A Broken Jewel (Jade Book 1)

by Lucy Rains

  “Sorry to interrupt, but Jason called. We have another op tonight.”

  My shoulders slumped, and my eyes closed. Pricks of anxiety pushed into my forehead and I rubbed at the pressure. I could not handle another operation tonight, there was no way. Just the idea of it made me want to curl into a ball.

  My hand stilled and I blinked as hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe an operation would stall the guys on their plans. This could be a good thing.

  “It’s not what you think,” Pierce continued.

  “What does that mean?” Gavin asked.

  Pierce stepped into the garage and let the door close behind him. “No dark alleys, or black ops gear this time. And there’s a catch.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “He only wants me and you on this assignment.”

  “What?!” Gavin yelled.

  Pierce didn’t get a chance to respond because suddenly Alex was pushing past Pierce into the garage. He paced around the cement floor, like a caged lion, just as he had the night of my first tag along assignment. “No way man, this reeks of risk and all bad things.”

  “I think you’re overreacting, Alex.” Pierce said calmly.

  “And I think Jason is a sleeze head that wants to get his hands on what is not his.” Alex glanced at me and ran his hand through his hair.

  “Why?” I asked, “Is he going to be there?”

  Pierce shrugged, “He didn’t say either way.”

  “I’m not on Jason’s payroll,” I argued. “I don’t answer to his beck and call.”

  “So, you don’t want to go with me then?” Pierce raised an eyebrow.

  I sighed at his question, unsure of what I wanted. “What is the assignment?”

  “Intel,” Kyson spoke up from behind Pierce. Pierce moved to the side so that Kyson could also join the garage party. He stopped in front of the weight pile and looked at me in confusion. “What were you doing?”

  Glancing at Gavin, I shrugged. “Exercising.”

  Pierce and Alex walked closer to the stack of weights and began counting.

  “Pluck a duck!” Alex exclaimed.

  “Who was?” Pierce asked, looking at us.

  Gavin pointed a finger at me.

  Pierce looked at me curiously, “Care to demonstrate?”

  My mouth stayed closed and I avoided eye contact.

  “Do it,” Alex snapped his fingers at the weights.

  I raised an eyebrow at his tone.

  He motioned to the weights, “Come on babezilla, I want to see this.”

  “Me too,” Kyson chimed in.

  “I don’t know if I can right now,” I said warily, “It took up a lot of my strength.”

  “Whatever,” Alex waved a hand, “I know how fast we heal up.”

  My eyes rolled skyward and closed as I put my hands out. I quickly simulated my earlier actions by lifting the weights several inches off the ground and then lowering them back down. Pleased that it was becoming easier, I allowed myself a small victory smile.

  The three guys stood there in awe, looking between the weights and then me.

  “How much weight is that?” Alex asked quietly.

  “Over 300 lbs.” Kyson answered.

  “Incredible,” Pierce whispered.

  “Can I just say how hot that is?” Alex chimed in.

  Kyson smacked the back of his head.

  “What?! You know it is!”

  “Back to the issue for tonight,” Pierce interrupted. “There’s more to the assignment.” He scratched at the back of his neck, avoiding my eyes.

  I tilted my head, becoming worried as I felt his anxiety. “What is it?”

  Alex turned his back to the group, hiding the emotion on his face.

  I looked to Kyson for help.

  “You and Pierce are attending a charity banquet tonight.”

  I straightened, looking over to Pierce. Together, he and I. Like a date. “What else?”

  “Not much else,” he said, “We find the target, take him out and be on our way.”

  “Take out the target?” I asked, looking at Kyson. “I thought this was just intel? Why does it sound like an assassination?”

  “Because they want us to get information from the target before we kill him.” Pierce answered.

  I nodded quietly, making room in my tense mind for this new situation. ”I don’t know about you but I’m no interrogator.”

  Kyson smiled, “You don’t have to do anything but stand there and look pretty.”

  I lifted an eyebrow at him, and then to Pierce, “Just like that? You really think it's going to be that easy?”

  Pierce nodded towards the other guys, Gavin at my side, Kyson to his. “They will be close by just in case.”

  “I don’t have a dress.” I looked around the garage as the guys stared at me. “Or jewelery. Or heels, or-”

  “We get it,” Pierce interrupted. “Gavin and Kyson will take you out to get you what you need.”

  I turned to look at Alex, “I’ll be fine,” I said to him. “Why are you so upset?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, and shifted weight from one foot to the other. “We should all be in this together.”

  “We don’t have dates,” Kyson explained. “And it’s best we stay out of sight from the Target.”

  “I don’t like it.” Alex muttered.

  Pierce cleared his throat. “We will do the operation and then go to the house. The assignment shouldn’t take more than an hour. We’ll mingle, take care of business, and then head back here.”

  I groaned inwardly, disappointed at his determination.

  “Where is it at?” Gavin asked.

  Pierce answered and at the same moment my stomach grumbled loudly. I knew my body had been depleted from Gavin’s intense workout. It would be best if I ate before I was forced to endure dress shopping. Or socializing. Or speaking for that matter. Not knowing what else to say, I gave Pierce a look before walking into the house to find something to eat.

  A fresh wave of anxiety rolled through me while I pulled out bagels, cream cheese and juice and set them on the counter. The guys were slowly coming back inside, talking as they walked. My mind was whirling- the assignment tonight was a far cry from the last two. Instead of moldy carpet and dark alleys, I would be in formal attire and in a public setting. With people. Wealthy people. I had never been to a formal dance, never even tried on an evening dress. What would even be expected of me?

  “Hey,” Kyson said from behind me.

  I whirled around to look at him. He walked slowly up, his blue eyes turning up at the corners, “You’re going to hurt someone.” His hand went to the butter knife I was gripping at my chest, tighter then I realized.He slowly peeled it away from me and pulled my bagels out of the toaster that had just popped up. “What are you thinking about?”

  I swallowed and cleared my throat. “Just tonight.”

  “What are you worrying about?” He scrapped the thick white cream cheese onto my browned bagel. I stared at his strong hands, getting lost in my worries again.

  “I’ve never been on a date. I don’t know how to act at these things. I’ve never worn a formal dress.”

  “How about a long sleeve mumu?” Alex offered from behind me, throwing away his empty drink bottle.

  “How about you stuff your mouth full of thumb tacks?” I suggested.

  “I will if you wear a potato sack.”

  Kyson grabbed my hand and walked me into the dining room to sit at the table with my brunch. “Try not to worry, you’ll look great.” He walked out of the room and I felt his own emotions dip anxiously.

  I scarfed my food down and bolted upstairs for a quick shower. As soon as I was done, I let Kyson and Gavin know I was ready to go.

  Alex glared from his computer, “Remember guys, uglier the better.”

  Pierce couldn’t hold back his smile as he sat down and gave me a wink.

  “No tube tops then?” I asked innocently, patting my hands around my ches
t and shoulder area. I looked down at myself, “I think I could pull it off.”

  “You and me both,” Gavin said as he grabbed my hand and we left the room.

  Alex’s face turned a deep shade of red as he watched us leave and I snorted at his anger.

  Gavin led me to his new car, now that his silver bullet had been traded out. Now he drove a black subaru. I immediately headed to the back door, as I usually did when riding with Gavin and another guy. But Kyson had already sat himself in the back seat.

  When I sat down in the front seat, Kyson was struggling to right himself in the back with his long legs and lack of space.

  “This is silly,” I complained, “Kyson switch me spots.”

  “I’m fine” he replied. “I’ll be better when Gavin moves his seat up.”

  I unbuckled my seatbelt and began to get out of the car when Gavin grabbed my thigh. “Don’t.” He scolded. He reached to the side of his seat and pushed a button to slide his seat forward. Kyson seemed better situated after that.

  Gavin’s hand stayed on my thigh as we drove, his warm hand resting casually. The simple gesture made my heart race and I debated removing it. I liked it more than I wanted to, hated that I wanted it there, hated that he harbored his resentment. Hated that I was thinking about his lips. It was such a mess.

  The rain had slowed some but the sky was still dark. There was little traffic out on the streets that morning and Gavin zipped through the streets with ease.

  I chewed on my thumbnail, nervous with what I was about to endure. I wasn’t opposed to fancy dresses. It was purely fear of the unknown. I didn’t know how to look nice, and had never been taught. Sure, dolled up girls in magazines looked great, and I could appreciate their fashion. But when it came to myself I didn’t know the first place to start.

  Gavin reached over and grabbed my hand that I was chewing on. “Stop it,” he commented quietly without looking at me.

  We pulled into a parking lot of a high end strip mall, with stores for diamonds, leather purses, sunglasses, and of course, dresses. If I was nervous before, I felt grossly out of place when we walked into the boutique. The white chandelier hanging in the middle of room sparkled with lights over the wall displays of exquisite dresses in all colors and shapes. The cream carpet we walked on contrasted perfectly with the white walls lined with crown molding. I swallowed and froze in place, afraid of soiling anything I touched.

  A young man in a perfectly tailored suit with black rimmed glasses walked out to greet us.

  “Good afternoon, gentleman and madam,” he nodded at Gavin and Kyson, and then smiled politely at me. “What can I do for you all today? I assume we’re here for the lady?” He clasped his hands in front of him and ran an eye over my figure, not out of admiration, but out of calculation.

  Gavin shoved his hands in his denim jeans and took a step back from me. “We need a dress for tonight.”

  “Tonight?” The man said with a flare of surprise, “Okay. What kind of event are we attending?”

  “Black tie, politicians and local socialites.” Kyson answered, stepping around from behind me. He slipped his phone into his navy trousers and sat down on a white leather bench.

  “Alright. Let's get you into a room and get started.” The man jerked his head towards the direction I was to follow. I looked at the guys with big eyes and started walking to the back of the store. Thankfully they got up and followed behind me.

  “You have a fabulous figure, and with your height, I’m guessing a size 6, maybe a 4. We’ll be sure to pull both sizes for you to try.” The man sounded like he was talking more to himself then to me.

  He stopped in front of a door that led to a room I assumed was the changing room. It was twice the size of my room at the guys house, filled with mirrors, bright lights and a few chairs.

  “My name is Sage, go on in and shed your clothing,” he waved a hand towards my street clothes, “I’ll get us started with some ideas.”

  Gavin and Kyson planted themselves in soft chairs in front of my doorway. I obeyed Sage and stepped into the room, closing the door behind me.

  As I waited in the room, I didn’t feel quite comfortable taking off my clothes knowing Sage would be coming in to bring me dresses. So instead, I waited.

  When he walked in pulling a rolling hanging clothes rack full of colorful fabric, he looked at me in confusion, shutting the door behind him. “You’re going to need help getting into some of these sweetheart. I can’t risk you accidentally damaging a dress trying to get it on or zipped.”

  My head nodded stiffly, my chest becoming tight. Awkwardly, I began taking off my clothes, much to my discomfort. When my jeans and t-shirt were off, he walked over with a deep purple knee length dress. I stepped into it and Sage helped the dress up my body and worked up the zipper on the side.

  I held my breath, as he was too close for comfort in my barely covered state, his hands too close to my bare skin. I knew I was being silly, his emotions showed no sign of desire or lust. Sage wasn’t interested in me at all, but it didn’t lessen my nerves. WIth great effort I worked hard to control my breathing. His hands went to my head and draped my hair down my back. As soon as I was done I walked to the door to show the guys.

  I opened the door quickly, Kyson and Gavin’s eyes were already on me, as though they had been waiting anxiously for the door to open. Sage followed me out and motioned me towards a circular mirror area.

  I stood in front of the mirror and looked over my dress. It was nice but I didn’t love it. The neckline dropped to a V on my chest and the hem fell a couple inches above my knees. With a seam around my waist, a belted piece of fabric pulled the dress firmly around my body. I looked at the guys, their eyes examining my dress.

  “Well?” I asked.

  “I think this is a good one,” Sage said while kneeling down to adjust the seam on the hemline.

  Gavin and Kyson’s eyes widened slightly as they tracked his every move. Their own bodies tightened, a muscle ticked in Gavin’s cheek. Kyson’s blue eyes darkened dangerously at Sage’s hands being so close to the skin on my thighs.

  Kyson cleared his throat, “It’s okay.”

  “Ditto,” Gavin agreed with a tight voice. “Let’s see another.”

  I nodded quickly and started walking back to my changing room. Sage began following me inside.

  “Oh hell,” I heard Kyson say. He stood up from his chair and put an arm in front of Sage, “I’ll take it from here.”

  Sage looked from me to Kyson, “I’m sorry?”

  Kyson stepped in front of Sage and walked into my changing room. “I’ll help her. You go get some shoes or jewelry or something.”

  Sage straightened, his eyes narrowing on me and then Kyson. He huffed, “I can assure you, my actions and intentions are purely professional, sir.”

  “I’m sure they are,” Kyson said while looking over me.

  “I apologize if I’ve offended you, but I must insist-”

  “Apology accepted, trust denied.” Kyson moved me back into the changing room and closed the door.

  Kyson rubbed his hands over his face and let out a heavy sigh mingled with a low curse.

  I put my hands on my hips and stared at him. “He really wasn’t trying to feel me up, you know.”

  Kyson walked over and leaned his head down to my level. “I’ve come to realize that you have awoken a beast in me that I didn’t even know existed.” He face came closer to mine, his breath hot on my cheek. “Be glad I didn’t break his hand. Now, turn around so I can unzip you.”

  I swallowed, staring up into Kyson’s eyes, my breathing still fighting to come out in gasps. Turning slowly, I offered my back to Kyson. The hairs on my neck tickled at the feel of his breath on me. I strained for control as I felt the zipper slide down my back.

  Once I was out of the dress, Kyson turned to the rack and found another one for me. I handed him the purple dress and he handed me a silver one. I stepped inside of it and slipped it up my body, waiting for him to z
ip me up.

  We did this over and over several more times, showing Gavin, humming in hesitation, unimpressed, moving on to the next option. Apparently, the guys had higher expectations than me, because I could have settled on a dress 30 minutes earlier.

  It wasn’t until I tried on a pure black, floor length, halter neck dress that the guys eyes seemed like they would pop out of their heads.The halter straps around my neck were slim and skinny, yet firmly held the dress up over my body. A slit in the right side of the dress ran all the way up to the middle of my thigh, while the back of the dress was nonexistent, ending just above my rear. The jersey fabric fit around me snug as a second skin, flaring out at the thigh slit.

  I turned around in front of the circular mirrors, admiring the dress, realizing that the guys weren’t speaking. They leaned against opposite walls, their eyes glued to my body, each with a hand over their mouths.

  “Alex’s going to kill us,” Gavin muttered.

  Kyson pursed his lips and nodded. “If he can pull his eyes away from her.”

  Sage walked up at that moment with a pair of glittering black strappy heels to pair with my dress. Once they were on, I knew it was perfect. I let myself eye my body from head to toe, almost not recognizing the person looking back at me. Though not overly confident, there was more strength in my eyes, a power in my posture that had not been there weeks earlier. I liked it.

  Kyson clapped once and turned to head back to the dressing room, signalling his approval. I slipped the shoes off and handed them back to Sage, thanking him for his help. Gavin followed me back and sat down in his chair. Back in the changing room, Kyson slid the door shut and turned to help me out of the dress.

  Now that our task was complete, I was antsy about asking the questions that had nagged at me since walking into the store. I had been biting down the curiosity that had perked in my mind. I eyed Kyson for a second and my heart constricted. Starting this conversation was going to lead me down a dark path that could be dangerous for my health. But I couldn’t help it, the questions were desperate to get out, banging against my tongue.

  “So,” I started hesitantly, “I was wondering something.”

  “What’s that?” Kyson asked, his movement slowing as he felt my emotions shift.