“Okay, dude keep the fucking details to yourself. I don’t need to know all about your fucking sex life.” Craig smiles as he retorts in disgust. I laugh and damn near piss myself from laughing when Chief comes rushing back into the office, panting and out of breath. Something’s wrong. I can see the look on his face and he rarely has that look.
“Whoa, chief where’s the fire?” He’s holding some beat up, crinkled folder stuffed full of papers. “We…we got him.” He breathes out and I lean forward because I don’t think I heard him correctly. “Him? Got who?” I ask, clearly dumbstruck.
“The leader…the leader of the Black Hats….Finley Cole, we got a lead on him. And you’re not going to like what I have to say next.”
Shit. My blood freezes instantly. The look on chief’s face scares me. “Well, what is it Chief?” I ask, trying to pull information from him as quickly as possible.
He slaps the folder on my desk and looks at me with wary eyes. “Zac, I wouldn’t give this to you if it wasn’t important but he’s going out tonight…with Jayde.”
Anger replaces the once fear I had and I bolt out of my chair. “WHAT? Are you kidding me?? What the fuck does he want with her?!” Craig steps around chief to stand by my side, trying to calm me down but it’s not happening. I’m furious. So fucking pissed off I see red.
“Well as you know, her family is very wealthy and he thinks they stole money from his family years ago. So he wants revenge.” Craig looks from chief then back to me and lets out a ragged breath. “How did you find this out, chief? This can’t be a coincidence right?”
Chief frowns at the both of us, but my mind is focused on finding out more about this black hat bastard. What his deal is? His motive? The constant blur of papers being pushed around is distant in the back of my mind as I try to figure out this asshole’s plan. “Zac?” Craig coaxes but I ignore him. “ZAC!” He repeats in a shout.
“WHAT? What do you want?” But this time, it’s my turn to look scared because right now, I’m scared shitless. “This can’t be happening. Not to her. She was supposed to be away from all this shit, not be fed back into it. If anything happens to her…” I trail off because I can’t wrap my head around something happening to her. It hurts way too fucking much.
“Look man, nothing’s going to happen to her as long as we think of a way to keep him away from her.” Craig says clasping a hand over my shoulder. He gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze for reassurance. The file is suddenly hot and heavy in my hands as I stare down at it blankly. Nothing can happen to her. I won’t let anything happen to her. I’ll die to protect her if I have to.
“So what do we do now? I can’t lose her Craig, I can’t.” I say with a little more emotion in my voice than I wanted to let on. Ten years in this fucking job and this is how I get paid back? Not on my watch. Craig nodded in understanding and looked off into the distance as if he was plotting something, then with a-ha he pulled up the closest chair and settled into it.
“You go to that ball, pretend like you know nothing, you’re completely oblivious to what’s going on. If he is as smart as he claims, he will know you have confirmed his identity, but get Jayde away from him. That’s the first thing you do then we’ll be right outside watching and waiting for you to get her out before we barge in. The plan is simple.” He leans back in his chair once he’s finished explaining. The plan is foolproof. Nothing can go wrong, right?
Chief looks between both of us and doesn’t say a word, he nods in understanding. There’s a heavy feeling lingering in the air between all of us, and the elephant sitting in the room goes unnoticed.
“What if she gets hurt?” I ask out of the blue. As much as this plan can go right, it can also go very, very wrong. So much as to be put into it before it can be put into action. Chief dives into the great details of how he’s always been one step ahead of us. Never looking over his shoulder because he never needed to. The sheer anger this bastard evoked from deep down inside surprised even me. This fucker has been evading the cops for years, the chief clearly explained. But despite the serious danger, I had to protect her. I had to bring her home. There was no other option.
Chapter 35
Jayde
Nerves have a funny way of showing up at the most random times. And they can really fuck up your whole day, or evening actually since that’s why I’m standing here, in the hallway, all dressed up and all I want to do is run back under the covers of my extremely comfortable bed and hide forever. I stare in awe at myself. Anna and Sarah poked and teased me into somebody I don’t even recognize. My long chocolate brown hair was pulled high into a messy but elegant bun. The long, pink, silky gown I was squeezed into accented every curve I had and made me feel like a goddess. There wasn’t an inch of my face that didn’t have a stitch of make-up on it, but it all looked completely natural. Going from wearing jeans and tee-shirts to something like this was unbelievable.
“I look…I mean I had no idea…” I stand there, speechless and in awe of the girl staring back at me.
“…you could look so beautiful?” Sarah finishes as both her and Anna walk out into the hallway, dressed in their floor length gowns. “Remember what I told you, baby sis? Don’t let anybody define who you are deep down. Only you can decide how you feel. And how do you feel right now?”
I take another look down at my dress and lift my skirt so my black, strappy heels sparkle in the dim light of the hallway, taking on an angelic glow. Sarah let me borrow her heels instead of me wearing the cowboy boots Andy had picked out for me. I smile then meet Sarah’s eyes in the mirror. “I’m beautiful, and I didn’t think I could feel this good about myself.” A single tear escapes the corner of my eye and I sniffle it away. Anna hands me my clutch and smiles at me through the mirror. “No tears tonight. This is a fun night, remember? Don’t worry so much, babe. You look beautiful and you’ll be the envy of every girl there tonight. Trust me.” I nod in the mirror at them both. There were nobody else I’d rather have there tonight than my best friends. Well, maybe one but he had other plans.
“You’re overthinking things again.” Sarah assesses as we walk towards the front of my apartment. The constant feeling of nag lays heavy on my heart.
“It’s not that I’m overthinking things, I’m nervous I guess. This is still pretty new to me, you know.” I say with a little bit of sadness to my voice. This was the first real date I’ve been on since high school, so yeah it’s been a while. Anna walks up beside me and takes my hand in hers and gently squeezes, easing some of the tension I’ve allowed to build up since I first put this huge dress on. Sarah grabs my other hand and smiles sweetly. “Look honey, I know you’re still a little hurt over Zac canceling on you but you can’t wait around forever. Sometimes taking that leap of faith is the scariest thing you’ve ever done, but it can also be the most rewarding. The question is, how far are you willing to leap to get where you want to go?”
Sarah finishes with a wink which eases my nerves a little bit, but not enough. That nagging feeling is still lingering around and won’t detach itself from my body. I let out a sigh before looking between both of them and smiling. “Maybe you guys are right. This is my first real date since the end of high school so it could be nerves rearing its ugly head.” I assume, which causes the butterflies in my stomach to go on a rampage that don’t seem to want to ease up anytime soon.
Sarah nudges me towards the front of the apartment when a faint knocking is heard through the apartment. Or maybe it’s my heart. Whichever is louder in my ears.
“You got this, Jayde. Don’t worry or else you’ll get wrinkles.” Anna jokes as we check our appearances one last time in the mirror before walking to the front door. I open the door slowly, waiting for the nerves to subside, which only adds to the awe I feel when I see Finn in his tuxedo.
Holy.
Shit.
He’s breathtaking. The black tailored suit fits his body perfectly and the soft pink tie flows down the front only accents his perfectly tanned skin beneath his
tux. I have to grab ahold of the door to steady myself because this look alone has me weak in the knees. He must have sensed my nervousness because his lip twitches with a smile and I have to keep my composure, but that’s not going well in my favor right now. But as hot as he is, the feeling of dread still lingers in the air around me. “You look…you look beautiful, Jayde. More beautiful than I remember.” I look up to his eyes and see his sincerity but there’s something else. Plus, I can’t shake this feeling I have hanging over my head. Something about him seems off. I can’t put my finger on it. Anna nudges me slightly and I come back to reality. “Umm hi Finn. You look…wow.”
“She means smoking hot.” Anna says from behind me and I shoot her a look over my shoulder as to say shut the hell up which she giggles innocently at.
I gesture to Sarah and Anna behind me to introduce them, “Finn this is Sarah my sister and Anna, my sister from another mister.”
“Ladies.” He gestures to them with a curt nod. Such a gentleman. He holds his arm out so I can link my arm with his, but I hold back. He looks at me with a confused expression.
“What’s the matter Jayde? I don’t bite.” He smirks on his remark which makes the nerves ramp up inside me. It’s a malicious smirk which doesn’t make matters easier. I smile meekly and hesitantly snake my arm through his. Anna and Sarah are right behind us. Anna catches up to me and leans in to whisper in my ear. “What’s going on?” I look over then Finn smiles down at me as we walk to the parking lot. I lean over to whisper to her subtlety. “Nothing, nothing at all.” She groans at my response because she knows better.
The cool, humid southern air is stifling and my hair is beginning to show. We walk out to the parking lot just as a stretch hummer limo pulls up and I look up to catch Finn’s smile. His smile shows a sense of pride. I can tell he was happy to get this for me. Was he trying to prove something? I think to myself as he escorts us out to the limo. There’s nothing he should prove. With mock kindness, I smile up at him as I slide into the limo. “Finn, you didn’t have to do all this. Go through all this trouble I mean.”
When he settles into the limo beside me, he grabs my hand and clasps it firmly in his and winks. “It was no trouble at all. This was something I wanted to do for you, to show you even though we haven’t known each other long, I still care. A lot.” He brings my knuckles to his lips and kisses each one which should make my heart flutter and my breath catch like you read about in all the romance novels but it doesn’t. Those dark brown eyes don’t replace crystal blue ones and the same muscular body doesn’t mask the one I want wrapped around me. He’s not Zac. I keep thinking to myself he’ll ride up on a white horse and take me away but this isn’t a fairy tale. And I have got to stop thinking prince charming is going to come rescue me because I think I’ll be waiting a long time for that to happen.
“You care about me?” I ask, with a confused look on my face. He hasn’t known me long enough to develop any sort of feelings for me, and yet he’s saying these sweet things to me. He simply smirks, shooting a sharp gaze in my direction. “Of course I do, why wouldn’t I?” He replies. The look in his eyes says a different story from what his words are showing. It sends shivers down my spine and not in a good way. Sarah and Anna sit back in their seat, occupied with their cell phones and too busy to pay attention to the odd communication going on between Finn and I. Momma always told me to keep my guard up, never trust anybody who gives me that creepy feeling. Finn was giving me that feeling and I didn’t like it. Part of me wanted to signal the driver to have him turn around and take us back home, but that would be rude.
“I…umm…I don’t know. Maybe because we just met?” I ask sounding more insecure than I should have. “You don’t know anything about me, Finn. So how could you care about me?” Anna forgets about her phone as her attention is turned fully on Finn and his response to the loaded question I threw at him. She’s always been very protective and the first person to speak up if that person carried the creep factor, so if he said something she didn’t like, he was going to hear a mouthful. Growing up in the south did have such an effect on your personality. He placed a hand on my arm, and a cold clammy feeling slivered straight up it and I immediately felt sick. The tiny bit of confidence I had bolted right out the door. When we met, he evoked such desire inside me but now, I didn’t feel a thing except for a tinge of guilt for Zac not being here. He is all I’m thinking about. Why did I agree to do this? Stupid Jayde. Just stupid.
“Is something wrong?” Finn asks, snaking his arm around my shoulder and instincts are making me want to brush it right off. Sarah slips her phone inside her clutch and peers at both of us, assessing the situation like any big sister would. I simply nod meekly, trying not to set him off.
“I’m fine, just cold I guess.” I lie. Cold couldn’t be farther from the truth. I pull the shaw matching my dress over my shoulders to prevent him from clinging to me any closer, but it does no good because the second I go to pull it up, he’s scooting his body closer to mine. It’s an uneasy feeling having him so close but the limo doesn’t have a lot of escape room so I’m stuck. Now, Anna and Sarah are both staring us down and I look up to gauge their reactions and they look ready to strike.
“Don’t worry baby, we’re almost there and we can get out of this cool, air conditioned limo and into some warm southern air. That’ll make you feel better.” He reassures me, as his leg leans against mine. The thin fabric of my dress doesn’t stop the goosebumps from popping up all over my skin at the contact. “Oh, okay.” I reply, unsure what to say. Anna and Sarah exchange angry looks to each other and they know something isn’t right. The lights of the ball come into view and the limo comes to a halt. “Mr. Cole, we have arrived.” The limo driver says after rolling down the privacy window separating us.
“Excellent Jeffrey, please relax until the party is over. Go enjoy some time with your lovely wife.” Finn exclaims kindly to the driver. The music can be heard from outside and the crowd of A-listers standing in the front make my nerves skyrocket. My palms begin to sweat profusely from the crowd of people standing around. Finn extends his hand as he escorts us out of the limo. “Ladies, welcome to the charity ball. The biggest event of the year!” The lights of the ballroom are blinding. It reminds me of watching those Hollywood premieres on TV. Camera flashes are everywhere to be seen. People posing, and answering questions for reporters. There could be a couple celebrities here from the amount of camera flashes going off. Charleston, with its rich down home feeling and its southern hospitality, a lot of big name celebrities come out to relax and unwind. Finn leads us up to the steps once the crowd has passed and everyone begins greeting the mayor of Charleston as they walk by. Mayor Fairfax is standing at the front door greeting everyone as they walk by. I have to quickly wipe my hands on my dress so I don’t give him a sweaty handshake. “Mr. Mayor, it’s an honor to meet you.” I curtsy as he brings my hand up to his lips and kisses the back, with a friendly smile.
“My oh my, aren’t you just prettier than a magnolia in the middle of spring. The pleasure is all mine, darlin’.” He drawls in a deep southern accent that makes me smile. Mayor Fairfax is an elderly man with a balding scalp, probably in his mid-fifties. And a little on the heavier side. He reminds me so much of my late father. I blush as he compliments me and the uneasiness from earlier dissipates at his words. Mayor Fairfax loves the town he oversees and it shows in every event he attends. So much love and effort he puts into making this the best town in the southeast. Nothing ever gets by his watchful eye, and his determination to keep up the beauty of the town since his gorgeous wife passed from breast cancer last year makes it so much more special. There is a plaque in outside her favorite place in the whole city, all the way at the end of the fishing pier dedicated just to her. Her favorite phrase, ‘Let the sea carry you to your happily ever after’ is engraved in the copper of the plaque.
We pass through the doorway and we’re immediately greeted by beautiful paintings. Copies of the Mona Lisa, Starry N
ight and other world famous paintings line the cream colored walls of the ballroom. “Wow.” I whisper, taking it all in. There isn’t a thing out of place. Hiberian Hall surely lives up to its name with its historic pleasantries. Up ahead, are the double doors leading out into the ballroom. The entire walk from the door to the ballroom are equal to walking on hot coals, each step delicate in case I get burned. Finn takes my hand and pulls it up to his lips, and gently kisses it while his other arm wraps around my waist, pulling me close to his body. Goosebumps erupt all over my arms and I suddenly feel queasy.
“Finn, I’m not feeling too well. Can we go back home now?” I ask, no doubt my lie is obvious since I’m so nervous. He looks at me confused, with a flash of anger. “We just got here, Jayde. The night is still young and we haven’t even made it inside the ballroom yet. Maybe you ate something bad earlier causing you to feel bad.” Yeah, it’s not something I ate. More like something I’m standing in close proximity too. I nod anyway. “Maybe, mind if I head to the ladies room for a couple minutes? I’ll be quick.”
With a heavy sign, he nods. “Sure, I’ll wait right here for you.” I grab Sarah and Anna’s hands and we jet off towards the back in search of the ladies room. No woman has ever went to the bathroom alone, I think to myself.
Once inside, I shut and lock the door blocking us from the outside world.
“What’s up buttercup? And why the sudden urge to get away? Is it what happened in the limo on the way here?” Sarah rattles off twenty questions and I shake my head to sort them all out.
Anna touches up her make up while I delve the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “I don’t know about this. I can’t explain it, and I have no reason why I’m feeling this way, but I don’t want to spend any more time with Finn. Something about him is off and I don’t know what it is. Please tell me you felt the same thing?” I ask, looking between Sarah and meeting Anna’s reflection in the mirror. Something like understanding flashed on both of their faces and it raised yet another red flag. Not fucking good. “I didn’t want to say anything.” Sarah speaks up. “Because you’ve been looking forward to this night, but you’re right something was off tonight. I usually have a sixth sense about these things.”
Unbound Faith (Bulletproof #1) Page 19
