by James, Ranay
“Don’t leave me, please, Trey. I cannot do this alone,” she begged softly. She had never been a quitter, but Josh had taken the fight right out of her yesterday, and still feeling a little sick from her hangover, she just did not have the strength to take him on alone.
Josh stopped several yards away with his posse of men not far behind. He could not hear the exchange of words, for the breeze took them off in the other direction, but the body language was telling. If he were the bigger man, he would turn and walk away leaving her with a large security detail for protection and Trey for a mate.
Clearly Trey was in love with her, and he would take good care of her, but right now Josh wasn’t the bigger man. He was going to fight for her, but he would fight fair. It was the only right way to play this out. Trey deserved a fair fight; otherwise, Jamie would end up the only true casualty.
Trey knew where he stood, but she needed him and he would be there for her however he could help. Who knew? The fight was not over until the final curtain dropped. He held her face between his hands brushing the hair out of her face. “You have to face him sometime, Jamie. He is here and we cannot just ignore him.”
“Or maybe, I can,” she smiled putting on her Broadway face. Trey by her side, strolling back to the hotel as if there were never a care in her world, she took his hand for support. They casually walked past Josh without so much as a single glance in his direction chatting merrily about her upcoming job at the museum and the exciting exhibit she was to investigate.
Trey and Josh met eye to eye as the two walked past. It was a clear message for Josh to back off for the moment and give her space.
Josh knew when to fold and when to call a bluff. Now, was not the time to play the strong hand. His time would come, just not this instant and it was rankling him to the core to watch her walk past him as if he were a ghost. Guessing he deserved it; he turned following this time at a not so discreet distance until she reentered the hotel.
Now, the inevitable was upon him. Maybe, he needed Trey after all.
“Jackson? A word with you, please?” Josh stepped aside just inside the lobby doors.
Jamie gave him a scathing look.
“I promise not to cause a scene, Doc.” He knew he could keep that promise.
Trey patted her arm reassuringly and gave her a wink. He knew he was safe at least for the moment.
Jamie could see the two talking as they stepped back through the sliding doors.
Trey waited for the younger man to speak.
“I have had Jamie moved into a set of suites on a much higher floor with adjoining rooms for her protection. She is going to go ballistic. Can you help me out here?”
“I can because, I agree. The higher floor is a smart move, but I have my stipulations as well. When she and I are together in her room, the adjoining room door will be closed, the door will be locked on her side, and I want no interference from you or your men. She is a grown woman and can make her own decisions about a great many things, Sheriff. You should know by now I am no threat to her life. I want a fair fight.”
“I can’t agree to your terms,” Josh was very definite.
“Can’t or won’t, Josh. There’s a big difference.” Trey looked skeptically at him. Josh guessed he could see where that question was coming from.
“Can’t. I anticipated her mood and the door is gone. But I wouldn’t even if I hadn’t had the door removed.”
“Touché. And I respect your honesty, but I would advise you not to bar her from my suite, and I should not have to tell you that you have no legal rights to my space.”
“Touché, as you say,” Josh had to agree there, but he knew this could be an issue. He informed Trey he moved their reservation right next door to his. Walls were thin even in nice hotels. If Trey touched her he would know, and there was never a lock he had found he could not open if the need arose. A badge worked wonders if a hundred dollar bill failed.
“Were you a Boy Scout, Sheriff?” Trey was almost impressed.
“Eagle.”
“Obviously. She is deeply hurt and will come out fighting, you know.”
“I know and I’m sorry.”
I just bet you are, Trey thought to himself. “I hope you are prepared for what is coming next.”
Josh got the impression Trey was enjoying what was probably coming next. “As set as I’ll ever be,” Josh said in all honesty.
Maybe it would not be as bad as he feared. She was not feeling well and maybe that was just the break he needed.
“Very well,” Trey said with a sense of finality. “Follow my lead. You might accidentally come away with your head still attached.”
Chapter 34
VanDarious was livid.
“You idiots! We had her right there with only one puny guard and an old man. Why did you not grab her before the other five showed up? Do you realize how hard it will be now? Be grateful I do not kill you myself.”
The group watched the magic shimmer and fade as his anger poked holes in the glamour that made him appear beautiful. Small gasps erupted as his true form emerged for a moment before he regained his composure.
“It was the others around, too,” the small group protested. Murmurs rippled through the ranks.
“The runners, the beach combers, the kite flyer, they were all part of the security team. You cannot tell us they were not there for her protection as well as the guard.” One brave soul dared to defend their decision to retreat.
“No, you imbecile.” VanDarious struck him knocking him to the ground and then placing a foot on his neck, snapped it killing him instantly. “They are typical scenery for an early morning here on the beach. There was nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, except your yellow belly to keep you from grabbing her and bringing her to me. Leave me! I need to think.”
Taking advantage of his dismissing them, the small troop quickly scrambled off before he changed his mind. VanDarious needed to regroup. So, this was a mild setback, not the end of the world, he reasoned, at least not yet. He had all the time in the world and was finding that to be a very advantageous commodity.
He had waited so long to exact his revenge, and being this close set him on edge. He was quickly losing patience, something he could not afford to do this close to the finish line.
“My Lord?” One non-descript disciple had hovered back waiting for just such an opportunity.
“What?” he growled.
“Might I suggest an alternative to snatching the princess so openly which would most definitely provoke a response?” the sliver-tongued devil purred.
“I’m listening,” VanDarious perked up.
“Might I suggest we take an alternate route to accomplish the same goal? The sheriff’s child, she is less guarded.”
“Forbidden.” He shook his head with conviction. Even he was not so desperate as to resort to such foolishness. “Even the staunchest of critics to Kronos would never condone such tactics. No, it is out of the question.”
“You misunderstand me, my Lord,” the smooth talker wormed his way into the weaker mind of the leader. “I do not suggest we sacrifice her to the goddess, but use her for a prisoner exchange. What I suggest is not forbidden per the Treaty Section 9.1 paragraph 2.b5. We just cannot harm the minor child, which I’m sure would never be your chosen course of action.”
“Hum, very good thinking. You’re one hundred percent positive this would not be a fracture or break in law? I cannot afford to lose any footing with critics of the king.”
He liked the idea. Nevertheless, he was not about to risk being outside the treaty as far as the child was concerned. He needed to claim the crown by ironclad means that few could question. Harming a human child would never sit well with the conservatives of the Sidhe. Killing the king was one thing. Killing his mongrel daughter was again something else. Killing the human child was so far out of bounds that even he could never justify the act.
“I would never think to approach you with anything which would jeopardize the
cause you hold so dear. Your cause serves mine. Shall I make the necessary arrangements?” this newcomer purred.
“Make it so.” VanDarious dismissed his newfound friend with the promise to keep him posted.
Chapter 35
The fight following her move was not as fierce as he had suspected. It was something even worse. Very civilly and politely, Jamie had insisted he put the door back to respect her privacy.
He refused.
She turned away and had not spoken to him since burying herself in her textbooks and research materials.
Josh tapped lightly on the adjoining doorframe now covered by an extra blanket provided by the housekeeping staff.
Silence.
“Jamie, I just wanted to check to see if there was anything else you needed before we call it a night.”
He felt at this point he probably deserved any projectile she opted to toss his direction. He had been pestering her all evening in an attempt to get her to talk to him. He figured if he bothered her enough she would finally blow, and then he could get her to drop the cold shoulder and let him talk to her.
He conceded that Plan A had failed miserably, and he couldn't help but to marvel at her will power.
“Jamie?” he tried again.
“What!” she barked.
Ahh, he thought, now we are getting somewhere.
“You did not answer me,” he smiled behind the blanket.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Josh, I’m fine and perfectly capable of picking up the phone and calling room service all on my own. Good night.”
He let another ten minutes pass.
“Jamie?” he asked tapping again on the doorframe.
Silence.
“Jaaammiee?” It was all he could do to keep from laughing. She had to be ready to blow. There was no way she had that much self-control. He knew her at least that well.
She surprised him by tossing back the divider. She was closer to him than she had been in four days. The first thing he noticed was how much her nose had been kissed by the sun. He was all of a sudden jealous of the sun’s warming rays having caressed her like he desired to do, but dared not touch her for fear of having extremities severed from his body. Frostbite, he could deal with; amputation was another matter entirely.
“If I hear my name come out of your mouth one more time, I swear to God, Josh, I will cut out your treacherous tongue.”
She was truly in a huff with her arms crossed over her chest. He fully expected to look down and see her foot tapping the floor. Yep, there it is, he mused. God, he had missed her.
He tried not to smile. He wisely deducted that misstep on his part would just be too much for her. He regained his self-control just before he gave into the urge. She had just handed him the perfect opportunity, and he was not going to blow it.
“You are welcome to try cutting out my tongue, but if you succeed then how would I ever say I’m sorry. How could I ever tell you I love you, I was wrong, and that I’m a jackass of biblical proportions for not believing you? Jesse and I want you to come home. Please, come home. I miss you, baby.”
She lowered her gaze momentarily and then met him again head on. “You really do think it is just that easy. Don’t you?” she asked seriously.
“No, I really don’t, Jamie. I never felt it would be easy. Most things worth holding are much harder to gain back once lost.” It was a lesson he was learning the hard way.
“Oh, I think deep down you do. You think you’ll say ‘I’m sorry’, I’ll say ‘okay’, and then we all ride off into the sunset together singing ‘We are Family’. And I thought I was foolish.” She tried to harden her heart. Yet, how could she? She loved him, but sometimes love is just not enough.
He traced her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Can’t we begin again? Can’t we just simply get back to the basics?” He felt it was a fair question.
“With you, Josh, it was never simple and never basic.”
She replaced the barrier both literally and figuratively.
Several hours later Josh heard the sliding glass door to her balcony open. He automatically stepped out onto his own, taking a seat just on the other side of the small privacy railing letting the ocean breeze clear his head. Scanning the beach, the guards were posted right where they should be. He would not be lulled into a false sense of security just because all seemed serene. He was not fooling himself for a single minute. They had been on their guard, and twice his men foiled what he felt was a feeble attempt to get close to her. That was just the beginning. Her death would mean that the kingdom would be left without an heir, thus leaving it wide open for takeover should VanDarious kill the king in the bargain.
He had recently found out Jamie was greeted at the airport by armed officers that he did not send. Jamie did not know VanDarious’ men had gotten closer than he would have liked. He was not going to tell her, either. It would just cause her additional worry which he was trying to shelter her from.
Fifteen minutes passed as he sat there in the evening air, just treasuring the proximity of her company. They were in complete darkness. Early in the evening, he removed the balcony lighting for her security to keep her from being backlit in case she decided to do just exactly this.
“You met my mother?” she asked quietly in the darkness. Like a confessional booth, it wrapped a cloak of anonymity around her.
“Yeah,” he would start small. It was at least a start. He would not push even if there were a million things he wanted to say and a million more he needed to know.
“She is quite a woman. Don’t you think?” she asked after another lengthy silence, but a silence not as uncomfortable as before. He could sense her relaxing. Every now and then he would hear Killer scratching sending his little bell tolling.
“I like her," Josh said. "You take after her in many respects,” he offered truthfully. her queen mother was a formidable woman. He had experienced that ferocity firsthand. The reaction was justified, he supposed.
He waited for her response and he did not have to wait nearly as long this time.
“I’m sure you have questions,” Jamie offered to open that door.
“Only if you are ready to give me answers.” He noted she had not yet looked in his direction. No way was he going to push, not with their delicate truce hanging over the precipice by fine silken threads.
“I tried to tell you.” She finally faced him through the privacy lattice, then quickly looked away.
“I know.” He wasn’t going to crowd her. She would tell him in her own words and in her own way and time when she was good and ready to share that confidence.
“And?” she was fishing.
“Truthfully?”
“That is usually the best way.” She was not going to blame him if he ran. Yet, she was not sure she wanted him to stay either. She was a danger to him and Jesse.
“Then truthfully, it would not have made any more of a difference then than it makes a difference now. Jamie, baby, how I feel about you has not changed even knowing the truth. It was hard to swallow, but it brought some things into perspective for me.”
He loved her deeply, and that was not going to change any time soon.
“You would believe a perfect stranger with a story as outlandish as what I’m sure you heard from my mother. Yet, when faced with the truth about Jesse coming from me, you could not accept it.” The pain was fresh all over again.
The silence was more encompassing now.
“Jamie, I’m human. I’m not perfect. I really messed up and short of having to leave my baby girl for days in the hands of a drug dealer, me watching you walk away was the hardest thing I have ever endured.”
“Oh, please.” she snapped. “You think you were the only one who’s hurt here? Put yourself in my shoes. I trusted you, Josh, I trusted you! I opened my body to you. I opened my soul to you.” She was angry, but more she was hurt.
She paused to take a deep breath and released it in a long sigh. He knew there was more coming, and he
was not going to like it. Some things even a big dumb jerk like him could smell coming.
“I’m not sure I can ever go there again.” Her heart was breaking, yet she was not the coward Trey had accused her. She was a survivor. Those being two very different things.
Josh felt his heart constrict and his worst fears come to pass. Her fear of him hurting her again was far greater than any positive feeling she may have had for him. That fear was tipping the scales and not in his favor.
“I deserve that and I understand. I may not like it, but I have to accept that there are consequences to every action, including my own. But know this, Jamie, if you ever see your way clear to come back, I swear I will never let you walk again. I swear we will talk it out and work through it.”
She stood up and leaned on the railing. He followed suit. Standing at the rail she could see past the lattice privacy panel separating the two balconies. Even in the dark she could see the stark angles of his face.
“You aren’t getting enough sleep.” She was not either for that matter.
“I have something very valuable to watch over. Sleep will come later.” He was thinking he would sleep better if she were lying beside him. “Sleep with me tonight, Jamie. Let me hold you.” It was a thought he dared not utter out loud. Not yet.
“There is one very big obstacle to me ever coming back, Josh.”
“You mean besides a mountain of distrust and hurt?”
He heard her sigh heavily as she hung her head. Her hair curtained her profile.
“Yeah, that, too. Jesse.” It was almost a whisper.
He reached across and placed his hand over hers. “Jesse is sorry, too. She wanted to come herself, but I chose to be her emissary.”
There was the silence again, heavy and very much a barrier forced between them.
“Best not drag her into this for multiple reasons.”
“I have something for you if you will accept it. It is from both of us.”
