Avenging Kiss (Savage Security Book 2)

by Karen Tjebben

  Cole scrubbed a hand over his chin. Would Jack really go for Julia if Bella was no longer an option?

  Alisha looked at Jack and Cole and then turned to Mike. “What did I miss?”

  Mike chuckled and put a hand on Alisha’s thigh. “Nothing important.” He cradled her neck with his free hand and pulled her against his lips.

  Alisha enjoyed the kiss. The subtle flavor of beer tingled her tongue. When she pulled away, she said, “Fine, don’t tell me.” She gave a little shrug of her shoulders, and added, “Men.” Then she looked around the room and noticed Bella. “Oh, look,” she cooed, pointing a finger towards Bella. “Bella brought that guy with her. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  Jack drummed his fingers on the table as he turned his gaze onto Alisha. “You know about this guy?”

  Alisha leaned in and whispered, her face animated with excitement. “She’s totally into him. And he’s clearly into her too.” She quickly looked over her shoulder at the couple and then back at Jack. “I mean, look. His hands are all over her.”

  Yeah, Jack had noticed that too.

  Alisha continued, “They’ve seen each other every night this week. She seems to think that he’s pretty awesome.” Alisha couldn’t help but be happy for Bella. She understood what it was like to want a companion, someone to share in life’s important events, someone to count on when life seemed to toss you about in a tempest. And from what she’d heard, Bella was pretty impressed by this man.

  Jack didn’t like this. He could totally understand the man being into Bella. That was a given. She was sweet as pie and easy on the eyes. But for Bella to be into the man was a problem. Nothing he couldn’t handle, of course, but still an obstacle to be obliterated.

  “How long has she been seeing him?” Jack asked Alisha. He managed to keep the irritation out of his voice. He wanted to know the details, but he certainly didn’t want to sound jealous. His gaze bore into Alisha as he tried to read her expressions for any helpful hints. Had they slept together yet? Ugh, the thought nauseated him.

  Eric wrapped his arm around Bella’s waist and pulled her back against his chest as they wandered through the crowded restaurant towards her coworkers. He was a little nervous about meeting the men. She hadn’t told him much about her work, but she had said that she worked for a security company.

  As they neared the table, Eric felt his heart rate tick up. Not everyone was there yet. There were still plenty of empty chairs at their table, but the men who did sit there, appraising him as he neared, were very intimidating. And one of them looked pissed.

  Jack’s jaw clenched as the man’s hand moved from Bella’s side to span lower on her flat abdomen as they walked. The man’s fingertips were dangerously low on her belly, mere inches from her ‘goods’. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the metrosexual looked like he was using her body as a shield as he approached their table.

  Jack had been saving the seat next to him for Bella. He’d planned on wooing her during their meal, humoring her with his jokes and softening her up with his smile, but now he wanted her across from him. He wanted to look into the man’s eyes as he talked. Jack could adjust to this hiccup. His goal tonight merely shifted from entertaining a beautiful woman to interrogating a poser.

  Bella stepped up to the table and took a deep breath. She’d never introduced a man to her coworkers before, and for some reason she was nervous. She had so much respect for her coworkers that she wanted their approval.

  She trailed her hand down Eric’s arm as she stood next to him and finally interlocked her fingers with his. “Hi,” she said, smiling at everyone seated at the table. She noted that the men looked curious about her friend. Maybe she should have warned them that she was bringing a date. Her nerves jittered, and she felt like she was introducing a man to her brothers. And by the looks of it, her brothers weren’t ready for her to date. “Everyone, this is Eric.”

  As Bella continued the introductions, introducing each person individually, Jack glared at the man. He was surprised that the man had the balls to stand there as if he belonged with them. As if he was one of them. As if he wasn’t a guppy swimming in a tank of sharks. Then again, maybe it wasn’t that he had balls, maybe he was just fucking stupid.

  When Bella got to Jack, he stood and extended his hand. Eric stepped forward and shook Jack’s hand. Jack noted the firm grip and disarming smile the man portrayed, but smiles didn’t work on him. He knew a jack-o-lantern could look fun and cool on the outside, but once you took off the top and peered into its depths, mold and ick mucked it up. “Please, have a seat.” Jack extended his hand and pointed to the chairs across from him.

  Eric could tell that Jack was definitely not happy about his presence. He’d hoped it wasn’t too soon to meet her coworkers. Bella had mentioned that they could be intense, but he thought he saw something else was in Jack’s eyes. Was that jealousy?

  Eric pulled out Bella’s chair for her to sit. Then he sat in the chair next to her, which happened to be across from Jack.

  Eric cleared this throat, attempting to dispel the nerves that threatened to bubble up his esophagus. “Thank you for allowing me to crash your party.” He looked all the men in the eyes. He wanted to portray confidence. He didn’t want them to think he didn’t belong at the table with them. “This is my favorite time of the year. I’m always ready for a party.” He laughed nervously. He didn’t know what to say to the men. They looked like they mainly communicated in grunts and groans rather than words. Eric wasn’t sure he wanted to ask about their work. If he asked the wrong question, he’d look like a fool.

  Cole leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “Glad you could join us. Any friend of Bella’s is a friend of ours.”

  “Thank you,” Eric replied, easing his fingers between Bella’s as their hands lay on the table. He wasn’t a small guy, but he felt small around these men. He was fit and lean while they carried extra weight in their oddly large muscles and thick necks. He needed to get his head out of his ass or he would ruin everything.

  Jack assessed Eric. Nervous energy flowed from the man. He was definitely a coward, and he couldn’t think of anything interesting to say to them, which meant he was stupid too. Jack smiled and wrapped one hand around his beer glass. This guy wouldn’t last long. “Tell us a little about yourself.” He brought his glass to his mouth and sipped, never taking his eyes off of Eric. “How’d you two meet?”

  Eric smiled and gave a low chuckle. “That’s actually a funny story,” he turned to take in Bella’s pretty face. When she smiled at him, he knew he’d be fine. Even if the angry man tried to intimidate him.

  Perfect, Jack thought. He loved funny stories and smiled in anticipation.

  Bella giggled, her light laugh twisting the knife in Jack’s heart. He was supposed to be the source of her laughs, not the dweeb with his delicate, girly hands on her.

  “We met last Saturday,” Bella continued. “So we’ve known each other for about a week. I’d gone shopping at the mall. You know, Christmas stuff,” she rattled off, giving Eric’s hand a little squeeze. “When I tried to leave, my car wouldn’t start.”

  Eric spoke up. “I was a few parking spaces down from her. If I’m being honest,” he gazed into her eyes and rubbed his thumb affectionately across her hand. “I’d noticed her as she walked to her car. Any man would notice her.” Eric quickly glanced at the others and then gazed into her eyes again. “She was breathless in her blue coat. The way her black hair lay on her shoulders and those gorgeous eyes, I was smitten.” He pressed his hand to his chest.

  Bella loved the way he saw her. He made her feel beautiful.

  Jack swallowed the stomach acid that had eased up his throat at the man’s sickeningly-sweet depiction of their first meeting. He quirked his head to the side. “Do you normally scope out unsuspecting women as they walk through a deserted parking structure?”

  Bella’s eyes cut to Jack, who in turn looked at her. She liked Jack. He was funny, but he could also be an ass. Ther
e was something about him that intimidated her too. She’d frequently caught him looking at her with his intense eyes, staring at her with that impossible to read face. Sometimes she felt as if he was trying to look into her, and it made her nervous. She wasn’t sure what his intentions were. He was a hard man to read.

  Bella smiled and rescued Eric from having to reply to Jack’s question by continuing the story. “I put my bags in the trunk and got in the car. I hadn’t even noticed him yet.”

  Eric interrupted, “I saw her try to start the car, but the engine wouldn’t turn over.” Eric focused on Alisha as he talked. She was the least threatening of Bella’s friends. She listened with rapt attention, obviously enjoying the story, and didn’t make him feel like an interloper. “I usually don’t go around saving damsels in distress.” Eric laughed nervously. “Not like you guys, of course.” He gestured to the men. “I guess you save the world on a daily basis,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. He felt stupid. He shouldn’t try to impress these people. It would only make him look desperate and pathetic. You literally had to be Superman to get them to think you were not a coward. He just needed to be himself.

  At least the guy knows he’s a pussy, Jack thought.

  “I worked up my courage and offered to help,” Eric said. “And that was how it all began.” He smiled at Bella, enjoying the admiration that she offered with her gorgeous smile.

  Courage? This loser had to summon up his courage to approach a woman he outweighed by about seventy or eighty pounds? Jack thought. What does Bella see in this dweeb?

  “So I fiddled with things underneath her hood, hooked up my cables, and jump-started her battery.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed on him, causing a spike in Eric’s blood pressure. Shit! That sounded awful. Eric managed to contain the groan of regret that threatened to humiliate him even further in front of men who did God knows what all day.

  Bella gave a soft laugh as she squeezed Eric’s hand. “It was a little more romantic than that. Though his magic fingers did fix everything,” She turned her gaze onto Alisha, the one person at the table who wouldn’t turn everything into a perverted joke. “He followed me to Starbucks, and we had coffee. We talked for what?” She faced Eric, her eyebrow raised in question. “2 hours?”

  “At least,” Eric said. He looked at Alisha again, purposely avoiding Jack, who looked like he wanted to snap him in half. “I could have talked to her all night.”

  Jack was in hell. Where is my gun when I need it? It was probably good that he didn’t have his gun on him because the temptation to use it was too great at the moment. He’d never had such an overwhelming desire to kill a civilian before.

  Cole could barely contain his laughter. Bella’s date was a total pussy, and Jack was about to lose his shit. This would be a night to remember. He swept the room for Julia, wanting another sight of her in her Mrs. Claus costume. She looked like a present wrapped up just for him. But then he glanced at Jack, and a tiny thread of concern wiggled its way into his gut. Julia had definitely flirted with Jack. He needed to rectify that.

  “Hey,” Logan said, drawing out the word as he approached the table. He pulled out the chair next to Eric and offered his hand. “I’m Logan.” He looked around the table and instantly read everyone’s faces. “So, are you here with Bella?” He couldn’t help but smile. This would be a holiday party to be remembered.

  Eric faced the newcomer and shook his hand. “Yes, I’m Eric.” A tiny wave of relief washed over him. Logan wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the other men at the table; although it hadn’t been lost on Eric that Logan could handle himself. “Bella was nice enough to invite me.”

  Logan nodded and glanced at Bella. She looked happy, and he couldn’t help but notice how pissed Jack looked.

  Jack sat there all night, oscillating between stupor, shock, and disbelief. Watching Bella with Eric had to be the most absurd thing he’d seen in a long time. It was like watching a twelve-year-old hit on a super model. Painful and hilarious at the same time. How could this relationship end in anything other than a crash-and-burn?

  4

  Sunday

  Logan woke and sat up in bed. Rubbing his tongue along the roof of his mouth, his stomach nearly turned in response to the funky taste and film that coated his teeth. Had he brushed his teeth last night? He couldn’t remember. He’d definitely drank too much, but it had been worth it. Watching Jack suffer through Eric’s obvious advances on Bella was hilarious. To see someone who could tackle any problem have to sit there and watch another man seduce the woman of his dreams was beyond entertaining.

  Mojo, Logan’s husky dog, trotted alongside him as he made his way to the kitchen. Mojo’s tail swished and hit Logan’s knee every few paces. It was a comforting feeling, like fist bumping a long lost friend.

  Logan pulled open the fridge and rested his arm along the door and relaxed in the cool air washing over him. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed a bottled water, unscrewed the cap, and chugged it down.

  “Well, Mojo,” Logan began. “I drank too much last night.” He hadn’t done that in years, probably since college. He’d cut loose a few times at frat parties, but wasn’t that what college was for? “I’m getting too old for this.”

  Mojo barked as if agreeing with Logan and then cocked his head as he stared at Logan with those icy blue eyes.

  Logan never drank to get drunk, but he did like a relaxing buzz after a stressful week. “I need something for my head,” he moaned. Logan shuffled to the cupboard and dug through the medicine bottles. He finally found the ibuprofen and popped a few in his mouth. After chugging some more water, he leaned against the counter. “I need to go grocery shopping today,” he said to Mojo. “I’m out of food.” He liked talking to Mojo, but sometimes he still felt a little lonely. Although Mojo was a great companion, he didn’t meet all of Logan’s needs. “I need to find a woman.”

  How sad was it that he was in his mid-thirties and his dog provided the bulk of his emotional support? He had great friends at Savage Security, but he didn’t spend time sharing his thoughts or dreams with the men. They weren’t the type to do that. And if he were honest, he wouldn’t feel comfortable with that either. Which forced him to face facts. He needed a woman.

  Logan’s eyes were trained on Mojo, but his mind was on the woman that he’d noticed at the party last night. She’d been sitting at the bar when she caught Logan’s eye. There wasn’t a red blooded man in the place that didn’t notice her perched on the bar stool. A few men offered to buy her a drink, but she seemed content drinking her girly drink in solitude.

  There was no missing the tantalizing way her skirt rose higher and revealed more of her toned thigh when she crossed her legs. Logan tried not to shamelessly ogle women, but she’d clearly been made to be ogled. But after watching several men attempt to have a conversation with her, and watching them get shot down, Logan decided he wouldn’t go up to her. For some reason she wasn’t interested in companionship for the evening, and he’d respect her wishes. Maybe she already had a man and just wanted a drink, or maybe she’d been stood up. Regardless, he was never a man to force himself upon a woman.

  Logan took one last swig from the bottle and then tossed it in the recycling bin. “Well, Mojo, time for a run. You coming with me?”

  Mojo barked and followed Logan as he made his way to the bedroom. Logan quickly changed into his running clothes and went into the bathroom. His scuzzy teeth were in desperate need of a brushing. From the feeling of them, they hadn’t been properly cleaned last night, and he was adamant about brushing his teeth before he went out in public. A man never knew when a lady would cross his path, and he didn’t want monster breath to scare her away.

  After brushing his teeth, he headed towards the front door with Mojo trotting behind. When he opened the front hall closet, Mojo pushed past him, squeezing his way into the closet, and grabbed the leash between his teeth. Logan shoved his feet into his running shoes and then knelt to tie them. Mojo dropped the leash
on the floor at Logan’s feet and panted in his face.

  Logan grimaced as Mojo’s repugnant breath assaulted his nose. “Man, Mojo,” Logan wheezed as he waved his hand in front of his nose. “You got to do something about that breath.”

  Mojo barked and pointed with his nose at the leash.

  “I know. I know.” Logan picked up the leash and attached it to Mojo’s collar. Mojo paced in circles as Logan armed the security system and the countdown began. Once outside, Logan took a deep breath and locked the front door. Then, stepping off his front porch step, he started to jog. He always started off slowly, letting his body warm up, but it didn’t take long for his jog to turn into a run. He loved the feel of his feet hitting the asphalt, the smell in the air around him, and the thudding beat of his heart in time with his steps. He always organized his thoughts during his run. He’d solved many problems in the early hours of his run.

  5

  Hazeem was tired, and his back killed him from sitting in the cramped space of the Honda for the past few hours in the cold. He’d parked along the sidewalk in Logan’s neighborhood and waited for him to go for his run. It had been a risky move, sitting in the car for so long, but he’d been careful to keep his distance. The bastards were so suspicious, and he didn’t want to get caught when he was so close to success. But as time went on, and Logan hadn’t left the house, he started to wondered if Logan had a woman in the house with him.

  Hazeem wanted a coffee, not only to keep him awake, but to warm his body. He’d finished his thermos of hot coffee nearly an hour ago, but he didn’t want to leave Logan’s neighborhood. He didn’t want to miss his opportunity. The man was a habitual runner, and he always took his dog. That time would be the only opportunity Hazeem would get to enter Logan’s home.

  Hazeem perked up as soon as Logan’s front door opened and the dog trotted out. All his time sitting in his car would be worth it once he got a look at Logan’s computer. As Logan and the dog hit the walking trails that circled the surrounding neighborhoods, Hazeem briskly clapped his hands together. The smack stung his freezing fingers. There had been a few times that he wanted to start his car and get a little warmth into the small space, but he knew better. People would report any suspicious activity. And a man sitting alone in a car for hours would qualify as suspicious. So he did his best to not draw attention to himself.