Josh took a step toward him. “You’ve made Jenna unhappy for a very long time. She has her ways of getting even. I have mine. Mine are a lot more violent.”
Lewis stared, rooted to the spot. He gulped.
Josh very calmly grabbed Lewis by the lapels and brought him closer, pulling him in and up. Lewis’s tiptoes dangled on the ground. Maurice stepped forward, not knowing if he should intercede. Erika and Jenna stepped back.
“I heard what you said about me in Colorado. Nazi trash, was it?” Josh seethed.
“Who said that, Jenna? She’s a vindictive bitch—she’s lying.” Lewis tapped on Josh’s arms as his legs shook.
“Are you calling my future wife a vindictive bitch?”
“Your future wife?” Lewis momentarily forgot himself and smiled. “Yeah, right.” He laughed nervously. “No offense, but you aren’t the type.”
Josh stared down at him, murder in his eyes. Also uncertainty. Lewis must’ve seen it, and started babbling. “I mean, no offense. It’s just, you know, Jenna’s got it all. She’s got money, power, the look—she’ll end up with some top exec, you know? I wanted to grab her when I had her, but she went for you instead. Don’t you see? You were just an excuse to get rid of me. I’m big enough to admit it—she’s vindictive, see what I mean? I’m on your side in this. She’ll chew up the little guys until she ends up with some top-of-the-chain guy, you know?”
The killer’s spark faltered. His face still lost to anger, making it hard to know exactly what Josh was thinking, but judging by Lewis’s feet bumping down, Jenna knew Lewis had planted the seed of doubt. Or maybe that was already there and Lewis had just given it water and sunlight.
Jenna’s heart constricted. Lewis was exacting his revenge without even knowing it. He was driving uncertainty between her and Josh. It would do what so far hadn’t been done by pretty girls or her own rejections. He would convince himself that Lewis was right, that she belonged with some hotshot bigwig instead of an unemployed ex-Navy guy with a mess of a life and problems keeping his friends alive. She saw all this unfolding without the power to stop it.
“Jesus, Josh, bro, back down!” Jax jumped into the fray, grabbing Josh by the shoulders and pushing him back.
Josh didn’t let go. He held on to Lewis’s tux front, his arms staying taut, Lewis being shaken and jostled even as Jax tried to get him disentangled. The spectators around them were gasping and putting their hands to their chests, though they didn’t try to hide the smiles on their faces. Everyone loved a fight. Especially other men. Morons.
A flash went through Josh’s hazel eyes. Jenna could tell that he was deciding if he would pummel Lewis or not. He clearly wanted a fight, wanted it bad. He probably wanted to crush Lewis under his fist to let out some aggression, let out some of the pressure he had been under these last few weeks.
“Let it go, Josh,” Jenna murmured, finally making the decision for him. She laid a hand lightly on his arm. “He isn’t worth it. I need you here tonight with me. Let it go.”
Josh’s arms stayed bent, his fists clenched in Lewis’s collar, his eyes liquid magma, until, in a rush, he released Lewis and let Jax pull him away. Lewis fell forward, caught by Maurice.
“Drop his cheating ass, Maurice,” Erika said with a sniff.
Maurice didn’t hesitate in letting go. Lewis crashed to the floor, falling on his face.
“You brought that on yourself, Lewis,” Erika spat down at him. “You’re not welcome here. Hopefully now you’ll get the message?”
Lewis sputtered. “I’m going to have you thrown out!”
Jenna walked toward Josh, who was having some control issues. Jax had his arms on Josh’s shoulders, keeping him still.
“I’ve got him, Jax,” she said. She’d caused all this, after all, in a roundabout way.
Jax looked at Jenna for a long moment, probably deciding if she could handle Josh like he was. He nodded once. “My boy is a little riled up.”
Jenna smiled. Understatement. “No problem. Just glad I’m not on the other end.”
“Yet,” Jax said with a laugh. He slapped Josh’s back and went back toward Erika, who was still arguing with Lewis.
“You okay?” Jenna asked as she leaned against the bar.
“Yeah. Just really wanted to punch that clown.” Josh rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know what battle I’m fighting anymore, Jenna. I’m not a bodyguard. I don’t understand this city. How the hell am I supposed to keep you safe when I don’t know what the threat is? If there is a threat?”
“Josh, don’t give up on me now, okay? Don’t leave me alone in this. You said you were in this with me. Stay in this with me.”
“And you said you didn’t want me, Jenna.” Josh was calm as he looked down on her, misery warring with defeat in his eyes.
What Lewis said had worked quickly. “I—”
“Miss Anderson, Mr. Williams—pose for a picture?” There were two people with cameras pointed at them. Jenna realized belatedly that they were standing in front of the large model of the building at the end of the bar. What was a quick pose for one picture turned into a photo op. The rest of the architects were called in and everyone at the event looked on as they all posed and adorned tired smiles.
Josh quickly disappeared with Jax, leaving Jenna watching his retreating back but unable to do anything about it.
“I was kidding earlier when I said I liked it better when you two were fighting, you know that, right?” Erika asked when the photos stopped and they crossed to the fountain to get away from remaining photo takers.
“Josh thinks I’m too good for him.”
“What gave him that idea, you?”
“Why would I say something like that?”
“Just to push his buttons. So where did he get— Ooooh, Lewis. That ass. Will that guy never stop dragging you down?”
Their conversation paused while an older woman asked to take a picture with Erika. Jenna stepped away and watched in irritation as a man stepped up next and asked if Erika would take a picture with him by the model.
Jenna watched Erika led away in irritation.
“Excuse me?” a man at her side asked.
She slapped on a smile and turned to a man decked out in no end of tackiness: large gold watch, tailored but shiny suit, and hideous crocodile skin boots that should’ve never left the swamp.
“Miss Anderson,” he said in her ear with a raspy voice laced with silken overtones. It was a threatening voice.
Her danger reflex immediately went on full alert. His face was pockmarked and haggard, as though he’d led a harsh life despite the money adorning his body.
She pushed her strange reactions away as he continued. “You are a dangerous woman. Three of my men went into the wilds of Colorado after you. None of them returned. Curious.”
Realization choked her, threatening to cut off her air. Through strength of will, she forced her chin up and focused on defiance, desperate not to show any vulnerability. “It takes a cowardly man to pick on a couple of girls that have nothing to do with your schemes.”
He was a killer. His eyes said it, his voice portrayed it, and his words proved it. “Cowardly? Oh no, Miss Anderson, I am anything but cowardly. I am a businessman. One who is willing to go to extreme lengths to protect his interests. But now, Miss Anderson, now it is personal. I don’t like good men disappearing without a proper burial.”
“They couldn’t have been that good, could they? Being that they failed…” Forced bravado was the same in Jenna-land as laughing when she was intimidated. Even though it was beyond stupid to taunt a man like this, she couldn’t stop herself.
The man laughed, a dry grating that sounded like skeletons dancing. “Good point, Miss Anderson. But then, that was not their element. The city, however, is.”
“Is this like the movies? Don’t tell me: you sent your nephew to earn his stripes and he gets killed instead? Very unoriginal.”
Jenna looked away, feigning boredom, but desperately look
ing for Josh. She wanted to run. She wanted out of here. She would give up the whole building, give up the fight, give up New York, to be out of this man’s eye. He was death walking and she didn’t stand a chance.
Finally she saw Josh at the bar, talking with Jax and three young, good-looking girls. Josh was looking down at them, his face straight, but his eyes focused.
“They weren’t anyone I would claim, Miss Anderson.” The way he kept saying her name was a threat in itself—a knife cutting through cartilage. “I have a great many men at my disposal. All the better to exact my revenge, don’t you think? To send a message.”
“It won’t do any good—why bother? The building is going up. They don’t need us anymore. The building site is being cleared as we speak. You’ve lost.” Jenna willed Josh to look up, to look away from blond hair and peeping nipples.
“A message, I said. You and your friend are pets. The loss of you will be noticed. Maybe next time your fearless boss won’t try so hard to get his way.”
Before she could answer, she heard Erika screech, “He threatened me. Get the police! This man just threatened to murder me! He said he sent men to kill me when we were in the woods! Get the police!”
The gala went still as everyone processed Erika’s cries of alarm. She was pointing and yelling at the retreating figure in a black tux. It was then that Josh’s eyes snapped up, sweeping the crowd, before finally landing on Jenna.
“Watch yourself, Miss Anderson,” Jenna heard as a claw-like grip closed on her elbow and gave her a slight shake. His icy stare took her measure, a warning snarl across his face. He winked at her, sending tentacles of fear through her body, and bringing tears to her eyes as he turned and walked away.
“Jenna,” Josh said as he stepped in front of her. He looked deeply into her eyes, confusion clouding his face. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“Well,” Jenna whispered, tears overflowing, “while you were flirting with your harem, believing that prick Lewis, I was being told my death would be a door prize to Don getting his way.”
Chapter Twenty
Josh watched in alarm as Jenna shut down. The light that always burned so brightly within her flickered and extinguished. Whatever that man had said, whatever he’d told her, he had crushed her spirit. She was giving up.
What was worse: Josh didn’t know what to say to get her back. He didn’t know the right words. At this key moment, he was helpless.
Suddenly he understood exactly how Jax had felt that week in the woods.
“It’s going to be okay, baby,” Josh said, right in her face. Willing her strength to bubble back up. “Trust me. Trust in me. I won’t let them near you. I will keep you safe.”
Jenna shook her head, looking past him. At nothing.
“Jenna, listen to me. Come back to me, sweetie. We’ll overcome this. Okay? Come back to me, baby.”
He heard heels walking quickly up behind him, and Erika saying, “Who the hell were you talking to, Jax, that you didn’t notice some guy whispering death threats in my ear?”
“It was nothing. Nobody.”
“Blond nobodies, huh? My boobs aren’t enough for you? You forget your job, not to mention your girlfriend, and head to the corner with your buddy Josh to stare at some tits?”
“I was talking to Josh about something and they came up. They were trying to get us to take pictures with them, is all.”
Erika stepped up beside Josh and said, “Jenna, we’re leaving. These fuckwits—”
It was then that Erika realized what had happened. What was happening.
“Oh shit.” Erika elbowed Josh out of the way, no small feat for someone her size, and stepped right up into Jenna’s face. It made no difference that she had to look up at the taller woman. Erika assumed control.
She gave Jenna a shake. “C’mon, girl,” she said softly. Jenna gave no response; she was still looking at nothing.
Erika whipped around and pointed a finger in Josh’s face. Gone was the little friend that made funny quips. In her place was a mini-powerhouse, ready to unleash havoc. Erika had just officially taken over the brash side of the relationship.
“Josh, you get her moving out to the car. Jax, get our coats. We’re going home. We’ll be moving in with Jenna until this is over. All of us are going to stick together. She’s… We need to get home. Now.”
Erika started walking away. “Where are you going?” Jax asked as he started after her.
Erika turned on her heel and hissed, “I am taking care of things, Jax. Quit asking me questions and do as you’re told.” She stalked off, leaving everyone in earshot staring after her.
Josh and Jax stood there, dumbfounded as the PR guys started to close in. Finally Jax said, “Wow, she’s hot when she’s in control, huh?”
Josh took that as his cue to snap out of it. He put his arms around Jenna and guided her out, his heart sinking at her complete disregard. When they got in the limo and waited, she didn’t move or speak. Erika climbed in and gave directions, without looking at Jenna as she did so. It was a silent ride until they got to Jenna’s house.
“Josh, get her upstairs. Get her showered and in her PJs. Treat her with kid gloves. Jax and I are going to get our clothes and be right back, okay?”
Josh followed directions to the letter, his heart sinking the longer he was in Jenna’s presence. In the shower she let him wash her, not leaning into his body or relishing his touch, as she’d always done before. Getting into her pajamas, she didn’t smile, joke, or notice him at all. Her eyes were dull as she stared past him, or through him. He was starting to get worried when Erika came into the apartment.
Erika walked in as if she’d been there a million times before, dropped her bag into the spare room, and fetched some water. Jax followed, carrying three more bags and looked around in wonder.
“Holy hell, this place is nice. Jesus, she has some eye for decorating, huh?”
“Not the time, Jax,” Erika said in a business tone. “She doesn’t like strangers in her home. We talked about this.”
“Oh yeah.” Jax nodded as he continued to check the place out.
“Go into the kitchen, Josh. I’ll take it from here.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Josh asked, clutching her.
“You hide in the shadows when your nightmares resurface. Jenna retreats within herself. Let me handle this, Josh. This is over your head.”
Josh couldn’t argue. Erika was right: he didn’t know how to help. Somehow Jenna always knew to retrieve him from the shadows and pull him out of his self-induced paralysis, but he suddenly realized that he couldn’t reciprocate. That idiot Lewis had been right on so many levels. Jenna was much, much too good for him. He was a Navy dropout. He had no career, no prospects, no future, and only a truckload of baggage to offer her. What did he think he was doing?
Josh let Jenna go, abandoning her to Erika, and made his way to the kitchen table to sit with Jax. Jax had a solemn expression as he offered Josh some expensive scotch.
“Even I know this stuff is good, bro. She wasn’t lying—she knows her scotch.” Jax solemnly swirled the brown liquid in his glass.
Josh took his drink then heard Erika starting to talk, murmuring at first so Josh couldn’t hear what she was saying, followed by a command to snap out of it, followed by a loud, wet slap.
Josh was out of his chair and in the living room without having realized he’d moved. Erika sat on the couch in front of Jenna, looking into the other woman’s dull eyes. Her hand was poised to slap again.
Josh moved to intercept the slap he saw coming as Jax jumped on his back to stop him. “She knows what she’s doing, Josh. You gotta relax. She said Jenna gets like this sometimes. You gotta let Erika bring your girl around, okay? Just like when Jenna brings Erika around, you gotta let her deal with this, you hear me?”
Another slap. Jenna blinked. Tears started leaking from her eyes.
“C’mon, Jenna,” Erika said. “You can do this, okay? You’ve dealt with worse.”
Jenna shook her head.
“Talk to me, Jenna. Tell me,” Erika said. Her voice was velvety soft, brushing Jenna with encouragement.
“I haven’t got any more fight left, Erika. I can’t do this anymore. I g-give up.” Jenna started crying harder, ripping Josh’s heart out. His fists were balled; Jax was pulling him back, trying to get him out of the living room.
“No, Jenna. No. Do not let them win, do you hear me? Do. Not. They don’t own you. They don’t decide your fate. They think they own this city, but they don’t own shit. You own this city, Jenna. You have more disreputable friends than I have reputable ones. Between you and Don, you can fight back, okay? You can fight back. And you have Josh. He’ll saw his arm off before he’ll let anything happen to you.”
“I n-needed him tonight and he was chatting up some bi-bitches.”
The fight went out of Josh. It was true. She’d needed him, and he was letting a couple of not-all-that-attractive girls half hanging out of their tops tell him how fantastic he was for saving Jenna’s life. He had been getting a confidence boost while she was receiving a death threat.
Judging by Jax’s release of breath, his buddy was thinking the same thing.
Erika shot them a dirty look before saying, “Yeah, I had the same problem. But you know what, we don’t need men, Jenna. Never have. You and me, okay?”
“Ouch,” Jax muttered. Josh felt Jax’s hands slide off his arms.
“Fight back, Jenna. Fight back. You know what he looks like. Don knew my guy’s name, so I bet he knows them both. Collaborate and get yourselves out of this, okay? You have to—you need to keep me safe. You can do this, Jenna. Keep me safe.”
More tears leaked down Jenna’s face in the half light. She looked like a fallen angel, sitting with her body bowed in her silk and lace jammies.
“Okay,” Jenna whispered.
“Okay. You need to meditate. Let your brain sleep and restart. Get things going again. I am going to be here all night. You need me to sleep with you, I will, okay?”
“Josh?”
Josh’s heart leaped. He didn’t deserve it, but he’d take it.
Unexpected Guardian (Skyline Trilogy Book 3) Page 15