She fluffed a pillow and laid down next to him. “I don’t get it.”
He felt her body heat and smelled her jasmine scented skin. He prayed not to get a boner. “Andy would have found the chick, gave her some kombucha tea, some mala beads, and paid for her therapy.”
“He sounds like a cool guy.”
“He was. I miss him.” Declan turned off his lamp.
She faced him, half her face in shadow. “It’s okay to miss him. I still miss the guys I lost.”
His throat got tight and his chest hurt. “When does it stop hurting?”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you for saving me.”
She patted his arm. “No problem. Now try and get some sleep. We have a big day at the gun range.”
“You sound excited.” Which didn’t surprise him.
* * *
DECLAN WALKED through the door and this oily scent hit his nose. “What the fuck is that smell?”
Jane chuckled. “Gun oil and sweat. Smells like victory.”
Everyone cracked up. He watched Jane walk past them to this old grizzled guy behind a counter. She held out her hand and they shook. “Hey Lonnie, I need to set these guys up.”
“Sure thing, Jane. Give me a few minutes.”
About twenty minutes later Declan relaxed his hand and squeezed of another shot. He wasn’t paying attention to anyone, he was focused on the proper stance, his breathing, and hitting the target. He’d learned to shoot about fourteen years ago for a film. He was pretty good and he wanted to impress Jane.
After last night he was still reeling. Someone really wanted him dead. His hand shook. Shit he couldn’t fall apart now. What would Jane say? When she slid into the bed next to him he was surprised she scooted up to him and put her arm around his waist. He reacted, fighting off the urge to turn to her. Then she’d know he had a boner and he knew he’d try to kiss her then she’d punch him. Her softness comforted him. Her jasmine scented skin tantalized him. Her strength calmed him. Within minutes he nodded off to sleep. And he’d slept through the night, which was rare.
Jane confused him. That never happened. Carla Sanger, the woman who took his virginity didn’t even baffle him. He’d been sixteen and she played his TV mom’s best friend. She’d nailed him in his trailer one day and pretty much taught him everything a man could do with his dick. Someone poked him on his shoulder and he put his gun down and took off his headphones and turned to find Jane standing behind him.
“You’re not focusing.”
“You shouldn’t sneak up on a guy with a gun.”
She gave a low sultry chuckle. “Some of the best times I ever had.”
He smiled. She was good at making him smile with her wise-ass commentary. “I don’t want to know.”
She hit the button and his paper target slid to him. He was proud he’d hit the target every time. Not a kill shot every time, but at least he’d inflicted some damage.
“Not bad. Your first time shooting?”
“I’ve had lessons, but I haven’t done it in years.”
“Impressive.”
Pride swelled in him. “Did I beat everyone else?”
“Is that important?”
“Sometimes.”
She poked out her bottom lip. “I hope this isn’t one of them.”
The nerve of some people. “Who did better than me?”
“Check the ego, you did better than I expected and you are the best looking shooter of the bunch.”
He was glad he could impress her. “Physically?”
“You have the best form.”
“Had to look good on screen.”
“I’m sure you did.”
His feelings were a little hurt. He was a good actor. “You haven’t watched me?”
“Am I supposed to?”
“Shouldn’t you get a feel for me if you’re protecting me?”
She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not answering that.”
“Scared?”
She turned without answering and walked over to Vaughn and tapped him on the shoulder. He whipped around and she grabbed his gun and twisted it out of his hand and put it down on the counter in front of him. Oh shit he broke one of Jane’s I’m-taking-you-to-the-range rules. This was going to be fun. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Malcolm put down his gun and take off his headphones.
“Number one Vaughn. This isn’t a gangsta movie. You hold the gun properly or the recoil is going to hit you in the head. Number two. You hit everything except the target. Number three. If you ever point a gun at me again, I will shoot you.”
Vaughn spread his arms. “I’m trying to have fun.”
“Does this look like fun time?”
Vaughn leered at her. “If I want it to be.”
“Not on my time.”
Declan noticed that everyone stopped shooting and was staring at them. A part of him wanted to go over and stand between them, because he figured Jane was about to hurt Vaughn. Not that he gave a shit, but he needed a bassist. Basically he was thinking about himself. Then again if Jane killed Vaughn he would be alibi her and she’d owe him a favor and sex would settle that. Okay so he went there. He refused to be ashamed.
“Can you do better sweet butt?” Vaughn took a step closer to Jane.
“Oh no he didn’t?” Malcolm whispered next to Declan.
“This is going to be awesome,” Gavin said.
Shane snickered. “Maybe she’ll shoot Vaughn. Malcolm can play the bass.”
Jane put on the headphones, pulled the protective glasses from the top of her head, took her gun from her waistband and started firing. Twelve rounds went off in quick succession, she put her gun down, and hit the button and her paper target flew to her.
Everyone gathered around her and Declan noticed all the holes were in the target’s crotch. “Ouch!”
“I got rage. With some PTSD layered on top. Don’t fuck around on my watch.”
Everyone laughed except Vaughn.
Gavin held up his paper target. “I hit center mass every time.”
“How did you do so well?” Declan asked.
“FPS, man.”
“What the hell is that?” Shane asked.
Malcolm shook his head. “First person shooter. I speak geek.”
“Call of Duty?” Jane asked.
Gavin preened. “Yeah.”
Jane held up her arm and made a fist. “Awesome.”
Gavin gave her a fist bump. “I can handle my piece.”
Jane laughed. “I’m not letting you keep it. How did you do Travis?”
He held up his paper target. There were only a few holes in his target. He looked kind of sheepish.
Gavin grimaced. “Dude you’re from Detroit.”
Travis shrugged. “I’m a big man no one messed with me. Besides my mom would have killed me if I touched a gun.”
“Malcolm?” Jane asked.
His target paper was empty. “I’m from Brentwood. We don’t have crime.”
Jane smiled again. “Shane?”
He held up his target which was full of holes. “I was raised on a farm.”
Jane turned to Charlotte. “Charlotte?”
Charlotte’s shots were all neat groupings on head, chest, and belly shoots.
Declan was impressed. “The rich girl can shoot.”
“Grandmother likes to shoot skeet.”
Everyone laughed.
Charlotte blushed. “What did I say?”
Travis whispered in her ear and she blushed. “Oh my heavens.”
Travis nodded.
Charlotte held up a finger. “You have me now.”
“Folks entertaining as you’ve all been, I have to go. Preach will get you home.” Without any ceremony, Jane started walking out of the gun range.
Gavin started singing Aerosmith’s “Janie Got A Gun.” Everyone cracked up. She turned around and gave him a smile. Damn that was one hell of a woman.
* * *
MALCOLM B
ROKE AWAY from the group and followed Jane. “Jane you got a moment.”
“What can I help you with?”
“It’s Declan …” How did he say this and not look like an ass?
“Yes?”
She stared at him as if nothing else was going on in her head. He wasn’t used to it. Women fawned over him. Because he was rich, then a rock star, and he was decent looking. “You and Declan are …” He floundered for words.
“I’m going over to that café to get myself a cup of coffee, how do you like yours?”
“Black.”
“Gather your thoughts, then join me.”
“Okay.” Malcolm watched her saunter across the cobbled street. She was interesting, because she exuded confidence that screamed don’t fuck with me. He wanted to like her. Maybe he didn’t need to say anything, but Declan wanted her badly. Normally he would let Declan have at her and let her take care of herself, but the stakes were too high. Once he got a read on her he’d be fine.
He was still shaken about the shooting. Declan could have died. When the shots rang out all he could think about was getting to him. Lucky for him he’d been in Gavin’s room working on a crappy song or he would have slept through the whole thing. When he got into the bathroom and found Jane standing over Declan like a warrior woman. Then she made sure he and Gavin were safe.
She came out of the café and sat at a wrought iron table. Time to get this over. When he reached her he pulled out a chair and sat.
“You’re worried I’m going to sleep with Declan.”
Was she a mind reader too? Commando mind reader, hot chick. “Do you cook too?”
“Yep.”
“Are you?”
She shook her head. “He’s not my type.”
Relief swamped him. “He’s not used to working this hard for a woman.”
“Should I give into him?”
“God no.”
Rolling her paper cup between her hands she stared at him. “I’m not good enough for him?”
“Don’t twist my words,” he said with a spurt of anger.
She grinned. “He’s a job. Nothing more nothing less.”
Declan was more than that.
“That’s how I have to think of him. I can’t be concerned about anything but his safety. I know his type.”
“What do you mean?”
She sighed. “Give Declan some rope he thinks he’s a cowboy. He’s charming, manipulative, and used to getting his way. If I let him have his way, he’s going to end up dead.”
She got Declan. “You know him well.”
“Whatever you see Declan and I doing is to draw out the stalker. I’m going to say what happened last night was a result of us being highly visible. That was anger. She’s going to make a mistake and we’ll get her and you guys can go back to your tomcat ways.” Her smile reached her eyes.
He was feeling better about this. “I know this is weird--”
“You care about your friend. I get that.”
“Thank you Jane.”
She pointed behind him. “Your friends are waiting.” She took a sip of her coffee and picked up her phone and scrolled through the messages.
“Jane.”
She looked up.
“He’s a good guy.”
“Under all that bullshit, he is.” She smiled. “You too.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She went back to her phone and he saw her staring at the screen rolling her eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was doing that because he just made a gigantic ass of himself practically begging her not to fuck his friend or she was having an issue. He didn’t care. He got this off his chest and he did his best to prevent a major cluster fuck. Maybe he should shoot Declan himself. Nope, unless he shot him in the dick, he’d still try to sleep with Jane.
Chapter Eight
DAY SIX OF MY CAPTIVITY. I haven’t let Declan Shaw get dead, but I did sleep with him. What was she thinking? She’s done that with all the guys in her unit. Pass an Afghan winter solo, you’d sleep next to Satan if it meant the extra heat.
She was surprised he’d dropped off to sleep quickly. Declan hadn’t slept the night through since she taken the job. She’d spent every night listening to him try. If she didn’t have the days off so she could sleep she’d be one cranky bitch. After she stopped over at her parents to get an ass chewing and do the family lunch she was going to her apartment and make nice with her pillow.
Her cell phone rang and she tapped the button on her steering wheel to answer it. “Peterson.”
“Ms. Peterson, this is Cherry O’Brien.”
This couldn’t be good. “Ms. O’Brien, how can I help you?”
“Thank you for taking care of Declan and my boys last night.”
What was she supposed to say? She settled on a quick thank you.
“I think your plan to use Declan as bait went too well. I’m inclined to pull the plug and bring them back to L.A.”
Hell no to that plan. “If I may ma’am, the reason it failed was because the house was not properly equipped due to the company who installed the bullet-resistant glass, they are replacing it as we speak.”
“I don’t like excuses.”
Neither did she. “That is a reason.”
“Be that as it may, can you insure their safety?”
“I take my duty very seriously ma’am.”
“My sons nearly died.”
She could hear the panic in her voice. “Ma’am your sons acted rashly. They ran in to protect their friend without proper training. It does speak to their character.”
The other woman sighed. “You’re good.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Yes you do. You flattered me and my sons. Senator Burton was correct about you. I understand you and the men you worked with accompanied him several times to the Middle East as his translator. He said you have a handle on the bullshit.”
“Which makes me perfect to work with Declan Shaw.”
She sighed. “Are you any closer to catching this woman.”
“She made a mistake coming this close. She’s getting sloppy. She’ll make another attempt at close range and we’ll get her.”
“You don’t want to have to deal with me if you fail.”
She didn’t. That woman was the apex predator in a sea of great whites. “I understand ma’am.”
“If you need anything you have my personal number don’t hesitate to call.”
“I will. Thank--”
Okay she hung up on her. Jane pulled up to her parent’s house and saw her dad sitting on the top step of the porch, newspaper in hand. He was doing the crossword puzzle. She grabbed the three boxes of cigars she brought him from her ‘trip’ to Cuba. She was making sure he was on her side. Marcel ‘Pete’ Peterson was a big man. Once upon a time he was a linebacker at Grambling University, but a knee injury ended his football career. After he graduated college he joined the Army and became a Ranger. After that he came home and joined NOPD moving up the ranks until he was now chief of detectives. He was her hero and she knew he’d do anything to keep her safe. She walked up the sidewalk and sat next to him. She kissed his brown forehead. “Hey?”
“Run while you can.”
“She’s that mad?”
He slapped her on the knee with his paper. “You paid off the house, you know that woman has pride.”
“I’m not scared of her.” Well that’s not true. Addy could scare a charging rhino.
“I always thought you were smart.”
Jane held up her fists. “I can take her.”
“She’s little but she’s mean.” He pushed the reading glasses on the top of his graying head and put the paper on the cypress wood porch. “Why’d you do it?”
Because she loved them. Because she could. Because she wanted them to enjoy life a little more. “I had a major payday.”
He narrowed his dark eyes at her. “Do I want to know?”
Pete knew what she did on the side.
Back in his Army days’ he did some pretty classified shit so she knew if she needed to talk she could and it wouldn’t go any further. “I nabbed a really big bad guy.”
“How big?”
“My take was over eleven million dollars.”
He looked at her with respect. “You can buy me a car too.”
“What do you want?”
“A Rolls.”
She smiled. “I’ll buy you one if you retire.”
Panic crossed his mahogany colored face. “I can’t retire and be under her feet, your mama will kill me. You know I annoy her.” He picked up his newspaper and wrote in an answer. “The funny thing is that I’d be investigating my own homicide.”
Jane laughed.
“What else you do?”
She took care of everyone. Because she could. Her parents and her brothers and sisters were her world. Giving them an easier life was worth everything. “Paid off David’s mortgage and set his boy’s up with a trust. Set up college funds for Simon’s twins and paid off his house, sent up trusts for Kendra, Andre, and Ling, and when Marisol is official I’ll set up a trust for her. And if Addy takes in another stray, I’ll set them up too.” Because no one was sure if Pete and Addy were done with kids yet. There was always some kid that needed help and they were willing to give it. They were the best kind of people. She was so lucky to get them.
“You don’t have to do this. You know Addy is good with money.”
Her heart squeezed and she felt that big lump in her throat every time she realized how things could have gone for her. “You saved me. I know what it cost you.”
“You know we can’t talk about that.”
Who the hell was there to hear? “You have files of all your unsolved cases and still go over them, because it bothers you that you couldn’t get justice for those people. I know it killed you to let my mother’s murderer go unpunished because of who my grandfather was.”
He shook his head. “No it didn’t. I couldn’t let the CIA turn you over to your grandfather. I loved you before I got you home. Any man who could do that to his own child didn’t need to get his hands on you. We’re square. I don’t care what kind of badass ninja commando chick you are. You’re my baby girl. I got the better end of the deal.”
I Hate Myself For Loving You (Scorned Lovers Book 2) Page 8
