ESCANTA: A James Thomas Novel (The James Thomas Series Book 1)

by Brooke Sivendra

  “But if we kill him, aren’t we just as bad?” Mak responded.

  “No. He deserves to die, they didn’t—that’s the difference,” James said.

  “I don’t think it’s our decision to make,” Mak said again. “And in fact I’ve never agreed with it. There is no evidence to confirm the death penalty deters criminals from committing crimes that carry the punishment, plus it’s expensive to keep an inmate on death row, innocent men and women are unfortunately convicted all too often, and morally I don’t agree with the government taking a life.”

  “Fair enough,” James said, and then all was quiet again and Deacon looked sideways at his brother. Mak wondered what that look was for but she knew if she asked she’d be given an evasive answer.

  Back in her office, Mak sat quietly contemplating the case, and then last night with James. And then their conversation in the car. Some of their views, particularly those attaining to the law, were very different. But even on those, they seemed to be able to respectfully disagree.

  Mak looked at the ring on her right finger, the wedding band she had still felt obligated to wear, although she rarely thought of him. But something had shifted in her, and she no longer wanted to wear it. I made a mistake, Mak thought, allowing herself to finally admit the truth. It was young love, and they should never have gotten married. She took one last look at it, and then slipped it off her finger and put it in her desk drawer. That chapter of her life was closed.

  Mak picked up her mobile and looked through the tens of congratulatory messages coming in. She paused on Maya’s, mostly because she liked the first word: Drinks??

  Yes, Mak thought, that’s exactly what I need.

  She called Maya.

  “My superstar sister!” Maya said, greeting her. “So, how pissed off are you about the third verdict?”

  Maya knew her better than anyone.

  “Not happy,” Mak responded.

  “I figured as much. You are way too hard on yourself. I’m proud of you, and Mom and Dad are already toasting to their mega successful daughter. You should enjoy this, Mak, enjoy the moment.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Mak said. She knew what she should do, she just didn’t know how to do it.

  “So, are we going out for a drink?” Maya asked.

  “Please. Some of the team here are going to that bar on the corner, Siglo. I said I would join them so why don’t you meet me there at seven?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Great, I’ll see you soon,” Mak said, hanging up the phone.

  CHAPTER NINTEEN –

  JAMES THOMAS

  The bar was busy, and it was easy to be a nameless face in the crowd. James, Deacon and Tom sat together on a couch no more than fifteen feet from Mak, drinking their sodas.

  James knew she was upset about the verdict, which was unreasonable, yet he got it. She had very high expectations for herself, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was what drove her to be successful, but then she was never satisfied.

  He watched her covertly, his eyes seemingly never leaving her, but nor did they linger. His body yearned for her, and it had since he’d said goodbye to her last night—it was no doubt a result of the unreleased desire.

  Maya ordered another round of drinks and James mulled over his next move. Now that her trial was over, he wanted to talk to her. He wondered if he should wait, given how disappointed she seemed with the verdict. But that wasn’t a feeling that was going to go away overnight—it would take considerable time. And he wanted Mak to hear his security requirements because if she didn’t like them, which he expected, it was better to end this sooner rather than later.

  “I’m going to do a sweep,” James said, standing up with his drink. The men nodded their heads, unfazed—it wasn’t out of protocol.

  When he was out of Deacon’s sight, he typed a text message to Mak:

  If you want to talk tonight, perhaps don’t have another drink. We can’t discuss anything if you’re not sober.

  James sent the message and then continued his sweep.

  Mak had been on her phone all night, replying to messages and phone calls, so Deacon would think nothing of it that she checked her phone again. Deacon was a problem he was going to have to deal with soon, if they did decide to take things further.

  James saw nothing alarming as he walked through the bar. He checked his phone but there was no response from Mak. He went back to the couch.

  Over the next thirty minutes he watched the glass in front of her—she didn’t take a mouthful, but she also hadn’t replied to his message. Mak didn’t like being told what to do—which is why he’d worded the message the way he had—but even still, she had to be defiant. If they did go down this path, they were going to butt heads constantly. James just hoped the make-up sex was going to be good.

  “Exit.” James heard Cami’s voice through his earwig.

  Finally, James thought.

  Deacon got up and went to get the car while James and his men prepared to escort Mak out. Mak said her goodbyes, and then Cami gave the code to move.

  They formed two unified lines as Mak walked down the middle and into the car. He climbed into the passenger seat, while the other men loaded into the cars in front and behind them. James wasn’t taking any chances tonight.

  They detoured several times until they reached Thomas Security. Cami took Mak upstairs, while James and Deacon went to Samuel’s office. There was thankfully nothing to debrief, so it was a quick catch-up. Deacon was heading out again tonight, to cover security for another client, which was perfectly convenient. As was the fact that he’d gone to bed early last night with a headache.

  James excused himself and made his way to Mak’s apartment.

  He let himself in, and she smiled as she looked up from her phone.

  He found himself excited, even a little nervous.

  “Thank you for the message…much appreciated,” Mak said, tilting her head to the side. James would’ve thought she was mad except for the smile on her lips.

  “You didn’t respond,” James said, feigning insult.

  He cupped her small face in his hands, eager to taste her lips. His body felt heavy with arousal and anticipation.

  She tilted her chin up and their lips brushed. He closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss, memorizing it because he wasn’t sure how many more he would get.

  “How are you feeling?” James asked.

  She ran her fingers through her long hair. “Fine. Are we going to talk now that my trial is over?”

  “If you’re up for it. I really enjoy spending time with you, but there’s not much point if you don’t think you’ll be able to live with the type of security I would want to put in place. And that’s okay, I would understand that. But the sooner you hear it, the better, I think.”

  Mak nodded her head thoughtfully.

  “Come upstairs,” he said, taking her hand.

  They took the stairs, as usual, because it was faster than waiting for the elevator, and he sat her at the kitchen island.

  “You haven’t eaten since yesterday—smoothies don’t count—so I’ll cook something quick and—”

  “You can cook?”

  “I’m no master chef, but yes I can cook,” James said. “Cooking is a survival skill.”

  Mak barked out a laugh. “In this century? Okay, Indiana Jones.”

  “Okay, smart-ass,” James said, leaning on the island bench-top so they were eye level. “Here’s a test. You’re in Boston, and someone is following you. You manage to get away from them, and find a vacant apartment to hide in for a few days, but you need to eat. You can’t use a credit card because they might track it, so what are you going to do?”

  “Go to the supermarket and pay cash?”

  “What kind of supermarket?”

  “The closest one,” Mak suggested.

  “No, you go to the smallest one, the mom-and-pop one, the one without security cameras.” James grinned. “Now, what are you going to buy at the supermarket
that doesn’t involve cooking?”

  Mak was quick with her answers. “Cereal and a carton of milk. Or a frozen dinner.”

  “Cereal has little nutritional value and it’s loaded with sugar, which will give you a rush, followed by a crash. Too much dairy can also make your body sluggish. And, unfortunately, at the mom-and-pop store you’re probably not going to have a huge range of frozen meal choices, so chances are they won’t be high in protein or energy. Now, two weeks later, they’ve found you again. You try and run but you’re too tired and you’re not fast enough. What happens then?”

  “They catch me?” Mak said.

  “And then what happens?”

  Mak rolled her eyes. “Then, James, I wait for my Prince Charming, you, to come and rescue me.”

  “Prince Charming might come too late and then your fairy tale won’t have a happy ending,” he said seriously. “So, if we’re going to date, you’re going to have to learn to cook. You’re also going to have to learn how and what to eat in the wild, but we can work up to that.”

  Mak groaned. “If this is normally your approach to seducing women, I now understand why you’re single.”

  James laughed. “Oh no, this is not normal, this is all just for you.”

  “Just to clarify, where and how do you think I would end up in the wild with the need to hunt and gather?”

  “Impossible to say at this stage, but anything could happen—you wouldn’t believe the places I’ve ended up stranded in. Once, on what I thought would be a routine trip to Tokyo, we had to take a detour and then ended up stuck in a forest for ten days. Anything is possible where I’m concerned,” James said. An unexpected detour that was definitely Kyoji Tohmatsu’s fault. “Omelet?”

  “Please,” Mak said. “So, what else, as your potential girlfriend, would I have to agree to?”

  He pulled the omelet ingredients from the fridge and gathered a knife and chopping board and placed it all on the bench in front of Mak.

  “You will need to be able to protect yourself, so you will need to be physically fit and acquire a few new skills,” James said, chopping the onion.

  “Such as?”

  “Such as working out in the gym for an hour every day, and then doing an hour of weapons training. Given your size, learning how to shoot a gun will be your priority.”

  “Two hours every day?” Mak asked.

  “Yes,” James responded as he chopped the rest of the omelet ingredients. He knew this wasn’t going to be an easy sell.

  “I’m not applying to be a bodyguard,” Mak said. “I’m supposed to have bodyguards protect me. Absolutely not, I don’t have time for that—particularly when I have a big trial on.”

  “You make time,” James said. “Cami does it, even with the hours you spend with her.”

  “It’s Cami’s job, it’s not mine,” Mak said. “How about half an hour of each, an hour in total?”

  “It’s not negotiable, Mak,” James said.

  “Everything is negotiable. Or, what if I agree to it, but during a trial I would get a pass for at least some of the days?”

  “How many of the days?” James said with a smirk.

  “All of the days,” Mak suggested guiltily.

  James shook his head. “No. How long do your trials usually last?”

  “Mm, somewhere between a couple of weeks and a couple months.”

  James mixed the ingredients in the bowl and then cracked the eggs. “This is my offer, and it’s a huge compromise, so you should take it,” he said. “During the trial you can get a pass, for all of the days, but you make up every single hour in the days after the trial.”

  “I’ll make up one of those hours if you train me,” she said, biting her lip.

  “I’m not sure how productive that will be,” James said, his eyes lingering on her lips.

  “That’s my final offer,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Fine,” James said, thinking that if he offered to train her for those make-up sessions he could entice her into the gym for a few additional hours. “Next, I’m serious about you learning to cook. But I will teach you that, and you will enjoy it,” he said, winking at her.

  “I accept,” Mak said, grinning.

  “Next, if you needed to travel within the United States, Cami would go with you, and preferably myself as well depending on the situation. If you need to go overseas, you wouldn’t be able to go unless I go with you.”

  “What?” Mak said, the playfulness disappearing. “I’m planning to meet Maya in Spain in a few months.”

  “This one is definitely not negotiable, Mak. I would have to go with you, or you couldn’t go. That’s a risk I’m not prepared to take.”

  “Why is overseas more of a threat? It’s not like I’m going to go to Syria,” Mak said.

  Because I have more enemies overseas than you can imagine, James thought but did not say aloud. “Do you agree or not?”

  “No, I’m not agreeing.” She was adamant, and James’ heart felt heavier than he thought it would.

  He put the knife down and frowned. “This isn’t negotiable, Mak. I told you that you wouldn’t like the security requirements, and this is one of the most important ones. If you can’t agree…there’s really no point in discussing anything further,” James said, pressing his lips together.

  Mak eyed him, not reacting at all. Several moments passed. “What are the other requirements?”

  “It doesn’t matter what the others are, since you have to agree to all of them,” James responded.

  “Well, I’ll consider that one while you talk about the others,” she said.

  James thought it over. It seemed pointless to continue, but he supposed if she could live with the other requirements, in time, with a miracle, she might come to accept the travel arrangement.

  James walked over to the stovetop and warmed up a pan. He added just enough oil so that it wouldn’t stick and then poured in the mix. “You would have a driver at all times, a minimum of two bodyguards at all times, cameras in your apartment. Which, speaking of, I have found one for you. It’s in a very good building and it’s not far from here.”

  “When can I see it?”

  “This weekend, if you’d like? Or any time next week. I would prefer you stay here at Thomas Security, though, until we work out exactly who is behind the notes and recent events,” he said, sliding a white envelope that had been sitting behind the fruit bowl in her direction. “This is the apartment. We refer a lot of clients to this developer, so we get a subsidized rate. Take a look…if you don’t like it I’ll find something else.”

  Mak opened the envelope and looked at the images and the floor plan. “This is a very expensive apartment. I can’t afford this even with the subsidy, I’m sure.”

  “If you can afford the apartment you were in before, then you can afford this one. We give them a lot of business, Mak, and I don’t normally negotiate such a substantial subsidy, so they did this kindly for us,” James said, checking his omelet—it was nearly done.

  “And while we’re on the subject of money,” James continued, “I would cover the costs of your security. You can’t afford this level of security long-term, and you would need it because of me, and therefore I should pay for it.”

  Mak narrowed her eyes. “How do you know I can’t afford it?”

  “Unless you have millions stashed away somewhere, or your name is Jayce Tohmatsu, you can’t afford it,” James said, watching her carefully. He had no intention of telling her about the double life her husband had led, nor the money she could claim.

  “Unfortunately, I have not, and I am not,” she said, resting her elbow on the counter and folding her hands beneath her chin.

  James didn’t think she knew about the offshore accounts, but at least he knew for sure now.

  He lifted the omelet out and sliced it into two. He plated each serving, retrieved some cutlery and put it down in front of her, remaining on the opposite side of the island.

  “Would you
agree to me footing your security bill?” James said, noticing she was listening but not actually agreeing to much.

  She took a bite of the omelet, letting the fork linger between her lips.

  James loved it, but he wasn’t going to let her distract him. “Yes or no, Mak?”

  “I’ll have to consider it,” she said casually.

  “Yes or no?” James pressed.

  “Can you afford it? Is your name Jayce Tohmatsu?”

  Mak took another bite and James was glad that she was at least eating.

  “My name is not Jayce Tohmatsu but I assure you I can afford it. Yes or no, and stop stalling.”

  “Okay, then, but I still haven’t seen a bill for your damages thus far. Where is it?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to check with accounts—I’ll follow it up on Monday morning.” Her bill didn’t exist, he’d already made sure of it, but he hadn’t quite worked out how to sell that to her yet.

  “Thank you. This omelet is very good,” Mak said, taking another bite.

  “You’re welcome. What do you think about the apartment?” he said, not letting her sidetrack him.

  “What’s not to like?” she said. “Is this your apartment of choice, though? I really don’t want to move again.”

  “It’s the best building for you to be in, other than this one, so you wouldn’t need to move again. I promise.”

  “Good. Anything else?”

  “No, but you haven’t agreed to the travel requirement, so the ball’s in your court.”

  She put her fork down. “I don’t know how I can agree to that,” Mak said.

  “I get that, but I can’t offer you anything else. I’m not prepared to do this by halves, Mak—I don’t normally take risks with any of my clients and that’s why this business is as successful as it is. And when it comes to you, you’d better believe I will be even more cautious. Having a girlfriend at all is a huge risk and I have to try and minimize that with more extreme measures—not imposing this level of security would just be stupidity on my behalf.

  “I wish it wasn’t this way, but it’s the only way it can be. I understand if you want to walk away, in fact I encourage you to. My life comes with a ton of baggage and risks and worry that you shouldn’t have to concern yourself with.”