A spike of anxiety worried at Mari’s gut. He’d not been anxious like this for ages. Having Jake in his life had relaxed him more than he could ever have imagined just a few short months ago. Hearing Jake say ‘I love you’ made him go weak inside and want to throw himself at his lover’s feet in supplication. The balancing point in their relationship was often precarious, but just recently, things had seemed more stable between them, and he’d hoped that his offer would bring Jake and him closer together, not drive a new rift between them.
“I love you, too, Chivis,” he said in a solemn tone, “and I don’t want you to feel ‘dependent’ on me, whatever you mean by that. But I don’t want you to be unhappy or feel unfulfilled, either. I would like us to be able to spend more time together, though. Look… I can’t afford this while I’m paying for Mama’s treatment, but…how would you feel about the idea of us maybe renting a place together, once I can be certain that she is going to be okay?”
“That’s definitely something to think about. If I do this, start a business and everything, well… Who knows what the future holds, right? I mean, I chucked my career and moved across an ocean for a program that’s still going through growing pains, with no idea if I’d be out of work in a month or not, so it’s not like I’m afraid to take a risk. There’s just one more thing.”
“What’s that?” Mari asked warily.
Jake cleared his throat. “How would you feel about being a part-time partner in the PI business?”
Mari blinked at him, taking a moment to wait and consider whether he had heard this invitation correctly. When he spoke, his voice sounded hoarse and he had to clear his throat to make a second attempt.
“You… You want me to be a PI? Don’t I need to go to detective school for that or something?” It was a glib reply, he knew, but it covered his surprise for the time being. Mari remembered what Cordiline had once told him about Jake wanting to feel like he and Mari were partners, and how he thought Mari was pushing Jake away every time he tried to get closer. He wanted to think about the response before he gave it. Hurting Jake was the last thing on his mind.
“There is some training and a test you have to take to get your license, but it’s fairly simple. Private sector work is not the same as going into law enforcement. I already know we work well together. It just seemed like a natural step. Since you’re working full-time, though, I’d do most of the field work. I’d just need you to do what you do best.”
“Keep you satisfied?” Mari joked.
“That too,” Jake said, sliding his hand up Mari’s thigh and kissing him.
“What? You want me to work overtime?” Mari snuggled into his embrace and returned the kiss with interest. Jake’s powerful body fitted against his own beautifully. Rubbing up against him was deliciously good.
“Um, think of it as supplementary work. Besides, if you don’t help me out, you’ll only be annoyed that you don’t find out everything that’s going on.”
Mari treated him to a small frown. “You are very manipulative, Jake Chivis. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“It’s not manipulation when it’s the truth,” Jake teased.
“In that case, I should be worried that you know me far too well,” Mari said, and licked the tip of Jake’s nose. “How on earth are you going to solve any crimes without my help? Of course, I’ll give you the benefit of my experience and my…unique insights. You’d be floundering around blindly for weeks at a time otherwise.”
Jake pressed his lips together and aimed a swat at Mari’s ass, but didn’t land it, presumably mindful of their adventures last night.
“Give me some credit here!”
“You get far too much credit already,” Mari pointed out. “You come along and touch something, and everyone gets excited about what you might have seen. In the meantime, muggins here is doing all the cross-checking and making sure that you look the part.”
He touched his mouth to Jake’s again, lips lingering there for a good while as he kissed his handsome mate.
“Is that so?” Jake said when he was able. “Well, I don’t have to worry too much about an inflated ego with you around at least. Are you staying tonight?”
“I can’t stay all night.” Mari sighed, cuddling up to him all the same because he loved to be entwined around his handsome Jake. “I have to start early tomorrow. They’re sending me up to Oxfordshire in the morning. I think they have a skeptic up there that needs convincing I’m for real. I’ll do some more digging on the train and message you if I find anything. In the meantime, you can kiss me some more. Maybe a little lower, huh?”
Chapter Ten
Jake had just shut down his laptop and was about to head for home when Professor Newberry came into his office with a man he didn’t recognize. The stranger was average height and build, tanned and well dressed in a tailored suit. Jake couldn’t rattle off the brand like Mari would be able to, but Mari had definitely influenced him enough to tell the difference between a quality cut and something off the rack.
Jake stood.
“Hi, Jake. I’m glad I caught you before you left,” the professor said. “I’d like you to meet Tomas Garcés Arregui. He’s from the Ministry of Internal Development in Spain and he’s looking at the security work we’ve been doing here with a view to implementing new strategies at home. He has a few questions for you, if you have the time?”
Tomas Arregui. What were the odds that there was another man in central London right now with the same name as Mari’s ex? Jake was betting on zero-to-none. Professor Newberry went on with the introduction without waiting for a response from him.
“Señor Arregui, this is Jake Chivis. He worked for the police in the US before joining us and he’s become a valuable addition to our team.”
She sounded particularly proud of that, as if it were an achievement to have brought him over from law enforcement into academia.
“Encantat de coneixe’t,” Arregui said silkily, extending a well-manicured hand.
Jake inclined his head instead of shaking hands. There was no way he wanted to risk picking up a random memory from him. “I’ll be happy to answer your questions,” Jake said, because he couldn’t force himself to say ‘pleased to meet you’. Maybe this encounter was entirely random and the man didn’t know who Jake was or who he was seeing, but Jake thought the odds on that one were zero-to-none as well.
Arregui surveyed him for a moment and dropped his hand. His eyes were the color of brushed steel and held just about as much warmth. He carried himself with the quietly confident posture of a man who knew exactly how much power he wielded and precisely how attractive that made him to many potential admirers. The stance was just a little too studied, and even though Jake didn’t have an empathic bone in his body, he could feel the subtle vibe of intimidation he was trying to throw off.
Jake didn’t know all the details of Tomas and Mari’s relationship, but it had ended badly, and it was obvious that this man had hurt Mari. That was enough to make Jake hate him on principle.
Professor Newberry excused herself and left them alone.
When she’d gone, Arregui said, “You are the Elemental, the one that Professor Karden spoke of.” He spoke in clipped, precise tones. His English was very good, only very lightly accented with the cadences of his homeland. “I have never worked with a psychometric before. A fascinating talent.”
“What can I help you with?” Jake asked, not wanting to waste time on small talk.
“As Professor Newberry says, I am here on behalf of my government to talk with representatives of yours. Or rather, I should say, of your paymasters’. For many years we have looked into the use of those with unconventional skills and talents to improve our communication networks.” Arregui paused and gave him a meaningful look. “Also, our security. I imagine that the university were very pleased to have you here, given your experience. How exactly does psychometry play into what you do here?”
“The security work I do here doesn’t have anything to do
with my being an Elemental, most of the time.”
“But you are a part of the program here for Elementals? I thought they would have you working on projects using your ability?”
Jake clenched his jaw at the not so subtle implication that he was entirely replaceable. “A portion of my time is designated for research and testing related to psychometry and how it might be used to breach certain secure locations, but I also work on IT systems.”
Arregui’s expression was blatantly patronizing. “I see. Our people will be very interested in the work you’ve done, I’m sure. Have the programs you’ve worked on been tested against an interface?”
“An interface…or a specific interface in particular?” Jake countered.
Arregui hesitated for a moment. “I must confess that I hoped to meet with your fellow Elemental, too, but I understand Dr. Gale has moved on to bigger and better things. We worked together for a short time in Barcelona. Marijne was always ambitious.”
The statement was innocuous on the surface but the tone fairly dripped with smug condescension. If Jake hadn’t already known they had slept together, the emphasis on how ambitious Mari was certainly would have had him wondering.
“I don’t think you and Ilmarinen have anything more to discuss. He’s told you as much already.”
Arregui raised one perfectly formed, mahogany-colored eyebrow in response. He glanced sidelong, in Professor Newberry’s direction, but she was over on the far side of the office talking to another colleague and not paying them much heed.
“And why would Dr. Gale tell you such a thing, Mr. Chivis?” he asked in a smooth, atonal purr.
“Oh, I think you know perfectly well why. Listen… Whatever past you and he had, he’s made it obvious that he doesn’t want to relive it. I’d advise you not to keep embarrassing yourself by chasing him.”
“Or you will see me off, Jake? Is that how it is with you two? What a surprise. I did not think that… Well, never mind,” Tomas said. He did not seem offended by this hushed warning. “Let me give you a word of caution concerning Dr. Gale, Jake. Marijne’s a beauty, and the brightest there is. But that one won’t give you what you want, no matter how hard you work for it. Don’t waste too much time chasing after that sweet tail, my friend.”
Jake laughed at him. He couldn’t help it. “God, you are as much of a pompous ass as I thought you’d be. What Mari gives me is none of your fucking business.” He should have left it at that but impulsively he added, “Just because you failed to perform doesn’t mean every man he’s with is destined to failure as well.”
The steel in those observant eyes darkened but Tomas kept his cool. He pressed a humorless smirk onto his fine, ascetic lips and leaned close to whisper, “When you next bed your Mari, tell him that whatever he believes, he and I have some unfinished business, and if he doesn’t man up and face that, he can speak to my attorney instead.” He pushed away from the desk and, in a louder voice, said, “Most interesting to make your acquaintance, Mr. Chivis. Thank you for your most helpful information.”
* * * *
Mari got back to London during the afternoon and, since he wasn’t expected back at Trafalgar House, he decided to stop off at the British Library. On his way across the park from Marylebone, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he picked it up without checking, presuming it was Jake asking how his morning had gone. The message, when he opened it, was in Catalan, and right away he had a bad feeling about it that tightened his gut and left him with a sour taste in his mouth.
His mind translated the words all too easily.
It was good to see you again yesterday. I’d forgotten how hot you are, Doctor Gale. Can I buy you dinner tonight?
Tomas
He weighed the slender device in his hand for a moment, contemplating whether to ignore the message or just tell his ex to fuck off. Without breaking his stride, he sent a brief text back.
Too busy today. I have work.
He typed the word ‘sorry’, then deleted it, before pressing Send.
By the time he reached the British Library and found a quiet spot to log into their Wi-Fi, his agitation had settled, and he ran a quick search of the digitized local newspapers. His investigations into the social media profiles of the girls who had been attacked had indicated that one of them, Natalie Craig, was an aspiring fashion model. She posted a raft of professional-looking photos of herself on her various platforms.
Not long after four-thirty, he came across a small advertisement in the London Evening Standard, placed by Natalie, listing her mobile number and availability for work as an artist and photographer’s model, including her terms and fees. He used his phone to take a snapshot of the ad, then packed away his tablet with the intention of heading over to the university to see if Jake was free.
He was just making his way into the Security department offices on Level Five—by way of a detour to deliver a bottle of tequila to Toby in dispatch, thanking him for the gossip the other day—when he got the shock of his life. As he came in sight of Jake’s desk, planning to sneak up on him, he saw his current boyfriend apparently deep in conversation with none other than his bastard ex.
For a second he stopped dead in the doorway. He thought that he might be sick but the moment of nausea passed and, as Tomas turned away from the desk and called out his thanks to Professor Newberry, their gazes met. Mari swallowed hard and put his strictest business face on.
“Dr. Gale,” Tomas said, almost tenderly, on the way out. “I understood you were working. Ben capturat.”
In the next moment, he was gone. Mari didn’t even realize he hadn’t been breathing until he needed to.
“What the fuck did he want?” he demanded, almost collapsing onto Jake’s desk.
“Supposedly he wants to look into new security programs,” Jake answered. His voice was too even, too calm, and Mari recognized the tone as the one Jake used when he was stomping on his temper. “I’d say what he really wants is you.”
Mari felt all the blood draining from his cheeks. A shiver of apprehension went through him and he suddenly wanted to be as far from London as possible. “That’s not what he wants,” he said flatly. “He had his chance to claim me. He passed on it.”
Jake didn’t comment on that. Instead he picked up his jacket and they left the office. He put his hand on Mari’s back as they walked. “You are what he wants, Mari. Not to claim you, but certainly to fuck you—or fuck with you. He made a not-so-veiled threat. Something about his lawyer dealing with you, if you wouldn’t talk to him.”
Mari exhaled a terse breath. His shoulder blades twitched under Jake’s hand. “He’s blowing hot air. He can set all the law experts he likes on me, but he won’t prove that I sent his wife those pictures of us. And besides, she wouldn’t leave him. He pays her too well!”
Jake stopped and pulled Mari to a halt. “You sent pictures of the two of you to his wife?” He looked floored by the utter vindictiveness of that move then burst out laughing. “No wonder he won’t leave you alone.” He shook his head, still chuckling. “That was very naughty of you, Mari.”
“So, spank me!”
“That would be a reward, not a punishment.”
“He’d just told the entire department that I was incurably frigid, which seemed like a coming-out statement to me. I figured it was only fair to inform her.”
“Well, deserved or not, you’ve made an enemy of him, babe.”
“What else did he say?” Mari grilled him.
“Nothing important.”
Mari glared at him and Jake relented. “He tried to warn me off you, saying you wouldn’t ever ‘give me what I wanted’. So, I told him to fuck off and it was none of his business.” Jake paused for a second then added, “I may also have told him that just because he’s shit in bed doesn’t mean every guy you’re with is…or something along those lines.”
Mari actually managed a weak titter of laughter. He was still shaking inside but something about Jake’s down-to-earth humor settled the an
xiety in his belly. He made him feel warm and safe in a way that Tomas never had.
Why do you still want to please the bastard so badly? his conscience chided.
He didn’t have an answer for that.
“You are amazing,” he told Jake, because it was true. “I’m a very lucky boy. He told me you were a nice catch, by the way, on his way out. I think he’s jealous.”
“If he’s angling for a threesome, you can tell him to go fuck himself. That’s one snake we don’t need in our bed.”
Mari winced. “My word, no! Just the thought of it would kill my hard-on. I think you’re more than enough for me, Jake Chivis.”
He could not stop thinking about the way Tomas looked at him or the text message still sitting in his phone.
I’d forgotten how hot you are…
But why was Tomas throwing his weight around? Making threats? It made no sense.
What had Jake said? “What he really wants is you.”
Tomas had a funny way of showing it, if that was the case.
“Are you trying to stroke my ego?” Jake asked.
Mari pulled himself together, determined not to let Tomas spoil this for him.
“I didn’t think you needed stroking, Chivis. You seem to do pretty well without encouragement.”
“Aaaand, the second I start to think he likes me… Bam! Shot in the heart. Well, at least with you around I don’t have to worry about getting a big head.”
“There’s only one kind of big head that does it for me,” Mari reassured him, drawing him in close to put his arm around Jake while they walked. To his satisfaction, Jake eased an arm across his back, too.
“Let’s get something to eat,” Jake suggested. “We have work to do tonight.”
They grabbed a takeaway from the Indian restaurant on the corner near Jake’s apartment and were soon curled up on his sofa together with dinner spread out on the coffee table. Mari had his laptop open.
Digging Deeper Page 9