The car wasn’t there. I tucked my gun into my pants and jogged down the street both directions but it wasn’t out there. Motherfucking piece of shit. Fucking stalking Emma in her own fucking building. Bullshit. I will fucking end you, motherfucker.
I walked into the lobby and Frank took in my bare feet without batting an eye.
“Everything okay, sir?”
“Not at all, Frank. But it will be soon. I’ll call you in a little bit and read you in.” He nodded as I hit the button for my floor in the elevator.
I forced myself to calm down before I knocked on the door. I could see her shadow cross the peephole and I said, “It’s me, Em. You can open the door.”
She was shaking when I opened the door and she handed me the Glock like it was on fire. I’m going to have to do something about that at some point, but now’s not the time.
I pulled her into a hug, setting the Glock on top of the bookshelf at the entrance of the living room.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
“What happened?”
“I thought I saw the stolen car on one of the building’s cameras, but it was gone by the time I got out there, so I can’t be sure.”
“But you think it was him.” She wasn’t asking. She knew exactly why I went running out of here like I did. We needed to end this – for her, for Mia, for us.
“My gut says it was him, yes. I need to go look at the video feed and see if I can actually see him instead of just the car. Figure out what he was doing while he was here.”
“Okay.”
“You can come with me if you want…” I don’t think she wanted to ask, but she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let go of me right now. And that just pissed me off more. This will end. And I will be the one who ends it.
“C’mon, babe. Come sit with me while I figure out what that fucker was up to tonight.” I led her to my office and pulled an extra chair up next to mine. She curled into herself, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees.
I pulled up the recorded video feed from camera four earlier today. Rewinding it twenty minutes, the car was where I saw it last. Backing the feed up in ten minutes increments, it disappeared around 8:45pm. I let the video play at 200% real time and we saw the car park there at 8:53pm. It was too dark for the cameras to see much inside the car, but we could see a hand move the rearview mirror at one point. The car sat there until 10:29pm when it started up and pulled out into traffic.
“The fuck? It’s like he’s casing the building.” I typed up the times in a message and include the make/model/color of the car and the plate number and send it to Frank with a short note about what we saw on the camera feed.
“I still can’t believe this is happening. None of it. It feels like we’re all stuck in a bad dream and I just need to wake up.” Emma’s voice is low and tired.
“Sorry baby. This is definitely not a dream. But we’re going to fix it so we can all go back to normal sooner rather than later, okay?”
My computer pinged as Frank’s response came through.
We had a weird issue down here tonight, too. Around 10:20pm, a boy – maybe 12 – ran into the lobby yelling for help for his friend who he said was hit by a car. He seemed frantic. I was about to run out with him when Rio walked in and said he’d go. He was only gone a few minutes. The kid ran off down an alley and there was no accident scene or another kid around. Now it seems obvious that it was a distraction to leave the lobby unguarded.
That won’t happen again.
Motherfucker. Fucking Frank knew better than to fall for that shit. Damn!
Okay. Where did that leave us? He knows evening is his best bet. The front doors are locked even with a guard on duty after 11pm. He knows this most likely since he tried to pull the guard out after 10pm….
I’d put my money on that asshole trying again tomorrow. He learned something tonight and he’ll use it to change his plans. But he’ll be back. He’ll be back and I’ll be ready.
~Emma~
I fell asleep in the chair next to Jason in the office and woke up when he picked me up and carried me to bed. He pulled the covers over me and started to leave, but I caught his hand.
“Stay.” I could see him start to argue. “Just for a few minutes. I need to fall asleep in your arms tonight….”
A sense of déjà vu came over me as he flipped off the light and stripped down to his boxers before climbing into bed with me. We’ve been here before. The night Dan attacked me in the club. I swallowed and wonder if Jason is remembering the same thing.
“I’ve got you, Em. Try to get some rest.”
Yeah. He remembers. That’s what he said to me then, too. He wrapped his arm around me more firmly and spooned me from behind, surrounding me in his heat and scent.
“I love you, Jason.”
He kissed the back of my neck and hugged me tighter. “I love you, too, Em.”
I realized a little while later that he wasn’t in bed with me. I knew he was back in front of those computer screens, doing his best to come up with a plan to end this mess. I want my life back. I want OUR lives back. And I want a life with Jason that doesn’t involve him having to always watch our backs….
I slept fitfully, dreaming, waking up, dreaming again.
The sun was just starting to come up when I woke up and heard Jason’s voice coming from down the hall. A few seconds later, a door clicked closed and I realized he was on his phone.
Today was going to be a big day. Today is the day when Tex and Rio and Raven are supposed to be taking down the guy they’ve been chasing for months now. And I know it kills Jason that he had to hand everything over so he could stay here and protect me and Mia.
After using the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I walked into the kitchen and pull the eggs out of the fridge. While my omelet was getting started, I hit brew on a fresh pot of coffee. Jason had already gone through almost the entire thing. I knew he didn’t come back to bed last night, but I was hoping he caught a nap on the couch at least.
While I was adding the vegetables to the omelet and waiting to flip it over to finish cooking, Mia started fussing. I hate keeping her waiting, but sometimes I can’t run in there right that second…. Jason came out of his office and motioned that he would go get her. He had his Bluetooth earpiece on and was talking to someone quietly.
A few minutes later, I was plating omelets and pouring coffee when he carried Mia into the kitchen. He had changed her diaper but left her in her pajamas. She was happy this morning.
I listened as Jason got off the phone.
“Come by around 7. I’ve got everything I need here and we can go over schematics before we leave…. Yeah…. Okay. Sounds good, Jax. Thanks, man.” He pulled the earpiece from his ear and set it on the counter before he walked up to me and hugged me tight, kissing me hard.
“Did you sleep okay?” He kissed Mia on the head and sat down next to her.
“I should ask you that, but I bet I already know the answer to that question, don’t I?”
His face was serious when he met my gaze. “Too many questions without answers. I’ve been trained to do my job on no sleep for nights on end. Sometimes it actually helps me get my thoughts in order when I push myself back into that frame of mind. My body takes a backseat.”
“Hmm,” was all I said in response. I reached over to cut up Mia’s eggs. “I slept okay. Weird dreams that woke me up quite a few times, but I’ve had a lot worse and lived on a lot less. Mostly thanks to this little one.” I tweaked Mia’s nose as she started using both hands to get the food into her mouth faster.
“I bet you have. Being a mom is a hard job, but you’re really good at it. She’s lucky to have you as her mom.”
I could actually feel myself blush, which was silly. “Thanks. She’s worth all the struggles we’ve faced and then some. I’m the lucky one.”
Jason smiled and then turned serious again. “I’m going to have to leave for a little while aga
in tonight, unless something changes. The only people who know you’re staying with me would never tell anyone who could leak it to Dan. You’re safe here – and you’ll be armed. But I want you to stay in the guest room with Mia and keep the door locked. Even if someone knocks on the apartment door – I have keys. I’ll text or call you when I’m heading back so you’ll know it’s me coming in when you hear the door.”
“Where are you going tonight?”
“I have a hunch that we might be able to find Dan tonight. I asked an old buddy of mine to help me out since two sets of eyes is always better than one. Jax is going to meet me here later to go over what we saw last night and pick where we’re going to wait for him tonight.”
Suddenly I wasn’t so hungry and I set my fork down. “Are you going to be okay with just you and Jax? Maybe we should wait until the rest of your team can help? I don’t want anything to happen to you….”
Jason smiled and reached across the table for my hand, linking our fingers together and stroking his thumb over mine. “I promise I’ll be fine. Jax is really just my safety net. Kinda like swimming – always take a buddy, you know? It’s not that I can’t handle things on my own, it’s just good practice to have backup. That’s all.”
I nodded. “Okay. I just want this over and I know you’re trying to make that happen.”
“That’s right, baby. We’re going to finish this so we can all move on with our lives…. So we can move on with our life…together.” His words were almost hesitant as he searched my eyes to see if I felt the same way.
I stood and walked to his side of the table and slid into his lap. Wrapping my arms around his neck I whispered, “I love you, Jason Michael Davies.” I pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
He smiled and whispered back, “And I love you, Emma Dawn Parsons. More than you know.” He kissed me softly at first and then harder. As his tongue circled mine and I tightened my arms around his neck, a wet plop sounded beside us and we pulled apart.
Mia smiled as we looked at the cheesy piece of egg that she had flung off her tray. Jason laughed and Mia joined in, laughing because he was laughing.
“Okay, kiddo. I guess we better get you cleaned up and dressed for the day. Let’s go.” I lifted her facing away from me and carried her toward the bathroom.
“Em. I’ve got a lot to do in the office but you are always welcome to interrupt me. I’m never too busy for you, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you for that. I’ll get her clean and then I’m going to see how long she can be entertained with her crayons today.”
“Sounds good, babe.”
Chapter 19
~Jason~
I started getting a little edgy around dinner time. This will end tonight. I could feel it in my gut. My adrenaline has been pumping most of the afternoon and I hated fucking sitting still. Emma had done so great the last few days keeping Mia occupied and entertained. I knew it had been hard being stuck inside an apartment all day long. It’s especially hard when it isn’t even your own apartment. So I’m sure it’s even worse when you have a kid.
I had been over the camera angles and the building schematics so many times they’re etched in my brain and I could visualize them perfectly when I close my eyes. John and Frank were in the loop about my plans with instructions not to interfere unless requested so they don’t step into the middle of a shit storm on the off chance that things don’t go down like I expect.
Fuck fuck fuck. I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes and just sat still for a minute. Lock it down, man. Lock that shit down. You are a weapon. You are built to perform. Let your training take over and just do your job.
I took a deep breath and blew it out. I turned down dinner and had a protein shake and a bottle of water around 6:30pm. I kept moving between the windows and the monitors on my desk.
At 6:55pm, there was a knock at the door. I damn near ran to answer it because Jax was finally here. Even though he was actually early, I caught myself glaring at him like he was late.
“Jax,” I growled.
“Bourne. Always nice to find you in such a pleasant mood.”
He clapped me on the shoulder, dropping a large bag just inside the door, and walked past me where he saw Emma standing in the living room entrance holding Mia.
“Hello, Emma. I’m Jackson Payne – but you can call me Jax.” He held out his hand and Emma shook it. “I’ve heard wonderful things about you.”
Emma smiled up at him and I could see her visibly relax. Jax is always the calmest fucker in the room and he has that effect on most people. Even though he’s taller than I am, he’s leaner and comes across less threatening to people who don’t know us. The damn British accent always seemed to help, too. Bastard.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jax.”
“Em, we’ll be in the office if you need me.”
“Okay. Don’t let him snarl at you too much, Jax. He’s just on edge.”
“Oh, I’ve seen him so much worse than this. I’ll be fine.”
Once Jax closed the door behind them, he narrowed his eyes on Jason. “You need to get your shit together or we’re going to fuck this up before it even starts, Bourne.”
I blew out a breath and leaned back in the desk chair, closing my eyes. “This needs to end tonight. I need this to be over.”
“I understand that. But now it’s time to box up your feelings and your needs and put them aside. We’ve got a job to do. No more, no less.”
I took another deep breath and blew it out slowly and nodded.
“Okay then. Show me what we’re looking at and let’s pin down the details so we can catch this fucker.”
I smiled. Hearing Jax swear in his stilted English accent always makes me laugh. He is so fucking well-mannered in public and so well-spoken that it makes hearing him cuss like a sailor pretty fucking hysterical.
I pulled up satellite images and the camera feed from last night and we started putting together our plan.
Jax pointed at the building blueprints. “Obviously this is our best vantage point. But being ten floors up makes getting to street level slower than I’d like.”
“I agree.” I changed the blueprint for another and then pulled the satellite image around on the monitor. “I thought we might split up a little more with one here on top of this four-story building – it should still have a view of the area where we’re expecting him to park but it’s a lot easier to get down three flights of stairs than nine. Then,” I gestured to the blueprints, “I thought the other could use Rio’s apartment. It’s on the third floor and has a view of the front of the building. The windows don’t open, so it’s not a sniper option, but I figured we wouldn’t be using rifles tonight anyway.”
“Ah. No. You can’t very well shoot him in the street, Bourne. This isn’t Baghdad or Qatar. Our best option is to take him down by hand after dark and get him back to the building without causing too much of a scene. Otherwise, the local PD will be on you before you can spend any quality time with him….”
“Okay. I can work with that. So. Assuming he shows up where he did last night and we have eyes on him, we converge on the vehicle from the rear and remove him forcefully.”
“I imagine he will be easier to handle if he’s unconscious. That should be your goal when you extract him.”
“Oh. I think I can deal with that. I’ve wanted to punch that fucker since he laid hands on Emma at that nightclub.”
“I imagine so. But you will need to lay him out with one shot so we can get him inside immediately. You can’t lose control when you get your hands on him or you’ll be handing him over to the police and probably facing charges of your own.”
Fuck. “Okay. It’s 7:50pm. Let’s load up and head out.”
Ten minutes later, we were both dressed in black tactical pants, black fitted t-shirts and black ball caps. Jax had a black shoulder holster with guns on both sides, but I stuck with my holster in the small of my back and added a second to my ankle. We opted against any grease paint since
we were in a populated area where it would attract more attention. I tucked my knife into one of my side pockets and grabbed my keys off the counter.
While I handed Jax his comm unit, I called out to Emma. She carried Mia into the room and watched me adjust my mic and put the earpiece in place.
I met her gaze and held it while I pressed the mic and quietly said, “Test, test. Over.” Jax clicked his where he was standing next to the front door. “Copy that. Over.” I walked to Emma and pulled her and Mia into a hug. I kissed Mia on the head and then kissed Emma on the lips.
“Lock yourselves in the bedroom with the gun. I’ll call you when I’m coming back so you’ll know it’s me when you hear someone at the door. If I don’t call you…. Don’t open the door for anyone but me or Jax. Or John. That’s it.”
Her lip trembled as I gave her the idea that there was a chance something could go wrong. But reality is that shit goes wrong all the time. No one expects it to when it does.
I walked her to the guest room and kissed her again. Then one more time. “Lock up, babe. I’ll call you as soon as I can. I love you, Emma.”
“I love you, too, Jason.” As she was closing the door, she stepped back into the doorway and said loudly, “Jax, you better bring him back to me in one piece!”
“I’ll do it, Emma,” he called back.
She looked up at me, tears in her eyes and said, “Be careful, Jason.” I heard her turn the lock on the door and headed back to the living room.
Jax and I split up in the stairwell on the third floor of the building. He took the building across the street, leaving me watching from Rio’s apartment. It was 8:25pm when I clicked my mic. “All clear here. Over.”
Jax came back immediately, “All’s quiet here. Over.”
We sat and waited and watched in silence. There was plenty of traffic on the street, but not a lot of movement among the parked cars. I kept an eye on foot traffic in front of the building and watched for hats or hoods. Frank was on alert tonight, too and had two extra guys in the building.
By 9:45pm, I was starting to lose my cool. “Jax. I’ve got nothing. Over.”
Bourne to Love Emma (RED-Stone Operatives Book 1) Page 17