“Does it fit the bill?” Dick asked after Jenna had taken a sip.
“Decent. Perfect for the moment.”
Dick leaned back in his chair. “Decent… Jackson, what do you think?”
Jack sat up straight and pushed the bottle to the side. “It’s really good, sir. I like it.”
“Jackson thinks it is really good. I wonder why you find it merely decent, Miss Anderson?” Dick took a slow sip, his stare unwavering.
Jenna barely kept herself from rolling her eyes. “My father was an avid whisky drinker. Every time I wanted to talk to him it—which, by his terms, was a discussion—it would take place in the office or library, and I would need to have a drink in hand. He is a man that does nothing by halves. It was rare he drank anything subpar, even to be polite.”
“My, my. So you are used to fine whiskies.”
“As a means of survival, yes. I was given heavily watered-down scotch when I was fifteen. When I turned seventeen I graduated to the good stuff, but I was no longer allowed water. An ice cube was as much as I could muddy the waters, so to speak.”
“Your father is an exacting man.”
“Yes.”
“I am also a whisky drinker, Miss Anderson. And I agree. This scotch, which is the best we have up here, is decent at best. You are probably doing me a kindness saying so. I don’t come up here often, so I don’t keep any good alcohol on hand.”
“With the mood I am in, this fits the bill nicely, thank you.”
Josh’s hand covered her thigh. His thumb stroked.
Schooling her features so as not to give anything away, she covered his hand with hers, enjoying his touch. Knowing he approved of how she was handling things.
“The mood you are in, yes.” Dick took another slow sip, letting her wait for his words. “Back to the topic du jour. It seems you’ve landed my son in some trouble.”
“Not at all, general.” Jenna took another sip of the scotch. “My employment has landed me in some trouble, and Josh has decided to take it upon himself to help me.”
“That is the kind of man he is. He assists those in need.” Dick sounded proud and let down at the same time. Josh’s hand tightened slightly.
“Lucky for me,” Jenna said with a carefully modulated tone. She didn’t want to give Dick any more ammo than he already had.
“Yes, lucky for you. And Erika. Just what sort of trouble is this? What has your employer gotten you into?”
“All I know is that I am to stay in Colorado until we get the green light to go back to New York.” Jenna met Dick’s intent stare with a cool, level gaze.
The crafty devil turned to Erika. “Erika here says that your boss shared some insight with you girls. That he knows what’s going on.”
Erika buckled under the weight of those icy blue eyes. Jack came to her defense from across the table. “Erika doesn’t know what’s going on, though. It’s all speculation.”
“Thank you, Jackson, but I think Erika can speak for herself. Women have their own voice these days, isn’t that right, Miss Anderson?” Dick’s gaze didn’t turn away from Erika.
Erika’s face turned red. She visibly wilted in her chair.
Jack turned to Jenna with wide eyes, his plea clear.
He needn’t have worried. There was a lot Jenna could tolerate, but pushing Erika around wasn’t one of them. This power play was about to end gloriously. Josh had already given his approval, and if they got kicked out of the house, a road trip would be a great way to pass some time.
“Women have always had their own voice, general,” Jenna commented lightly as she looked at the color of the scotch in the light. It was a trick of her father’s. It let the speaker focus on something other than the person they were talking to, thereby diminishing the other person’s importance within the conversation.
She paused, waiting for Dick’s gaze to shift to her. “The difference is, these days it’s heard outside the kitchen and nursery as well as in. Well, heard is speculative, of course, as the persons around this table can attest.”
Dick’s eyes narrowed. A little too close to home, army man?
His gaze returned to Erika, as he decided, perhaps, that Jenna was no longer a woman that should be heard outside the kitchen.
Jenna took the opportunity to make a silly face at Erika. The face was reserved for times when Don was being a huge asshole and threatening to fire everyone. It basically meant that Erika should take it all with a grain of salt, and if she got in trouble for anything, Jenna would be her fall guy. It always worked flawlessly, giving Erika courage to speak her mind without worrying about losing her job. In this situation, Erika had nothing to lose anyway; she just needed to be reminded of that fact.
Seeing the face, Erika stared for a moment. She took a big breath, sat up straight, and turned to Dick with newly mustered confidence. “I heard rumors about something regarding our project, but Don Jeffries, our boss, doesn’t consult with us on those matters. We are here until we’re told otherwise. I’m following Jenna’s lead, since she is the head architect and talked personally with my boss.”
Dick’s stare hardened and his eyes swiveled back to Jenna.
And here came her formal fuck you. “Ah, well there you go, general. Ball is back in my court, it seems. Let me say that I understand your concern, being that your son is involved, and also understand your feeling of being powerless. However, with all due respect, that is not my problem. My problem is staying safe and keeping my friend safe. If Josh and Jackson want to stay by our sides through this, that is their concern, and let me say, I am thankful for it. Your son has saved my life twice.
“As your guest, I would appreciate it if you would cease the interrogation so that we can try and relax after a long couple of days. I’m sure you can understand that witnessing death takes a toll on civilians, who are unused to that kind of carnage. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more explicit, and would be happy to remove myself and my party from your home should this unresolved topic continue to aggravate you.”
Jenna allowed a beat in which she met Dick’s stare with her own ice-cold look of expectation. She didn’t move her posture, didn’t overtly blink, or give any other signs of weakness. She waited patiently and quietly for some sign that Dick understood what she’d said.
Silence blared throughout the still room, the tension mounting. Darkness coated the windows and pressed on the conversation. Even the sounds outside were quiet, everything holding its breath for Dick’s response to such a direct and blunt, though artfully crafted, response.
Finally, as if she had spent several minutes looking squarely at a grenade after its pin had been pulled, Dick said, “I understand your position, Miss Anderson. I am sorry if I gave offense. I would love for you to stay in my home for as long as you need.”
It was as if the woods and the room collectively sighed. Jenna felt Josh squeeze her thigh.
“No offense taken, general,” she said. “If you wouldn’t mind excusing Erika and me? We have a lot to talk about.”
“Please, call me Dick. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jenna nodded, finished her scotch, waited for Erika to come around the table, and got up gracefully. She put her hand on Josh’s shoulder to say good night. He looked up at her through his poker face with bright eyes. She’d won a point. The first battle had gone to her!
She was so relieved that she didn’t get a squirmy feeling at the soft look of love embedded in those beautiful hazel eyes.
“I’ll see you in a while,” she said softly.
He nodded, caught her hand in his, and kissed her palm. “I’ll be up soon.”
Smiling like an idiot, she left the room.
Chapter Fourteen
Josh watched Jenna leave for as long as he could, aware that his father was watching too. She was so beautiful. She’d come down without makeup or her hair done, which was fitting for an evening at home, but the dress she picked was perfect, easily displaying her subtle grace and refinement, things he knew his fat
her looked for in a woman. It also meant his father thought a woman was willowy and unfixed in opinion.
Josh savored the first time his father had been shocked. It was right off the bat when Jenna had not only rebuffed his attempt to shoo Josh away, but then orchestrated the room, everyone acquiescing without further discussion. He doubted anyone else would see his father’s continued dismay at Jenna’s slight but thorough power volleys. Even her ability to encourage Erika to confront him had him out of his mind with frustration.
To see Jenna do it, with such decorum and ladylike sophistication, had Josh’s heart pounding.
He met his father’s weighted stare, not missing the grudging respect in the depths of that blue gaze. “She is certainly headstrong, son.”
Jax stifled a snort as Josh nodded and said, “She leads the crew of architects working on a major building in New York City.”
“Just what sort of trouble is she in?”
Josh hesitated. On one hand, if a killer came to this house, it put his dad in jeopardy. The general had a right to know. On the other hand, Josh could undo all Jenna had done earlier. He didn’t want to undermine her. It had been bad enough leaving her to the wolves in the first place.
The hesitation made the general scoff. “Don’t play games with me, boy. I had enough from that young girl of yours. I need to know what I can do to help, and I can’t do that unless I know what’s going on.”
“The death in the woods was her work associate. I have reason to believe the gunman was aiming for her. Apparently, she is the face of the project, and also the lead creative brain.” Josh couldn’t help the pride that snuck into his words. “We discontinued a threat today, but there will probably be others. You might be in danger. I would understand if you thought we should leave. I didn’t know you would be here.”
The general waved his hand in the air. “I’m not worried about danger. But what do you mean, ‘discontinued a threat’? What did you and Jackson do?”
“It wasn’t Jax; it was Jenna. I’m sure you understand that this is classified information?”
“Son…” The menace in that word transported Josh back to when he was ten years old and got caught doing something wrong. The general was quickly losing patience. At least his father was on his side for once. It hadn’t been that way since Josh had left the service.
Josh tried to ignore the warm glow he always got from the approval of his father. Praise had so rarely been bestowed in his youth that when he did receive it, there was no better feeling in the world. While the approval still warmed him, he realized it was nothing compared to his time with Jenna, whether in passion or simply curled up in bed stroking her hair and breathing in her scent. He felt stronger now in the glare of his father. He felt more independent. He felt like a man.
Apparently Erika wasn’t the only one Jenna had bolstered.
“A gunman tracked Jenna and me,” Josh said. “I secured her and went to scout out the area ahead. I got a bad feeling, so I went to check it out. I picked up his tracks, found his vehicle, and then found that he’d gotten a lot closer than I anticipated. When I got back, a man with a rifle was advancing on Jenna.” Josh gulped, forcing the fear he still felt back down into his chest before he continued. “I hit him in the back with three throwing knives, but I wasn’t quick enough. Jenna emptied four rounds into him.”
The general stared at Josh, dumbstruck. “You left her when she was in danger?”
“I put her in a place that couldn’t be seen for a long shot. It’s what brought him out of his tree. It’s what kept us both alive. It was a stroke of luck.”
“What if you hadn’t been back in time?”
“Jenna would have been solely responsible for his death.”
The general leaned back. “She’s an architect? No previous experience with firearms?”
“Classified. I’ll just say that I was confident she could defend herself, but I would have preferred she didn’t have to.”
“She shouldn’t have had to.” The disapproval was evident, and Josh sat back and took it. There were all kinds of ways it could have gone wrong, but Josh couldn’t let himself think of any of them. He would fall apart if he allowed his fears to run away with him.
“What was done with the body?” the general asked.
“Disposed of.”
“Under the circumstances, that’s probably for the best. The vehicle?”
Jax spoke up. “It was stolen from a property on the edge of the woods. It was called in three days ago. I drove it to a hiking trail. Someone will find it and call it in. It was in fine shape, so it’ll be returned without issue.”
The general nodded and zeroed in on Jax. “Erika doesn’t seem to be taking this as well as Miss Anderson.”
Josh smiled to himself. The general kept using her surname. It meant a grudging respect on his part. Jenna was working her magic on his father. Miracles could happen.
Jax got a soft look in his eyes. “Erika is a little softer than Jenna.”
The general snorted. “I’ve seen combat-ready men softer than Jenna. Do you think she will break?”
Josh could tell that Jax wasn’t sure. It was killing him. In one of his phone calls he’d told Josh that he didn’t know if he was enough for Erika. He was trying to be supportive, but she seemed so fragile. Jax didn’t know how to help her.
“With Jenna around, Erika will be fine,” Josh reassured the both. “I saw them together when they were camping. They balance each other out. Erika softens Jenna; Jenna hardens Erika. With Jenna to lean on, Erika will limp along. With Erika needing help, Jenna will stay focused. Directly after the shooting of their coworker, Jenna was only functioning at half speed, not quite sure what was going on. As soon as she saw Erika in need, her head cleared and she started to get her stuff in order. They look after each other.”
“If you stop fawning over her all the time, Jackson, you can be her strength.” The general took a sip of scotch.
“She’s pretty.” Jax shrugged.
The general laughed. “That’ll do it for a while. Maybe when the charm wears off somewhat, huh? And how about you, son? You look like a lovesick little lamb as well. That woman rules the roost.”
“That woman wants nothing to do with him,” Jax said with a grin.
“That’s not what it looked like to me,” the general said.
Josh shrugged. “She’s stubborn and complicated. She has this idea of what she wants and she can’t see how I fit into it. Yet.”
“The honey that attracted the bear. Well. She is something, son. Really is something. Attractive. Her father is noteworthy—I looked her up after I saw the article about the shooting in the paper. Good family stock. I don’t think I could’ve picked better for you. She’ll be a tough one to control, that’s for sure.”
“I am not looking to control her.”
“Ah, well, she’ll be looking to control you, so maybe she is lucky you are also headstrong and complicated. Jackson, pour me more of this horrible scotch, would you? I noticed you’ve barely touched your glass. You should have told Jenna you hate scotch and would rather have coffee or beer; she probably would have let you off the hook.”
Jax shrugged, a little easier now that the general wasn’t so wound up. Josh sat back and sipped his own scotch. It wasn’t great, but he needed the bite of it.
“Look what I got!” Erika barged into Jenna’s room with a bottle of tequila and two glasses.
“Tequila? What, do you plan on dancing naked outside? That stuff goes right to my head.”
“I know! We need to get drunk and be somebody.” She poured two shots and handed one to Jenna.
They clinked glasses and swallowed the hateful liquid.
“Blagh!” Jenna said through watering eyes. Erika refilled her glass immediately and they took another before they could talk themselves out of it.
“Okay,” Erika said, putting the bottle on the floor and sitting on the bed. “How great is Josh in bed?”
Sex talk. Erika love
d it. They shared the nitty-gritty on their conquests, mulling over horror stories, sharing tricks. It was usually a drunken conversation.
It was also a conversation Erika always reached for when she was desperate for girl time.
Jenna could feel the warmth of the liquid sliding down her esophagus. “Great. Unbelievable, actually. The best.”
“The best. As in, the best ever?”
“Yes. How about Jack?”
“Also the best ever.” Erika slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Shut up. I could tell. I won’t turn him into a toad or anything.”
“Oh, good. Yeah, he’s really scared of what you’ll do to him. But it wasn’t his fault. The first night he let me sleep in his bed while he took the guest bed. I had nightmares and he ended up sleeping right next to the bed on the floor. He didn’t trust himself in bed with me. The next night he just made a bed for himself on the floor, knowing he would end up there. But then…I don’t know. I had a bad nightmare and I woke up and he was there and…next thing I knew I was riding a huge orgasm.”
“It’s fine. Did you tell Phil?”
“That conversation sucked balls. Phil was all hurt and stuff. He wanted to wait until I got back to talk about it.”
“Did you tell him about Jack, though?”
“No. Well, kinda. I said there was someone else.”
“Ouch. Did that crush him?”
“I need another shot for this conversation.”
“I think we’re going to be drunk if we do another.”
“I know.”
Jenna lay back and let the tingling of the alcohol consume her body, numbing her mind and her worries.
“Jenna,” Erika started tentatively. “You were serious about the reward for Jax, right? If he kept me safe?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, his house is a shambles. I was thinking we could combine forces and make some improvements. Maybe fix it up a little, make it more…habitable. Safer, you know? I made a few notes…”
“Consider it done. We’ll talk more when we’re sober.”
“Thanks, Jenna. I wouldn’t have asked if you hadn’t promised. He doesn’t expect anything, but I know you. I know you were serious.”
Unexpected Danger (Skyline Trilogy Book 2) Page 12
