by Ali Parker
God, she was driving me crazy. Even when I ran in the morning, in the chilly December air, I felt flushed all over with thoughts of her. At night, I lay awake staring at the ceiling and seeing her golden eyes reflected in the flash of headlights past my window. I could have never anticipated being this affected by my best friend’s kid sister.
And that was a huge part of the problem: She was Matt’s sister, and Smith’s daughter. She might as well have been wearing a sign that said, “Look but don’t touch. In fact, don’t even look.”
Even if she wasn’t a Smith, still nothing could come of the raging attracting I felt for Emma. I was broken, a different man than I’d been before I’d left home. I had nothing to offer an angel like her but silence and bad dreams.
She deserved much better than me.
Although existing in the same space as Emma had been a special brand of torment, guarding Dexter Jansen was no walk in the clouds either. The man had no manners and treated his subordinates like garbage stuck to his thousand dollar shoes. He was selfish, neurotic, and demanding in a way only a rich entitled asshole could be. He wanted everything, and he wanted it now.
I’d spent the day escorting him to meetings with a string of distributors while he searched for the best deal, and I’d listened to his version of “negotiations.” His only tactic seemed to be to threaten to walk, and in my estimation, he’d done little to impress the people he was meeting with. Still, he’d walked away with a contract, which only made my faith in Corporate America that much weaker.
Between meetings he’d remained glued to his cell phone, even when shoveling overpriced gourmet food between his greasy lips. I felt pity for women he occasionally spoke to, acknowledged only as ‘babe,’ if she had to get close to that mouth.
Even though I’d seen no evidence of any corporate espionage today, and although Smith had assured me that very little actual danger takes place on security detail, I remained keyed up. Something was off about the whole situation. I’d been told Jansen was rushing a product to market, a top-secret revolutionary gadget that would improve daily lives while making the asshole fistfuls of cash. But so far, I’d heard nothing about said product.
The meetings he’d taken today had involved moving his existing inventory, not plans for the distribution of a new product. Although his phone calls didn’t interest me, my training made it impossible for me to completely ignore them, and nothing I’d heard him say today had concerned anything new or secret.
I had assumed I was probably overreacting, used to the sensitivity of the missions I’d undertaken while in Delta Force. Or maybe it was the...incident that had me on edge. I hadn’t really tackled anything after that fateful day. I’d spent some time in the hospital, then on desk duty while I recuperated, and before I could rotate back to active duty, Matt had announced his retirement. Guarding Jansen was the first real ‘assignment’ I’d had in months.
But as I was driving him back to the four-star hotel he was holed up in to throw corporate agents off his tail, he received a call unlike the others. Although Jansen had been whispering, I’d glanced in the rear-view mirror and caught the word ‘blackmail.’ It’d been too low to confirm by hearing alone, but we’d gone through lip-reading courses in special ops, because communication is often impossible during combat, especially on silent missions, and I could make out the shape of the word on his mouth.
The call had only lasted a couple minutes, and he’d caught me looking and turned his head so I hadn’t been able to see anything else, but something about it put me on high alert. I was right to be suspicious of Dexter Jansen. He was hiding something, and I was determined to find out what.
I’d dropped him off at the hotel, escorting him to his suite as per the protocol he’d established with Smith. He entered the suite before Jansen and swept it, keeping his eye out for anything that looked out of place. The businessman was paying for top-notch service, which meant I had to clear every room of his suite before I left for the night.
There was a camera trained on the entrance to the suite as well, closed-circuit that was piped directly to Shadow Security. Once he dropped Jansen off for the night, the businessman was to remain in his suite, dependent on four-star service to keep him happy. I wondered why he hadn’t sprung for around-the-clock security, if he was concerned enough to require moving into a hotel and having his room swept every day. Just another mystery that made me feel that something was wrong with this setup.
I cleared the suite, let him know I’d be there in the morning to pick him up for his next round of business dealings, and then headed out. Driving back towards the office, I debated whether to tell Smith my concerns. I thought they had merit, but then again, I could be totally off-base about things. Maybe my suspicions were driven by the remnants of trauma I was still processing. I didn’t want to look like I couldn’t handle the job he’d given me, especially after only one day.
Still, if Jansen was hiding something, wasn’t it my duty to report it to my superior officer—er, boss? I knew Smith was busy, his business in the process of an expansion that kept both him and Matt, and the handful of contractors they employed under them, busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. This wasn’t the kind of distraction they needed, especially when I had next to nothing as evidence.
I turned a corner, then noticed the black SUV behind me. I’d seen a similar car exiting the hotel parking lot around the same time as me. Could it be the same one?
There had to be countless black SUVs in Savannah, just like any other town. Hell, I was driving one myself. But in times like these, I fell back on my training. Two blocks up, I made a left turn. It wasn’t my usual route, but I had to be sure.
The SUV made the same turn, just as the light turned red. A couple blocks ahead, I turned left again, and when I saw the SUV follow, I felt a bloom of anxiety in my chest. I was being followed.
To confirm my suspicion, I pulled into a fast-food drive thru. While I grabbed a coffee, I saw the SUV parked on the street outside the restaurant. When I turned back onto the main thoroughfare, it followed, a few cars behind me. There was no doubt in my mind now that I had a tail. Which meant it was time to lose it.
I’d enjoyed the defensive driving courses I’d taken in special ops, and had excelled at escaping pursuit. There was a smile on my face now as I sped up and jumped two lanes to make a jerky right turn. The SUV barely made it behind me, but I was already turning again, heading into a strip mall and racing behind the buildings.
Thankfully I was familiar with the city, having grown up here, and it was an advantage I used in my favor. I hit an alley behind the strip mall, then weaved through residential streets before pulling into a discount car lot. I parked in a line of cars for sale and watched as the SUV drove past me without stopping.
I waited about ten minutes, making sure they weren’t circling back around in pursuit. Then I crept out of the parking lot and back onto the street. I kept my eyes trained on the rearview mirror the rest of the way back to Shadow Security. One thing was obvious, the Jansen detail was not what it seemed.
The whole thing had triggered me, and I curled my hands so tightly around the steering wheel that my knuckles went white. I couldn’t keep thoughts of the desert out of my mind, of that day when everything had gone to shit.
Chapter 6
Emma
It was already twenty minutes after five before I looked up from my spreadsheet to check the time. I’d promised to volunteer at an adoption event tonight for a local pet shelter, which meant I needed to finish up here and head home to change soon.
I’d just finished packing up my things when the door opened. Jack strode in, bypassing my desk without a look and heading back towards Dad’s office. “He’s not here,” I called after him.
Jack froze and turned around, finally making eye contact.
“He and Matt are out on Hilton Head, discussing a new security contract. They might not come back to the office tonight.”
I could see that
he was tense, his hands in tight fists by his side. I realized then how dangerous he would be if someone angered him. He was tall and muscular, trained in a hundred ways to kill, I was sure. But, for some reason, I didn’t fear him. I knew instinctively that Jack would never use his strength against me.
Noticing a tic in his jaw, I knew I had to help him calm down. It was only his first day on the job with Jansen, but I couldn’t blame him for being pissed. He was probably going to ask Dad to take him off the assignment. I tried to warn Dad, but would anyone listen to me?
“Jansen’s a real jerk,” I said, intending to establish a dialogue. The man was silent as stone most the time. But if I could get him talking, maybe it would help him to relax. “I can’t imagine being cooped up with him all day.”
Jack didn’t respond, but he did begin to pace. I was taken aback by the fierce expression on his face. Something was wrong, something more than just being annoyed by the rich bastard Jansen.
“Hey,” I said, moving forward. “What’s going on? Tough day on the job?”
It was an inane question, I knew, but I had to do something to get him talking. I could feel tension radiating off him and the waves were getting thicker. It bothered me to see him like this, causing a feeling almost like pain in my chest.
“Jack?” I asked, taking another step closer. Instead of answering, he shook his head. His eyes were bright, a far-off expression taking over his face. It was like there was a brick wall between us, keeping me out, stopping me from reaching him.
If I wanted to find out what had set him off, if I wanted to make the tension go away, I had to be brave. Fuck it. Time to climb the wall.
Without hesitation, I walked straight up to Jack and grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks. Putting my hands on either side of his face, I pulled his head down to mine. Before I could lose my confidence, I pressed my lips to his.
I could feel him jolt, as if hit with a bolt of electricity. I held on, softening my lips, coaxing his. A few moments later and I could feel him start to relax. Then he began returning the kiss, and it was my turn to lose my cool.
His mouth devoured mine, little nips that was sending pulses of sensation straight through to my core. I would have never guessed that he was even attracted to me, let alone capable of feeling the hunger for me that was revealed in that kiss.
And then it was over. He pulled away, intensity radiating from his dark eyes. I met his gaze, wondering if I’d succeeded in making it over the wall.
“Tell me what happened.”
He turned his head and took a deep breath. “Something’s wrong with the Jansen gig. There’s something he isn’t telling us.”
“What makes you think so?” I kept probing, not wanting him to go silent on me.
“Jansen got a call.” Jack paused, running a hand through his hair. “He gets tons of calls, and he always speaks at full volume, regardless of the topic or the person on the other line. Except for one call. It was different.”
He turned away to start pacing again, his words coming to a halt at the same time his legs started moving. I gave him a moment, but he didn’t continue. It was clear that the next part was hard for him to say.
“How was it different?” I kept my expression neutral.
Jack stopped and stared down at me. I stood my ground, not breaking eye contact. I’d always avoided conflict, and normally would have backed down minutes ago. Hell, I wouldn’t have ever tried the kiss gambit. But there was something about him, about the situation. I could be brave. For him.
Finally, he spoke. “He was whispering, for the first time all day. I checked him out in the rearview and...I saw him mouth the word ‘blackmail.’”
I could tell he was waiting on my response, his attention focused. “Blackmail?” I swallowed, unsure of how to proceed. “Do you think someone is blackmailing him?”
Jack shook his head. “I’m not sure. But I know he’s hiding something.”
His hands were shaking slightly. There was something more he needed to share. “What else happened?”
“I was followed.” For the first time since we’d become reacquainted, the pace of his words quickened, the tone somewhat frantic. “After I left his hotel. A black SUV. I made several turns to make sure. Then I lost them before I came back here.”
His words hit me like a blow. “Someone followed you? But...why?”
His mouth opened to respond, but before anything came out, the sound of the door opening interrupted him. I looked over my shoulder, catching sight of Matt and my father entering, twin smiles on their faces.
“Hey, little girl,” Dad said, coming over to plant a kiss on my forehead. “You’re here late.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Dad, Jack needs to—”
“We closed the deal,” Matt said, cutting me off and slapping Dad on the back. “Three months of round-the-clock security detail for a visiting diplomat. I think we just earned our Christmas bonuses.”
Dad laughed, and Jack smiled, but there were more important things to talk about. “Dad, Jack was followed after work today. He thinks—we think—that there’s something Jansen isn’t telling us.”
Jack’s eyes met mine, an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment, he spoke. “A black SUV pursued me, but I managed to lose him.”
I wanted my father to have all the information. “And Jack saw him talking about blackmail. He’s definitely hiding something.”
Dad’s smile evaporated and he took a breath. “Look, son,” he said, putting his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I know Dexter is a bit of a snake. I can smell it on him, just like you can. But this is business, not the service. We’re not assisting civilians in need. He paid us to protect him from corporate espionage, not blackmail. I don’t give a damn what he does in his spare time.”
Jack nodded, his face blank. For some reason, looking at him made my insides hurt. I was about to respond, but Matt interrupted again. “What say we go down the street to that brewpub and knock back a couple to celebrate this new contract?”
“Sure,” Jack says, trying on a grin.
I rolled my eyes, then locked up after them as they made their way out of the door and into the parking lot. Just another example of the boys not listening to me. But that didn’t mean I was going to give up just yet.
At the pub, I cornered my father when he went to the bar to grab another round of beers. The adoption event would have to wait a little while longer. “Dad, I think there’s something going on with Jansen. You shouldn’t blow Jack’s concerns off so easily.”
Dad gave me a tolerant grin. “Okay, little girl, I hear you. Now you listen to me. Jack just got back from ten years in the service, seeing things you’ve never even thought about. Which is good, you shouldn’t think about those things. But when you’re used to finding danger around every corner, once you’re back stateside, it’s hard not to keep looking for it.”
“You think he’s overreacting?”
Dad shrugged. “Jack’s a great guy, and your brother thinks the world of him. I’m sure he’ll calm down after a few more months. Learn to relax. Until then, I’m taking his suspicions with a grain of salt.”
The bartender handed him a fresh group of bottles and he took them, heading back to the table. I sighed, leaning back against the bar and watching the table.
An earnest expression had taken up residence on Jack’s face as he listened to Matt relating the details of the deal. I realized then why he had been so hesitant to talk to me earlier. He’d thought I wouldn’t believe him that I’d assume he’d been seeing something that wasn’t there.
Suddenly his eyes meet mine and a heat rushes through me. The memory of his kiss exploded in my mind. For a moment, I’d felt him responding, before he’d broken away. Could he be thinking about it too, I wondered as he continued to look at me.
Could I ever stop thinking about it?
Or stop wanting him to do it again?
Chapter 7
Jack
Day Two of guarding Dexte
r Jansen was not an improvement. If possible, the businessman’s attitude had gotten worse. I’d have rated his mood at somewhere around ‘Toddler refusing to take a nap at naptime’ status. Except this toddler was in charge of a multimillion dollar company.
Today we were in his office, one he was trying to visit only infrequently to keep whatever corporate spies were trying to learn his routine on their toes. Or at least that was what he said. In reality, I was beginning to doubt the existence of the spies. And if they did exist, the only corporate secret they would learn was that Jansen treated his employees like shit.
He’d spent most of the ride over bitching about the luxury hotel he’d installed himself in, one I swept each day to make sure it was free of bugs and one we monitored for intruders. Jansen was staying in the best hotel in the area, and the management had been working carefully with us on security. This didn’t mean the rich prick appreciated what was being done for him. What he did care about, apparently, was that he receive fresh boxes of soap every day, along with fresh towels. God forbid he’d have to use the same piece of soap two days in a row.
Still, it would take a mountain of soap to get Jansen clean. My gut told me he was hiding something, and not something that would make him smell like daisies. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized he had contempt for everyone but himself.
It was clear in the phone call after phone call he made in his office. Jansen wasted no time berating his subordinates. If someone had made a mistake, he’d either be fired or threatened with firing, until the person on the other end of the line was breathing heavily and either near tears or about to explode in anger. I couldn’t blame them.