Jo turned, wobbling on her feet.
They weren’t going to get out of here. Not with an angry mob on the other side of the door.
Elias vaulted over the sofa and scooped Jo up in his arms as angry men poured in. He sprinted for the open window, ignoring the protest in his knee and hip.
He heard the gunshot and grit his teeth.
The bullet tore through his arm. He dropped Jo’s legs, unable to keep his grip on her.
“Elias!” She grabbed his arm as she pitched sideways.
They both fell through the window into the bush below. He kept his arm wrapped around Jo and rolled her over him, then covered her body with his. He squeezed his eyes shut knowing any moment now that hoard of gangsters would fill him full of led.
At least, at the very end, he’d been honest about everything. How he felt about Jo. Realizing he wasn’t the damaged man he’d thought he was. The next best thing to dying from old age was going out doing what he believed in. Especially if that meant having Jo’s back.
“Get back! Get back right now,” a man’s voice roared over the noise.
Elias lifted his head and gaped at six men decked out in SWAT gear with their guns aimed at the windows—and Elias.
“Oh my God,” Jo muttered. “He’s hurt! Someone help. I’m fucking FBI. He’s hurt.”
Elias let his gun go and rolled gingerly to his back. Or at least as best he could with his lower half still stuck in the bushes. He sucked in deep gulps of air and reached for Jo, clutching her arm gently while embracing the fact that he wasn’t dead.
Not tonight. Not yet.
“Elias!” Jo shoved up to her knees.
“Get down,” one of the officers yelled.
She ignored them and crouched over him, eyes wide with fear.
“Fine. I’m fine,” he croaked.
Okay, his arm did hurt and his battered joints weren’t happy about being on the ground in the snow, but pain meant he was still alive.
“You stupid man.” Jo bent over him and kissed him. “You stupid, brave man.”
Elias smiled as warmth unfurled in his chest.
Jo might not love him back—yet. But she did care.
FRIDAY. NEWARK, NEW Jersey.
Jo’s ribs hurt with every step. The EMT had agreed that nothing seemed , so she’d decided to skip the hospital. Bruised ribs could be even more painful than broken ones in her experience.
She was anxious to get back to her place. Her phone was one of the first things confiscated as evidence, and with that all ability to contact Elias or any of the Aegis Group guys. They’d cleared out as soon as Elias was loaded up in the ambulance, since they weren’t technically contracted for this job.
Elias’ injuries weren’t bad. That’s what everyone kept telling her, but she wasn’t going to listen. Not until she heard it from him. And she couldn’t do that without some form of phone or computer.
She muttered to herself as she climbed the last flight to her dinky little apartment.
Moving was one of the first things on her list. Somewhere Giovanni’s goons couldn’t find her. She was going to transfer somewhere. Or maybe quit. This job didn’t exactly reflect well on her, despite the way it was ending.
Jo slid the key into the lock and twisted, but there was no resistance. Almost as if the door wasn’t locked at all.
She sidestepped and pushed the door open.
The lights were on and a long shadow stretched toward her.
“Show yourself,” a gruff, familiar voice said.
Jo staggered through the door, staring at Elias. He must have been sitting at her two person dining table facing the door. His gun barely covered with some sort of linen napkin. Where the hell had he found that in her place? What was he doing here?
“Jo.” He blew out a breath and his shoulders sagged.
“How long have you been here?” She bumped the door shut with her hip, leaned against it and twisted the lock, half expecting him to vanish before her eyes.
He sank back down on the chair. His shirt was different. A simple gray T-shirt that showed off the bandage wrapped around his bicep. Weariness seemed to weigh him down.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled.
She crossed to him and stopped short of touching him. “Are you okay? How bad was it?”
He reached out and touched his fingertips to hers.
Elias was real. He was there, waiting for her.
“I’m fine. Bullet was almost a clean through and through.”
“Oh my—Elias.” She bent and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, careful of his left arm. Now that whole side of him had scars. And that one was because of her.
He wrapped his good arm around her and squeezed her back, but she wasn’t close enough.
Jo straddled his legs, sitting on his thighs, and leaned against him, taking a selfish moment to hold on to this man who’d been there for her when she thought she was completely alone in the world.
“Is this okay?” she whispered. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”
“It’ll be okay for a few minutes,” he said. “I guess I tweaked my hip.”
Jo closed her eyes and held on tight to him
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Boss didn’t think I should get in the way. I couldn’t get a hold of you, so I figured you’d end up back here, eventually.” He stroked her back and the whole world just felt better.
“You’re smart.”
“I try.” He tugged on a piece of her hair and she lifted her face to look at him. “Are you okay?”
“Bruised ribs. No concussion.”
He nodded and blew out a breath. “Oh, I saw your box for your mom. Took it down the road and had it shipped for you. Last chance to get it there before Christmas. Still might not make it, but at least it went out before, right?”
“You—Elias.” She frowned at him while her insides were so warm and fuzzy she wanted to crawl out of her own skin. What was she supposed to do with these feelings? She was not a feelings girl.
“It gave me something to do, okay? I’m a behind-the-scenes guy. It’s kind of what I’m good at.” Behind his words, she could see the worry in his eyes. He’d kept himself busy, waiting patiently for her to show back up.
Could he be more amazing? Did she deserve him one bit?
“Thank you,” she said.
Jo leaned in and kissed him gently this time. Her heart still sped up and she couldn’t help but hold her breath. It was all so new and precious to her. Elias sat up a little, holding her close while his lips moved against hers in a hungry kiss.
Part of her wanted to draw this out, lose herself in the kiss and what came next, but that wasn’t addressing the issue. She and Elias weren’t really anything to each other. Not really. Not yet.
It was time to talk about that, and she didn’t know where to start or what to say, only that she needed to woman up and stop wishing for something she could actually have. But first she had to be brave.
Jo sat back and for a moment she stared into Elias’ tired eyes. She’d thought she was in love with him before. That past affection had nothing on what burned inside of her now. And he deserved to know that. She just had to figure out how to say it.
She stood despite his reluctant tug. Knowing him, his hip and knee were killing him and he’d rather say nothing about it. Silly, stubborn man.
Instead she dragged the other chair around to sit so close her knees touched his seat and his legs bracketed hers. She took his hands and held them, unsure what to say or how to start.
“They get the data and everything?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Seems like everyone was so focused on us tumbling out the window that SWAT came in from behind and got everyone without a shot fired. From the sound of it, they’re working on one, huge case now to go after Giovanni’s parents. It’s going to be a big deal.”
Elias frowned. “What does that mean for you?”
“Me?” She chuckled. “Ab
solutely nothing. I did my part. They might need me to testify, but I’m done. I’m so done and glad for it.”
“Oh. Good.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.
The gesture caught her off guard. Once again, she didn’t know how to act or respond. It seemed silly to do the same thing to him and equally unfair she didn’t return the act.
“I’m completely out of my depth right now,” she blurted.
“With the case?” he asked slowly.
“No. Right now.” Fire crept up her neck.
“Oh.” A slow smile spread across Elias’ lips.
God, she could look at him, smile all damn day and love every second of it.
“What does that look mean?” Her voice sounded so whiney, yet she was tired, her body hurt and her heart was making her bruised ribs ache.
“What do you want it to mean?” he asked in a deep, sultry voice that warmed other parts of her body.
Jo felt as though she were about to come apart at the seams. Her mind screamed at her to batten down the hatches and protect herself. But from what? Elias? The man who’d literally shielded her with his body and taken a bullet for her?
“I, um...” She licked her lips. “I want to know what you think. I mean, feel, about...us?”
Being brave was damn hard sometimes.
FRIDAY. MARJORIE’S Home, Newark, New Jersey.
Elias knew he should back off, give Jo space. She’d been through a lot tonight, and yet every time he closed his eyes he saw that asshole kneeling over her. He wanted to be as close to her as possible, to feel her breathing and her heart beat, to know she was alive in every sense of the word.
And now she wanted to know how he fucking felt?
Out of his mind with worry, anxiety over what she’d been through without him, anger at the people who didn’t concern themselves with her well-being, and so much more. But most of all?
He loved her. He felt it more now than he ever had. And he was so damn proud of her for what she’d been able to do today. That took guts and bravery not many in this world had.
“Elias.” She pulled one hand away and smacked his good knee. Not hard enough to smart in the least, but the one word said a lot.
Neither of them were the type of people to talk about their feelings. He’d gotten used to it after his injuries from the required therapy his family had forced upon him. Plus, Zain and the team weren’t the type to leave guys on their own, no matter how much Elias tried. Which meant in this situation he’d have to lead the way and hope she felt the same.
He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and stared into her eyes. “I think we’ve both liked each other as more than friends for a while. Maybe a long time? It could be premature to say this, but—I think I’m in love with you.”
Jo’s eyes went wide, as if he hadn’t already said this to her. She blinked a few times. “What does it feel like? To you?”
What did love feel like?
Damn.
That was a tough question.
“Well, I was anxious not knowing where you were. Worried. My heart felt like it was skipping beats and trying to break my ribs. Then, when I saw you, it was like...stepping into an air conditioned room after baking in the sun for hours. I’m relieved when you’re around. I’ve always wondered where you wound up, what you were doing. When I think about you, my insides are warm. I want you to smile at me. The selfish part of my brain wants to keep you locked up, all for myself. While the rest of me wants to see you excel at whatever. I guess it’s not a simple feeling to break down.”
He wasn’t using the right words or focusing on the right things. But he didn’t know what she was looking for either.
Jo kept staring at him. He wasn’t entirely convinced she didn’t have a concussion. Maybe she needed a second look?
Damn the people she worked with.
He tightened his hold on her hand. “Can I ask something? As a friend who cares about you?”
She chuckled, though the sound was awkward. “You care about me now? A moment ago you said you loved me.”
He couldn’t find it in him to laugh.
Jo’s smile faded. “What is it?”
“Transfer somewhere—anywhere else—where they’ll give a fuck about you. I listened to Rusty a bit, and even he thinks they treated you wrong. I get that this work matters to you, and if it’s what you want to do—that’s great. But, someone needs to have your back. Someone needs to look out for you. These people don’t, and I...”
He couldn’t walk away, leaving her here with people that would send her back to the apartment where every goon knew she lived. Hell, he was still half expecting someone to burst through that door looking for revenge.
“Okay,” she said without argument.
Elias blew out a breath and let his head hang forward. He rest his brow on their joined hands and released that one worry into the ether. It wasn’t a done deal, but if she agreed, he’d at least sleep easier.
“Hey?” Jo ran her fingers through his hair.
He lifted his head and looked at her. “Hm?”
“I’m not...a feelings girl. I’m really bad at being a girl in general. I’m completely out of my depth here. What I know is that you’ve been the person I can be myself around. You always accepted me, and...” She opened and closed her mouth. When she spoke again, it was in a whisper. “And I think I’ve always been in love with you, and that scares me. I don’t know what to do with this or how to not screw it up.”
She kept talking, words pouring out in a flood, but all he hears was, I’ve always been in love with you.
Elias reached over and dragged her onto his lap, his hip be damned. He clutched her to his chest so tight he had to be squishing her, but she didn’t complain. She held onto him just as tight.
All these years they’d wanted the same thing. But they’d had different paths to get them to this moment.
What mattered was they were here now.
Jo kissed his cheek. He lifted his face from her hair and her lips found his.
This was new for both of them. They didn’t know what they were doing, but he wanted her in his life. She’d made him realize he wasn’t done yet.
But first...
Elias sat back, putting a little distance between them.
Jo blinked a few times, her eyes darker still.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Come home with me. It’s not safe here. I don’t trust your people to look out for you. And... And spend Christmas with me.” That was about the most outlandish thing he’d ever said in his life. It wasn’t like he had a tree or anything.
“Okay,” she said slowly.
He slid his hands up and down her back. “I want to take you to our safe house here. I don’t want you staying here where you could be a revenge target.”
“Yeah. Okay. Let me just throw my stuff in a bag.”
“We can come back tomorrow and pack up what you need—”
Jo pressed her fingers to his lips. “Elias, all I’m going to have is one bag of shit I care about. The rest can burn.”
She hopped up faster than he could process that statement.
Hell, he’d had to rent a trailer to move his stuff to Seattle. A small one, but still.
He got up and followed after her into the bedroom. Jo already had a large suitcase open and was quickly plopping drawer cubes of her clothing into the luggage.
Elias turned around. From his vantage point in the doorway to her bedroom, he could see the entirety of her home. There was nothing personal here. Nothing sentimental. It was all utilitarian.
Jo moved on to the closet. She didn’t even take her clothes off the hangers, just laid them in the suitcase and moved on to the few things on top of the closet. Most of those she tossed on the bed haphazardly, but one box she paused, taking more care about pulling it down gently and setting it on the bed apart from the rest.
Curious, Elias crossed to it. She stopped what she was doing and watched him. When she didn’t
warn him off the box, he gently lifted the battered lid and peered inside.
On top of a pile of cards and pictures was one framed photograph.
Damn.
He remembered that day.
They’d had a rough stretch. This one day they’d gotten to rest, and they’d played soccer. None of them had been any good,, and they’d mostly kicked up dust and made fools out of themselves. What was most important was that they’d been able to laugh. At the end, they’d been sitting around. Jo had leaned against the table next to where he sat. Someone had surprised them, telling them to smile for the camera.
Elias remembered focusing on the person taking the picture, but he had reached over and put his arm around Jo. Nothing handsy, just a friendly arm around the shoulders. But he’d been acutely aware of every millimeter of skin that touched her.
He’d never seen the picture until now.
There he was, younger and less damaged, with his arm around Jo’s shoulders. She looked up at him, a mix of surprise and happiness on her face that he’d never gotten to see before.
Damn.
If he’d ever seen her look at him like that, he would hope that he’d have realized what they were both hiding.
Jo leaned over and looked at the picture. Her cheeks were a bright red that fascinated him. “If you asked me what one thing I’d run out of here with, it’s this box.”
He flipped past the picture to a candy wrapper that was neatly pressed.
She rolled her eyes. “You gave that to me.”
Past the wrapper was a postcard he’d sent her. He’d sent one to all the guys, but really he wanted to send it to her.
Under that were some pictures from a BBQ and other moments through the years. Each one was a candid snapshot someone had captured of him or the both of them.
The more he saw, the harder it was to breathe.
Little treasures, moments she’d held onto.
“Pathetic, I know.” She sighed.
He cupped her face, making her look at him. “No. Not pathetic. Right now, I’m jealous. I don’t have a picture or a card or anything.”
Her eyes widened, and he wanted to lose himself in her so badly, but this wasn’t the place.
Jo swallowed and squared her shoulders. “Well, you have me. Next best thing?”
Mind of Danger (Body of Danger, #3) Page 13