Ted laughed. “Sure is, boss. Coulda fooled me if I didn’t know your history with James.”
“Oh God,” she murmured. “Please let me go. There’s been a mistake.”
“You can drop it now, girlie. No need to keep it up while we wait for James. We’ll tell him how believable your act was.”
“But,” she tried again.
“I said knock it off,” Bill growled, making her shrink into the chair. “Where the hell is he?”
“There’s no one but me. Really.”
Bill glared at the woman in front of him. She was almost too good. “Fine. We’ll just settle this right now.” He grabbed the phone and dialed. “I don’t know what kind of game your cousin is playing, Monroe,” he said when the call was answered, “but I’ve had enough.”
“Henderson?” Wyatt questioned. “Calm down and tell me what you think he did.”
“You want to know what he did?” Bill’s voice rose with each word. “I’ll tell you what he did. There’s some broad here with me, claiming to be Jesse James. Damn good actress. Won’t drop her line, even though I told her I know it’s a sham and it was that cousin of yours who sent her. I know he’s around here somewhere but he won’t come out.”
“Hold on, hold on,” Wyatt interrupted. “This isn’t something Jesse would do. Give me a minute to call him and I’ll get this all straightened out.”
“You better make it fast since there’s no way I’m letting this little darling out of my sight until he shows.” Bill slammed down the phone and paced while he fumed.
* * * * *
“Where the hell are you?” Wyatt asked as soon as Jesse answered.
“Having lunch. Got a problem with that?” Jesse was on full alert at the tone of his cousin’s voice even though he kept his response light.
“Normally no but I just got a call from a very irate Bill Henderson claiming there’s a girl in his office pretending to be you.”
“Fuck! Stupid son of a bitch,” Jesse swore loudly before remembering where he was. “I’m on it. Text me directions.” He rattled off the address for where he was.
“Jesse?” Wyatt must have heard his concern.
“You know Henderson can be a real asshole when he gets worked up over something. There was a mix-up at the airport and we got switched around. I’m at a restaurant that was expecting a new female pastry chef and she’s obviously at the warehouse with him.”
“Get moving. He said she wasn’t getting away until you turned up and he didn’t sound like it would be a pleasant wait for her.”
Jesse disconnected without another word. “I hate to do this, but I need to borrow Milo. Your girl is at my job and the client isn’t very happy about it.”
“By all means,” Harry agreed quickly, having watched Jesse’s demeanor shift during the brief conversation. “He won’t hurt her, will he?”
“He better not,” Jesse’s voice flashed deadly before he caught himself. “Sorry to rush off like this. Great meal. Thanks again.”
“Go, go. Come back if you get a chance before you leave town. Milo, if Miss James is too upset, take her home instead of bringing her here. Stay with her. Just give me a call to let me know.”
“Keys,” Jesse demanded as they approached the car. “Here.” He handed Milo his phone. “Read off what it says.”
Chapter Three
Jesse skidded to a stop when they reached the warehouse. “Office?” he snarled at the first employee he saw. The startled man pointed. Jesse strode purposefully as Milo scurried after him, looking as if he might swoon. He could hear Henderson yelling as he approached the door. Slamming it open, he instantly read the look of pure terror on the poor girl’s face. “Henderson, get the fuck away from her.”
“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to join us.” Bill sneered and took a step closer to her as Ted moved to block Jesse’s advance into the room.
In a flash, Jesse had Ted twisted painfully in front of him. “I said back off.” His voice lowered, dripping with warning. When Ted groaned, Jesse released him. “Out,” he ordered. “Sit.” He made it clear that he expected Bill to obey. “Please close the door, Milo.”
The girl pressed her hand to her eyes to block out the bright light that flooded the room, as if sensing she no longer needed to focus since the madman had stopped screaming at her.
Jesse lowered himself in front of her chair and rested his fingers lightly on her arms. “It’s okay now, Jessie. He’s not going to say another word. There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore. You’re safe.” When she started to sob, he pulled her gently against his chest and held her as he continued to whisper. “Shh, I’m here for you. I’ll take care of you. Please don’t cry. No one is going to hurt you. I promise.” He felt her pull away and looked at her face. “Aw, precious, I’m so sorry.” His hands moved to her shoulders. “You have a migraine, don’t you? Where does it hurt? Left side?” he asked as his fingers located the proper spot that would relieve some of the pain he knew she was feeling.
She gasped when he pressed on the back of her neck. Her turmoil showed openly. She was clearly questioning his presence and gentle treatment of her.
“Bathroom?” Jesse questioned as he realized her repeated swallowing indicated that she was about to vomit. When Bill pointed to his private convenience, Jesse helped her to her feet, silently hoping that the man kept it at least marginally clean. Steadying her shoulders, Jesse held her while she vomited. He crooned softly until she finished. When she had, he shifted her to the small sink. Supporting her against him, he washed his hands before cupping one to offer her some water to rinse her mouth.
Her confusion was still apparent in her expression along with gratitude for his assistance. “Thanks,” she whispered when she had herself as tidy as possible.
“You’re welcome,” Jesse kept his voice quiet. “It’s the least I can do since I seem to have stolen your ride at the airport.”
“You mean?”
“Yep. Jesse James, at your service.”
“Oh God.” She buried her face in his chest. “He thought I was some sort of joke you were playing on him.”
“Yeah. I heard.” Jesse rubbed her back lightly as he held her. “You ready to get out of here?”
“Please.” She fought the tears that threatened.
Jesse could feel her struggle for control and tipped her face to his. “I promise to make it okay.” Without thinking, he brushed her forehead with his lips. “I meant it when I said I’d take care of you. I know how to make your head feel better. Will you let me?” Jesse questioned the protectiveness that surged through him for the woman in his arms. He’d known instantly that she had a migraine because his cousin, Holly, suffered terribly from the same thing. But there was something more going on with her. Jesse hoped he was wrong, but from the way she cringed when Henderson took that step toward her, he suspected that someone had physically hurt her at some point in her life. He replayed her reaction over in his mind and wondered how recent the abuse was.
She stared mutely as if not understanding his tenderness. Her look was questioning, suggesting to him that she wasn’t sure whether or not he was real. Perhaps she thought she had passed out and was hallucinating.
“Please, Jessie. Let me help you. I swear you’re safe with me. Come with me. You can trust me,” Jesse urged, nuzzling her again. When she finally nodded in spite of her confusion, he released the breath he had been holding. “Thank you.” He smiled and caressed her cheek.
Ignoring Bill, Jesse led her to the door. “Hey,” Bill bellowed. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“Jessie, this is Milo. Please hold on to him for a minute while I take care of this. You’ll be okay with him.” He waited for her to agree before he handed her into Milo’s arms. “Don’t let her fall and please don’t say a word,” he instructed softly, hoping Milo caught his concern.
Jesse made sure she was steady before he turned back to Bill. “Henderson, you have to be the stupidest son of a bi
tch on the face of the earth. After all the times I warned you, how could you possibly think I’d pull a stunt like you imagined? Are you blind in addition to being an asshole? Couldn’t you see how much pain this girl is in? Couldn’t you see how frightened she is? Right now, I’m going to take Jessie away from here and do everything I can to erase some of the harm you caused. But since you and Wyatt have a contract, I’ll waste a minute and call him for you.” When Bill opened his mouth to protest, Jesse’s glare turned even more fierce. “I wouldn’t say it if I were you. It’s taking all my restraint not to treat you the same way you treated Jessie. Do. Not. Push. Me.” He touched a button on his phone and connected with Wyatt. “Three choices. Send Frank, come do this job yourself or tell this insensitive fuck to find someone else.”
“Ah,” Wyatt paused. “I gather his demeanor hasn’t improved. Question, did he hurt her?”
“Not physically but I’m almost convinced he would have if I hadn’t gotten here when I did. Jessie has one hell of a migraine and he was screaming at her.”
After an extended silence, Wyatt sighed. “Not everyone recognizes that like we do, Jess. Most people didn’t have a Holly who needed taking care of while they were growing up. I’ll send Frank.”
“Good.”
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
“Yeah.” Jesse was surprised when Wyatt picked up on his unspoken thoughts.
“You taking care of her?”
“I intend to.”
“Let me know how I can help.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, Jess?” Wyatt stopped him from hanging up. “This girl. Am I imagining things or is she yours?”
“Damned if I know.” Jesse had wondered the same thing the instant he rested his fingers on her arms, but decided he needed time to examine his reaction to her. He hated it when Holly suffered from her migraines. Even more, he hated when someone bullied an innocent victim. That might be all it was but he knew he had to stick with her until he was sure. “I’ll call you later.” To Bill, he said, “My brother Frank will be here as soon as he can.”
Bill finally seemed to understand how furious Jesse was and how he was lucky Ted had stepped in the way when he had. If Jesse had grabbed him, Bill might not have walked away as Ted had. “Fine. Miss James, I apologize for my behavior. When you’re feeling better perhaps Jesse will explain what led to the conclusion I formed. And I assure you, no matter what he thinks, I would not have laid a hand on you. I may be as much of an asshole as he thinks I am at times but I have never raised a hand to a woman in my life and I wasn’t about to start with you.”
“Okay,” she said weakly.
Jesse gave a slight nod to acknowledge Bill’s attempt but his attention was already refocused on the girl. “Ready?” he asked, reclaiming her from Milo and ushering her outside. “Did you pick up the car?”
Milo managed to hold his tongue until Jesse helped her into the seat. “Oh this is all my fault. If I hadn’t let you turn my head this never would have happened. Miss James, I am so sorry. How can I make it up to you?”
“Not now.” Jesse nudged him away from the door. “It was as much my fault as it was yours so knock it off. Chastising ourselves isn’t helping.”
“I know but I still feel responsible. Can I help? You’re both welcome to come stay with me at Harry’s. He has…”
“No offense, Milo, but I think I’ll just take Jessie to the hotel with me. You’re a little too excitable for someone with a migraine.”
“Oh, I suppose so but isn’t there anything I can do?”
“As a matter of fact, I think there is. Give me a minute to ask some questions.” Milo stepped back as Jesse took her hand. “I really need you to help me out for just a second. Can you tell me if hot or cold is better?”
“Cold.”
“Some kind of soda?”
“Coke.”
“Do you take anything?”
“Yes but I don’t have it.”
“Does anything over the counter help at all?”
“Excedrin but not now.”
“No, not now. Not until after you can keep something down. Want me to put the seat back for you or will that make it worse?”
“Just a little. Not all the way.” She remained still as he adjusted her seat. “That’s good,” she told him, draping her arm across her eyes.
“We’ll be there soon,” Jesse promised as he fastened her seatbelt. After he closed the door, he gave Milo a list of the supplies he wanted.
“I’ll bring them right away,” Milo declared in a subdued tone. He seemed chagrined, as if he’d decided that no matter what Jesse said, this mess was mostly his doing.
Chapter Four
Jesse drove to his hotel, keeping one eye on the girl. From his experience with his cousin, he knew there was a good chance the movement of the car could make her nausea return. When they arrived, he suggested she wait in the car while he checked in. He left the engine running with the air conditioner on full blast while he went inside.
Jesse relaxed when he saw she was still slumped in the seat. He had been half afraid that she’d run away when he left her alone. But wasn’t that part of the reason he’d left her in the car in the first place? Someone hurt her and she wasn’t likely to trust anyone at the moment. He gave her the opportunity to leave if she changed her mind about staying with him. If she hadn’t still been in the car, he planned to follow her and protect her without her knowing it. He was more than pleased that she was accepting his help for the moment at least. Yes, he was still a stranger to her but on some level she had to know instinctively that it was right to trust him.
He resisted the urge to carry her to the room. He suspected that each step made her head pound, but didn’t want to scare her. Holding her suitcase in one hand, he offered his other to her for support, letting her choose to accept or reject his assistance.
“Thanks.” She wrapped her hands around his arm and let him guide her to the elevator. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder during the ride up to their floor, seemingly abandoning all pretense of normality. She had to be in tremendous pain, so much so he could practically feel it radiating from her.
His heart thudded when she accepted his silent offer of help. Knowing she trusted him even a little made him happier than he ever imagined. The situation had to be more than protecting a woman in distress. His feelings were bigger than that.
Jesse eased her coat from her shoulders. Why hadn’t he thought to take it from her before he put her in the car? “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking or I would have pulled this off earlier.”
“How do you know?” Even talking seemed painful for her.
He guided her to a chair and flipped on the air conditioner. Since it was winter, the heat had been cranked to high, so it would take a little while to get it cooled off. “I could tell you had a migraine by the way you looked. My cousin, Holly, has had them all her life so I usually recognize when someone has one. I always hated watching her suffer so I learned to do what I could to help her feel better. Fortunately for you, she responds to cold too. Milo’s picking up some things since he wanted to be useful. He should be here soon and then we’ll see about getting you comfortable.”
He had been moving around the room, turning off most of the lights and drawing the drapes. He hung up their coats and set her suitcase on a stand in an attempt to show her it was safe to relax. “How’s your stomach?”
“Bad,” she answered honestly.
After checking, he said, “There’s Coke in the mini bar. Want some or do you want to wait for a warm one?”
“Wait.”
Jesse moved behind her and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me how much pressure you want,” he requested as he started to knead her tight muscles. “Holly always had us concentrate on her left side at first. After she started to relax she would have us expand to her whole back. What will help you the most?”
When she began to cry it nearly broke his heart.
/>
“Shh, I’m sorry,” Jesse whispered as he dropped to his knees in front of her. “I won’t do that again until you say you’re ready. I should have asked first.”
She put her hand on his mouth to stop him. She forced her right eye to focus on his face and must have seen his concern. “That’s not it.” She struggle to speak. “No one’s ever helped me before. I don’t know which is better.” Tears continued to wet her cheeks.
“Aw, Jessie.” Jesse pulled her into his arms. “There’s no need to cry. We’ll figure it out together. You just let me know what’s good and I’ll do the rest. It’ll be okay. I promise you. It’ll be okay.”
She pulled out of his embrace, confused again by his manner. “Why?”
“Why do I want to help you? Why do I care about you? Why am I set on protecting you from all the bad things in the world?” Jesse could see that his questions overwhelmed her.
“Yeah. All of that.” She was obviously fighting to make sense of what he was saying.
“Because it feels right,” Jesse answered. “I have to.” He would have said more but a knock on the door stopped him. “That’ll be Milo. I won’t let him stay.”
“I got everything you wanted,” Milo announced as soon as Jesse opened the door. “How are you, Jessie? Are you comfortable here? I really wish the two of you would come stay with us. Harry has a huge house so there’s plenty of space.”
“Milo, stop. We appreciate your offer but I assure you that we’ll be fine here. Thanks for picking this up and grabbing my bag for me. And tell Harry thanks again for lunch and letting me take up your time. I’m assuming he’ll give Jessie that interview when she’s feeling better.”
“Why yes, of course he will. Don’t you worry your handsome head about that. The offer is open whenever Jessie is up to it. In fact, I know Harry wouldn’t want her to come in until she’s in tiptop shape so I insist you make sure of it before you bring her. You will bring her, won’t you? And you’ll call if either of us can do anything in the meantime? I could bring dinner over. The food here is acceptable but Harry’s is so much better.”
Karma Page 2
