Annoyed, I let out a deep breath. “I’m the wife, if you ask that little reporter guy. As soon as Jay is done here, he’s going to take me back home and pick up where he left off when he got called in.”
Romeo smacked his lips a couple of times, obviously in need of water. “Which was where?”
I had to give him credit. Most people would have shut up and walked away. Not him. “Letting me play with his tool before he nailed me with his hammer.”
I walked away from him and towards Jay, who had stopped typing and was staring at me with a slightly stunned yet amused expression on his face.
Jay licked his lower lip. “I’m hard already, baby.”
“Why am I not shocked?” I shook my head and moved up next to him. I ran my hands over his shoulders.
He growled again, the sound deeper than before.
My gaze flicked to Romeo. Jay’s growl didn’t sound even close to human. I waited for Romeo to freak.
He lifted a brow, finding humor in Jay’s response. “Gonna pull her onto your lap and make that official right here and now, or do you think you can hold it long enough to get her home?” asked Romeo.
I nibbled on Jay’s ear. “Oh, he can hold it. All. Night. Long.”
Romeo watched us closely and tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Damn, I really need to start dating redheads. Got any sisters?”
I rubbed the back of Jay’s neck lightly. “You work with him daily and don’t kill him? I have a whole new level of respect for you.”
“Thanks, baby, it’s hard,” Jay said, winking.
Romeo snickered and lifted his mug in the air, saluting me. “I like you. I normally loathe his women. And with the way he cycles through them, it’s an endless line of abhorrence.” As soon as he said it, he cringed. “I mean, I, uhh…shit. Um, well, he’s never growled over the others before, if that helps. Crap. Going now.”
He walked away.
The idea of Jay and his line of annoying women left me on edge. I yanked my hand off his neck as if his skin were toxic. In truth, it was. It made me do things I wouldn’t normally do—like caress and cuddle.
That could be lethal, right?
Jay exhaled loudly and turned his monitor for me to see it better. “Scroll through and see if you recognize any of the names or descriptions.”
I bent forward and avoided brushing against him as if he were carrying the plague.
He sighed. “Dammit, Gina, you’re mad at me again. I can sense it.”
“Why would I be mad?” I did my best to appear unaffected by Romeo’s comments. I read the list of names on the screen, hoping my face was blank. The way Jay let out another long, exasperated breath, I don’t think I quite pulled it off.
A young guy poked his head in. “Detective, the captain wants to see you.”
Jay stood slowly, and for a second, I thought he might say something to me. He didn’t. He did, however, avoid meeting my gaze on the way out.
None of the names stuck out to me, but I did manage to learn what areas of the city I didn’t want to live in. The rec center was located smack-dab in the middle of one of them. I clicked through additional pages and stopped when I reached a password-protected file.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I tried just about everything I could think of for his password. Nothing worked.
Jay stopped in the doorway with Romeo close at his heels. “Fiery One,” he said softly, his attention on me. “We need to go look into something for a case. You gonna be okay here for about an hour?”
Fiery One?
I nodded.
He gave me a slight nod before heading out.
I keyed in the nickname he seemed to like to call me and much to my surprise, the file opened.
The shock didn’t end there. No. I sat there, staring at photos of myself at various stages of life—each one depicting any slayer-related cases the police had ended up involved in. I always carried fake identification on the off chance human authorities happened upon me beating the living hell out of a supernatural. It’s not as if I could use the “he was a bloodsucker” excuse and not land in the funny farm or a state penitentiary.
Jay’s file on me had every account of me ever getting hurt that I could think of, plus a few I’d forgotten about. Several of the cases had left me battered to the point I’d been transported to the private medical facility that catered to supernaturals. The suspect in each incident had been listed as “unknown.” A notation added at a later date had “deceased” marked behind “unknown.”
I knew what that meant. Someone had followed my trail, taking out whoever had harmed me.
Sitting there, I became increasingly aware of what Jay had done for me. I swallowed hard before closing out of that file and covering any trace of me having been there.
I went back to looking through recent entries, hoping to find any hint of what might have happened to any of my fellow slayers.
The minutes turned into an hour without anything catching my attention and no sign of Jay. My stomach grew tight, and I began to pace his office. There was something happening to supernaturals in the city. I didn’t know what but I knew it was leading to more deaths. If Jay was hurt, I wasn’t sure what I’d do.
Nerves had gotten the better of me, and without thought, I began straightening his office, cleaning it, too worried to sit down.
As time moved onward, I was positive Jay was lying dead in an alley. Every horrible scenario possible had played through my mind at least twice. As I threw away the last of what was obviously trash, I felt the heavy weight of someone’s stare on my back.
I turned to find Jay in the doorway, watching me with a smirk on his handsome face.
The normal me would have yelled at him or kicked his ass or all of the above. The new me, the one who was struggling with strange feelings for him, burst into tears.
He came at me fast. “Gina, what’s wrong? Did you figure out which slayers…?”
I slipped my arms around his waist and put my cheek to his chest, crying even harder.
Stroking my hair, he tried to calm me. “Talk to me, baby.”
“I thought something happened to you,” I whispered, knowing he could hear me because of his lycan abilities. I fisted his T-shirt and kissed his chest gently. “I can’t decide if I want to kiss you or kill you.”
He tugged the back of my long hair, forcing me to look up at him. Confusion shone in his chocolate gaze, along with something else. Something I couldn’t quite read. The edge of his mouth drew upwards. “If I get a say, can I go with option number one?”
I laughed through my tears and then swatted his rock-hard abs. “Dammit, Jay, was it too much to call my cell and tell me you were all right but running late? You know something big went down tonight, that slayers were lost. You had to understand I’d be here thinking the worst when you didn’t show. We swore we’d text each other updates about things. No text is on my phone, Jayson.”
I kept going, reading him the riot act. He, in turn, put his hands on my shoulders, rubbing them softly, appearing slightly pleased by my antics.
“This is not funny. I was worried about you.”
“I know, baby. I’m sorry.” Nodding, he glanced around his newly cleaned office. “Can I ask you something?”
I glared at him.
He grinned. “As my wife, when I come home late in the future, are you going to channel your aggression into scrubbing the finish out of our tub or are you going to kick my ass?”
I blinked, and then caught the joke. “Jackass.”
Waggling his brows, he dipped his head and kissed the tip of my nose. “Yep, but since I’m a jackass who is back in one piece, does that at least win me some brownie points with you?”
I put my palm to his scruffy cheek and ran my thumb over his smooth, full lips. Our gazes locked and sexual tension thickened the air. “Yes.”
“Holy shit, Gonzales,” Romeo said, entering the office and killing the mood. “Your girlfriend managed to find a desk under all th
e clutter. Oh, and a floor. Oh, and a—”
I smiled as Jay pulled back, standing tall.
He took my hand in his and faced his friend. “Yeah, trust me when I say her aggression could have been channeled in a lot less constructive ways.”
“You hate people touching anything in here,” Romeo countered. “Guess you just hate it when people who aren’t her do it, huh?”
Jay surprised me by lifting our joined hands and kissing the back of mine. “You ready to go?”
“He’s hooked,” Romeo said. “He’s flat-out avoiding my questions and not losing his mind about his office being, dare I say, clean.”
I smiled at Romeo. “Believe it or not, I think the man really does have a system. I simply gathered it all up and filed it accordingly. I’m thinking he’ll be bitching at me for years to come about it all though.”
He stared at our joined hands. “Doubtful. On any other note than this, because Jay will kick my ass, what do you say we grab a bite to eat? It’s getting late, and Jay here tells me you’re a night owl for the most part too. Plus, he swears you love to eat. Up for it, or are you two going to head back to his place and pick up where you left off?”
It took me a second to catch on. I squeezed Jay’s hand and teared up again. “Um, I am hungry again.”
He pulled me into another hug. “Let’s get something to eat, baby.”
When I realized what he was doing, I drew back and socked him in the arm. “Sure.”
He smiled wide.
Jerk.
11
I laughed as Romeo launched into another story of something he and Jay had gone through during their first few years on the force. I knew they were trying to keep my mind off what was happening in the slayer community and I appreciated it.
I’d already spent the first half of our time at the supernatural-friendly diner in awe that Romeo was like Jay—a shifter. He’d spent equally as long shocked by the news I was a slayer. He took the news well. Not everyone did. There was still just enough tension between slayers and supernaturals that one didn’t always have to look too far to find hostility.
I took a sip of iced tea and nearly choked on it when Romeo finished his story.
Jay patted my back, his body brushing close to mine in the booth. “It wasn’t that funny.”
I rubbed my upper chest to chase away the burning sensation. “It’s fucking hilarious. I wish I could have seen you sitting in a baby pool, pissed because a garden hose was in the way while you were chasing a suspect.”
He nipped at me with a smile on his face. I took the other half of the monster-sized burger they’d served me and stuck it in his mouth. He laughed, and I stole a carrot stick from his plate as he worked on the rest of my burger.
Romeo watched our actions and shook his head. “I know you cleared up the whole not-really-a-couple thing, but are you sure you’re not shitting me? I may not be an expert on relationships, but the two of you seem pretty damn comfy with one another.”
“Why wouldn’t I be comfortable with Jay?” I asked, sipping my drink again.
“I have friends who are girls, erm, women, and I can’t think of any time we finished each other’s sentences and ate off each other’s plates. Hell, I can’t think of a time any girlfriend I’ve ever had did that with me either.”
I tipped my head. “Ever think it’s you?”
Jay laughed.
Romeo blushed. “I think I like her. A lot.”
“You would,” Jay said.
A tiny bit of mustard stuck to the side of his stubble-covered chin. I lifted a napkin and eyed the spot, as I did whenever it happened to him. He took it from me and wiped, lifting his head more. I nodded, indicating he got it, and we went back to eating.
Romeo snorted. “Yeah, I’m not buying the not-a-couple bit. Christ, you act like you’ve been a couple for a hell of a long time. You cleaned his office, and he ordered food for you without him even having to ask what you like.”
I looked at Jay. “If I kill your friend, will you miss him?”
“Nope,” he said, chuckling.
As Harley, one of the diner’s owners, approached our table, I couldn’t help but notice his shirt. It was shiny and straight out of the ’70s, with its pale purple color and a print of tiny dancing men on it, striking a disco pose. Harley wasn’t much older than me, but he dressed as if he was hoping “Stayin’ Alive” would break the top ten.
As if on cue, the Bee Gees began to play from the jukebox. I crawled over Jay and Harley put his hand out to me. I took it and couldn’t contain my laughter as we instantly launched into the hustle.
Harley rolled with laughter as well, to the point he nearly cried.
Charles, his soon-to-be husband, came from the back-office area and shook his head. “I knew Gina was here if you were playing this song.”
“Join in,” I said to Charles.
His eyes widened. “Pass.”
My attention went to Jay.
He shook his head. “No.”
“You suck,” I said, bumping hips with Harley.
The other patrons watched us, smiling. Some took pictures, and I’m sure video. I didn’t care. Harley was tons of fun and someone I considered a friend. So was Charles.
The song drew to an end, and Harley hugged me. “You’re putting too long between coming in here.”
“I know. I’m not at the rec center like I used to be,” I returned before turning and climbing over Jay.
My foot caught on his, and I landed in his lap.
His hands went to my hips, and his body stiffened. He grunted.
I looked over my shoulder at him as I sat, my back to his front. “Why hello there, sailor.”
Harley snorted and put his hand on Jay’s shoulder. “You two do the dirty yet?”
Jay glanced at me like the idea had a lot of merit.
“Uh, no,” I supplied.
Harley waggled his brows. “Keep sitting on his lap like that and you will.”
That motivated me to move back to my spot in the booth, between Jay and the window.
Charles chuckled as he brought us drink refills. “All kidding aside, is there a reason you two haven’t started to date yet? We have a pool going. I think Myra is going to win.”
I glanced at Jay and raised a brow. “I’m almost afraid to ask what the pool is and what she picked.”
Harley beamed and ran a hand through his brown hair. “It started as when the two of you would finally have sex. Myra made us change that to start dating. She said the other board was tacky. And she also said a quarter to never, since you’re both commitment-phobic.”
Romeo tapped the table. “What’s the buy-in?”
“A buck,” said Charles.
Romeo tossed a dollar on the table. “I pick this week.”
“Oh, is there an inside scoop we should know about?” questioned Harley.
“Romeo,” said Jay sternly.
“What?” Romeo winked. “I’m staying with this week.”
“Want me to climb under the table and blow him?” I asked as Jay put his large hand on my thigh, engulfing it.
“You’d win, Romeo,” said Jay.
Charles, Harley, and Romeo laughed.
“Is it me or does Jay look hopeful?” asked Harley. “We might want to change our pick to this month too.”
Charles rolled his eyes and put his hands on Harley’s shoulders. “Okay, we’ll let you be. Nice to meet you, Romeo.”
Romeo nodded as they walked off.
I touched Jay’s hand. “We should totally go back to my place and do it. That would teach Myra not to bet against us.”
“Okay,” said Jay, making a move to stand.
I grabbed his hand. “No. Kidding.”
He flashed a sexy smile. “I know, but that doesn’t mean the idea was shit.”
My attention went to Romeo.
He licked his lips. “Tell me about yourself, Gina. I know all about Jay, and now you’ve heard all about me. What about you? You f
rom the area?”
“Yes and no,” I replied, sliding closer to Jay in the booth. “I moved here when I was younger.”
“And before that?”
“I didn’t live here,” I said evenly. I wasn’t big into discussing my past.
“Oh, I see why the two of you get along,” he replied, putting more ketchup on his plate. “Both of you just love sharing.”
I smiled, taking pity on him. “I really don’t know where I’m from originally. I wasn’t old enough to remember where I lived. I can tell you that I moved around a lot when I was younger because of my father’s job.”
“Army brat?”
“No. Daughter of an FBI agent, and then a foster kid for a bit before being adopted,” I replied.
Jay stiffened. That wasn’t something I shared with too many people. “Your biological father is in the FBI?”
“I don’t know if he still is. I just know that he was,” I said, thinking back to what I could vividly remember about him. “He had vests, shirts, and jackets that had FBI printed across them. I remember a gun safe that was locked down like Fort Knox. He’d come home and go there first, taking off his weapon and badge, putting them both in the safe. And I remember him hugging me and telling me he had to go hunt bad men, and he’d be back in a few days. After my mother died, he took me with him for a bit.”
“I can look into him,” said Jay as he put an arm around me in the booth. “Got a name for me to go from?”
“Daddy,” I said, in all seriousness. “He seemed really tall to me when I was little. He might actually be, or my kid perspective warped that. I remember he had short black hair. Green eyes like me, because my mother would point out that while I got her hair, I got his eyes and his temper. He used to sing to me before bed. Sometimes he’d play guitar too. And I remember him kneeling before me, his hands on my shoulders as he cried. He told me he was sorry that he had to go, but I wouldn’t be safe with him. And he needed to know I was safe. Then he walked out of my life.”
“How old were you when this happened?” asked Jay.
“Four.”
Romeo watched me closely, narrowing his gaze. I’d seen Jay do something similar and guessed he was reading my body language like a good detective would. “You remember more about him than that, but you’re not sure if your mind is playing tricks on you. As if you’ve seen so much that maybe your mind has filled in the blanks with wrong information.”
Bad Moon Rising: A Loup Garou World Novel (Tempting Fate Book 2) Page 8