All traces of humor had fled Kane’s expression. He shook his head. “Didn’t the other girl’s testimony back up Jordan’s? That piece of shit should have had his testicles handed to him.”
Jayce shrugged, no longer willing to discuss the details of Jordan’s attack. “She never came forward and Jordan was too traumatized to remember her name.”
“Fuck.” Kane pushed off the pillar with a shake of his head. “I won’t dick with your sister, but you didn’t need to tell me all that.”
“Just… keep it under the cuff.”
“Yeah.”
Turning toward the house, Jayce gestured at the corner Kane had indicated. “Camera here?”
“Yeah. Can’t be seen before it can see whoever’s on the stoop. Set it up with a monitor in her office, and she can check things out before ever coming to the door.” It was Kane’s turn to frown. “Speaking of. You see that house for sale four doors down?”
Jayce turned his head just enough that he could see the house without being obvious. “Yes.”
“See that nice shiny clean grey car in the drive?”
Jayce furrowed his brow. “Yeah.”
“Tell me what’s wrong with that picture.”
“You tell me.”
“Check out the grass, Jayce.”
The instant Kane pointed it out, the oddity struck Jayce. Not so much that a car sat in the driveway, though that alone was unusual. The lawn hadn’t been mowed in several weeks. Tall dandelions swayed in the gentle breeze, white-capped heads bobbing as they released their spores. Several more had already shed seeds and were now just bare stalks poking over the long green carpet. If that car didn’t make it a habit to move, it should be covered in pollen dust. And if it were someone simply taking care of the property, the grass wouldn’t have been neglected.
“Seen anyone go inside?” Jayce asked.
“Nope. But I don’t like it.”
Neither did Jayce. Apprehension slithered through his veins as he glanced around the neighborhood. The car engine he’d heard last night was close enough to have come from that driveway. Instinct said check the vehicle out. But an even greater instinct told him if he walked over there he’d be disappointed. Someone bold enough to observe within plain sight wouldn’t make the mistake of sitting in his car.
“I’ve got my gun on me,” he replied quietly. “You better get a move on, if you’re going to take Jordan to the movies. Let me give you some cash for a cab.” Jayce reached for his wallet.
Once again, Kane chuckled. “I don’t need the cash. Just give me her address.”
Nodding, Jayce ducked into his truck, scrawled Jordan’s address on a crumpled up receipt, and handed it to Kane.
He pocketed it with a wink. “I’ll bring her home safe and sound.”
Jayce found himself also chuckling as he let himself back inside. He anticipated returning to Alyssa’s room and waking her up with an invitation to dinner. Instead, he found her sitting in her living room, staring blankly at the fireplace. A far-away look haunted her pretty face, and the shadows had returned to her expression.
Damn it. He hated seeing her like this.
Moving behind her, he set his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, baby doll.”
She startled so forcefully, she nearly jumped off the couch. Then, as she swiveled and her gaze registered on him, she swore. “Jesus, Jayce. You scared the crap out of me.”
He eased around the side of the couch and sat down at her side. “You okay?”
* * *
Okay? Not hardly. Alyssa shook her head and gave a derisive laugh. “Someone’s threatening me, I can’t sleep much, and you show up telling me your half in love with me. No, Jayce, I’m not okay.” Add in the fact that Michael had attacked her ten years ago tonight, and those damned memories refused to stay buried.
But then, every year it was the same. Normally Brice kept her busy, kept her occupied. She suspected that wouldn’t be happening this year. He wasn’t home anyway. No doubt he’d left her and Jayce alone, hoping she’d come around to seeing things the way Brice did.
Jayce slid an arm around her shoulders and drew her against his side. “You always have been a light sleeper.”
“Not like this.” She snuggled into his embrace and rested her cheek on his chest, alongside her flattened palm. Just being near him warded off the chill that crept into her veins. Like this though, she felt safer than she’d ever been. Completely protected from both the past and the present.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he murmured into her hair.
“They’re powerful men, Jayce.”
He nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head. “I’ve got an ace or two up my sleeve.”
She tipped her head up to better look at him, his odd choice of words piquing her curiosity. “You said you do custom security designs. The man you brought over—”
“Kane Anderson. He works with me.”
“Kane then.” She waited a beat, then asked what had been nagging at the back of her mind since last night in her office. “When did you get so comfortable with a gun?”
Beneath her hand, she felt Jayce stiffen. His gaze latched onto hers, but he made no attempt at a response.
She frowned. “Jayce?”
He chuckled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
She pushed at his chest and threw him a glance that said she didn’t appreciate his humor. “Be serious.”
“Actually…” Releasing her, he sat up straighter. “I’m not really teasing. It’s just kinda funny to be able to say that.”
At his deadpan expression, Alyssa’s heartbeat slowed. He’d always walked life on the edge. Had he gotten mixed up with the wrong people in Chicago? Was that why he seemed to be taking her threats in relative stride? “What do you mean, Jayce?” she asked cautiously.
He caught her chin and tipped her head up so he could look her in the eyes. “You’re pretty good with secrets. Think you can keep another one?”
She didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Defensive, she answered with a clipped, “Of course.” Though she was beginning to suspect she wouldn’t like whatever he intended to say.
“I don’t work in security. Not the way you’re thinking, at least.”
Puzzled, she blinked. “Then what—”
He placed a gentle fingertip against her lips. “I hold an untraceable position within the CIA. I don’t exist on paper, and I work with bombs.”
Bombs. Alyssa blinked again. “As in the blow-you-up kind?”
Jayce chuckled again. “I didn’t know there was another type. But usually I’m insuring that doesn’t happen.”
An unexplainable shock of anger flashed through her. She shoved at his chest and shot off the couch. “What are you thinking? Are you insane? You could get killed!”
“Let’s not go there, shall we? It’s not like I woke up yesterday and signed on. I’ve been doing this awhile now.” He reached for her wrist, the trace of a laugh on his voice.
Alyssa jerked away, sheer emotion driving her. “This isn’t funny, Jayce. What on earth possessed you to do something so…so…” She trailed off in search of the right word. Crazy, stupid, ridiculous came to mind, but she realized the folly of voicing the thoughts. At last, she settled on, “Dangerous! I don’t want you to die!”
The instant the confession slipped free, she recognized her mistake. Something she couldn’t quite decipher flashed in Jayce’s eyes, but it was dark enough to silence her outburst. And foreboding enough to send a shiver snaking down her spine. She clamped her mouth closed.
A muscle flexed in Jayce’s cheek, the only clue she’d hit a raw nerve. But to her surprise, when he spoke, his voice was controlled and void of emotion. “I didn’t really much care when I made the decision.”
Because she’d left. Because she’d been too traumatized to turn to him and destroyed the dreams they’d built.
Because she’d broken his
heart, right alongside her own.
He didn’t need to say those things specifically, but she knew. She knew him.
Alyssa sank onto the couch again, feeling like she’d just been kicked in the gut. There were so many chasms between them. So many dark places. And she didn’t know how to build a bridge over a single one. Now this—how was she supposed to have faith in him, to let him in her heart again, if he risked his life every time he was called out?
Jayce tugged her onto his lap. “Hey.” He settled two fingers beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. “Let’s not do this now. You’re tired. I’m tired. Why don’t we get cleaned up and go out for dinner?” Leaning forward, he brushed his mouth across hers. “How long has it been since you’ve let yourself unwind?”
Too damned long. She closed her eyes, savoring the soft way Jayce’s lips played across hers.
“Let me take care of you tonight, baby doll,” he whispered.
Before she could form an answer, he nudged her lips apart and the tip of his tongue slid slowly over hers. The idea of talking faded into sweet oblivion as Alyssa looped her arms around Jayce’s neck and surrendered to the power of his kiss.
T w e n t y – e i g h t
Brice tossed his gym bag over his shoulder and fished his keys out of the locker. Jangling them loosely in his right hand, he headed for his car. An hour with weights proved the perfect remedy for his knotted muscles and the tension that refused to give him a moment’s peace.
He also hoped like hell that with the time alone together, Jayce would pry the truth out of Alyssa and she could get the fuck out of Boulder before this shitstorm of trouble came to a head. Things were getting worse, fast, and Brice couldn’t convince himself he could keep her safe any longer. He never should have taken the job defending Delfranco.
For that matter, he never should have answered his damned phone last week after the Dobson hearing. He almost hadn’t. But fate was a tricky bastard, and at the last second, he’d decided to take the call before he met with his client for next phase preparation.
As tension seeped into his shoulders again, Brice rolled his neck and pushed the worries away. Nothing he could do about it now. He’d become entrenched. One more day, and if things went as planned, as promised, this would all be over.
That too he doubted. From here, it could only get worse.
He reached his Hummer and unlocked the rear door to toss the gym bag inside. It landed in a heap on top of the folder that had begun this mess. As he slammed the hatch shut, something hard and sharp pricked into his lower back. His brain barely registered knife before his heart clunked into overdrive. Dread cramped his gut. He craned his head to see his attacker.
“Uh-uh, you just keep staring straight ahead. Open that hatch back up.” A gravely masculine voice rasped near his ear.
Fuck. Swallowing hard, Brice unlocked the door. It popped open soundlessly.
“Now, make like you’re looking for something while we have a little chat. Keep your eyes off me. Otherwise, someone will be pulling your body out of that compartment.”
Dutifully, Brice obeyed the directive, though he couldn’t help trying to chance a glance at his assailant from the corner of his eyes. The glimpse did no good. All he could make out was a man, probably close to his own five-foot-eleven height, dressed in faded jeans, a grey sweatshirt, and a leather jacket.
“What did your girlfriend tell the cops?”
“She’s not my girlfriend.” Maybe if they realized that, they’d leave Alyssa out of this. It was worth a shot at least. Worth the slim hope. “And I don’t know.”
“Bullshit,” he barked. The point of the knife pricked more insistently into Brice’s lower back. “Don’t fuck with me, McTavish. I ain’t playing games.”
Okay, so maybe assuming this was just some dumb thug had been a mistake. Brice regrouped as he pretended to rummage through his duffle, careful to keep the sealed folder hidden.
“I’ll give you that one. I can respect loyalty,” the man continued. “Loyalty’s why I’m here. You tell that bitch to keep her pretty little yap shut.”
Alyssa? Jayce blinked. Confused, he attempted to lift his head and frown at his attacker.
His reward was another prick of the knife that sent pain flaring up his spine. Brice felt blood trickle into the waistband of his jeans.
“I warned you once. I won’t do it again.”
Brice dropped his gaze back to the black carpeting of his cargo bay. “She doesn’t know anything.”
“Beg to differ, McTavish.” A snide, sneering kind of laugh rasped off his lips. “You use that loyalty and convince her it’s best to cooperate with us. If she doesn’t, well, I sure would enjoy carving her up. Was mighty tempted to the other night, she was sleepin’ so pretty in your arms. Just wanted to take a piece of her home with me.”
Brice’s stomach churned. Bile rose to the back of his throat. He’d led this monster straight to Alyssa. If something happened to her, he would hold the blame. Choking down nausea, he nodded.
“You’re a sensible kind of guy, McTavish. I’m sure you and I will get along just fine.”
The pressure near Brice’s spine let up. Leather creaked as his attacker moved. From the corner of Brice’s peripheral vision, he caught the movement of the bastard’s arm as he pocketed the knife and took two steps backward.
“You count to six. Then you can leave. And I don’t think I really need to tell you, but just in case—we never had this conversation.”
Right. That was becoming standard practice in Brice’s life.
He remained bent inside the Hummer, his hands braced on his gym bag, fighting back fury as the thug’s rhythmic footfalls drew further away. Fuck this. He clenched his fingers. This had to end. He was tired of these bastards using Alyssa to intimidate him. He’d started it; he would finish it here. Then all he would have to deal with was Toledo.
Brice shoved off the car and whirled on his heel. Breaking into a sprint, he chased after his retreating assailant. But instead of running, the man froze and slowly turned to confront Brice. He wore a baseball cap pulled low over his brow, shielding his face in the dim grey of twilight.
Before Brice could consciously associate the flash movement of the stranger’s hand with plausible danger, Brice found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
“Maybe you’re not quite so sensible after all.”
Shit! What was about to happen registered in Brice’s brain. He threw himself behind a parked minivan. As his knees ate up the asphalt, a gunshot rang out. Plastic shattered at the minivan’s taillight, sending bits of red raining down less than an inch from Brice’s heel. Another flash of pain seared across Brice’s arm.
Stunned, he glanced down to find a jagged tear in the cotton of his shirtsleeve running horizontally across his bicep. Blood oozed from beneath the fabric, turning the pale grey a deep dark color. Blinking, Brice snatched at his shirtsleeve and examined the wound.
He let out a relieved breath and sank back against the minivan. Just a graze. But damn, it burned like fire. Grimacing, he clutched the wound with one hand, and turned his gaze skyward. What the hell have I done?
* * *
Alyssa sat across from Jayce, sipping her second glass of wine. It was strange, really, to think of all the ways they had matured. Ten years ago, neither of them knew anything about wine beyond what came in a box at the convenience store. A nice dinner out meant something along the lines of Applebees. Jayce in dress pants? She’d have never imagined it would happen.
Now though, here they were, two adults enjoying a meal that would run close to a hundred dollars, not including the bottle of Italian Chianti they were sharing. He’d even run inside his sister’s townhome and come back out to the truck in a suit coat. A live blues band played softly in the corner, tucked behind a polished and sophisticated dance floor. Nothing like the seedy bars they’d snuck into back in high school, or the sweaty club for under twenty-oners they’d met each other at every Friday night.
>
Classy. Grown up. And Alyssa had never felt more spoiled in her life. Brice certainly never took her out on dates like this. He’d join her for a nice dinner, but the bill was neatly divided down the middle, and once the meal finished, they didn’t linger for a second glass of wine.
Jayce reached across the table and collected her hand in his. “You’re quiet.”
Alyssa chuckled. “You clean up pretty well, Jayce Honeycutt.”
A lazy smirk glided over his sensual mouth. “Environmental hazards force me to blend in.”
That again. She couldn’t get over the discover Jayce was a bomb specialist. As they drove through Boulder, she’d asked him more about his job. Covert agent—that was how he put it. A Black Opal. And currently he was taking a forced leave over a disagreement with his boss about a new employee.
“I don’t want to talk about all that now. It bugs me.”
Jayce cocked an eyebrow. “Anything in particular you do want to talk about?”
The ever-present questioning light in his eyes gnawed at her heart. He’d had plenty of opportunity to ask her for an explanation. That he hadn’t yet told Alyssa he wouldn’t. Still, she wished she could take that pain from him. She knew she possessed the ability; she lacked the strength. And she didn’t want to revisit that night, tonight of all nights. It would be hard enough sleeping as it was.
Jayce gave her fingers a squeeze. “Talk to me, baby doll. What’s got you preoccupied?”
She summoned a smile. “I’m just a little overwhelmed.” Tracing his wide thumb with her fingernail, she studied their interlocked hands. “The food, the wine, the music—your suit.” She paused, lifted her eyes to his handsome face. “Today. This whole week.”
He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the underside of her wrist. “Let’s get out of here.”
His gaze took on a burnished quality that sent a thrill tripping through Alyssa’s body. Her heart skipped several dozen beats, and for a moment, just a moment, she allowed herself to consider what a life with Jayce would bring. Days spent in peaceful companionship, nights spent entangled by wild desire. Laughter. No more fear.
Explosive (The Black Opals) Page 22