by Kayla Myles
“I don’t get it. Why do you have to act like a bitch in public? I mean, if it’s just the matter of getting more fans, then why not show your true self?” I asked her.
“And what do you think is my true self. Mr. Keyes?” she asked, taking a sip of her large Coke.
“Someone who’s driven and fiercely independent. Someone who cares a lot about her family enough to be worried about what they’re thinking of her.” I said, looking straight into her eyes. She stared back, not saying a word. “And finally, someone who feels guilty about doing others wrong that she feels she has to make up for it,” I said.
She bit her lip and looked at me under her eyelashes, her gaze soft and warm and making my heart beat stronger and faster.
“You have a way with words, Jason Keyes,” she whispered. “I think I’ve just seen another side of you today.”
Chapter 15
Veronica
After we ate, we left McDonalds and decided to just walk around a bit. We asked questions about each other’s life, and although both of us had our own subjects we didn’t feel comfortable disclosing yet, we had a lot of fun talking about the things we do feel comfortable telling.
Jason was actually a pretty sweet guy, once you got past his quiet and serious façade. He cared more than he let on, and I realized his fiercely protective nature wasn’t because of the job, but because he truly did feel a compulsion to protect the people he cared about. I blushed as I realized further that I actually belonged in that category.
We saw a group of musicians playing music in the street and I pulled Jason over to dance with me. He winced and protested, but in the end, I got what I wanted, and he placed his hand on my waist and the other on my hand as we danced a slow waltz. He still couldn’t help himself from scanning the area for any threats so I was laughing at him the whole time.
I have to admit, being with Jason was fun. It’s been a long time since I’d gone on a date with a man just for the sake of getting to know and spend time with him, rather than those pretend dates for the sake of publicity. It made me feel normal again, like I had nothing to worry about...and it was all because of him.
“Hey, what are you thinking?” he asked softly, and I smiled.
“I’m just happy I got to relax. It feels like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, so thank you,” I told him and he furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head.
“I didn’t do anything,” he said. I shook my head, not bothering to correct him. Instead, I stopped dancing and placed my hands on his shoulders, standing on my tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
His eyes were wide with surprise as I withdrew, feeling my cheeks redden madly. He stared at me with his jaw tense and a contemplative expression on his face.
“That’s not how you kiss somebody,” he said, and before I knew it, I felt his hand caress my chin and lifted my head up, taking my kiss into a long and hot kiss. I gasped and he took advantage of the opening, forcing his tongue into my mouth and making me close my eyes in ecstasy.
Damn, the man was an expert kisser.
I couldn’t wait to get home and ask him to show me some other tricks up his sleeve.
He pulled away and I almost whimpered from the loss. He noticed it and his eyes slowly darkened.
“I’ll finish you later,” he promised, and I shivered in anticipation. I didn’t think I could last another minute.
“I want to go home now,” I whispered. He was silent for a few seconds as he stared at me before grabbing my hand.
“Come,” he commanded, and for the first time since we met, I followed him without argument.
We walked at a faster pace, gripping my hand tightly as we almost breezed through the streets in our hurry to get home. I bit my lip in excitement as we turned the corner to my house when my eyes widened in fear.
My house—the first thing I bought with my very first paycheck—was engulfed in flames.
Chapter 16
Jason
I was going to kill that bastard for putting that devastated look on Veronica’s face.
I clenched my fists as I watched the firemen struggle to put the flames out. Henry and Sasha had arrived a few minutes ago and were trying to contain the news from going crazy. The neighbors had called the fire department when they saw smoke coming from within the gates, but the fire had already spread by the time we got there.
I turned my head towards the ambulance and my heart ached as I saw Veronica sitting on a stretcher, an orange trauma blanket wrapped around her. She went into shock when she saw what happened, and I couldn’t snap her out of it. I felt like such a failure.
I felt a hand cup my shoulder from behind and I turned my head to the side to see Chase standing next to me, his face grim as he looked at the chaos.
“Let’s go to my office. We need to talk,” he said. He glanced at Veronica and said, “Tell her you won’t be long.”
I nodded and he left towards his car while I jogged towards the ambulance. Veronica looked up at me and tried to smile, but the pallor of her skin and the fear in her eyes told me she was trying to be strong in front of me.
“I need to talk to Chase about something in the office. I won’t be gone long,” I said. Her eyes widened and she reached out and held my hand tightly. I squeezed back. “I promise I’ll be back. Henry and Sasha will stay with you until I return, okay?” I assured her. She bit her lip and nodded before letting me go. Unable to resist, I wrapped my fingers around the back of her neck and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.
“Come back soon,” she whispered.
“I promise,” I whispered back.
***
“Okay, first up, I think introductions are in order. Jason, this is Spencer Downing. He’ll be joining our team in a couple of weeks,” Chase said, raising his hand toward a man with short blonde faux hawk sitting with his hands behind his head and his legs propped up on the coffee table. He winked at me and I scowled.
“I already know your brother,” I said, and Chase looked surprised.
“How? I don’t remember mentioning that to you,” Chase said, and Spencer sighed.
“Obviously, big brother, I told him. We’ve met a few times during cross duties,” Spencer said, baring his teeth in a cheeky smile. He got up and walked over to me, extending his hand. “How’s it going, Jason?” I took his hand and nodded.
“Can’t complain. What are you doing here? The Marines’ Golden Boy tired of the grit and grind?” I asked. His jaw tensed up and he glared.
“Easy, Keyes. You forget that I know what happened during your last mission,” Spencer said menacingly, and I glared back at him. “Tell me, Keyes. Have you delivered that letter yet?”
I opened my mouth to say something back but Chase pushed us away from each other.
“Hey, you two. Stop it. We all work together now, so leave your personal baggage in the back seat, alright?” Chase asked, and Spencer rolled his eyes but said nothing. “Now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about work. Jason, the fire at Veronica’s house only proves two things: One, the stalker knows Veronica’s home, and two, it’s too dangerous for her to stay here for now. We need to get her off the grid for a few days until Henry and Sasha can find another place that’s secure for her to move in to,” Chase explained.
“What about the surveillance cameras? Can we use them to identify the culprit?” I asked, and Chase shook his head.
“I can’t retrieve the recording yet until the fires are out and then I’ll have to coordinate with the police so I can be granted access. For now, the problem is where to bring Veronica while we sort this out,” he explained.
“Sorry to interrupt, but don’t you find this a little suspicious?” Spencer said, and we turned to look at him. “I mean, I read her case report while you were gone, Chase. Sorry, I got bored,” he said quickly, getting it out of the way. I waved my hand to tell him to keep going. “But yeah, don’t you find it weird that this ‘stalker’ of hers knows everything? I mean, first he knew
exactly how to get to Veronica during the premiere night, almost like he knew her schedule. Next, his letters don’t get sent by mail like all the regular fans, but is sent especially to her agency. And then her house burned down when the both of you were outside,” Spencer enumerated.
I furrowed my brows at him as I slowly understood where he was getting at.
“The timing and the execution were too perfect for someone who was just a stalker,” I murmured, and Spencer pointed his finger at me with a smirk.
“I knew there was a brain somewhere in all that Delta Force stillness,” he jibed, and I scowled. “But yeah, as I was saying, the guy knows too much. And obviously, the dude is loaded, or else he wouldn’t have been able to hire those thugs back in the premiere night,” Spencer said.
“So, that means…,” Chase said, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly, and I could imagine the wheels in his head turning. Spencer smirked again.
“Isn’t it obvious? The stalker is right under your nose,” Spencer concluded.
The problem is…who is it?
Chapter 17
Veronica
I double-checked my bag to make sure I packed everything I needed before zipping it up and putting them by the door. I took my phone out of the charging dock and sent a text to Leila saying I’ll be gone for a few days and not to worry.
I sighed and sat on the bed, still coming to terms with everything that happened. The police had sealed off my house, and set it up as a crime scene so I couldn’t get inside until the investigation was over.
It was a good thing the firemen were able to contain the fire so that the damage only reached the garden and downstairs, but even if the repairs would be able to start right now, it would still take a long time before it becomes habitable again.
Besides, I’m not sure I still want to go back to that place after that.
Jason had taken me to a hotel after I refused to go to the hospital. He was going to book two rooms, but I flat out refused and demanded he stay with me. I couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping alone last night, and he must’ve seen the fear in my face, because he just nodded and booked one room. I wouldn’t even let him sleep on the couch, so he relented with sharing the bed. As soon as my head was lying on his chest, his arms wrapped around me, my heart and mind settled and I fell asleep.
***
I heard two knocks on my door before it opened and Jason came inside. He walked over and knelt in front of me, taking my hand before looking up at my face.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I’ve been better,” I answered. He squeezed my hand again.
“You remember my promise, right? I will never let anyone harm you,” he swore, and I leaned down and kissed his cheek.
“I remember,” I said softly. He nodded and stood up.
“The place we’re going to is a secluded ranch in Malibu, but it’s private and has a lot of space for you to relax. There’s even a nearby lake and everything,” he said, and I tilted my head curiously.
“That sounds great. But how do you know about such a place?” I asked, and he hesitated a little before speaking.
“It’s my parents’ place.”
***
I never would’ve expected Jason to be wealthy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I never looked at a person’s affluence or social status at all, but I just expected Jason to come from a humbler background. He’s never flaunted or at least mentioned that he was rich.
The house was gorgeous and rustic, probably around 2000-3000 sq. feet plus endless natural beauty surrounding it. There was a long stable on the right side of the property, and a large patch of land enclosed with wooden fences. I asked Jason where the horses were, and he said they were bred here and sold off long ago. He said he let a caretaker come by once a month to clean the place, and instead of Jason coming back here on his furlough, he crashed at his apartment back in LA instead.
“But why? Your home is beautiful,” I told him, marveling at the place.
“This stopped being home when my parents passed away,” he replied, and my heart sank.
After showing me around the place, he let me have my pick of the rooms while he setup cameras everywhere. I picked the big room with a veranda overlooking the lake, and finished unpacking my stuff in record time. I should’ve taken longer to unpack, because now I didn’t have anything to do. I wasn’t used to this kind of life, and I feared that if I didn’t find another thing to occupy myself with, I would lose my mind.
I heard something from outside so I walked out to the veranda and looked down below, spotting Jason installing one of his cameras to a wooden pillar. I cupped my mouth with my hands and called out to him.
“Jason! I’m done unpacking. Can I unpack yours?” I asked.
“Why?” he shouted back, and I rolled my eyes.
“I’m getting bored!” I exclaimed. Jason shook his head and smiled.
“Okay!” he yelled. I put my hand on my lips and blew him a kiss. I was pretty sure I saw him enter the master bedroom earlier, so he probably chose to sleep there.
I went inside the master bedroom and smiled when I found his bags on the floor beside the bed. I picked up his bag and grunted at the weight. What the hell did he pack in here? Bricks?
I scowled at the bag and unzipped it, eager to see why it was so heavy. I frowned when I saw the clothes on top and sighed.
Enough complaining, Veronica, and just start unpacking. After all, you volunteered for this, I thought to myself.
I picked up the first batch of clothes and brought them over to his closet, placing them neatly on the first counter before walking back to the bag and doing it again. At my third trip, I gasped as the nozzle of a gun poked out from underneath.
Okay, now I knew why it was so heavy.
I shook my head to get rid of my nerves and picked up the gun with both hands before laying them gently on the bed. I rifled through the rest of his bag and unearthed two more weapons, laying them next to the first gun I found. Afterwards, I continued placing his clothes in the closet.
I was about to put his jeans in a hanger when something fell out from the pockets. I hung his pants first before kneeling down and picking up the folded up envelope.
“That’s funny. There’s no address,” I murmured, turning it over with my hand. I wonder what’s inside…
“What have you got there?” I jumped at the sound of Jason’s voice, dropping the envelope on the floor. Jason walked over and picked up the envelope, his eyes downcast as he stared at it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snoop, I swear! It fell out of your jeans and--,” I explained.
“I believe you,” he cut me off, still looking at the envelope sadly.
“Jason, I--,” I knew I should keep my mouth shut, but my curiosity was eating at me from the inside and I had to know. “What’s that letter about?” I asked.
He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, making me want to slap my mouth and take back what I said. He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed before patting the spot next to him. I obliged and he twirled the envelope with his fingers. He took a deep breath and started talking.
“While I was on a mission in Afghanistan, I was given a small group of soldiers to infiltrate one of the terrorist’ bases there,” he explained, his eyes taking a far off look like his mind was taking him back to the memory. “It should’ve been an easy operation. Get in, get out. Put those willing to surrender in military custody and kill whoever doesn’t. But someone ratted us out and a bloody encounter followed.”
His face looked pained and I braced myself for what he was going to say next.
“I ordered my men the best I could and made sure to look out for them, because I made a promise to myself that I would get my men out of here alive,” he said, clenching his fist in anger. “But my mistake was that I was too preoccupied watching everybody else’s backs that I neglected looking out for mine.”
“I didn’t realize one of the terrorists had sneaked u
p a few feet away and had his machine gun pointed right at me. I turned around and saw the laser on my chest but before I could do anything, he opened fire. I thought I was a goner, but at the last minute, my second-in-command jumped and covered me. We fell to the ground and I shot the terrorist in the head. But when I moved Martin over, his body was already pummeled with bullets. There was no saving him.”
His eyes started tearing up but he kept going, raising the letter in his hand.
“Before we go out on a mission, all of us are required to write a letter to give to our loved ones, in the event we die during service. I didn’t have anyone so I always opted out, but everybody else did, and they trusted one of us to deliver it to their families, should the time come. This was Martin’s. He gave it to me before he died, and I’m supposed to give this to his wife and child.”
“But how am I supposed to do that? How am I going to tell his wife that her husband died because of me? How am I going to tell that poor kid that her reason why she lost her father was because her father’s captain was a worthless piece of shit that couldn’t keep his men safe?” Jason cried, and I threw my arms around his shoulders and held him close to me. I felt him bury his face against my neck and I felt wetness on my skin as his eyelashes fluttered.