from taking a punch or two to the face.
He was engrossed in whatever he was working on, typing for a good minute or so before he finally looked up and noticed me. “How long were you standing there?”
“Not long.”
“Need to get you a damn bell.”
“Sorry. Just wanted something to drink.”
He moved like he was about to get out of his seat, but I noticed the way he winced. Jesse must have been in more pain than he was letting on.
“Let me,” I insisted. “Where do you keep your glasses?”
He exhaled softly. “Cabinet above the sink.”
I moved swiftly, retrieving two glasses and filling them at the fridge’s water dispenser. “And your ibuprofen?”
He arched a concerned eyebrow. “Cabinet to your left there. Why? Are you hurt?”
I shook my head, retrieving the medicine and walking to him, tapping two small pills out onto my palm. I handed them directly to him. “They’re for you,” I explained.
I think he would have laughed if it didn’t hurt him to do so. He popped the pills into his mouth and drank his water greedily. I tried not to stare —and failed— at the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he did.
“What are you doing up so early?” I whispered, not wanting to disturb the stillness of the morning air.
Jesse glanced at his wristwatch. “Oh. I haven’t gone to bed yet, actually.”
I gawked. “All this talk about eating tofu and being healthy, but you haven’t slept yet?”
“Lost track of time.”
“What are you working on?”
“Organizing a cleanup crew. I’m sending a couple of my guys to your apartment to see if they can find anything about the men who attacked you.”
“We already know they’re with the cartel.”
He nodded. “Yes, but I need to know more than that.”
I sat down next to him, barely a foot of space between us. Our elbows were almost touching as I leaned in to read what was on his screen. “Criminal record… Gun make and model… Registered vehicles?”
“Most of the time it’s a dead end because the police won’t release that information if an investigation is ongoing, but it doesn’t hurt to try. The more I know, the better I can do—”
“Your job,” I finished for him. “I know, you’ve said.”
The corner of his lip pulled up into a smirk. “Are you normally cheeky so early in the morning?”
“Definitely. But wait until I’ve had a cup of coffee. That’s when I unleash my true power.”
“Thank God I don’t have any coffee, then.”
My mouth dropped. “You’re kidding, right?”
“If it’s caffeine you’re after, you’re better off drinking tea. It’s much—”
“Healthier. Yeah, yeah. I’m sensing a pattern with you. All this health-nut stuff must be why you’re in such good shape.”
He stretched his arm. “Not as good a shape as I thought.”
I smiled playfully. “Cut yourself some slack. There were three of them. Most senior citizens would have been crumpled by a strong breeze.”
Jesse placed a hand over his heart and grimaced. “Ouch. Senior citizen?”
“How old are you?” I asked, fishing.
“Forty-three.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip, deep in thought. Forty-three. He was exactly twenty years older than me. “I see,” I mumbled softly.
“What about you?”
“You’re not supposed to ask a lady that question.”
He snorted, though he didn’t appear to be as miffed as he sounded. “Double standards.”
I giggled. “I’m teasing. Just turned twenty-three.”
“Hm,” was all he said.
A pregnant pause filled the room. Neither of us made a move nor said a word. We just sat in the quiet. It wasn’t awkward by any means. In fact, it was sort of nice. After all the chaos we’d been through, being able to just sit and be was a nice change of pace.
“What are you doing up?” he asked after a while.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I said. “I’m really worried about my friend.”
He nodded. “We’re going to figure this out, Vivian. The men who attacked you are in custody. You’ll get her back.”
I managed a small smile. “Thank you. For earlier, too. I don’t know what I would have done if those guys came after me and you weren’t there.”
“Just part of the…” He thought for a moment. “Occupational hazard.”
I laughed. “Boy, I’ll say. You should really—” I noticed a bit of red trickle from his nose. “Oh!”
“What?”
“You’re bleeding again.” I reached for him, grabbing a couple napkins from the holder on the kitchen island. “Here, let me—”
He tried to wave me away. “I’m fine, Vivian. You don’t have to do this. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Would you just shush and let me help you?”
Jesse pressed his lips into a thin line but didn’t argue, finally allowing me the opportunity to assist him. I cupped his cheek in my free hand and tilted his head back, determined to keep the blood from dripping onto his shirt. He was surprisingly pliant beneath my touch, moving where I needed him to go with next to no resistance.
He watched me the whole time, deep eyes focused on me and me alone. I didn’t shy away, too occupied with the task at hand.
“You’re pretty good at this,” he commented.
“The kids I grew up with got into all sorts of trouble,” I said absentmindedly. “Scraped knees, the occasional fist fights… That sort of thing.”
“The kids you grew up with?” he echoed. “You mean siblings?”
“No, not siblings. Not really.” Once I was satisfied that his nose was okay, I lowered my gaze. “It’s a long story. Wouldn’t want to bore you.”
He grasped me gently by the elbows. “You could never bore me.”
I licked my lips, a thrill shooting up my spine when his eyes were immediately drawn to them. I stared at his in turn, curious to know what they’d feel like. If he kissed me, would he be rough and hungry? Or would he be gentle and sweet?
I desperately wanted to find out and leaned in, drawn to him like a magnet. Where was the harm in a simple kiss?
Jesse stood up abruptly and pulled away, nothing but cold air remaining in his place. “You should go to bed,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’ll be going to the police station in a couple hours. They’ll have lots of questions for you.”
My stomach flipped as my face filled with heat. I’d never been so embarrassed in my entire life. “R-right. Yeah, I’ll—” I slipped off my seat, my legs like jelly beneath me. “Yep, mm-hmm. You should go to bed, too.”
Jesse nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “I will.”
I scurried back to the guest room and crawled beneath the safety of the sheets. Thankfully, sleep dragged me under so that I only had to dwell on our almost-kiss in my dreams. Either way, my heart was racing and aching for more.
Chapter 12
Jesse
That was close. Too close.
But God did I want to kiss her. I could have easily leaned in, circled my arms around her waist and held her against me. I couldn’t bring myself to do it, though, no matter how much I craved to know the taste of her lips.
I’d been burned before. I wasn’t willing to do it again.
Besides, getting involved with my client was a recipe for disaster. I needed a clear mind and unshakeable focus, not to be distracted by a pair of pretty eyes and a dazzling smile. Giving into my desires would be… reckless.
The police station was a cacophony of noise and movement and unpleasant smells. Phones rang off the hook. Police chattered over their radios. Drunk tank imbeciles yelled through the bars demanding release. The whole place smelled of burnt coffee, printer ink, and sweat. If I found the place deplorable, I couldn’t imagine what Vivian must have thought.
This was no place for a sweet young thing like her.
Some greasy looking thug smacked his lips, whistling at her. “Hey, baby. Why don’t you come over here and take a look at a real man?”
I clenched my fist and set my jaw. What was with all the catcalling these days? First the bar, now here. Vivian couldn’t escape it. Men had no fucking honor. This wasn’t how they were supposed to treat a lady.
I was about to step in when she snapped, “And risk going blind? I’ll pass.”
I smiled, oddly proud. She could handle herself just fine.
A police officer guided us to a private interview room in the corner of the precinct. It wasn’t a grimy interrogation room, but a small office complete with a desk, two comfortable guest chairs, a couple of potted plants, a wall lined entirely of grey metal filing cabinets.
The man behind the desk —Detective Anderson Monroe— looked like he was fresh from the set of a noir mystery film. A thick moustache wedged between his nose and upper lip. A beer gut that the buttons of his shirt strained against. All that was missing was a lit cigar between his fingers and a dame out front working reception.
“Miss Jones,” he said. “Have a seat. I’m going to have to ask you to leave your friend outside.” Detective Monroe jabbed a chubby finger in my direction.
“I want him here,” Vivian insisted. She looked at me, like she wasn’t sure I’d stay.
“I’ll be a fly on the wall,” I said.
Detective Monroe huffed. “Whatever. Let’s get to work. I’ve got four other cases I need to attend to.” He slid three mugshots across the desk to show Vivian. “Do you recognize these men?”
“Yes. They’re the ones who attacked me.”
“Are you sure?”
She frowned. “Without a doubt.”
The detective hummed. “They’re confirmed members of the Azure Cartel. They’re facing aggravated assault and outstanding drug distribution charges, but I doubt anything’s going to stick.”
“Why not?”
“The people they work for can afford to hire really good lawyers. They’ll make bail easy.”
Vivian shifted in her seat. “Does this mean they’ll try and come after me again?” She sounded so small and afraid. I fought the instinct to wrap her in my arms, keep her safe.
“They won’t get to you,” I assured her.
Detective Monroe shifted through his paperwork. “Now, it says here your friend’s missing.”
“Yes. Her name’s Molly Burke. I haven’t heard from her in days.”
“And you think the cartel has something to do with her disappearance?”
“I know they do.”
“Do you have any proof?”
She sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth. “No,” she mumbled in reply.
“Your friend’s case will be handed off to Missing Persons.”
“You’re not going to handle it?”
“Without proof, your friend’s disappearance is circumstantial. I have no evidence or reason to believe that the cartel did something.”
Her shoulders tensed, concern wrinkling her brow. She had the same look in her eyes from before. Fiery. Determined. “That’s… No, there has to be something you can do.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Jones, but there really isn’t.”
“So, what? I’m supposed to sit around and wait for Missing Persons to find Molly?”
“That’s how it works, yes. They’re going to look into it.”
She stood up quickly, very clearly holding back something venomous. “Will that be all?”
Detective Monroe nodded. “Yes. I just needed a positive ID. You’re free to go.”
Without another word, Vivian turned on her heel. I pulled the office door open and stepped through first, ushering her before me so we could leave.
“Useless,” she grumbled the second we were outside the police station. “What a waste of time.”
“I know,” I said, helping her into the car. “Try and stay calm.”
“Calm?” she shrieked. “How can I possibly stay calm? Molly’s out there somewhere! Those cops are going to—” I closed the door on her and circled around front, slipping behind the wheel. She was still going off, furious as all hell. “—and did you get a load of that guy’s porn ‘stache? Who the fuck does he think he is? Why not have another donut, you washed up desk jockey?”
“Vivian—”
“And what does he mean the charges aren’t going to stick? They attacked us. They attacked you. How is the system so broken? This is totall
y unfair!”
“Vivian.”
“What?”
“Are you hungry?”
She frowned at me. “Huh?”
“I asked if you’re hungry.”
“I…” Vivian took a deep breath and slumped in her seat. “Yes, actually.”
I kind of figured that was the case. I was trained to look for signs of distress, and Vivian was checking all the boxes. Difficulty sleeping. Bursts of —frankly understandable— anger.
I pulled up to the nearest Burger King drive thru. “What do you want?”
“Fast food? Don’t you find this sort of thing sacrilegious?”
“Don’t be dramatic. It’s fine in moderation, and I need to get your blood-sugar levels up.”
Vivian licked her lips. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to that vegan place around the corner?”
“Do you want a burger or not?”
She paused, glancing between me and the massive menu structure past the speaker box. She leaned forward, pressing against me to shout out the window. “Can I get a number four and number six combo with a side of onion rings, chicken strips, and a large strawberry milkshake?” She turned to me. “Do you want anything?”
I shook my head. “I’m good.”
She ripped into her food the second she got it, the whole car smelling like grease and seasoning. I normally had a strict rule about eating in the car, but I was willing to make an exception for her. Vivian had an impressive appetite, and I wasn’t about to put my life on the line by telling her to wait until we got home.
Vivian ate in silence, chowing down with gusto. As I suspected, she perked right up after finishing her burger, moving on to munch on her fries. She was lost in thought, staring out the window while she chewed.
I was busy running through my regular checks as I drove. The most dangerous time for any client was during transit. I had to worry about other drivers on the road as well as the possibility of being tailed. It was a masterclass in multitasking. I was so focused on the road and getting us back to the penthouse that I didn’t even register that Vivian held a fry to my lips until I was swallowing the food.
She laughed softly. “Not bad, huh?”
“It’s alright.”