Rocky and Felix looked over at him, but Marla dismissed Jonah with a graceful wave. “Ignore him, Blue Eyes.”
Rocky smiled up at her. “I think maybe I’ve been waiting for you.”
Marla kissed his cheek, then stood up so she could kiss Felix’s cheek too. “You boys behave today and don’t let Jonah do too much. He’s only allowed to look at computers, phones, or other electronic devices for thirty minutes at a time.”
“Yes, Mama,” Jonah said.
Marla presented her cheek for Jonah to kiss before exiting the house in a swish of plum fabric and leaving behind a cloud of Chanel.
The room was duller without her in it. Jonah absently rubbed a hand over his chest as if it could somehow make the pang in his heart go away.
“Wow,” Felix said, grabbing his attention. “Jonah looks so much better today, doesn’t he, Major?”
Rocky glared at Felix. “Don’t start with me, or I’ll eat your favorite donut and spit in your coffee when you’re not looking.”
“Don’t the two of you have something better to do on a Friday morning than babysit me?” Jonah asked as he looked inside the bakery bag of donuts. “Do I spy caramel icing and bacon crumbles?”
“Nothing but the best for you, big guy,” Felix said, pushing a drink carrier toward him. “Here’s your caramel syrup, milk, and sugar with a splash of coffee. It should still be warm.”
“You guys are the best,” Jonah said before taking a massive bite of his donut. God, he loved the combination of sweet and salty things.
“You feel up to working a little?” Felix asked.
“God, yes,” Jonah replied.
“Are you answering Felix’s question, or are you having a foodgasm over the donut?” Rocky asked.
“Both,” Jonah said, sitting in the chair across from them. “What’s on your mind?”
Rocky and Felix exchanged a quick glance, and it made him nervous. He knew he wouldn’t like what they were about to tell him.
“I figured out how your attacker knew to find you at the bar and storage facility even though you didn’t tell anyone where you were going,” Rocky said, glaring to show his displeasure about the last part.
“The goon didn’t follow me on both occasions?”
“How would he have known when and where to start?” Felix asked. “You didn’t broadcast your intention to go to The Dive Bar to anyone outside our inner circle.”
“And besides, I drove for most of the day. We only split up after I got the call from Pete. So, it’s possible someone staked out your house on the off chance you might investigate the case on your own while under suspension. They could’ve followed us around all day long and continued to tail you after we split up, or—”
“They put a tracking device on my car,” Jonah said.
Rocky and Felix nodded.
“Your office is also bugged,” Felix said.
“But your house is clean and so is Avery’s car,” Rocky added.
“Fuck.” Jonah set the rest of his uneaten donut on the table. “How do you know about my office and Avery’s car?”
Rocky’s grimace was all the answer Jonah needed. He stood up fast, and his chair scraped against the floor before tipping over. The pain shooting through his brain reminded Jonah he hadn’t fully recovered yet. He placed both palms on the table to steady himself.
“Careful, big guy,” Felix said gently.
“How could you involve Avery?” Jonah asked.
Rocky kept his eyes locked on Jonah’s. “He wanted to know how he could help you. I knew there was no way in hell he’d be able to get me inside the space so I could sweep it.”
Jonah swallowed hard. “I asked you guys to keep him safe, not put him at greater risk.”
“Jonah, Avery was going to insert himself into the situation regardless of what you or anyone else said,” Felix pointed out. “He cares about you a lot. It’s safer for him to work with us than go off half-cocked by himself and stumble into trouble.”
“I let him borrow a sweeping device and showed him how to use it,” Rocky said. “I’m not sorry. You could’ve died, Jonah.”
Felix nodded. “The bullshit ends now.”
“We know who’s behind this,” Jonah groused.
“Proving it might be harder than we thought,” Rocky said. “I’ve been unable to find any dirt on Trexler. The man doesn’t have so much as a ticket for jaywalking, and I cannot connect him to Ison or Cahill.”
“What about the prison guards?” Jonah asked Felix. “Have you had any luck there?”
Felix shook his head. “Opie was Joshua Matheson, who passed away in 1997. I haven’t been able to track down Bird yet. I figure he’s the one we really need to speak to because he worked at Georgia State Prison when the coercion would’ve happened.”
“I have connections at GSP,” Jonah said. “Let me take a swing at it.”
“Thanks,” Felix told him. “I also reached out to the Ison family this week. Dennis was friendly and eager to talk about his brother. The sister, Ava, slammed the door in my face. I decided to take a chance and interview Earl’s mother at the nursing home. Dennis gave me permission and said his mother was still sharp and alert to what’s going on around her. When I showed up, she was in the community room watching Drag Race of all things. The other residents were loving it, but Mona Ison looked sad. I introduced myself and told her why I was there. She was polite, but her gaze kept shifting to the television. She pointed at it and said, ‘I bet my Earl was magnificent.’ I’ve never heard so much regret in anyone’s voice. She remembered Earl’s death like it was yesterday. She and Thomas were out of town at the time. Police notified Dennis, who tracked them down in Sarasota. Thomas definitely has a solid alibi, and I think we can safely eliminate Dennis. Maybe it’s someone from the construction crew, but it wasn’t them.”
“More dead ends,” Jonah said.
“Maybe we can trace the listening and tracking devices back to someone,” Rocky suggested.
“How?” Jonah asked.
“Avery sent me pictures of the bug he found planted in the receiver of your phone. I took pictures of the tracking device on your car. Both are the kind law enforcement agencies use in their investigations,” Rocky said. “Someone had to put in a request for them. We just need to find out who.”
Felix tipped his head to the side and tapped his index finger against his chin. “If only we knew someone who could sneak in like a ninja hacker and find proof that Trexler is the one who requested those devices.”
Avery.
“It’s too risky. No matter how talented he is, Avery could get caught. Then he’d go to prison.”
“Avery said he has a contingency plan for that too,” Felix replied. “First, he laughed at us and explained he wasn’t using an ordinary laptop that you can get at Best Buy. Then, he used a bunch of cyber-geek speak but it was something about the dark web and how anyone looking too close will blame the Russians.”
Jonah narrowed his eyes. “If he gets hurt because of me…”
“We’re keeping him safe and will continue to do so until you get back on your feet,” Rocky assured Jonah.
“What will we do once we can verify Trexler is the one who planted the devices?” Jonah asked.
“Use them to our advantage and set a trap, of course,” Felix replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
After Rocky and Felix left, Jonah took some Advil and kicked back in his recliner, intending to take a brief nap. Sunlight bathed his chair, and the gentle breeze coming through the open window ruffled his hair. Jonah closed his eyes and imagined he was lying on a blanket with Avery on the beach. Nope. He’d had enough sand to last him a lifetime. A picnic? Yeah, that’s better. Blanket, sunshine, and Avery. It was a good start.
They’d just finished eating and decided to stretch out on the blanket in the sun like lazy dogs. Jonah imagined reaching for Avery’s hand and lifting it to his mouth so he could kiss Avery’s palm. Then maybe he would press a kiss to Avery’s pu
lse point on his wrist before working his mouth higher along Avery’s arm, stopping when he reached the junction of his shoulder and neck. The curve was the perfect place to lick, kiss, nibble, and mark. Jonah’s body started to come alive as his brain relaxed further into the fantasy.
Avery would make those whimpering gasps that drove him crazy. Jonah wouldn’t be able to resist licking upward to Avery’s earlobe and biting the tender flesh once there.
The next logical step would be to cover Avery’s body with his own, to give him the weight and heft Avery craved. Avery would look up at him with trust and want. Capturing Avery’s mouth in a long, lazy kiss had to be the next objective. Jonah would slide his hand inside Avery’s hair, anchoring his head in place. He imagined Avery parting his lips to grant him entrance. That’s where things could get dicey. One taste of Avery and Jonah wouldn’t want to stop. But they were on a picnic blanket in a park. A public indecency charge wasn’t something either of them would want.
This is a fantasy, dumbass. Strip him naked. You know you want to.
Jonah tasted the sunshine on Avery’s skin as he removed each piece of clothing. Oh, yeah. Now, we’re talking. Picnic porn.
The breeze kicked up again, and Jonah was confused if it was happening in real life or his imaginary picnic. Who cared? All he needed was to keep kissing Avery, to keep soaking up the sunshine. Jonah’s breathing deepened and his body felt heavier.
Beep. Beep.
A car horn jolted him awake. Glancing at his watch, Jonah was shocked to see he’d slept for two hours. He hoped to catch Avery at lunch and sent him a quick text.
I’m thinking about having a pizza picnic in my living room and watching a movie. What do you say?
Sounds fun. Who’s your lucky date? Avery asked.
Avery’s sass did more to ease Jonah’s dull headache than the ibuprofen or nap. He’s an irresistible guy with a quick wit and a smart mouth.
Irresistible, huh? I’ll be there by six if you can agree to a few terms.
Jonah chewed his bottom lip while he tapped out a reply. Such as? He couldn’t wait to see Avery’s list of demands.
No mushrooms on the pizza. Everything else is fair game, Avery wrote.
Jonah grinned. He hated mushrooms with a passion, so it wouldn’t be a problem. He’d missed bantering with Avery something fierce, so he didn’t submit easily. Deal breaker?
Yes. Avery didn’t beat around the bush.
What if we do half with mushrooms and half without? Jonah questioned.
Avery sent a thumbs-down emoji before explaining, I won’t be able to relax and enjoy my pizza if I know there’s a possibility a mushroom might be hidden beneath the cheese.
Jonah laughed. Are you allergic? Wait. That’s never stopped you.
I hate mushrooms. I. Hate. Them. I will puke if I feel one squish between my teeth. Consider yourself warned.
No mushrooms on the pizza, Jonah conceded. What are your other terms?
No horror films. I hate feeling scared, Avery wrote.
Define horror.
Jonah!
Avery’s annoyance came through loud and clear. Seriously! Sappy rom-com is scary to me. What’s scary to you?
Slashers. Monsters. Blood. Gore. Gratuitous violence.
Jonah wasn’t a big fan of those things either. Even if I’m here to save you? He’d also add war movies to his do-not-watch list. He’d seen enough of the real thing to last five lifetimes.
Not even then, Avery replied.
Do you like action films?
I love action and adventure and psychological thrillers. I just can’t handle horror.
Not a problem. What else?
Avery took a long time to respond again. We’ll play the rest by ear.
The rest? Like having sex or Avery staying overnight?
I’ve missed you, Avery.
I’ve missed you too, thundercloud. Gotta run. Can’t wait to see you.
He had to wait another six hours to see Avery. How the hell was he going to stay out of trouble for that long? The parts to turn Stella 2.0 into Marla the Magnificent had arrived earlier in the week. That would keep his mind occupied while on leave from GBI. Again.
Jonah lectured himself all afternoon about keeping his hands and lips to himself. He wanted Avery to know he meant more to Jonah than just a good fuck. Avery’s sweet smile tested his mettle right off the bat, and he wanted to taste it. Instead, Jonah tucked his hands in his back pockets.
Avery raked his gaze over Jonah’s white tank top, faded blue jeans, and bare feet. Then he looked at the living room, smiling when he noticed Jonah had moved the furniture around in the small space to spread out his comforter. He’d placed pillows at the end opposite the television so they could lie down and watch the movie after they ate. A wicker basket sat in the center of the blanket. Jonah worried it would come across as cheesy, but Avery’s expression transformed from happy to wolfish in an instant.
Jonah cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels. Why was he so damn nervous? Because Avery mattered to him. So damn much. “The pizza should be here any minute.”
Avery closed the distance between them, crashing into him. Jonah staggered back a few steps, banging into the kitchen table before finding his balance. The jarring motion rattled his brain, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to complain. Jonah must’ve winced though because Avery made a horrified gasp and started to pull back.
“Huh-uh,” Jonah said, snagging him at the waist and hauling him back against his chest. “I like you here, and I much prefer it when you whimper from pleasure instead of distress.”
“I am just so happy to see you looking better,” Avery said, nuzzling his nose against Jonah’s neck.
Jonah cupped the back of his head, and Avery looked into his eyes. “I want to kiss you.”
Avery hummed happily. “Yes, please. Nice and gentle.”
Jonah laughed. “Are you instructing me or warning yourself?”
“Both?”
Jonah slowly lowered his head and kissed Avery the way he’d fantasized about earlier. Avery blessed him with one of his little whimpers, and Jonah nearly lost his mind. He’d just slipped his tongue inside Avery’s mouth when someone knocked loudly on the screen door. Jonah begrudgingly pulled away from Avery, hopefully only long enough to retrieve the pizza and tip the driver.
Avery placed a hand over his pounding heart, halting him. “Do you know what my favorite part of picnics was when I was a kid?”
“Baked beans?” Jonah guessed.
Avery snorted. “Huh-uh. Climbing trees. I’m looking for more adult activities involving wood these days.”
Jonah could feel his grip on his good intentions slipping. “Ouch,” he said, sucking air between his teeth and cringing. “Think of the splinters.”
Avery trailed his hand lower, stopping just above the waistband of his jeans. “You’re the tree, Jonah.”
“Pizza delivery,” the driver said through the screen. “I have several others to make.”
“I’m coming,” Jonah said.
The teenager snorted. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Jonah pressed a quick kiss against Avery’s lips before walking to the door to pay the kid and get his pizza.
“Where were we?” Avery asked once they were alone.
“We were about to sit down and enjoy a pizza picnic and watch a movie,” Jonah said, tipping his head toward the blanket.
“The basket is a nice touch,” Avery said. “I can’t believe you had one sitting around here.”
“I didn’t,” Jonah admitted. “I still can’t drive, so I enlisted Marla’s help setting this up. She happened to have a picnic basket from a drag performance of Wizard of Oz.”
Avery laughed. “I’m starving.”
“It’s from all your sleuthing, Velma.”
“Velma?” Avery asked.
“You are familiar with Mystery, Inc., right? I mean, I know we have a ten-year age gap, but I thought everyone knew Scooby-Doo and the gang.
”
Avery glared at him. “Of course I know who they are. I was just surprised you called me Velma.”
“Why? She’s the smartest one.”
“True,” Avery said, preening a little before grinning at Jonah. “And who exactly would that make you? Fred?”
Jonah snorted. “God, no. Felix is Fred. The man is all about setting traps. He even owns a van he sometimes uses for investigations. It’s white and blends in everywhere, but maybe we could talk him into painting it psychedelic colors instead.”
Avery laughed so hard he nearly fell over onto the pillow. If that happened, Jonah’s control would snap, and he’d forget all about the pizza and his attempt at chivalry. “Who’s Daphne?”
“Rocky,” Jonah said without missing a beat. “He uses his good looks like a distraction device. Someone so pretty can’t be smart too, right?”
“So, are you Shaggy or Scooby?”
“Shaggy, of course. I’m a bottomless pit,” Jonah said, patting his stomach, “and a loyal friend.” Then he aimed what he hoped was a seductive look at Avery. “Plus, Shaggy has a thing for Velma.”
“I love your thing,” Avery said without missing a beat. “Since when does Shaggy have a thing for Velma?”
“In the updated reboot.”
“Have you been watching a lot of Scooby Doo this week?” Avery teased.
“Listening to episodes with my eyes closed,” Jonah said. Anything to distract himself from boredom and pining for Avery. It obviously hadn’t worked worth a damn. His favorite thing to pass the time was harassing Felix after listening to The Straight Shooter’s investigative reports. Man, he’d missed the opportunity this morning, but who could blame him for being distracted? Bugs, tracking devices, and Avery thrusting himself in the middle of the investigation. “Rocky told me about the bugs.”
“The pizza is getting cold,” Avery said.
“Fuck the pizza,” Jonah growled. “I don’t want you to get caught up in the middle of this, and it makes me sick to think of you injured because of me.”
“Arrogant ass,” Avery muttered.
“What?”
“How do you think I felt when I called your cell phone and discovered you were injured?” All traces of happiness on Avery’s face vanished. Misery marred his adorable features and pretty eyes. “Of course, I’m going to do everything I can to help you.”
Ride the Lightning : Sinister in Savannah Book 1 Page 22