I know she loves me. I’ve cherished that thought since she told me, and fuck me, it makes me happy, but this is the first time that I feel it when we’re not making love.
She really loves me, enough to lose me because she won’t let me give up what makes me the man I am. Right now, I want to start yelling my victory because it’s happened—my girl has measured me and found me more than worthy of her.
She wants me for me. Despite my flaws or what her family wanted for her. Despite that part of her that knows that by choosing me she’s losing her family.
Her leaving wouldn’t be choosing them, as weird and contrary as it seems. No, she’d go, leave me, and suffer them because I mean more to her than anything.
I feel so damn honored and humbled I want to cry like a baby.
I just nod instead and shut the door, turning to King with a snarl.
“Anything happens to her, and they will never find your body, fucker. You get me?”
He grins and shakes his head.
“You lucky asshole.”
“Yeah.”
“You get what just happened right? You understand how much that woman loves you?” he murmurs, looking green with envy.
Oh, hell yeah, I feel myself puff up with pride and smirk, putting some swagger into my step as I cross to my door and stop before opening it.
“I get it, just don’t tell her, or she’ll think she’s wearing the pants in this relationship.”
“Dude, you may as well accessorize with that skirt because we all know she’s got you by the ball sack.”
***
Cleo
I feel sick with emotion as Jericho hustles me into the library and pushes me into my chair gently before kneeling and pulling me close with his hands on my knees.
I haven’t taken a full breath since my outburst because I am terrified that he’s hurt or upset with me. I meant what I said though, don’t think I didn’t. I just don’t know how I could have said it when just the thought of leaving him makes me sick with misery.
To go back to my father and Garth with their clinical ways and the coldness I never minded before, after having Jericho and his love…
I’m so used to the laughter and sharing and even the way he crowds me because he has no boundaries. The man is frustrating and maddening to the extreme when it comes to not observing my space, but I love it. I’m accustomed to him pulling me onto his lap and feeding me just because he wants to, and I love the way he wraps himself all around me in sleep, no matter how sweltering it is.
I can’t imagine going back and never having that again, and part of me is terrified that he’ll let me, though I know that is not true; he’ll never let me go.
I will though. I would do that for him, so that he can keep true to himself. I love him that much.
“Now, Peaches, you know the drill baby. You stay inside at all times and do not under any circumstances leave King’s sight. Oak will be here soon and Smiley is set to come in around eleven. One of those old farts will go out to get you all lunch. If something happens and King tells you to do something, you do it, no questions, you got me?”
My heart settles then, and I feel tears fill my eyes as relief overwhelms me.
“I got it.”
“Hey now, what’s all this?” he croons, pulling me down for a hug.
“I-I’m sorry about what I said, and I know you don’t like it, but I just love you so much, and I don’t ever want our being together to take anything from you. You’re…you’re all my happiness, Jericho. I haven’t ever cared about anything until you, and I love you enough that you mean more to me than my own happiness. You understand?”
“I do. And it makes me feel so lucky that you do. I’m not mad at you. I promise. I’m pissed that I haven’t found anything, and I feel so fucking useless the longer you have to live in fear. I’m your man; I’m supposed to protect you and make everything right, and all I can seem to do is lock you in a cage because I’m terrified that if I let down my guard for a second, you’ll get hurt.”
“Oh, sweet man. How should you know the whys or hows of this mess when even I can’t figure it out? This is all just one big stupid mess right now, but it will get better, God willing. Now go on. You have work to do, and I am perfectly fine just where I am. King will look out for me.”
That smile, that crooked one he gives me when he’s feeling happy and loved peeks up at me, and I let him tongue kiss me right here in front of King before he rises and leaves with one last look at King.
“No one gets past you, King. Not even the eighty-year-old mummy that comes in every Thursday.”
“Got it. I will gun her down like a dog if she even twitches too much.”
“Asshole.”
“We love you too, pookie!” he yells with a laugh. Locking the door behind Jericho and sauntering my way for the coffee I make him and the donuts I have stashed just for him.
“Run away with me and we can sail around the world and wear swimsuits all year round.”
“Hah! You think I look this good for nothing? Salt water is the silent skin ager, mister. Besides, I’m a one-man woman, King.”
He laughs and starts ribbing me, though I see the way he scans our surroundings constantly, and it’s not easy to miss the worry that he can’t quite hide.
If King isn’t comfortable with this set up, neither am I, but I pretend not to notice and keep busy even as I find myself looking around every thirty seconds.
I’ll never get a lick of work done like this, but it’s worth feeling a little unsteady if I can give Jericho one day of normalcy.
The truth is I feel so guilty. I heard King and Storm talking a few days ago when I came down to the bar and caught them in the back hallway. Jericho has been turning down and flat-out refusing work, as has King, because they don’t want to leave me unprotected.
If I were as unselfish as I want to be, I would have left for Daddy’s already and rid them of the burden I have become.
“Don’t feel bad. I can see what you’re thinking and it’s not true. Nothing is more important to him than you, and that is as it should be, Cleo.”
I start guiltily and look up at King, my eyes misting as my throat tightens.
“It’s just not right. I haven’t given up a thing to be with him and here he is giving up his career for me. What if this never ends, King? I have no clue why someone would want to hurt me, and short of putting myself in harm’s way to lure him out, I can’t think of a thing to do to end this. I just…I don’t want being with me to take away from him anymore. I heard you and Storm; he’s given up work he’d be perfect for to hang around and look after me.”
King scowls and leans closer, his gray eyes hard and determined as he glares at me.
“Do you know about his childhood? Has he told you?”
I shake my head “no” because he hasn’t, and the one time I asked he seemed to withdraw a little. Rather than push, I told myself to let it go and wait till he’s ready to talk about it. Maybe with time, Jericho will want to talk to me about all the things that have made him who he is.
“His parents were assholes. When he was younger, they were usually drunk or high or both. His father had some sort of accident on the job and got disability and that kept them in shelter and, on the odd occasion, got them food too. His mom, she was worse than useless, and he’d sometimes crash at his neighbor’s place when her husband worked nightshifts.”
No. I don’t like this. I hate thinking of a little blue-eyed Jericho being hungry and too scared to sleep at night lest his parents go on a binge.
“He grew up that way, somehow made it through school and joined the Army the day after he graduated. I met him our first day in, and then came Lex and Blaze and Storm. Jericho was a cocky shit even then, but after a lot of effort, the ass finally spoke to me and let me in. We’ve been friends a long time, Cleo, enough years for me to know that he didn’t believe in love much because he wasn’t loved like he should have been.”
I wasn’t eithe
r. It’s funny in a way. Jericho was poor and had a terrible life growing up, while I lacked for nothing but always felt unworthy, unloved and on the outside. That’s why I have tried so hard for so long to do everything right and make Daddy proud. I think part of me was fooling myself into thinking that if I got it just right, he’d show me that he loved me.
Jericho and I, we fit for so many reasons and one of them is that we cherish love, never having had much of it to begin with.
“I understand what that feels like, King, that’s why I don’t take any part of my life with him for granted.”
He smiles sadly and pours himself another cup of coffee while checking the cameras he and Jericho installed.
“I know, honey. I know. But that is why he is the way he is with you. He’s never believed he would find something so precious and now that he has, he isn’t about to let anything take it from him. You are it for him, everything he has ever wanted and forgot to try for. I have never seen him this way with anyone before. The man loves you, like life and death loves you. He wouldn’t be happy a day after this, not even with the job we all love so much, if you left him.”
I slump in my seat and pour myself coffee even though I don’t really like to drink it. I know what King is saying because I have felt this way too. Being with Jericho, though the time has been so little considering all we’ve been through, has been both blessing and curse in some ways.
I’m finally happy and free to be just who I want to be with no judgement from him, no need to change to fit his mold. But it’s brought to light a lot of things that I don’t quite like about myself.
I’ve accepted them, but it’s not as if I appreciate knowing that before he built me up, I was just a miserable wreck pretending to be perfectly put together.
The most important revelation thus far has been my deciding that I’m going to give this place up and just go with whatever happens next. It wasn’t easy for me, and to be honest, the last five days spent thinking on it have been the pits.
I’d resolve myself one minute and then find myself resenting him for even asking this of me. Those moments were dark for me, but when I finally made the decision, I understood that I am doing it not just to make him happy and put him at ease but because I wanted to.
I want him to be able to leave me knowing that I’m okay and he doesn’t have to constantly worry about who’s insulting me or being an idiot. I—long ago—stopped asking myself why people didn’t like me, mostly because part of me already knew—I just didn’t want to accept it.
They don’t like me because despite my earnest hopes and fooling myself, my father isn’t all that fond of me, and so then neither would his citizens be. To add salt to that wound, I have to accept that I made myself even more unpopular by being the doormat that he wanted me to be. It’s hard to respect someone who is pathetic, and I guess that’s just how most folks feel.
With that finally accepted after some soul searching, I had to understand that I can’t, in all good conscience, expect the man who loves me to be okay with my accepting that treatment, so I decided to change the status quo.
I’ll quit my job and just run a study center for the high school kids in the afternoons. That would mean not having a real paying job, but if Jericho is okay with that, then why the heck not?
And then…then I am going to turn this place on its ear, and if not earn respect, I will demand it.
So yes, I understand fully how Jericho feels.
“I do, King. In fact, I understand it so well that I’m turning in my resignation today,” I say, smiling at the look on his face.
“You are?”
“Uh huh. I’m just about to email it right now in fact. And then you, me, and Oak can hustle on down to the sheriff’s office, and you can watch while I plant my foot up his butt for the lack of decent policing around here and the generally lax attitude about the fact that someone tried to kill me twice.”
“Hot damn! Well, what are you waiting for, woman? Let’s move it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jericho
This morning was a suck fest. I missed Cleo the entire time and got flak from Storm and Blaze about my attitude, but who the hell cares? They should understand my position. Storm at least should have my back because I had his when his woman was in danger, and I never once demanded he shirk that duty.
The one time I messed up was when I got Lenny to get him to come back to work, but give me a break, I thought her attacker was in jail. I didn’t know his boss would try to get the job finished.
I was going to go straight to Cleo when we got done nailing down details and plans for Storm’s job, but King called and told me not to bother since he, Cleo, and Oak had closed the place for the rest of the day and she was headed for the sheriff to give him what-for.
I pity that poor bastard; I’ll tell you that, but I can’t quite manage it all the way since Cleo is right, he’s been slacking because he doesn’t feel the need to try harder.
I’d bet a nut that if his golfing buddy had been more concerned about his daughter, that fat-ass sheriff would have had the whole damn force on this issue and Cleo would have had twenty-four-hour guards to boot.
So, at loose ends since I am no longer needed and Cleo would probably kick my ass for hovering again, I head to the bar and park out back, sliding toward the back door with a heavy sigh.
I’m almost there and just reaching for my keys when my neck starts tingling, and I get the sense that someone is watching me. Now, usually, I’d play it cool and go inside, probably go upstairs and watch from one of the windows to see if anything is coming at my girl, but Cleo isn’t here and I am at loose ends.
So, I turn sharply and start running, hard and fast, my legs eating up the distance as fast as my fit body will take me. I’m not even winded when I hit the tree line and hurdle over a fallen branch. Ah, my adrenalin is pumping and the thrill of the hunt is making my already keen senses sharper.
I don’t see anyone, but I know better than to just give up, so I keep running, swerving and dodging tree limbs while never breaking my speed. I run harder, faster, and with more violence when I see a figure up ahead in the distance heading for the area where the trees break and lead to the road.
I’m not about to lose this asshole, not now that I have something to go on, because I am positive that he’s here for Cleo and that if I lose him now, I won’t get another chance.
This ends now. He reaches the break, and I see him rush for the blue Bronco I saw the night he shot at my woman. I give myself over to the soldier I once was. Instead of running, I fly, launching myself at him just as he reaches for the door.
The impact is so harsh that I hear him scream and feel my head go fuzzy for a second or two before I turn him over and start beating the shit out of him. Hurt my girl? Hold a knife on her and try to take the only thing I love?
I hit and hit and hit till I can’t hit anymore and slump back when he groans in pain. I tell you I just about shit a brick when I look down and see Cleo’s brother beneath me. His once too pretty face is bloody and already sporting bruises.
I’d doubt my eyes if not for the fact that I remember the slight scar above his eyebrow, something that looked out of place on this pretty boy.
“Fucker, you’d better start talking or I’m dragging you back into those woods where no one will hear you scream!” I snarl, grabbing him by the collar to haul him up and slam him against the car door.
“No, please.”
“Please? You think I care if you beg me? You…you’ve been coming after Cleo? It’s been you all this time?”
Another shove and slam of his back against the truck has him whimpering, and I feel myself smile when he starts sobbing. I don’t have time for this though. I want answers, and my fury is such that if I don’t call King to take this asshole away soon, I’ll end up having to bury him in the woods. My woods. Woods that Cleo wants to walk in but I won’t let her because this little piece of shit has made her life hell!
“You
’d better stop that crying, little girl, and start talking.” I whip out my knife with a grin. “I only ask once, and then I show you why it’s not a good idea to ignore me.
He starts shaking and babbling as I knew he would.
“I-I wanted her gone so that I could…I could inherit when her old man dies,” he cries, his face contorting when I press a thumb into the shoulder I dislocated when I tackled him. “Stop. Oh God, that hurts.”
“This hurt? Did you know that she was almost shot in the face? Yeah, that bullet? It grazed her cheek and the other bullet would have killed her if I hadn’t gotten to her in time. You think I give a fuck about your pain? I’d rather kill you than call the cops and put Cleo through a trial. It’ll kill her that her own brother wants her dead.”
I yell the last because I know she’ll be broken by this. While she and Garth aren’t the perfect sibling pair, she loves the little asshole and told me just days ago that she’d like to repair the rift that his relationship with her father caused. Now I have to tell her that he tried to kill her. Twice!
“You did all this for money? You tried to rid this world of one of the kindest, most giving souls I have ever met for fucking money?”
His face pales, and I take pleasure in knowing that my face, what he’s seeing there, is violent enough to make him shake with pure terror. If not for the fact that I could never lie to Cleo, I’d just kill him and be done with it and spare her the pain of a trial and having to look at his smug little face.
For her, for our future together, I pull back and rein in the need to wrap my hands around his scrawny neck.
“You armed, you little runt? Where’s the weapon you used to shoot at my woman?”
“Please, please, I don’t have it! I wasn’t the one who shot at her! It was Ginger’s cousin, Dave,” he screeches when I put more pressure on his wounded shoulder and the back of his head.
“Ginger is involved?”
Shit, fuck this. I’m just going to call in King and he’ll help me get rid of them all. That way, Cleo won’t ever have to know. No fucking way will I let her know that her ex-best friend was involved after she cried about her treatment of that skank.
THE WATCHERS: 6 Military Romance Bundle Page 28
