by Marci Bolden
“That’s good. Really.”
“Awesome.” Hands on his hips, Josh faced Dean. “I’m sorry about your sister. Alexa is great at what she does. You’re in good hands.” His cheeks blushed. “I don’t mean you. I mean…your case.”
Dean grinned. “I gathered what you meant.” Though the thought of having Alexa’s hands on him wasn’t at all off-putting. In fact he’d come to enjoy her reassuring touches. However, he didn’t think he was so transparent that Josh should have picked up on it.
Josh winced. “I know you did.” Exhaling, he shrugged. “I’m nervous. I ramble when I’m nervous.”
“Right. Well, I hope things go well. I’m going to try to steal a few minutes with Alexa so you guys can get on with your dinner.” He left Josh looking as anxious as if he were the one about to propose. He was nearing the reception desk when Sam hopped up.
“She’s expecting you,” she said. She led him down a hallway past several open doors and then finally stopped and gestured for him to enter one.
Alexa was on the phone but waved him in. She offered Dean that kindly smile he was expecting. “Thank you so much, Detective Wilson. I really appreciate your assistance. I’ll wait to hear from you.” She ended the call and rounded her desk. “How are you?”
“Embarrassed. I’m sorry I responded like that.”
“Don’t be.” As he’d already come to anticipate, she put her hand to his arm, and her touch soothed him as much as her smile. “I completely understand.”
“I started thinking. Maybe that isn’t her, Alexa. Maybe the girl in the photo just looks close enough that I mistook her for Mandy. I need to see it again.”
She opened her mouth as if she were going to argue but seemed to think better of it. She leaned over her desk, opened a file, and snatched the little white envelope. She held it out to him, but he hesitated in taking it. When he did, he held his breath as he lifted the flap. The pictures slid out effortlessly, and he forced himself to examine the photos, to really look at them.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stared into the eyes of the girl. They were glazed. And hollow. Her cheeks were sunken in enough to make out her cheekbones. The makeup she wore was so much heavier than he remembered his sister ever wearing. Her hair, which Mandy always kept brushed, seemed shaggy and unwashed.
Blinking, forcing himself to look lower, he took in the way her ribs were visible. Not like she was on the verge of starving, but she was clearly not eating well or often. The first time he’d looked at the pictures, he hadn’t looked behind the first one. He forced himself to do so now. The second photo was a screenshot of her statistics.
Five-foot-three. Just like Mandy.
Brown eyes, brown hair. Just like Mandy.
Nineteen. Just like Mandy.
Dean creased his brown and looked at Alexa. “What does Certified Clean mean?”
She inhaled, exhaled, and then whispered, “Her pimp is guaranteeing she has no STDs. Some men prefer… He can charge more if men don’t have to use protection.”
Her words were like a knife cutting out Dean’s heart. Anger ran through him like a speeding train, and he filled with a rage he’d never known before. “How can men look at this girl and think it’s okay to buy her like… What kind of man would see her like this and not care that she’s in trouble?”
“Unfortunately, Dean, there are a lot of men who would see her and only see an opportunity to take advantage of her.”
Dropping into the chair in front of her desk, he put the pictures back and tossed the envelope onto Alexa’s desk. “That’s her. That’s definitely Mandy.” Leaning forward, he slid his fingers into his hair and planted his elbows on his knees. Closing his eyes, he did his best to fight the tears that were pressing against the back of his eyes. Never in a million fucking years would he have thought he’d be sitting in a private investigator’s office being told that his baby sister was a certified clean prostitute. “What the fuck?” he said under his breath and sniffed back his emotions.
He didn’t see Alexa come to his side. He sensed her. He felt her heat before she put her arm around his back. He smelled the subtle but distinct musk that surrounded her before she leaned in and held him. And he fell into her comfort before he could stop himself. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close, pressing his cheek to her chest as she hugged him.
Nothing made sense to him. Not Mandy throwing her life away. Or her turning to drugs and prostitution. And definitely not the solace he found in Alexa. He didn’t even know her, but just feeling her arms around him brought a wave of assuagement to his soul. When she was close to him, offering her little pets and smiles, he believed that everything would be okay, that somehow Mandy could survive this. He had hope when Alexa was this close to him. He clung to that feeling, to her, until someone rapped on the door and opened it.
“Oh! I…uh…I-I’m sorry,” a woman stuttered. Her umber skin shaded with red at her obvious embarrassment. Tucking wayward black curls behind her ear, she gestured vaguely toward the hallway. “I just wanted to let you know we’re serving dinner.”
“It’s okay, Tika,” Alexa said just over a whisper as Dean broke his tight hold on her hips. “I’ll be there soon.”
Dean ran his hand over his hair as the door clicked closed. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Alexa ran her hand over his hair as well, but her touch was far more tender than his had been. Her touch was like a balm on his blistered soul. Cupping his face, she tenderly lifted his chin. “I know this is so much to take in. Don’t apologize for how tough this is. I’m here for you, Dean. I want to help you through this.”
“You’re a PI, not a counselor.”
“I can be both.”
Exhaling, he swallowed. “I should go. Your dinner—”
“Will keep.”
Recalling how nervous Josh had been about the impending proposal, Dean shook his head. “You don’t want to keep your friends waiting. I’m good.”
“I doubt that. Do you want to go for a drink or—”
“No. Alexa, you need to be here. For dinner.”
She lowered her gaze. “Usually I would disagree, but tonight is kind of special.”
“You know about…” he said.
Her eyes bulged. “You know about…?”
Surprisingly, a little smile touched his lips. “I met Josh on my way in. He needed help carrying everything. I saw the cake.”
“Ah,” Alexa said. “Well. Yes, I should be here for that. Why don’t you join us?”
“I’m not going to crash your friend’s marriage proposal, Alexa.”
She shrugged. “The more the merrier.”
“I’m afraid I’m not much in the mood for what’s to come.”
She lowered her face and nodded. “I get that, but I’m worried about you.”
“I’m not going to do something stupid, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not,” she was quick to say. “But that doesn’t mean you should be alone right now. I have no idea what we’re having for dinner, but I’d like to bring you leftovers. If you don’t mind me stopping by to check on you later.”
“I don’t mind,” he said quietly. “In fact, I’d like that very much.”
6
Alexa did her best to focus on the chattering around her. She usually loved team dinners. Tonight’s should have been especially exciting, but she couldn’t stop replaying the absolutely broken look in Dean’s eyes as he finally accepted what had become of his sister. She couldn’t imagine what he was thinking or feeling.
She barely touched the ham and potato casserole Josh had scooped onto her plate, and she had no desire to share in the cake they were going to cut into. She just wanted to pack up dinner for Dean and go check on him.
Tika nudged her. “What was that about?”
“He just found out his sister has been pulled into a human trafficking ring.”
Tika winced, the smooth, dark skin of her forehead creasing as she squee
zed her eyes shut. “God. I’m sorry.”
“She’s nineteen, Tik. And if the photos are any indication, she’s so strung out, she doesn’t have a clue what’s happening to her.”
“That’s a blessing in its own way. Better for her mind to be a fog than to realize she’s being sold for sex.”
Alexa nodded her agreement. “I’ll get her out, and he’ll get her the help she needs. She’ll get past this.”
“I’m sure she’ll get through it,” Tika said. “He’s cute.”
Alexa started at the sudden change of subject. “What?”
Tika smiled. “The man who was wrapped in your arms. He’s cute.”
Rolling her eyes, she chuckled. “And distraught. Don’t read into it.”
“If you say so.” Tika nudged her again and returned her attention to the conversation around them. One by one, the women updated their teammates on their cases. Even Josh and Jack took turns talking about their week during Friday night dinners, even though they weren’t technically part of the team.
When it was Jack’s turn tonight, however, his cheeks turned red and his mother nearly burst at his side. She muttered something in her native Egyptian tongue that caused Holly to jolt, and Jack to cut his gaze toward his mother with accusation. Alexa didn’t understand what was said, but Holly, who had spent quite a bit of her Army tour in the Middle East, clearly had.
“What…” Holly started.
“Hush, woman,” Jack said in the firm but teasing tone he used so often with Holly.
Alexa didn’t think there could ever be two people better suited for each other. Holly was tough as nails. So was Jack. But they had such a deep tenderness for each other, anyone could see they were meant to be. They had fallen head over heels so quickly it was almost enough to make Alexa believe in soulmates.
They’d met when Holly was working a different missing persons case. Jack, a detective with one of the area departments, was working a similar case. They had joined forces, and that was that. They were bonded forever in a way that had filled the rest of the HEARTS with hope that maybe there really were men out there who could handle pairing with strong women.
Most of them had learned the hard way that relationships were a tough thing to get through when the female half was as strong as, or stronger than, the male half. Seeing Jack smile at Holly with so much love and affection definitely gave Alexa some sense she could find that someday, too.
“What my mother means,” Jack said pointedly, “is… Holly, we’ve been through a lot in our short time together. We’ve seen some really great times and some dark times. You’ve seen me at my best and my worst. And vice versa.”
Holly’s eyes seemed to widen farther with every word he said. She didn’t lose her stone-faced facade often, but seeing the surprise clearly written on her face was enough to make Alexa chuckle. Holly slowly opened her mouth as Jack pushed his chair back and got on one knee beside her. The room filled with gasps and dreamy sighs.
“Marry me,” Jack said. Not a question or an order, simply an insecure-sounding request as he held out a ring.
“Are you…serious?” Holly asked.
“Only if you plan to say yes,” Jack deadpanned. “If you’re going to say no, this was a big prank.”
“Jack…”
Alexa’s heart rolled over and dropped. If Holly said no, Alexa was going to put her in a headlock and drag her down the aisle. Jack was perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect. No man would ever love Holly like he did, and Alexa would not allow her friend to blow this relationship out of the water.
But then Holly’s shock broke into a brilliant smile. “Of course I’ll marry you, you idiot.”
The room filled with happy sighs as Jack slid the engagement ring on Holly’s finger. Najwa looked to the heavens and clasped her hands, saying a little prayer, as the HEARTS all jumped up.
Hugs and kisses and oohs and aahs filled the conference room as Josh unveiled the cake.
“You guys knew?” Holly said accusingly.
Alexa was going to deny, deny, deny, but as she looked around the room, it was obvious that Holly was the only one who hadn’t heard about Jack’s plan. He gawked at Sam, who simply shrugged.
“Holly didn’t know,” Sam justified.
“You told Sam and thought it’d be a secret?” Holly asked.
“I needed her help to make sure everyone was here.” He slid his arm around Holly’s waist and pulled her closer. “I knew you’d want them here.”
Holly put her hand to his cheek, and the newly placed diamond sparkled as she kissed him. Alexa was so happy for her friend she could cry. But she also felt that emptiness in her heart expand ever so slightly.
“Don’t cut that yet,” Sam ordered. She pulled the office camera out and started snapping photos of the cake and then of Jack and Holly, the ring, the happy couple cutting into the cake, as if it were their wedding instead of their engagement. Happiness filled the room, surrounding them all in some well-deserved exhilaration, but half of Alexa’s mind was elsewhere.
As she shared in this joyous occasion, Dean was home thinking of how his sister was being treated like property. Alexa just wanted to grab some food and rush to his side to help him through what was certainly one of the most difficult things he’d ever faced. She walked around the table to where Josh and Eva stood—who were also rubbing it in Alexa’s face that she didn’t have a significant other to get through life with—and broke up their little hug.
“Josh, do you mind if I borrow one of your dishes? I’d like to take dinner to my client. He’s had a rough day.”
“Sure thing.”
“What about you? You’ve seemed distracted. Are you okay?” Eva asked, unwrapping herself from Josh’s hold.
Alexa frowned. “I just hated telling him about his sister.” She didn’t have to elaborate. They’d all heard her update as they’d eaten dinner. “He’s home alone dwelling on it. I want to check on him.”
“Take whatever you need,” Josh said.
She did. She took half a casserole and added two large pieces of cake to a plate. Setting those aside, she made her way to Holly and wrapped her in her arms. Holly was not a hugger but seemed to be tolerating her teammates’ affections this evening. “Congratulations,” Alexa said in her ear.
Leaning back, Holly smiled a rare but beautiful smile. “Thank you. You’re going to see Dean?”
“Yeah.”
Holly’s happy smile softened. “How are you holding up?”
“Better than he is.”
“This is a tough situation,” Holly said.
“I just want to check on him.”
“I understand.”
Smiling, Alexa hugged Holly again. “I’m so happy for you.” She embraced Jack and told him the same and then left her team to celebrate. She didn’t know why she felt such a damn sense of urgency to get to Dean, but she knew he was torturing himself over what was happening to Mandy. Alexa couldn’t ease his anguish, but she could make sure he didn’t go through it alone. That seemed far more consequential to her at the moment.
She drove as quickly as she could to Dean’s and rang the bell. He didn’t keep her waiting this time, either. He opened the door and let her in almost instantly.
Alexa held up the casserole. “Hungry?”
“Yeah.” As they walked into the kitchen, he looked at the counter where they’d shared their last two meals together. “Mind if we sit at the table? I need to break the bad habit of eating in the kitchen. Mom let that go for breakfast and lunch, but she said dinner was family time that should be spent at the table. Not that I have any family to eat with right now.”
The sadness in his voice made her heart ache for him. She’d lost her sister and her father, but she was so close to her mother and grandmother. She never had to eat alone. Sometimes, even when she wanted to, she couldn’t. Sitting at his table to share a meal while trying to support him through his troubles appealed to her more than she thought made sense. “That’d be great.”
He gathered plates and silverware and led her to the dining room. She filled his plate before sitting next to him, draping a napkin across her lap.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “I know we have to. I have a million questions. But I can’t talk about it right now. If I keep thinking about this, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Okay.”
He stabbed at the potatoes on his plate but didn’t lift the fork to his mouth. “So. Holly said yes?”
She smiled. “She did.”
“I’m glad to hear some good news. How many of you are married?”
“None of us, actually. Holly and Eva are the only ones even in a relationship.”
He looked at her. “Oh?”
Alexa shrugged. It was her turn to focus on her meal more intently than necessary. “This job is demanding. If we’re on a case, the hours can be brutal. I once sat in my car for thirteen hours during a stakeout. Most men wouldn’t necessarily understand that I have to miss dinner or cancel plans because I’m too busy staring at someone’s back door to make sure they aren’t breaking the law in some way. It just…” She shrugged. “It takes a special kind of man to understand what we do.”
“But Jack understands?”
Alexa told him how Holly and Jack had worked a case together. How they’d saved each other. How they’d become inseparable. How they’d fallen so deeply in love, she couldn’t imagine them ever falling out.
“Why do you look so sad?” Dean asked, drawing Alexa from her story.
“What?”
“You’re sitting here telling me how one of your closest friends is so happy, and you look so…melancholy.”
“Do I?”
He nodded. “You do. Why?”
She pushed her plate away. Over the course of her tale, she’d taken bite after bite until her dinner was gone. “Cake?”
“Answers,” he countered.
Laughing lightly, she sat back. “Sometimes… Okay, all the time, I wish I had that. I love my family and my friends, but I don’t have the best luck with men.”
