It hit Jessica like a ton of bricks. Her sister was gone. Her niece was gone.
Tears started to well up in her eyes, and she told Trevor that she had to leave. She didn't want him to see her like that, but after a moment and a few steps down the hallway, she realized she didn't even know where she was. The place was huge, there were so many rooms and so many hallways, and they all look the same.
Wiping her face, she turned back around and tearfully asked him where her room was.
“It is two down from my daughter’s. One down for me.”
That little bit of information made her look at him a little differently. He was huge, but he talked so softly. His eyes were intense, but they also had a gentleness to them. The man was an oxymoron.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up at him and said that she was fine.
“You look like you're on the verge of tears. Are you sure that you're fine?”
Jessica waved him off, apologizing for looking and acting like such a wreck. She wasn’t usually so emotional. “You don't want to hear about my problems. I’m just a mess.”
“Why don't we get a drink and you can tell me all about them? I have my own reasons for needing a little forgetful juice tonight.”
Jessica remembered what the little girl had told her, and she studied him a little more closely. He had a scar on the side of his face that ran all the way down to his neck. It was a single one, so it stood out in his tan skin.
They walked down the hallway together, and he pushed her door open just a little bit so that she would be able to find it later.
“I really am grateful that you're letting me stay here. I don't know where I would be right now if not for Jamie and you.”
“I have known her husband for a long time. They are good people. If Dylan married Jamie, then she has to be good too.”
Jessica just nodded her head. She still wasn't sure how she felt about Jamie. The woman obviously didn't want any of it to happen, but she was the cause of it. She didn’t have her family anymore, and that was going to be something that took a little while to get used to. Depending on how long she was going to be in hiding, it could very well change the way she felt about everything.
The silence grew between them, and Jessica could feel her nerves fraying. She had to say something just to fill in the quiet and make herself feel better.
“Your daughter is quite adorable.”
“She is. She doesn't listen, and she is a bit too precocious, but I don't know what I would do without her. Emily changed my life in so many ways.”
Jessica agreed. She had heard the same sentiment repeated time and time again from so many people. It seemed to be something that all parents believed, or most, anyway. Children had a way of changing everything. Jessica was still young, and kids were part of the reason that she had agreed to marry a stranger. She wanted an ideal family. She wanted to make one of her own.
Now it just seemed impossible. How would she get married without her mother? How would she have children without her sister beside her? Who would she ask all of those questions to?
A whole new wave of sadness came over her, and she faltered in her step. Ever tentative, he took her arm and helped steer her to the kitchen. He found her a stool and sat her down on it before getting her a drink.
“I heard about your family, and I am very sorry to hear it. I can't imagine what you're going through. We have a large family here, hundreds of us, but to lose them all at once like that…I don't know what I would do.”
Jessica just kind of nodded her head, turning numb. What was there to say? Nothing could be said to ever fix anything. It was all just ruined. Everything.
“I'm sorry that I am so emotional. I'm usually not like this. I just can't seem to stop.”
“Take a couple of drinks and you won't feel anything soon enough.”
Jessica liked the sound of that, and she pushed the glass to her lips. Taking a big drink, she almost coughed it back out. It was a lot stronger than she imagined, and she was never much of a drinker.
He was chuckling when she finally caught her breath and composed herself.
“What in the world is that?”
“Let's just say that I have an uncle that likes to tinker around with a still. It's about a mile from the house in the woods, though, because he almost burnt down the left wing one time. I don’t know what it is, but it gets the job done.”
She just kind of shook her head. Jessica wasn’t doing a very good job of holding it together. She felt like she was out of her comfort zone, and she was pretty sure that it would become a daily feeling.
“Did it work?”
“I don't know, Trevor, it just feels like I'm in a whole other world.”
That got a louder laugh. “You would not be the first one to say that. Trust me.”
It was then that Jessica realized that she did. She was feeling more comfortable than she could have imagined with a complete stranger. Considering the day she’d had, and the week and the last months that she had had, it was rather strange to be able to smile or even laugh ever again.
“Thank you for the forgetful juice. It is really doing the trick.”
He grinned at her and agreed. “I hear you. I needed it today as well.”
“What are you trying to forget?”
A dark look came over his face and he shook his head back and forth.
“It doesn't even need to be said out loud, Jessica, but let's just say that you being here and seeing you with my daughter has brought up some painful memories.”
“I am sorry. I wasn't—”
He cut her off and told her that she didn't need to apologize. “Trust me, I would take all of the pain that I have to see my daughter smile like that again. I don't know what you did or said to her, but she really likes you. It was nice to see her like that today.”
Jessica wasn't quite sure what he meant, but she took it as it was said. Whatever made the little girl attached to Jessica, she was happy for it. It seemed like they both needed a friend. Maybe the father did as well.
Chapter Nine
Trevor wasn’t sure what to think of his new guest. He was surprised at how quickly his daughter had warmed up to her. He was also surprised by how he felt when he was around her. Trevor felt like there was a lot of information that he didn't have, important information that he needed badly.
He called Dylan and wanted to know more about her.
“You seem mighty interested in her.”
He was, and Trevor didn't know why. “Should I be interested in her? I mean, where did she even come from?”
“She was sold into this. She did agree to get married, though.”
“Are you ever going to tell me how you guys got roped into this sort of thing?”
“I'm still not sure myself. I honestly can't tell you. Jamie was working with one of them, and from what she has told me, one of the girls told her one day that the parents got money for it. When she went to her recruiter about it, he admitted everything and basically doubled down. She ended up with a bunch of girls that needed husbands. When she tried to get out from underneath it all, things just got worse. There have been several attacks here. I had to kill him, and that didn't make matters any better. It has just been a shitshow.”
Trevor listened to it all, and while he was given information about the Syndicate, it was not really what he was worried about. He hadn't called to find out what kind of trouble she was in, although maybe he should have. In truth, what he was worried about was where she came from and how long she was going to be around. Trevor honestly wasn't sure what he was looking for, just that he was looking for something.
“Something tells me that you're asking a different question and I'm just not getting it.”
He told Dylan that he was probably right. “I just feel like I know this chick or something. I don't know. You should have seen her with Emily. Emily said that she felt like her mother. It's kind of weird.”
There was silence on the other end of the phon
e, and he heard his friend chuckle. “It sounds to me like maybe she is supposed to be there. You would never believe how Jamie and I got together.”
“So, what am I supposed to do with that?”
“I don't know; what do you want to do with it? You’re the one that called me.”
Trevor got off the phone with Dylan shortly after that. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for as far as an answer, but he had a feeling that it wasn't going to come from Dylan. Dylan had already found Jamie, and everything after that didn't matter.
The rest of the evening, he tried to get all of it pushed out of his mind. There was a part of him that wanted to believe what his friend told him. Maybe it was just that simple. Maybe she was supposed to be there, but that didn't really match up to what he knew about life. It seemed like the more he tried to believe in faith, the more it disappointed him.
He was just dozing off when he heard a piercing scream. It was clear that it was his daughter, and a million bad things went through his mind before he was able to get to her bedroom. A sickening feeling swept through him when he realized that his daughter's bed was empty.
Trying not to panic, he turned all of the lights on and called out to her a couple of times. He was ready to go frantic when he heard his name being called.
“Trevor, she's in here.”
He practically ran into Jessica's room and saw that his daughter was, in fact, in her bed, snuggled up against Jessica. The moment bothered him. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Flashbacks of his wife doing the exact same thing came to him. Not just that, there was a sense of jealousy that his daughter had run to Jessica and not to him. It was like the bedtime story all over again. She didn't even know her that well. What was it about Jessica that made Emily so easy with her?
After a few moments, he went to the bed and sat down next to them. It was a little awkward because Jessica was only wearing some kind of see-through nightgown that was showing more than he needed to see.
He put Emily to bed after she’d calmed down. She wanted Jessica to say goodnight to her, and Jessica was a good sport, walking her back to her room. Trevor was growing increasingly hard, and it was killing his focus. It was the wrong time for it, but her nightgown was completely translucent when they got into the hallway light. He tried to look away, but her slim legs were clear as she walked, as was every other part of her.
She turned back to him at her door. He’d walked her back to her room for some reason, and he had a feeling it was so he could get his fill. Jessica asked Trevor something, and he wasn’t paying attention. Her nipples were dark and clear through the fabric. Trevor couldn’t take his eyes off of them until she covered them with her hands.
“Sorry, really. I was staring.”
Jessica nodded. “You were, and you didn’t hear a thing that I was saying, did you?”
Trevor said that it wasn’t true, but it was. He wasn’t thinking of anything else but those dark spots. He tried to find one a little lower before her clearing her throat made him retreat. Back to those blue eyes, and by the looks of it, she wasn’t finding his distraction all that funny.
“Sorry. Damn. I was not expecting this and…I am just going to shut up and tell you goodnight, okay?”
She giggled and agreed. Trevor was left hugely uncomfortable, and it was clear by the way that he was unable to go back to sleep that the woman had really gotten to him.
Damn it, he wanted her. So badly. Of course, he’d want the woman he couldn’t have.
Chapter Ten
Trevor had given Jessica a look that made her shiver inside. She knew exactly what he wanted. She had seen that look before, but it was the first time that something deep inside of her had snapped alive. It was like a glow stick, and once the two chemicals were mixed together, there was no going back. She knew as she lie in bed that night that the feeling that she was waiting for had finally arrived. It just came in the strangest way possible.
The next morning, she was waking up to a light tap on the door, and she was busy brushing her hair, just about to get dressed for the day. She thought that it was Emily. Jessica didn't realize that it was Trevor until she saw him in the mirror. She wasn't dressed to see him, and his eyes were burning into hers, as well as other parts of her that were exposed to his hungry eyes.
“Good morning. I didn't realize it was going to be you. Let me just run and throw some clothes on really quick.”
The man's face shifted, and she wondered why. It was like he wanted to say something, maybe even do something, but was being held back by some invisible force.
She was shaking when she got to the bathroom, and it took her a little longer than usual to get dressed. Whatever it was about Trevor, he affected her in a way that nobody else ever had. Jessica wasn't sure how to feel about any of it.
When she came back out, she had pulled herself together a little bit and was able to smile with a little bit of ease. It wasn't truthful, of course, considering how she was feeling inside, but then again, it was enough.
“So, what can I do for you, Trevor? Have they already found the Syndicate?”
“I don't think it's going to be that quick. Of course, I hope that they find them and bring them to justice as rapidly as possible; I just don't think that it's going to happen overnight.”
“Right, you're right. I don't know what I'm thinking. I guess I just want them to be gone and out of the way.”
“Are you ready to leave already? You just got here.”
He said it with a different tone, like he really didn't want her to go. Jessica smiled at him and then shook her head. There was a sudden wave of sadness that came over her when she thought about why it was so important to take down the Syndicate. It had nothing to do with leaving her current position. It had everything to do with her being able to go forward in the future.
“No, it has nothing to do with that. They killed my whole family and burned down my childhood home. I want them to pay for it.”
“Right. I don't know what I was thinking. Sorry.”
Jessica knew that he was just trying to ease the tension between them and the whole situation in general. She was actually very appreciative of how he was trying to handle things. He made a tough situation easier than it could have been. It could have been a lot worse.
“Sorry, it doesn’t help that I cry at the drop of a hat lately. I am sure that after a little while, I won't turn to waterworks every time I think about them. I just found out yesterday, though, so it's going to take a little while.”
“That's perfectly understandable.”
There was a silence between them, and Jessica went back to the mirror to finish brushing her hair. It wasn't like it needed it or anything like that, but she was nervous, and if she kept herself busy, it didn't affect her as much. He didn't affect her as much.
“Yes, I guess it is. So, what was it that you wanted to tell me? I think we both got a little sidetracked.”
“I was just going to tell you that breakfast was ready. I made a little bit of everything because we didn't know what you would like.”
“We?”
“Emily insisted on helping. She thinks that I am the best cook ever, and she wanted you to feel welcome. I think she wants you to stay for a while.”
Jessica did feel welcomed, and honestly, Emily was probably the sweetest little kid she'd ever met in her life. There was a sadness deep in her eyes, and it only made Jessica feel closer to her. It also made it so that she wanted to bring smiles to her face. It was heartwarming to see.
“Well, come on, let's go downstairs before it gets cold.”
“I swear, she is the sweetest thing.”
“She is a lot like her mother.”
He didn't say anything else, and she didn't look back to see the expression on his face. Jessica didn't have to. There was a hitch to his voice, and she knew exactly what it meant. How many times had it burned in her throat the same way in the last twenty-four hours?
It had only been a couple of d
ays for her. It had many months for him, and her heart called out to him just like it did for his daughter. Broken came to mind, and for one reason or another, Jessica was convinced that they could all heal each other.
When they got downstairs, she was quite surprised at how much he had made. There was enough food there to feed twenty people easily, and Jessica had to question how much time was spent doing it all. Had he even slept at all the night before?
“When did you find time to do all of this?”
He shrugged. “I didn't sleep very well last night, so I figured I might as well get some cooking in.”
“Wow, you really must not have had any sleep.”
Trevor’s dark eyes flicked up to hers for a moment, and he agreed. “Not a wink, if I am truthful.”
Jessica's eyes went down. She knew exactly what he was talking about. He had been all riled up the night before when he had left, and she knew that it was because of her. She had shown too much of herself in the sheer clothing that she had been wearing. It was the same nightgown that he had walked in and seen that morning as well. There was the same burning desire in his eyes, and even now at the breakfast table, Jessica could still see it there. It was as surreal as it was haunting.
Emily broke the tension by asking Jessica how she slept and then launching into what they should do for the day. She wanted to go down to the lake and go swimming. It sounded like a great activity on such hot day, and Jessica agreed immediately.
“What about you, Dad? Are you going to be able to go or do you have work to do?”
He was staring at Jessica when she looked up. The intensity was back, and she looked down at the plate of food she had made from the buffet.
“Yeah, honey, I think I will go. Sounds like a good time.”
Chapter Eleven
When Trevor agreed to go to the stocked pond and swim for a little while, he wasn't really thinking. Or maybe he was thinking, just with the wrong head. The reality of the situation seemed a lot more dire than the idea of it all. A big part of him was trying to keep himself together, but it was rather hard to do. The one thing that he wanted more than anything else at the moment was to see Jessica taking off her clothes. It wouldn’t end well, but damn he wanted to see it. The curiosity was already wreaking havoc on his mental state.
Alpha Shifter Bride Service: (A Paranormal Romance Series) Page 35
