by Jayne Blue
I bit my bottom lip to keep from smiling. “Well, when it’s just the two of us, call me Jillian.”
“Jillian? Not Jill? Jilly?” He was teasing. I raised a brow.
“Nobody calls me Jilly.”
“Got it, Jillian. I like that better anyway.”
“But Huck though. Not Ray? What if I think you look more like a Ray?”
He flashed that smile again and I found myself looking forward to it. Oh yes, letting Ray Huckman in this close had danger signs all over it.
“Ray was my dad’s name. He was a son of a bitch and I don’t really care for the association.”
I reared back a bit. He spilled out that personal detail with such a cavalier tone it almost startled me. I didn’t know how to do that. Not even Rhonda knew about my parents and she was closer to me now than anyone. I resisted the urge to ask him more about his father. A son of a bitch. I wondered how he’d compare with mine. Frank Key could probably give Ray Huckman, Sr. a run for his money.
“Well, I’ll keep that in mind, Huck. I think I like that better anyway. It suits you.”
“I’m glad. Now, I need some straight and full answers to some personal questions.”
I swallowed hard and crossed my arms in front of me again. Huck’s eyes went right to them and I forced myself to uncross them and put them at my side. His intense scrutiny unnerved me. I felt a little like prey if he were the hunter. I knew what he’d say. To protect me, he’d need to understand everything about me. I bit my lip knowing if he did, he probably wouldn’t like me very much. Most people didn’t so keeping them at bay worked better.
“I’ll do my best,” I said. “Although I’m guessing you already know most of what you need to from the google search I know you did on me.”
Huck smiled. “Well, of course I did. But I want to hear the truth from you. I told you I’ll talk to the landlord about people who have access to the house. But what about you? Who are you close to? Do you have family here that comes and goes? I need to know who the significant people in your life are.”
I smiled. “Well, that will be a short list. I’m from up north. Petoskey. Both of my parents passed away a long time ago. Only child. Since I moved down here most of my social contacts are people I see and work with at the courthouse and even that is sparse. There’s a learning curve to this job. I got some good advice when I took the bench. I was told to expect it to take two years to really know this job. I’m about halfway there.”
Huck nodded. “Well, that’s a nice, clinical story you’ve got there. What about men. Or women. Are you dating?”
I must have flinched. Huck’s eyes softened and he shot me that dimple-laden smile. “I need to know who’s going to be around you. And you’ll need to prepare them to submit to background checks.”
My heart flipped a little, but I held my ground. His eyes seemed to hold some darker question. There were plenty of rumors about me. I knew full well what he might have found on some of the more salacious political blogs on the internet. To his credit, he didn’t come out and ask. His left brow just arched slightly as he waited for my answer.
“Well, then I may end up being one of the most uninteresting cases you’ve ever worked on. I’m single, Huck. One hundred percent. But I know what people say about me. I’ve heard the JILF jokes. I’m a woman. I’m only thirty-five. My appointment didn’t make everyone happy. But I can promise you it was given to me based on at least perceived merit. Nothing else.”
Huck ran a hand through his hair and looked away for a second. I didn’t know him well enough to read all of his expressions, but if I had to guess, he seemed relieved by my answer. I just hoped he really believed me. When he met my eyes again, his held a hint of mirth that set my blood humming.
“Well,” he said. “I think I would like to take you up on that offer of coffee. We’ve got a hell of a lot to go over before I take you to the courthouse. That’s another thing. If you’re going somewhere from now on, either I’ll be driving or another member of the Marshals Service.”
I nodded. “Rhonda said I should expect that.”
“I like Rhonda. She’s very good at what she does and she has your best interests at heart. She’s another point that’s non-negotiable. I can see that you’ve developed a close relationship with her. She’s a friend. That’s good. But Rhonda answers to me just like you do when it comes to your personal safety. If she disagrees with something I want, what I say goes. I don’t need another cook in this particular kitchen.”
I crossed my arms in front of me. “She said something similar to me last night before she made me call you. I understand.”
“Good. After coffee, if you’re ready, we’ll head down to the courthouse so I can coordinate with her and some of the other deputies down there. I’ll need to see your docket.”
“Of course. I’ve got a full day. I wouldn’t expect to be ready to leave for home until after eight o’clock tonight. Maybe later. You may want to tell your wife you won’t make it home for dinner.”
God, I don’t know why I said that. Huck’s personal life was none of my business even if he was making mine his. He gave me that wide smile again.
“Well,” he said, “you’ve got me all to yourself, Jillian. I’m not married. Plus, for the duration, I’m not going home.”
“You’re not?” My heart skipped a beat. I took a step back, trying to put distance between us and bring that invisible wall of protection back up around me. Huck cocked his head to the side.
“Nope,” he answered. “Until we put this threat against you to rest, I’m not leaving your side. Day or night.”
“H-how is that going to work?”
“Tell your landlord you’ve got a new roommate. Don’t worry. I’m told I don’t snore. Much.”
Chapter Seven
Huck
God, the look on Jillian’s face spiked my heart rate. Her bee-stung lips formed a surprised “o” and she took a step back. I can’t help that a part of me was beginning to like seeing her that way too much. This woman was so tightly wound it was good to see her off kilter. But I was dead serious about the job. Her life was in danger and the only way I could adequately protect her was by not leaving her side.
I’ll admit, the house was a bit of a surprise. The woman might have serious issues if I was right about why she hadn’t unpacked. I was no psychologist, but I guessed it wasn’t because she was lazy. Keeping everything boxed up and neatly stacked seemed more like a coping mechanism. That could be good or bad for me. Good because she probably had every detail of her life organized and didn’t miss a trick. That would be helpful when it came down to putting an enemies list together. But if she were as regimented as I suspected, getting her to change her routine might be a problem.
“Are you going to say anything?” I asked, leaning against the wall.
Jillian nodded and ran a hand through her hair, smoothing down strands that were already slicked tightly into place. Her fingers held just the hint of a tremble to let me know I’d unsettled her. To her credit, she kept her cool. I wasn’t kidding about our living arrangements, but this was also my first test at seeing if she could do what she was told.
“That’s unexpected,” she said. “Rhonda and I didn’t really discuss …”
I held up a finger. “I told you. Rhonda’s not in charge of your personal security anymore. I am. Her job is keeping order in your courtroom. I talked to her myself before I came here. She said she’s clued you in on how severe and frequent these threats have become. I agree with her it was bullshit not to have you in the loop on that sooner. I’ll be honest, I’m probably going to piss off a few people in the District Office if they find out we told you. The only person who can keep the heat off Rhonda or me for that is you. I’m hoping I can count on you to do that.”
“You can. Of course. Yes. As for the rest … I’ll adjust. There’s a spare bedroom across the hall from mine. It has an attached bathroom. I’m afraid I don’t have any furniture in it yet. But as long as we can
figure out a way to stay out of each other’s way, I suppose we’ll make it work.”
I nodded. “I can bring an air mattress. I don’t need much. But I do have to sleep sometimes. We’re going to also keep a guard posted outside your front door. He’ll walk the grounds when we’re sleeping.”
She started to pace. Then she turned and nodded. “If you think it’s necessary.”
“I do.”
“Okay. Now, if you don’t mind taking that coffee to go, I really want to get a start on my day. The … uh … excitement this week has put me behind the eight ball as far as my caseload.”
“To go is fine. I take mine black. But before we go, there are a few other ground rules I want to go over.”
She crossed her arms in front of her and gave me a nod. A hint of a blush colored her cheeks and a tiny pulse near her temple beat a furious pace.
“Any room you want to go into, I go into first. You want to make plans, you clear them with me first. I’m at your shoulder at all times. If I tell you to do something, even if you don’t agree or understand in the moment, you do it. And I’m not here to carry your luggage or park your car.”
Jillian put up a hand. “Huck, I understand. I won’t pretend I like it, but I do understand. But you aren’t the only one who gets to set rules.”
She looked me directly in the eye and took a step toward me. Whatever anxiety I’d caused in her by invading her personal space, she seemed to have recovered. The Ice Queen was back and I can’t help that a part of me felt turned on as hell by it.
“If you must stay here, I’m not your maid. Anything you see or hear when you’re with me, especially of a personal nature, you keep to yourself. I know what people say about me behind my back. Whatever opinions you have on the subject I don’t need to hear and you don’t need to express to anyone.”
I couldn’t resist. Every time this woman put those walls back up, I wanted to do something to bring them back down. I took a step toward her. We were nearly nose to nose with her craning her neck to keep my gaze. I might never know if the rumors about how she got to be a judge were true; I expected her to deny them and she did. But right now Jillian Key was pure fire and fight. She was sexy as hell. Her nostrils flared and the overwhelming urge to kiss her flooded through me.
“Got it,” I said, though my voice sounded ragged to my own ears.
She blinked hard and took a step back. The air between us seemed combustible and Jillian looked like she was having a hard time catching her breath. So was I. If I’d had any sense in my damn head I might have stopped it right there and told her this wasn’t going to work out. But I was in too deep and I knew it. Whatever else happened, I wanted to see this through with her.
“Good,” she said, her chest still heaving from that breathless moment. She wore a white silk blouse with the top two buttons undone. A turquoise pendant hung between her breasts and my eyes went to the milky white skin between them. A vision flashed in my mind of what she’d look like with her hair undone and those pink lips swollen from kisses.
“Let’s go,” she said, recovering quicker than I had. She turned on her heel. She wore a pencil-thin black skirt that cupped her ass in all the right ways. Her muscled calves flexed as she walked with purpose into the kitchen and poured me a cup of coffee in a plastic mug. She handed it to me with a smile then grabbed her briefcase from the kitchen counter.
I held the front door open for her like a gentleman, though my thoughts about her in the last few minutes were anything but proper. That’d be my bullshit to deal with though, not hers. I was also a damn fool. I’d given her a sermon on how she’d have to put up with me disrupting her life. The truth was, I knew this woman was about to disrupt mine just as hard. The self-destructive part of me knew how dangerous that could be. But as she slipped into the front seat of my SUV I felt a thrill of excitement that acted on me like a drug.
For the next few weeks at least, Jillian Key was all mine.
Jillian had a full day of motion hearings. For as new as she was, the woman ran her docket efficiently. She said it would take her two years to learn this job. If you asked me, she’d already aced it. I took a position in the back of her courtroom and tried to blend in. I watched the crowd coming in and out. These were mostly civil motions today. Mind-numbing stuff about drug manufacturers and warning labels, a few cases against the government. Jillian’s rulings were swift and seemed fair. She took no shit from any of the lawyers in front of her, dressing them down if they got too familiar or postured in front of their clients.
Sure, she pissed a few people off, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that raised my hackles as a potential threat. The most exciting thing that happened all afternoon came from the bereaved father of a baby who died after taking some prescribed medication. The man staggered toward the defense table and tried to strangle the representative from the drug company. I was on my feet, but Rhonda and two other marshals got there first. Jillian didn’t lift so much as an eyebrow. She asked the marshals to uncuff the man and release him to his family. She was firm but sympathetic and the scuffle was over almost before it started.
At the end of her docket, I followed Jillian and Rhonda back to her chambers. All traces of the white-powder incident were gone and Jillian stripped off her robe. Tiny beads of sweat formed around her temples, giving the only outward sign of the grueling nature of her day.
Rhonda handed her a bottled water from the refrigerator she kept in the corner of her office. I smiled when I caught a glimpse inside of it. The bottles were neatly arranged in the door, labels facing out at the exact same angles.
“What do you have for me today, Deputy Huckman?” Jillian said. Even with Rhonda around, Jillian wanted to maintain a formal distance. I raised a brow and took a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of her desk.
“Enemies,” I said. “I need to know who might have a beef with you.”
“Rhonda, sit,” Jillian said. “You’ll have as much to say about this as anyone.” She bit her lip, then looked at me. “That is … is that all right with you?”
I smiled at her, happy that she hadn’t forgotten our conversation this morning. “Of course.”
Rhonda nodded and took the chair next to me.
“Let’s talk high-profile cases. You’ve got the Moldonado trial coming up. What’s he up for racketeering again?”
Jillian took a long drink from her water bottle. I watched the muscles of her slender throat work as she swallowed. She carefully screwed the cap back on and set it on her desk in the exact left corner of her desk blotter. “Honestly? It probably won’t stick. He knows it. A lot could happen before trial but he’s faced worse charges in the past.”
“Still, you made no friends with his lawyer the other day.”
Rhonda nodded. “But the threats were coming in way before Jordan’s arrest.”
“He still in jail?” I asked, smiling. Damn, I’d pay money to see that smarmy fuck sitting behind bars even for a minute.
“No,” Jillian said, shuffling a file on her desk. “They kicked him after about two hours.”
“I want a list of all the criminal defendants who’ve appeared before Judge Key since she took the bench.”
“The FBI already has that,” Rhonda said.
I shook my head. “I want it too. I’m not saying I’ll figure anything out better than they do, but it would help me to start putting names to faces. In case I see anyone we recognize in a place he or she shouldn’t be.”
“Got it, good thinking.” Rhonda took her phone out of her pocket and started typing herself a note.
“What about in your personal life?” I asked. Jillian flinched.
“Well, certain people weren’t happy about my appointment, like I told you. Enough to resort to death threats? I can’t imagine. But I’ll try to come up with a list for you.”
“Sheldon Pierce ought to be at the top of that list,” Rhonda added. I raised a brow. I knew Pierce. He was a dipshit bleeding heart activist judge who serv
ed on the Circuit Court out of Wayne County. I had no idea he was in line for any kind of federal seat. God help us all if he ever got it. Though I doubted he’d have the balls to cause any real problems for Jillian, it might be fun to go jerk his chain anyway.
“Good,” I said. “But I mean your personal life. Anyone you were dating? An angry stepsister? That kind of thing.” She’d sworn to me this morning she was single. That didn’t mean she didn’t have a past.
“No,” Jillian answered with a quick, sharp tone. Then she shot me a nervous smile and smoothed her hand over her perfect hair again. “Not lately anyway. But I’ll think on it. In the meantime, are we done here for the day? I’m going to take some files home but I wouldn’t mind getting out of here. We skipped lunch and I’m starving.”
“Not a problem,” I said. “Give me a few minutes to check out the parking lot, then I’ll come get you. Wait for me at the west exit.”
Rhonda gave me a nod and I rose to leave the two of them alone. I turned my back but not before catching an odd look passing between them. Rhonda looked ready to say something, but Jillian held up a hand. I didn’t know what the hell that was about, but didn’t like it. It seemed like it might take more than just one conversation to get Jillian to understand Rhonda wasn’t in charge anymore.
I scanned the parking lot then pulled my car up to the west entrance to the courthouse. This was really a service lot but it was more secluded than every other way into the building. The CSO officers gave me a nod and a salute when they saw me pull up. Rhonda had Jillian waiting just where I asked her. I got out of the car and held the passenger side door open for Jillian. She said goodnight to the officers and Rhonda and slid in.
As I got behind the wheel, I had half a mind to ask her about whatever transpired between her and Rhonda. I left it there for now though. Getting this woman to trust me all the way would take some finesse. I was better off asking Rhonda next time I saw her.