Knox didn't want to hear that any of this shit was his fault.
"This is all on her," he argued. "She should have found a way to tell me who she was."
"How should she have done that?" Chris asked, his expression somber. "This is a serious question. You've told me that you recognize that several times she's started to tell you and being the playboy, man about town, baby, don't get hooked on me kind of guy that you are you made sure that she couldn't keep talking. All because you thought she was going to ask you some bullshit question like where is this relationship going or are you seeing anyone else? And you were such a pussy about that you wouldn't let her talk. So tell me how she's a serial killer again because I'm not seeing it. What I'm seeing is a woman so fucking desperate she was willing to ruin her blouse with beer and talk to you in a bar. That's it. All of us really liked Jenna. She seems like a good person."
Knox didn't want to talk about what Jenna might or might not be.
"Lots of women would happily talk to me in a bar."
Chris's grin spread across his face. "That's what this is about, isn't it? You're all butthurt because you realize that she wasn't dating you because she was all starry eyed and admiring your male physique. She bumped into you because she needed your help. Shit, this is about your bruised ego. Full stop."
"That's not it," Knox denied with a shake of his head. "That's not it at all. I just don't want to date someone like Jenna. That's all."
"Fine, you don't have to date her." Chris paused but Knox could tell that his friend wasn't done talking. "But can you honestly tell me that you're not the least bit curious? Come on, we live for cases like this, and now one's been thrown right in your lap. You don't even want to look into it? Just a few hours of research? You're a stronger man than I am. Maybe I'll look into it then. I definitely have questions that I'd like answered even if you don't."
"Knock yourself out. I don't want to get Jenna's hopes up by doing any sort of research for this. Don't you think that would hurt her even more?" Knox pressed. "It would be cruel to make her think I was going to help when that's not my intention at all."
"That's true," Chris conceded. "Although I would argue that you don't know whether you would proceed with the investigation. You just think that now. After some research, you might change your mind."
"I'm not going to change my mind."
"Fine."
"Good. Because I'm not going to."
"I didn't say shit. It's fine."
"I know it is so stop busting my balls about it."
"I'm not doing anything," Chris laughed. "You're doing it to yourself."
The waitress arriving with their lunch gave Knox a reprieve from replying. They both dug into their food and the conversation drifted toward more innocuous subjects like work and the weather.
He felt badly for Jenna but he wasn't going to investigate this case. End of story.
After they finished their meal, Chris and Knox went back to the office. Since Knox was between cases, Luke asked him for help looking through old missing person cases from the 1990s which only served to keep reminding him about Jenna's sister. All day long.
By the end of the day, his mood wasn't much better than it had been that morning. He needed a couple of ibuprofen and a good night's sleep. A hot meal wouldn't be amiss either.
What I need is a distraction.
For a moment he thought about heading down to the local watering hole near his apartment but then decided against it. He was crabby and tired, not the ideal state to drink. Plus he was at the point in his life where he was getting tired of the whole...bar thing. He was beginning to notice that he was a lot older than many of the other patrons. It was a sure sign that it was time to move on and grow the hell up. With the exception of Jenna, the women he'd met lately weren't the type he'd want to date for more than an evening or two.
And he'd stopped having one night stands over a decade ago.
He packed up his briefcase and was heading to the exit when Chris appeared, holding up a file folder.
"Looks like I have some reading this evening," he said with a mischievous grin. "Don't worry. I won't say anything about it to you tomorrow."
Knox knew what was in that damn folder. Chris was between assignments as well and helping other people out, so obviously he'd taken a few hours and done some research on Jenna's sister.
Son of a bitch.
Knox wasn't going to have a drink at a bar. He wasn't going to have a peaceful evening in front of the television with some greasy takeout.
He was going to be reading that goddamn file.
Because he couldn't take it anymore. Chris was right. The curiosity was strong. This wasn't about helping Jenna. This was about clearing his obviously fucked up head.
"Give it to me."
Chris blinked at him innocently.
"Give you what?"
Knox didn't need this shit.
"Just fucking give it to me."
Chris's gaze moved to the folder in his hand, a shocked expression on his face as if finding it there was a complete surprise.
"You mean this?"
Knox held out his hand. "Just give it to me before I kick your ass."
Laughing, Chris glanced over his shoulder. "Don't let Logan hear you say that. We're supposed to be a team, and you're supposed to be keeping your pissy moods out of the office. That didn't last long, did it?"
Sighing, Knox hung his head. "Just give me the folder before they find your body in a shallow grave."
"You wouldn't be that careless," Chris scoffed. "None of us would. If you killed me, they'd never find the body."
"That's true. I'm already thinking about dump spots."
"How about that place by–"
"For fuck's sake, give it to me and go home to your wife."
This time Chris handed it over.
"It actually looks pretty interesting. Let's talk about it tomorrow after you look through it."
Knox shoved it into his briefcase. He wasn't a happy man.
"I'm just going to look at it. I'm not going to help Jenna."
"Sure, just keep telling yourself that. Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?"
Me. Most definitely me. Damn.
6
It had been a shitty day and all Jenna wanted was to order in some dinner and then take a long, hot bath. She planned on scrubbing her skin raw. After spending less than an hour interviewing a potential private investigator, she felt dirty. Icky. He had to be the sleaziest guy in the entire state. Possibly the whole country. Within five minutes of being in his company, she'd wanted to vomit.
I won't be hiring him.
He hadn't taken the news well either. When she'd finally managed to make her way around him and to his office exit, he'd realized she wasn't going to hire him, he'd become angry and nasty. He'd actually had the audacity to grab her by the arm and that's when the shit got real for Jenna. She didn't like anyone she didn't know to touch her. It was a thing from her childhood. She'd jerked her arm away and almost yelled the place down, her anger bubbling over. He'd finally backed away but not before calling her a whacko. She hadn't bothered to return the favor, instead taking the opportunity to flee.
Even now, more than an hour later her heart was still pounding and the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. She'd been in fight or flight mode, and she would have fought to get out of there if she'd had to. Just being enclosed in that small office with his body blocking the door had her sweating and panicking.
And if anyone was the whacko, it was him.
He'd actually thought he could convince her to sleep with him in return for his taking her case. This guy made her skin crawl.
Jenna poured herself a glass of wine and pulled out a takeout menu from the Italian place on the next block. They were reasonably priced and the portions where huge. She'd have lunch for the next day as well. She was deciding between lasagna and chicken parmesan when her doorbell rang.
She wasn't expecting anyone. Heck, she
didn't even know anyone around here. She'd only moved into this short-term rental about six weeks ago. She'd relocated here to "bump" into Knox.
See how that worked out for me? I'm a terrible person.
But I still miss him. He was...more than I'd ever expected. I didn't expect to like him so much.
Cautious, she peered out of the peephole. She wouldn't open the door to strangers.
Knox. Here. At her home. She hadn't expected that. At all. In fact, as pissed off as he'd been Saturday night, she hadn't expected to see him ever again.
Jenna didn't know what had brought him to her front door but she was irrationally happy to see him. Sadly, she didn't hold out any hope that he'd changed his mind. He'd been more than adamant. No, he was probably here to tell her more ways she'd disappointed him, but that didn't stop her from opening the door.
Without a word, Knox brushed past her, striding into the middle of her bland home. Surrounded by nothing but beige and tan, he appeared to be the most vital thing in the living room. She couldn't stop herself from drinking in his presence, far too handsome and way cockier than any human being should have a right to be. But there he was, standing there in a casual pair of blue jeans and a black button-down shirt but somehow looking like a goddamn male movie star.
It ought to be illegal to be that good looking and sexy.
With all that looks and charisma, she wondered why he was here. Surely, he'd already replaced her with a newer model.
"Knox–"
"Let me say my piece," he said, cutting her off rudely. She would have told him off but he didn't let her get a word in edgewise. His expression was intent, focused and she had a feeling he might have rehearsed what he was going to say in the car so she just gave up and let him go. She'd tell him off afterward. "I've done a lot of thinking about this whole situation. A hell of a lot of thinking and I've come to a few conclusions."
He paused slightly and she thought this might be her chance to tell him where he could stick his thoughts but then he continued.
"First, I've decided that I'm going to help you with this investigation. But...you have to have an open mind. If the investigation points away from Cal, I don't want to hear any whining from you. We'll go where the case leads us."
Dumbfounded. That was the word she was looking for. She was dumbfounded. This was the last thing she'd expected tonight.
Knox was going to help her. He'd changed his mind.
But why? She didn't ask because he hadn't shut up yet.
"Second, if your sister is found safe and sound, I'm going to be an insufferable asshole about it."
I have no doubt about that.
"And third, there will be no romance or relationship between us. I'm only helping you with the investigation. We're not a couple. We're not even friends. We're just working together. That's it. If you can't accept those conditions then I'm out."
That hurt. She couldn't deny it but caring about her own feelings seemed petty at the moment. He was going to help them find out what happened to Lori. Finally, they were going to get some answers. This was what they'd been hoping and praying for.
"I accept your terms," she said when he stopped, waiting for her reply. "And if we find Lori safe and sound you can gloat all you like. I'll just be thrilled to find my sister alive and well."
"No relationship," he reminded her. "We're not friends."
He really wanted to twist the knife.
"As I said, I accept that. Although I think it's a mistake to act like enemies. We're going to be working together. We should at least try to get along with one another. Otherwise, this is going to be unpleasant."
"I see your point. Okay, we're friends, but we're not a couple. You need to keep your distance."
Jenna rolled her eyes. "Now you're just being ridiculous. I'm not going to assault you or try to seduce you. I don't want a man who is unwilling. I get it. You're not interested. Your virtue - what there is of it - is safe from me."
She didn't bring up the fact that it hadn't been that long ago that he'd been trying to get her into bed. Things had certainly changed since then.
He held up a file folder. "Then let's get to work. I want to hear your complete story. Every detail, even the ones you think aren't important. Then we'll go through the research my friend found today."
"I was just about to order in some dinner. Should I make it for two?"
"A working dinner, not a date."
She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Again.
"Got it. Now what do you want?"
It was happening. Knox was going to help.
They were going to find out what happened to Lori. Good or bad. There were answers out there, and they needed to find them.
Knox had argued with himself for over an hour before ending up at Jenna's place. After looking through the file that Chris had put together, he could no longer deny that the case intrigued him. Everything Jenna had told him was true. Her sister was supposed to show up for a date with Cal, she didn't show, and had never been heard from again except from a lone text from Lori's phone a few days later.
No other texts followed. No contact of any kind. Her phone and purse were gone, but her car wasn't. That was a red flag to Knox. There hadn't been any plane, bus, or railroad tickets found either. She'd been seen earlier in the day by her neighbors and then she was gone. She hadn't packed anything and her luggage was tucked neatly in her closet.
According to the missing person report, Cal hadn't seen Lori that day, but the coffee shop barista stated otherwise. Lori was a regular there and they all knew her. It didn't make any sense.
This was Knox's favorite kind of case. One big mystery wrapped up in knots. He loved to pull at the strings and see what came loose. Usually it was a big pile of secrets and lies.
Speaking of lies...He could totally believe that his brother Cal hadn't told the truth. That didn't mean he was responsible for Lori's disappearance but Knox had to also admit that it made his brother look suspicious.
Not suspicious enough for the local police though. They'd taken that text as complete proof that Lori wasn't a "missing" person and they hadn't done much investigating after that. Chris hadn't been able to find much either. Knox was going to need Jenna to fill in the details because they didn't have much to go on.
She'd ordered dinner, poured him a glass of wine, and they'd settled onto her couch to talk. He made sure to keep to his end of the sofa, wanting to make sure that things stayed completely platonic. He wanted her to see that he was serious about his conditions for taking this case. To be honest, he'd assumed that she'd agree. He'd already sent Logan and Reed a text asking about taking some time off. He rarely took any vacation so he had quite a bit saved up. Just the other day, Reed had been bugging him about booking some time off so Knox didn't think this would be an issue. If a big investigation came in, he could come back quickly or fly out to the job location.
"So tell me the whole story," he said while they waited for dinner to be delivered. "Every detail. Start at the beginning. How did you meet Lori?"
Jenna visibly took a deep breath before diving in. Now that he was sitting and relaxed, he could see that she was anything but. Her whole demeanor was one of tension, her hands wringing together tightly until the knuckles were white. He had a sudden urge to reach out and press his own hands on top of hers but he instantly quelled it. Those feelings weren't welcome anymore.
It was probably just a habit. He'd get over it soon. He was like this, though. Always wanting to protect someone in distress. How many times had he stood between his mother and his sisters? Too many to count. There hadn't necessarily been violence but there had been yelling and ugly name calling. There were always tears and hurt. When he'd left that house and joined the military he'd been filled with guilt, leaving his younger siblings to deal with his neglectful and histrionic mother all alone. Jenna brought all of those unwelcome instincts out in him.
She's not mine to protect.
"I met Lori in school. We wer
e just kids in fifth grade but we hit it off immediately. She was fun and outgoing and we had so much in common. We became best friends and spent all of our free time together. I was an only child so she became like a sister to me." Jenna paused and then grimaced. "I didn't have the best home life, to be honest. We were poor and there was never enough food in the house and my clothes were always old and didn't fit right. I was an only child and I spent most of my time alone. My mom tried to work when she could but her health wasn't great. My dad was a huge loser who never could hold down a job and was always drunk. So needless to say, I was thrilled to be invited over to Lori's house because it meant that I didn't have to be in my own home. My parents never noticed when I wasn't there so it wasn't a big deal."
Logan could understand a great deal of Jenna's story. His mother wouldn't have won any prizes either and his father was no better.
"I spent every moment that I could at Lori's house. Her family had money - lots of it - but her parents thought it was important for her and her twin sister Michelle to go to public school. They didn't want their kids to get stuck up or not realize how other families lived. They were the nicest people and they sort of adopted me. I ate dinner at their house and often spent the night. Lori and Michelle shared their clothes with me. When their parents would take them anywhere like out to dinner or to the zoo, they'd take me too. We were like the Three Musketeers. We were so close. We didn't have any secrets from one another and we wanted to be together all the time. Lori's family was amazing, and I can't imagine what my life would have been like without them. They really taught me what family meant. I didn't have any idea before that."
"They sound like wonderful people," Knox said when Jenna paused for a moment. "You were lucky."
"I was lucky," she said, her gaze far away, the memories painful from the expression on her face. She looked...sad...and disappointed. But mostly, she looked hurt as if she was in physical pain. Once again, Knox had to fight the impulse to reach out and comfort her. It would only confuse matters. "My parents never should have had a child. They weren't equipped to deal with me or anything to do with raising a kid. My mom was far too frail and my dad was simply a jerk."
Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) Page 5
