Jenna sharpened her urge to break into tears, turned it into a hard edge. It was a brittle edge at the moment, but eventually it would strengthen and become part of her. It would be another stream of lava hidden inside her, bubbling and brewing.
She walked past Don’s assistant without looking at her. She heard the “Now, wait just a minute, he’s—” as she pushed open the door and walked in.
Don looked up with a warning in his eyes that quickly quieted. “Jenna. Where the hell were you?” He waved away the assistant.
“Working,” she said, no-nonsense. “We need to talk.”
“I’m a little busy, Jenna. That’s why I asked to speak with you over an hour ago.”
“The day doesn’t officially start until nine.”
“You got here at seven.”
“Your point?”
Don leaned back in his massive chair, behind his massive desk, and massaged his slightly less than massive stomach. He’d lost some weight. Looking closer, Jenna noticed his hair was slightly thinner, his face haggard, and his eyes carried worry lines that hadn’t been there before this all started.
“Having a hell of a time, huh, Don?” Jenna asked, taking a seat.
“Yeah, kid. A helluva time. I hear you are, too.”
Jenna smoothed her hair back. “It hasn’t been real fun.”
“So, I figured we should go over the plans.”
“Let’s do that with what’s left of the team. I have everything together. Hopefully we can make up for lost time with what I figured out on the nature hikes you forced on us. I meant to bring back the boots you kindly bought me, but—”
Jenna nearly choked on the words. Doing flippant or indifferent wouldn’t work with the memory of shooting a man. She pulled it all back, hard, and tucked it away.
A very brittle edge. It wasn’t good.
A knowing gleam infused Don’s eyes, followed by sympathy. “You need the number of a counselor?” he asked softly.
“Some things can’t be said to counselors, Don.”
“Don’t I know it, kid. Don’t I know it. I’ve been there. And you know enough about me to know that’s true. It never goes away—I won’t say that it does. But you learn to live with it sooner or later.”
“I know.”
“Okay. Well, let’s get material, shall we? I sent you a proposal for a settlement. Janice has some damn good lawyers—I’m keeping in mind that you will, too. Plus, you’ll make my life a living hell if I don’t come through, and I’m not in the mood. So hopefully it’ll work.”
“Is the settlement good for Janice and her people?”
“We haven’t gotten that far yet. We’re just throwing around numbers.”
“All right, I’ll have a look. Is anyone here yet? Is anyone coming in?”
“Erika is in. Mike is, too, and looking like hell. Lewis has gone, which is probably no surprise. Janice has gone, and Dale…”
“Yeah.”
“So we come to the subject of bodyguards.”
Jenna scoffed. “I’ve been in danger in New York before. I can handle it.”
“All the same.”
“Don’t want one.”
“Don’t care. He’ll be here tomorrow. He looks really good on paper. He—”
“Don, I don’t care. I don’t want him. I’ve had enough people fawning over me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to see Mike.”
“Fine, go. Next time, show up to your meeting on time.”
Jenna waved to him as she left the office. Ignoring the glower from the assistant as she passed by, she found Mike’s office and knocked softly on the open door. Mike looked up from behind a pile of papers, his eyes bloodshot and sporting dark circles. He was looking haggard, too. There was no other word for it. He looked like he’d aged four years in the last four days.
“Mike, I am so glad to see you safe,” Jenna said, not having to fake her relief.
A cockeyed smile crept up his face. “I think that is the only time you’ve ever said something feminine to me.”
“Feminine?”
“Yeah. Caring.”
“Men don’t care?”
“Men don’t gush when they care.”
“Go screw yourself.”
Mike grinned tiredly. “That’s the girl I know. Come to see what I’ve done?”
“No, come to make a plan for what we have to do. But if you’ve been working, let’s see.”
“Get Erika in. We might as well do it together. We’re all that’s left, right?”
Jenna nodded, sharpening that edge. “Lewis was my fault, but yeah, we’re it.”
“Lewis wasn’t much help anyway. I’m going to miss Janice, though. And even though Dale was a pervert, he had some good ideas when everyone else was stumped.”
“You doing better with what happened?”
Mike slumped in his chair. “Some days. I’ve come to terms with it, with the guilt. I can’t get it out of my mind, though. All that blood—” Mike shook himself.
“Yeah. It didn’t really hit me until this morning. Anyway,” Jenna said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She needed a vacation from her life. “I’ll get Erika and meet you in the conference room in, what, thirty?”
“Yeah.” Mike looked at the mountain of paper topping his desk.
Jenna left Mike and braced herself against the hall wall for a second. She needed to get things under control. She needed to compartmentalize everything and store it away in her brain. This return to real life after the events of the last week was proving a lot harder than she thought it was going to be. It made her appreciate just how far she’d come since the traumas of her youth. Also, just how screwed up she really had been.
And she missed Josh. Refusing to admit it would get her nowhere. She missed him. Acutely. It was an ache that wouldn’t go away.
Just one more thing to get over.
Erika was sitting at her desk, working diligently. Surprisingly, sitting in the corner, reading with his ankle crossed over his knee, was Jax.
“What are you doing here?” Jenna asked Jax. “You her pet poodle?”
Jax licked the pad of his finger before turning a page. “She got me the bodyguarding gig. Someone had to do it, so why not a cop, right?” He looked at her a little more closely. “You okay?”
Jenna barely kept herself from rubbing her face—she’d destroy her makeup—and took a seat. “It all just hit me.”
Jax nodded in sympathy. “I wondered.”
“It’s fine.” Jenna sat straighter. “Erika, we’re meeting. When will you be ready?”
“I’m not done yet, Jenna. I just have a couple more things to do.” Erika’s movements became hurried.
“No problem. How about thirty minutes?”
Erika leaned against her desk with a confused scowl. “Thirty minutes?” She straightened up. “Aren’t you stressed, mad, impatient, or angry that the team is not all here?”
“It’s just you, Mike, and me. Mike will be ready in thirty, my stuff is done for now—what’s the problem?”
“Why aren’t you being a bitch about it?” Erika braced a hand to her hip.
Jenna grinned, ready to spin a sarcastic comment, before she realized Erika was being serious. “Will you be ready in thirty minutes or not?”
“Yes. That’s plenty of time.” Erika’s brow scrunched up. “Is this a trick?”
“Erika—” Jenna was losing her patience with this dog and pony show. “What is your problem? What do you want, me to yell at you? Well hurry the fuck up, will you! If you had spent less time screwing and more time working last night, we wouldn’t have to wait for your slow ass. Better?”
Erika relaxed. “Yes, actually. I remember that Jenna. This easygoing, life-is-a-peach Jenna is a stranger. She freaks me out.”
“You freak me out, psycho. Do your work. Quit stalling.”
The group worked like dogs all day. Without Lewis to constantly tell Jenna that her ideas were bad, and without Dale to cause distraction, work was churn
ed out faster than ever. They had a few disagreements, and they talked through various ideas, but mostly, they just worked off each other and divided up the tasks equally.
When the day was long past done, they’d sifted through a week’s worth of work. It was amazing the time saved without bickering, not to mention Jenna had never seen the two toil so hard. She pointed it out.
“I want to get this building done and get the hell out of here,” Mike said. “The family and I want to move to the West Coast. I hear it’s mellower out there.”
Jenna was shocked into silence.
“I want to get this building done and get the hell out of here, too,” Erika replied, which didn’t shock Jenna all that much. It was old news.
“So, what you’re saying is, you’re all abandoning ship, and I’ll be left on my own?”
Mike nodded with absolute conviction. “Sorry, Jenna, I love you—sometimes—but last week shook me. I gotta get out. This shit is for the birds.”
Erika only looked marginally guilty as she nodded.
As they all walked out, Erika and Jenna waved goodbye to Mike. Apparently he wouldn’t be getting his bodyguard until the following day either.
Erika turned to Jenna. “Dinner?”
Jenna caught Jax looking around them, seeking out danger. It reminded her of Josh. It was the last reminder she wanted. “Nah. I think I’ll do a little yoga, get a beer, and then turn in.”
“On your own?” Erika asked.
“Erika, I’ve lived in this city all my life. I’ll be fine.”
Erika dug her elbow into Jax’s midsection.
“Ouch, woman.” Jax looked down at her in obvious confusion. “What?”
“Jenna wants to go out alone,” Erika said slowly. She waited for a reaction and was rewarded with a blank look. “A little help convincing her not to?”
Jax glanced at Jenna before his gaze went back to sweeping their surroundings. “She’ll be fine. She’s tough.”
“See?” Jenna said.
“Are you serious?” Erika balled her fists and faced Jax.
“See you all later,” Jenna said, using the distraction.
“Wait, Jenna—”
Jenna waved over her shoulder. She got a cab home, changed into yoga clothes, and headed to the gym. After a hard workout, and as she was leaving, her stomach growled. She realized that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so she took herself to a nearby pub and got a burger and a beer.
The beer turned into many beers, the result of unwanted memories constantly popping up. When things got fuzzy, she staggered out and walked home, not feeling an ounce of danger the whole way. Or much of anything, really. It was a lovely change.
If only she could work while drunk. It would sure help the sadness, panic, and other lingering effects of the last couple weeks.
Safely back in her apartment, she hit the bed facedown with all her clothes on. Smelling of beer and spilled ketchup, she fell asleep, dreading the next day.
Also by Willow Summers
Skyline Series
Unexpected Hero
Unexpected Danger
Unexpected Guardian
Please Series
Yes, Please
Now, Please
More, Please
Forever, Please
Montana Wilds
Surviving Love
Conquering Love
Jessica Brodie Diaries
Back in the Saddle, Book 1
Hanging On, Book 2
A Wild Ride, Book 3
Growing Pains
Lost and Found, Book 1
Overcoming Fear, Book 2
Butterflies in Honey, Book 3
Love & Chaos, Cassie’s story
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About the Author
Willow Summers is a USA Today Bestselling author of romantic comedy, contemporary, erotic and suspense romance. When she’s not writing, be wary, because she will probably try to pull you into some shenanigans, usually involving wine and heavy doses of chocolate. She lives just south of wine country with her husband, two children, and out of work treadmill.
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Unexpected Danger (Skyline Trilogy Book 2) Page 21