A weight lifted from her chest. This entire business was wearing on her nerves. And with the amount of stress she’d carried for the last eighteen months, she didn’t think there was much left to fray. “What about evidence? How long can my room go unprocessed?”
“It won’t. We already started some preliminary measures. Now, we’ll do a full canvass. We came prepared for this.”
She squared her shoulders and looked him directly in the eye. “Good, because I’m tired of walking in the dark. I need to know who this bastard is.”
She stood and walked to the broom closet, pulling out a spray bottle of household cleanser and a fresh pack of nonabrasive scrubbing pads. She knew the kitchen was spotless. She didn’t go to bed unless it gleamed like a bald man’s shiny head. But as she sprayed the counter with cleanser and scrubbed like her life depended on it, she felt her anger bubble over and spill from her in the form of fat, abundant tears. She was so busy scrubbing the nonexistent stain that she didn’t hear Jackson move from across the room. She didn’t notice he was standing behind her until his heat enveloped her and his hand was resting on top of hers, stilling it, as he took the nonabrasive pad out of her hand.
“You’re gonna wear a hole in the counter if you keep that up. Don’t let Hastings upset you like this. There’s no reason to be afraid or to let him bring you to tears.”
Aja whipped around, bracing her hands against the counter, looking into his eyes. “Afraid? I’m not afraid, Jackson. I’m mad.” She threw the scouring pad down on the counter and slammed her hand against it with a solid thud.
She was ready to allow her anger to consume her when she noted the smile tugging at the corners of Jackson’s mouth. It drew her attention to how perfectly full and plump his bottom lip was. She might be pissed off, but she didn’t think there was a level of mad she could reach where she didn’t want to nibble on it. “Why is this funny to you?”
“Oh, I’m not laughing at you. I’m feeling sorry for that poor fool Hastings. Because if he could see all the fire in your eyes right now, he’d be terrified.”
Her anger receded enough for a brief chuckle to escape her lips. “I want this over. I want my life back. I want to feel safe on my land again. I want to lie in my bed expecting the handsome man I fancy to make love to me and not worry that some creeper will show up instead.”
Jackson’s hand moved from her forearm to her upper arm, rubbing a comforting stroke there before he tugged her into his embrace. He held on to her, much like he had a couple of hours ago after rescuing her. There was something soothing about the way he held her, as if his arms and chest formed their own kind of paradise made especially for her. Good Lord! What is it about this man?
“You’ll get your life back, Aja. And I will champion you every step of the way. My job is to keep you safe.” He leaned back, staring into her eyes. His eyes were dark, but there were still sparks of something hot and dangerous that flickered in them like an open fire. “If that means staying at your side every minute of the day, I’ll make that happen.”
Her skin tingled with that promise, electricity sizzling as it jumped from one nerve ending to another. How could the promise of safety be so sexy? Her nipples pebbled underneath her tank top and robe. Even with two layers of clothing, they were so sensitive that she was certain she might embarrass herself if she didn’t extricate herself from his embrace.
“I believe you, Jackson.” She did. Everything from the way he held her to the way his gaze poured over her told her he wouldn’t let harm come to her. Hell, even the way he’d charged in during her attack, literally launching his body at her perpetrator to protect her, was proof he would give everything to make certain she was taken care of. And never remembering a time in her life where she didn’t have to fight for someone else, having a man like Jackson swear his protection to her and mean it made her stomach twist in knots and her heart flutter. This man was getting under her skin. Tell the truth. Shame the devil. You know he’s beyond getting. He’s already there.
The sting of unshed tears burned her eyes. There were too many emotions tumbling around inside her. Fear, exhaustion, anger, and desire all swirling together, each attempting to dominate. Which did she give into? Which would make the pressure in her chest ease a little so she could breathe through the obstruction of pain and anxiety? “I know you’ll protect me,” she whispered. “I just want to forget for a few moments. That’s all.”
“Aja?” It was a plea and a question rolled into one. With one word, he was asking her if she recognized the consequences and begging her to decide all at once. “It’s late. Or early, depending on your perspective. We should try to get some rest before the day calls.”
“I’m aware of the time, Jackson.”
He shook his head, stepping away from her as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. This isn’t what you need.”
She should probably agree with him and let this go. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t let something else be decided for her because someone else had wreaked havoc in her life. She’d lived through that once before, and she wouldn’t allow it to happen again. “You’re wrong, Jackson. This is exactly what I need. It’s what I want.” She moved into his personal space, pressing closer to him as she looked up into his eyes. She could see the battle he was waging between his desire and his willpower unfolding in the depths of his deep-brown eyes. He wanted this too. “The question is: Are you going to give it to me?”
He swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed as the muscles in his throat tightened and released. The hum of desperation vibrated around him like the ambient heat of a powerful motor, making the air around them thick and heavy with aching want. But when he continued to stand there, his only movements his heaving chest and the open-close motion of his hands, she decided his will was more powerful than anything she stirred in him. She stepped back but was quickly pulled back against him by his large hands now gripping her shoulders.
“I will always give you exactly what you need.”
Chapter 16
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when you said you would give me everything I needed.”
Aja lay on her side with her eyes narrowed into slits as she watched Jackson pull the large, plush comforter over her and tuck her into bed. When he was done, he walked around the expanse of the bed and climbed in beside her, on top of the covers. She was about to comment on the number of layers between them and how much it displeased her when he placed his arm around her waist and tugged her closer to him.
“I know it’s not. But it’s what you need.”
She’d followed him into the guest room expecting they’d tear each other’s clothes off and get naked and sweaty within minutes of entering the room. Instead, she was frustrated and swaddled in a blanket like some oversized baby.
“Jackson—”
“I watched someone put their hands around your neck tonight. If you won’t do this for you, do it for me. Humor me. I need to know you’re safe.”
The fight building inside her deflated, and she settled in his arms. She hadn’t thought about how tonight affected him. If she were honest with herself, she hadn’t thought about how it impacted her either—and if she could help it, she wouldn’t.
She snuggled closer to Jackson, allowing the rest of her anger and disappointment to bleed away. Their current huddle in the middle of the bed might not have been what she’d pictured when she’d demanded he make love to her in the kitchen, but it had its benefits.
The easy way her body relaxed into his, as if his arms were something familiar and safe…she could definitely count this as a perk.
“You didn’t need me taking advantage of you.”
“It’s not taking advantage when I gave consent.”
“It is when my conscience tells me to decide with more than my little head. You’re a grown woman, and I’m sure you know how to communica
te what you want. But mauling you after you’ve experienced something like this doesn’t sit well with me. You can call me old-fashioned, but I believe in taking a little more care with the women I’m intimate with.”
She took a deep breath, letting the last vestiges of her anger slip away as the deep rumble of his voice rippled against her back. “You’re such a Boy Scout.”
“A cowboy,” he corrected as he tightened his arm around her waist. He moved his hand to her hip and rubbed slow circles there as slumber called to her. She yawned, and he laughed before dropping a gentle kiss to the back of her head. “Go to sleep.”
“Yes, Ranger.”
* * *
A knock on the back door pulled Jackson out of his thoughts. He took a sip of his coffee before resting it on the kitchen counter and answering the door for Colton and Storm.
“Morning, Boss. How’s Ms. Everett?”
Jackson acknowledged Storm’s question, directing him and Colton to the kitchen counter. “She’s still upstairs.”
“She must be worn out after last night. She doesn’t strike me as the sleep-in-late sort.” Storm’s observation was spot-on.
“More than even she realized. She was still sleeping when I—” He stopped before he could finish the “left her in bed” sitting on the tip of his tongue. Deciding quickly his men didn’t need to know that, he took another sip of his coffee, then finished with “checked in on her a little while ago.” Good save. “When she wakes, I might try to convince her to speak with the crisis counselor we work with, depending on her mood.” He pointed to Colton. “Are Seneca and Brooklyn aware of what happened?”
Colton shook his head. “We were watching a movie in their cabin when you texted. We told them the ranch was on lockdown due to a security drill.”
“Did they buy it?”
Colton scratched his temple. “They didn’t seem disturbed by it. The main house is far enough away that they didn’t hear the disturbance. Hell, if it weren’t for you texting us for backup, we wouldn’t have known either. This damn place is big.”
Storm agreed. “The shady-ass sheriff didn’t have his lights and sirens on either, so it’s unlikely the two know anything about it. Unless they were part of it.”
Jackson scratched the day-old stubble on his chin. “That doesn’t seem likely. It was definitely a man I tussled with last night. Plus, like you said, they were watching a movie with you when it occurred. That doesn’t mean neither of them set it up, but it makes little sense. Aja is probably the only person in the world who gives a damn about them. Why sabotage the good thing they’ve got going on?”
“People do all sorts of stupid stuff for any number of reasons.” Colton’s response, although surly, was true. People did things for reasons that made sense to them alone. However, the pieces weren’t fitting here.
It was looking more and more like Aja was right. Perhaps Brooklyn and Seneca were victims of this situation too. “How far are you in processing Aja’s room?”
Colton folded his arms, pointing briefly at Storm. “We finished a good bit of it before the sheriff arrived. We’ll finish the balcony and the surrounding area near the bottom of the attached staircase this morning. Without daylight, it was too dark to process the scene completely and go unnoticed by Seneca and Brooklyn. We did find a footprint while we were out there. We grabbed a couple of flashlights and made a cast. We also found this.”
Colton pulled a small evidence bag from his pocket and handed it to Jackson. When he unfolded the bag, there was a slender piece of gold inside the plastic. It appeared to be part of a women’s bracelet with the words “Mañana no está—” on it.
“‘Tomorrow isn’t’ what? Do we know what this means? Any sayings that use these words?”
Both Colton and Storm shook their heads. Although Storm was fluent and literate in Spanish, both Colton and Jackson understood enough to get by in a rudimentary conversation.
Storm held his hand out and waited for Jackson to place the evidence bag in his palm. “Granted the Latinx community is vast and differs across the globe, but nothing jumps out at me from this phrase. It could mean anything. And since we don’t have the other half, we might never know what it means.”
“Okay,” Jackson answered. “I’m gonna pull Gleason and Jennings in to take over the forensics. I’ll have them come pick up everything. I need them to get on that ASAP. We don’t want to lose any evidence.”
Both men looked at each other and then stared at Jackson. “Then what will we be doing?” Storm asked.
“Over the next few days, this ranch will be buzzing with people we don’t know. I called my brother and father as soon as I got up. They weren’t supposed to come out for another few days, but they’ll speed up the timetable on Aja’s security installation to tomorrow. Besides them, the construction crew starts then too.”
“We don’t have enough men to watch all those people.”
Storm was right. There were only three of them. Attempting to stake out so many people at once wouldn’t be possible in their small number.
“No, that’s why the cameras are going up first tomorrow. We need eyes. They won’t be able to secure the entire ranch tomorrow, but they’ll work together with the construction crew to seal off the three problematic access points we’re worried about.”
Storm raised a finger to interrupt. “If we’re putting in wireless cameras, won’t we have to get network access from Seneca? You really want someone we think could be involved with this case to have access to our security?”
“No,” Jackson answered. “My father’s loaning us one of his surveillance vans. It’s a plain white van, and he’ll have it outfitted to look like one of the construction crew’s vehicles. It has a private server that’s masked and undetectable. There’s no need for Seneca to know about any of this.”
“So what’s the plan for today?”
Jackson could feel the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. That was Colton—direct and to the point.
“I’m gonna stick close to Aja. Wherever she goes, I’ll follow. I want eyes on her until we can get the security equipment and protocols implemented. You two will be on patrol duty most of the day. Until those cameras go live tomorrow, we have to keep an eye on those three access points. It’s not perfect, but it’s all we have until the equipment is up and running.”
“What about the front gate?” Again, the military man in Colton was thinking three steps ahead.
“My father is adding a security detail to the front gate and sending extra men to help you two keep eyes on those access points. No one gets in without credentials or prior authorization.”
Storm stepped closer before asking, “Who’s on that list?”
“Badges, emergency personnel, and the people living here. Either Aja or one of us needs to clear anyone else.” Storm and Colton looked at him, then each other, then back at Jackson again. “What?”
Storm leaned back as if he needed to create a little distance between Jackson and himself. “What about the parole officer, Mat Ryan? Doesn’t he visit the ranch to meet with Seneca and Brooklyn? Doesn’t he have to meet with Ms. Everett as their employer?”
A knot tightened in Jackson’s stomach at the mention of that man’s name. Yeah, all the points Storm made were correct. However, despite the man’s official role on the ranch, Jackson couldn’t shake the idea he needed to keep Mat as far away from Aja as possible.
He was being an asshole. He knew that. The man was a law-enforcement officer. That fact alone should’ve garnered him Jackson’s professional respect and courtesy. But every time he thought of how cozy the man seemed with Aja, it made his ire spike. No, there was no way he would give that spineless son of a bitch open access to Aja and her ranch. He could call first like everyone else.
“We gotta keep this thing tight,” Jackson answered. “If that means Mat has to conduct his meetings off the ran
ch now, so be it.”
Storm raised a finger again. “How do you think Ms. Everett will react to that?”
Like hot grease in a skillet—volatile and dangerous if not handled correctly. “She probably won’t like it. But we have little choice. There’s three of us. We have to minimize how many people are on these damn acres. Otherwise, we’re inviting trouble.”
His men shared a conspiratorial glance between them before agreeing with him. Jackson relaxed slightly. As of now, his cover as an impartial lawman was intact. As long as no one else figured out the real reason he didn’t want Mat Ryan on the ranch, he was good.
Storm slapped Colton on his shoulder. “Let’s get back to the cabin and pack a lunch and supplies so we can brave it out there on the prairie.” Colton grunted in reply, and they both shuffled out of the door, ready to execute their assigned tasks.
All that was left was for Jackson to tackle his work. Everything in him ached to return to the guest room and wrap Aja in his arms again. But her safety was more important than his desires. As long as he remembered that, everything should be fine.
Chapter 17
The quiet yet insistent tapping in the distance pulled Aja from a restful sleep. She stirred, stretched, and ran her hand against the cool spot where she expected to find Jackson lying next to her.
“Morning, Aja. You up yet?”
“Yeah, come in.” She pulled herself up against the headboard and reached for the alarm clock on the nightstand to make sure she was reading the time correctly. “I think ‘morning’ is a euphemism in this case. It’s nearly noon.”
“You had a rough night. You deserve to sleep in.” He pushed the clock aside and made room for the tray he was carrying. Toast, a small dish with butter and strawberry preserves, a bowl of fruit, a small cup of yogurt, a small glass of apple juice, and a cup of coffee greeted her.
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