His point made, Jason lifted the older man to his feet by his collar. With one final loaded look, he turned his back on Nixon and walked away.
Jason’s mind had already turned to Aviva, and he knew he was in for yet another hard night, which was okay with him. As long as she was in their home when he arrived, anything that came after, he could deal with. Jason knew that if she wasn’t at home he would rip this town apart looking for her.
His brisk steps were intercepted by a nondescript looking man. Looking down at him, Jason paused. His ability to blend into the background was the reason he had hired him. He was non-threatening to anyone who saw him, and he had done his job well. Jason knew the much shorter man could handle himself, another reason why he was currently in his employ.
“Do you need anything else tonight, Mr. King?”
“Where is she?” Jason asked without even the slightest guilt.
“She seems to be heading in the direction of your home. My colleague is following her.”
“Good, if she makes a deviation, I want to know about it.” That said, Jason was again in motion, heading for his car and an inevitable confrontation.
**********
The private detective stood to one side and watched the powerful man stride away. Over the years, his clients had varied. As his reputation had grown he had come into contact with many powerful men. But there was something about this man that made him wary.
He had spent nearly his whole life studying people. That was what made him so adept at his job. This man, this, Jason King was dangerous. He knew instinctively the moment he had met him that if he was crossed, matters could turn deadly in an instant.
He also knew from their first conversation that the woman his company had been hired to follow and protect was probably, Jason King’s one vulnerability.
**********
“Aviva!” Jason called as soon as he stepped into their house. His reply was silence. Pissed with everything that had transpired that day, he was suddenly glad they were leaving this house.
Aviva was right, it was too damned big. When he and Steve had shared the house, somehow it had met their needs. Now the perpetual quietness, its vast size, and his lack of ability to tell where his woman was at any given time was wearing thin. The sooner they left the better he would feel.
Jason’s impatience grew with each step he took, and he came to a decision. Her running off and disappearing acts were at an end.
Throwing open their bedroom door, Jason only just managed to dodge the missile that flew with deadly accuracy at his head. Bending his body in what Aviva would probably call a Kingdorian move, the object kept going through the open door and shattered against the wall behind him. Who knew, his angel had a deadly pitching arm?
Swinging his head in her direction, Jason caught the remnant of a look of surprise still visible on her face. In his mind the look could mean two things: the first being shock that she had come so close to making contact with his head; the second, she was stunned by the way he had moved. Either way, he wasn’t putting up with her tantrum.
He hadn’t seen it coming. The sneaky little woman had a series of missiles lined up, and they just kept sailing towards his head. No doubt about it, she was good, but he was better. In this battle of wills, he was determined that not one of the objects would find their mark.
Each dodge, each sidestep, bend and twirl, brought him closer to where she was standing, rapidly running out of things to throw. Even though Jason knew he would draw her ire, he laughed out loud. He was actually enjoying himself.
As far as he was concerned there was never a dull moment when Aviva was in full flow. She was the type of woman who grabbed a man’s attention and held it.
“So you did hear me calling you.”
“Yeah, I heard you, so what?”
“Next time I won’t give you the opportunity to gather your arsenal.”
“Whatever, Jason. I had them ready before you even called my name. In fact, when you called out I was reading a magazine. Waiting for your arse to get up here.”
Jason laughed out loud at her bare-faced lie. He knew he had only been minutes behind her arrival home. She must have been scurrying around the room like a wound up toy to have everything ready to throw at him.
Moving with speed, Jason had her up and against him before she was half way through sticking her nose in the air.
“If you know what’s good for you, you would put me down, right now!”
He knew she was pissed at him, but he didn’t much care. “What’s the problem? You asked me not to hurt him, so I didn’t hurt him.”
“Nixon, you think this is about Nixon?”
Jason was confused. If her display of anger wasn’t about her worthless father, then he was at a loss as to what was going on. “If this isn’t about Nixon then what the hell is going on here?” Jason could feel her attempts to get away from him and tightened his arms.
“Put me down, Jason.”
“No.”
“I’m not playing with you. Put me down... now!”
“Not until you answer me. If this isn’t about Nixon then what the hell is it about?”
“As if you don’t know!”
This was the thing Jason had always hated about women. They all thought a man should be able to read their minds. In the past when he had been confronted by as if you don’t know, he would have shook his head and walked away. But this was Aviva, and walking away wasn’t an option. It would never be an option.
“What did I do wrong, Angel?” Jason could see the real hurt on her face and was immediately contrite. He didn’t like to see her this way, but he honestly had no idea of what he had done wrong.
“How did you know where I was?”
Jason nearly dropped her, taken completely off guard by her question. But he answered with complete honesty. Her safety was of paramount importance to him, plus she had asked him an honest question, and he would give her an honest answer.
“I employed an agency to follow you. I wasn’t prepared for anything else to happen to you. I knew that I couldn’t be with you all the time, so the agency was the next best thing.”
“It’s not okay, Jason!”
“I disagree.”
“You make me so bloody mad, I could poke you in the eye right about now!”
Her words were amusing to Jason. “Aviva, I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anybody in my whole life. Angel, I can endure anything outside elements throw at me. The one thing I couldn’t bare is if anyone hurt you again.”
Jason knew she was still mad at him, he could feel it in the tension of her body, see it in the look on her face. Unsure of what to say that would make her understand how important her safety was to him, Jason buried his face in her neck and just held her close.
Gradually he felt some of the tension leave her body, but Jason knew he wasn’t home free yet. After all this was Aviva he was dealing with.
Taking a chance, Jason loosened his arms. As she began to slide downwards, in a sudden motion, he bent his knees, giving the impression he would drop her. She really should have known better, he would never do any such thing, but it had the desired effect. Aviva gasped and threw her legs around his waist and locked them around his waist. He knew he was a calculating bastard, but she was now exactly where he wanted her to be, wrapped around him.
“You are a devious sod, Jason King.” Aviva said with a laugh at his ploy.
“I know, and you wouldn’t have me any other way.” Jason’s smile showed off his dimpled cheeks. He loved keeping her off guard. It was one of his greatest pleasures of being in a relationship with her.
Walking over to the chaise longue at the foot of their bed, Jason sat down. Pulling her legs from around him, he sat her on his lap.
Brushing a gentle palm across his face, all trace of laughter left Aviva’s face with the gesture. Jason had known there was more to come. She would ask him to call off the detectives and he would have to refuse. They would remain in p
lace until they left for the east coast.
“I love you so much, and I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand. But at some point you are going to have to trust that I’ll be okay. I can’t live the rest of my life being followed. I wished what had taken place with those men hadn’t, but it did, baby. But if you don’t start to trust that I’ll be okay, they win.
This is our life, yours and mine and, we will not live with the limitations that others have placed on us. I’ll be okay, and you need to stop worrying so much.”
“Angel, I’m just sick and tired of men hurting you, thinking it’s okay to raise their hand to you. As long as I draw breath, it’s not going to happen.” Just thinking about the subject angered Jason and he couldn’t help the bunching of his muscles at the mere thought.
“You need to let it go, baby. We are going to be okay. Do you think we found each other only for us to be pulled apart?” Aviva didn’t wait for an answer. “I don’t. I think nothing is going to pull us apart. That’s if I don’t end up in a mental asylum because of your unreasonable behind.”
Jason knew her final quip was her way of telling him that she acknowledged his refusal to call off the detectives. However, she was not going to fight him on the point.
“Thank you.”
“You are most welcome. Just remember that while you want to keep me safe. I want to make you happy. Your happiness means the world to me.”
There it was again, she had surprised him. Where he had thought she would have put up more of a fight, she had stunned him with her ready acquiescence of what he wanted.
“Know what would make me really happy?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“I don’t think I need to tell you. How about I show you.”
Chapter 34
The last time Aviva and Hope had met up, they had spent hours just talking. It was at this meeting that they had finally come to terms with what had taken place, and were both now ready to move on.
Although they had other siblings they didn’t know them that well. As far as they knew, Nixon’s two other children were unaware of just how closely related they were to Aviva and Hope. Maybe they would all meet at some point in the future, but for now they only had each other.
Since their teens they had been sisters through choice. Now that they knew they were related by blood, they were both determined to do what they could to strengthen their bond.
Aviva knew that for some, her forgiveness of Hope would be deemed foolish, but she wasn’t some people. She was who she was, and her heart told her to forgive her sister-friend. However Aviva had added one stipulation; should Hope pull another stunt even remotely like the one on her wedding day, they would part ways for good.
During their time spent together Hope had assured her that while Taryn and Mason still had a long way to go they remained together, and determined to work on their marriage. The news had made Aviva happy. Those two people deserved happiness, and she hoped it could be found with each other.
Their limited discussion about their father was sufficient for them both to acknowledge that they could care less about him.
One tidbit Hope couldn’t help sharing was that Nixon’s wife had finally started divorce proceedings. Apparently she had received an anonymous folder brimming with details of each of his infidelities.
Neither Aviva nor Hope openly discussed their speculation about who had sent the package. But Aviva was in no doubt. She knew her man just as she also knew from the moment Jason had witnessed Nixon raising a hand to her, he would make his life hell.
It was also during this meeting that Aviva had given Hope the assurance that she would have an opportunity to apologize to Jason, face to face.
The last few weeks had been a hive of activity. Their impending departure from the west coast was the next day, and Aviva still hadn’t managed to persuade her stubborn man that he needed to hear Hope out.
But Jason’s lack of compliance didn’t daunt her. She and Hope had arranged for them to have dinner later that night. Aviva had tried to make Jason a part of the arrangements for them all getting together, but all her suggestions had either been ignored or shot down with a monosyllabic no as only Jason King could deliver it.
This was it, if it didn’t happen tonight Aviva knew that the proximity that was about to exist between them would only make their estrangement worse. Just as she knew Jason wanted and needed Steve to be a part of his life, she also knew that meant his acceptance of Hope, after a fashion.
Aviva wasn’t sure how she was going to achieve her goal, but the meeting was taking place or her name wasn’t Aviva Johnson.
Now here they were at 8:30 pm finally walking into the restaurant to meet, Steve and Hope. They were exactly one and a half hours late, and Aviva was unsure as to whether the other couple would still be waiting for them.
To get him there, Aviva had fired everything she had at him. Her last resort would have been to beg. She would have done it too, but before she did, she had attached one caveat: If you make me beg you, each and every day I will think of something to make you suffer.
That had been this morning. When he had ignored her words, Aviva had said nothing more, she had just stopped talking to him. Whenever he asked her a question or spoke to her, her reaction had been to look into space as though she had heard an unexpected sound only to dismiss it moments later as her imagination.
At first he had laughed at her silent treatment. But as the hours stretched on, he became more put out, muttering under his breath about blackmail and females who always wanted their own way, even though he had told the woman he wasn’t attending the damn dinner.
Too right she wanted her own way, and she got it too because here they were, and Aviva was overjoyed to see that Steve and Hope had waited, despite their tardiness.
By the time they reached the seated couple, whose back was to the entrance of the restaurant, Aviva was immediately caught up in the tension surrounding them. Steve’s handsome face looked as though it were made of stone.
Aviva and Hope watched as Steve rose to his feet and locked eyes with Jason. The tall men, each unsmiling, attempted to stare each other down. After ten seconds of their show of male bravado, Aviva looked over at Hope, who wore an anxious look and rolled her eyes.
Stepping up to Steve, Aviva inserted herself between them, stood on tiptoes, and placed a kiss on Steve’s cheek.
“Hi, Steve. I’m so sorry we’re late. Please forgive us.”
It took another few seconds for Steve to acknowledge her greeting. Finally pulling his eyes away from Jason, he looked down and gave Aviva a small peck on the cheek. The man was absolutely furious, but his good manners won out.
Only when they were all finally seated did Aviva again look at Hope. She could see that her sister was extremely nervous. She looked as beautiful as always, even with her face suffused with red from her anxiety over the impending first real meeting between them all. Giving Hope a small smile of reassurance, Aviva settled into her seat.
Deciding to disregard the frosty looks the men still shot at each other, Aviva turned her attention to Hope. “Girl, I love those earrings.”
“Do you really like them?”
“Yes, I really like them, they’re gorgeous. Where did you get them?”
“A while back a friend and I were approached to design a line of jewelry. We agreed, but after a few meetings, it just sort of petered out. I guess they must really want the association because they delivered this yesterday and I absolutely love them. Plus, they look fantastic on me.”
Aviva just rolled her eyes at Hope. The woman looked good, there was no doubt about it, but she really needed to learn that there was no need to say it out loud at every opportunity that presented itself.
“Hope!”
Hope’s self-centered comment had managed to catch Steve’s attention, and his irritation was now directed at her.
By Hope's change of expression, she realized that she had also belatedly come to t
he same conclusion.
Aviva laughed, some things would never change, and Hope’s self-absorption was one of them. While Aviva found the situation amusing, Jason didn’t.
“I’m sorry, come on guys, I’m really trying here!”
“Well the way I see it, you need to try harder because comments like that just make you sound like a fool.” Jason’s words were delivered with such emotionless contempt, she immediately felt sorry for Hope.
The kick Aviva gave Jason under the table was almost a reflex action, and she ignored the glares he directed her way.
The sound of Hope’s distress, followed by her slide across the booth drew Aviva’s attention. About to follow a rapidly departing Hope, Steve stopped her.
“I’ll go. You get him under control, or so help me, he and I are going to have this out!”
Once he was out of sight, Aviva turned to Jason. For a split second, she was at a loss as to what to say to him.
“I told you I didn’t want to be here.”
“But you are here, and I’m embarrassed for you, Jason.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the way you’re treating Steve. You profess to care about him but continue to hurt him through your total disregard of Hope’s feelings. Tell me something, if Steve spoke to me the way you just did to Hope, what would you do?”
“I’d kick his ass. Is that what you want to hear? But he never would because you are not a lying, duplicitous bitch!” Jason all but spat out the words.
“I’m also not an idiot. Do you think I don’t know what went on in London? Do you, Jason? I may not know the intricate details, but I know. I also know you well enough to still love and trust you. All you need to do is love and trust Steve and me. I’m not even asking you to be friendly towards her, just don’t ridicule her... please don’t do that to her.” Aware that Jason had made no acknowledgement of her comment regarding the events that had taken place in London, they both knew that he didn’t need to. Maybe one day he would be willing to talk about what had happened. But not here and not now.
The Ties that Bind (Kingdom) Page 25