Sinful Protector

by Mia Ford

  As for me, I think I’ll take a walk to stretch my legs. Sitting in one spot gives me cramps, and it allows thoughts to creep into my mind that I don’t want there.

  Thoughts about Allison and why she didn’t want me, in particular.

  I shake my head, irritated at myself. My main concern, right now, isn’t about my relationship with Allison. It’s about making sure Jesse stays away from Allison for good. Maybe if we scare him away enough, he’ll stay gone.

  That’s probably too much to hope for, though. The photos were a clear indication that Jesse is absolutely obsessed, and that he isn’t going to stop any time soon.

  That means I need to stop him.

  Somehow.

  I pull my phone out of my pocket and glance down at it. Several times, I’ve considered phone Alex and asking him for an update but each time, I stop myself, knowing that I need to be patient. I don’t know what sort of information Alex is looking for, exactly, but it must take time to find the kind of people he needs to talk to. On top of that, he’ll be doing it along with his other jobs, which includes riding the council people into donating George Barker’s house to the Roughshod Rollers, something they appear to be dragging their feet over.

  I sigh. Sometimes, everything just feels far too difficult. I grimace as I stuff my phone back in my pocket and keep walking.

  Then, suddenly, a message comes through. I blink and fish it out of my pocket again, frowning as I notice that it’s from Jacqui.

  “Are you guys watching my apartment???”

  I wince. I wondered if Jacqui would say anything about it when she and Allison figured out what was happening. I type a one word reply.

  “Yeah.”

  She replies so fast that she must have had the message app open, waiting for my message to go through.

  “Good! Allison is a stubborn bitch!”

  I snort, grinning despite myself, and reply.

  “She can be.”

  “No, she is! Fuck, she pushed me out the door while she isn’t feeling well! Are you there now??”

  I look around. I’ve traveled a bit of a distance now, but I still feel restless.

  “Not right now. Went for a walk.”

  Admittedly, it probably wasn’t the best time to decide to do that. I wonder if any of the other guys are around tonight. I can’t remember if I paid any of them for today.

  “Yeah I guess you need to stretch your legs. Seriously thanks for looking out for her. Even though you guys broke up.”

  I flinch. Thanks for the reminder. I flick a message back.

  “Its for the best.”

  Jacqui’s message comes back almost in the same second.

  “Is that her talking or you??”

  I hesitate. Jacqui is Allison’s best friend. It isn’t right for us to be talking about Allison, especially since I’ve broken up with her. Still, maybe I should warn her…

  “Something isn’t right. Watch her.”

  This time, there’s no reply. I know my message has been received, though, and I sigh, feeling an odd sense of relief. At least Jacqui now knows about my suspicions. Maybe then we’ll be able to do the impossible and protect Allison from herself.

  I swear, that woman is going to get herself into trouble. Jacqui must have been keeping a really good fucking eye on her all this time. Or maybe she just got lucky because Jesse was the one that got himself in trouble most of the time, and she had to clean up after his messes, instead.

  Unfortunately, now Jesse is the mess, and there’s no way for her to weasel her way out of this one. I just wish she would reach out and actually ask for the help she obviously needs.

  I glance at the messages Jacqui sent me again. There’s nothing in there to confirm any of my suspicions. Either Jacqui is being careful about what she says out of loyalty to Allison, or she genuinely doesn’t know anything.

  Which can mean one of two things. Allison was telling me the truth about why we broke up, or she’s lying to Jacqui.

  Unfortunately, I know which scenario is more likely.

  I clench my hand around my phone. There’s an odd pain in my chest. Knowing that Jacqui doesn’t share my - admittedly paranoid - suspicions is like confirmation of something I didn’t want to know. Allison really didn’t want me, in the end.

  That hurts.

  Focus! I tell myself. Now isn’t the time for that!

  I would have to think it through later. For now, I have other things to worry about. I turn back on my heel and start wandering back in the direction of Jacqui’s apartment.

  Then my phone rings.

  I almost drop it, since it’s still in my hand. This time, however, it’s exactly the phone call I’ve been waiting for, and I pick it up quickly.

  “Alex!” I exclaim.

  “Hello to you, too,” Alex says dryly.

  “Sorry,” I say, drawing in a deep breath of air. “I’ve just been waiting, but I knew it would take a while, and I didn’t want to bother you…”

  “Breathe, Kyle,” Alex says, bemused. “I should be the one apologizing. I should have kept you updated, but I wanted to give you something concrete. Then something else came up…but it’s all taken care of now. It’s taken me a few days, but I think I have something for you.”

  “Yeah?” I ask breathlessly.

  After four days…I have something! It looks like going to Alex was exactly the right thing to do.

  “Let’s see,” Alex says, and I hear the rustling of papers. “Jesse Willis. He’s thirty-two years old, born in June. His mother passed away when he was younger, his father passed away three years later from alcohol poisoning, and his two brothers are both in jail.”

  I grimace. “Fun family.”

  “You don’t even know why they’re in jail. I didn’t get much, but the younger brother murdered his girlfriend of six years.” He coughed. “Anyway, back to Jesse.”

  I feel dread curling in my stomach. Murder? That’s a bigger charge than I was expecting. But Jesse is the only one out of jail, so…

  “Jesse was sixteen when the brother’s girlfriend was murdered, and he was there at the time,” Alex says. “There was a charge of accessory to murder, but it was dropped and he was allowed to return to school due to lack of evidence.”

  “At sixteen?” I ask. At sixteen I was committing petty crimes, and Jesse was on trial as an accessory to his brother’s girlfriend’s murder.

  “Yeah,” Alex says. His voice turns grim. “It gets better. It turns out that Jesse is wanted in a few different states.”

  This is both better and so much worse than I expected.

  “As in he’s on the run?” I exclaim.

  “Yeah. Mostly for robbery crimes; he robbed a jewelry store in Miami, and then fled the state, so they’re looking for him there. Didn’t you say he got arrested here last year? How did the police miss this?” He scoffs. “But that’s not even the biggest thing they missed.”

  “What’s the biggest thing?” I ask, not sure I want to know.

  “Turns out Jesse is wanted for the murder of three men back in Washington. There’s a report about a bar brawl that went wrong.”

  “It could be manslaughter then?” I suggest.

  “No, it was murder,” Alex says, voice grim. “He brought a knife with him, stabbed the three of them several times and fled the scene. The police missed him, and it looks like he escaped the state again.”

  I give him a shaky laugh, running a hand down my face. “Sounds like he’s an escape artist. Considering how much trouble he’s been causing, why hasn’t he been picked up yet?”

  “Only thing I can think of is that the system didn’t pick him up for some reason,” Alex says. “Maybe your girl bailed him out too quickly, and no one took a closer look at his prints. It was the only time he’s landed himself in jail in the last three years, though I don’t know how he’s managed that.”

  “Fuck,” I say. “This is… Shit, I don’t think Allison has any idea about this. She’s convinced that he’s just an
asshole and a violent idiot.”

  “Well, he’s more than that,” Alex says, voice dark. “He’s a murderer, and he’s wanted. You keep an eye on his ex; if he’s gunning for her, he’s already got a history.”

  I open my mouth, and then close it.

  Jesse, a murderer, is after Allison.

  And I’ve just left her alone at Jacqui’s apartment.

  “Fuck!” I shout. “I have to go, Alex! Allison is alone! Can you…?”

  “I’ll pass the information to the police,” Alex says quickly. “Go!”

  I hang up and break into a run. I should have just stayed at the apartment. I shouldn’t have let my thoughts get the better of me. I fumble with my messages and send one to Jacqui, not watching where I’m going.

  “Call police. Heading back to apartment. Get back asap.”

  There’s a pause and then my phone vibrates with a message.

  “No. 8.”

  It takes me a moment to get it. Then I realize. Jacqui has just texted me the number of her apartment, knowing that I’ll be the first one to get there. I smile grimly.

  Then I stuff my phone in my pocket and run faster than I ever have in my life.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Allison

  “Jacqui, I’ll be fine,” I say, exasperated. “You’ll only be a few minutes, right?”

  “But…”

  I sneeze and Jacqui draws back, making a face at me. I’m not extremely sick, but I feel miserable enough with the beginning of a cold that I’m not willing to leave my cocoon of blankets on Jacqui’s couch, even if it means satisfying my friend’s protective instincts. I sniffle for good measure, playing up my cold a little more than I needed to.

  “Weren’t you going to get me flu medicine?” I remind her.

  She scowls, looking frustrated.

  “I was,” she says mutinously. “I know you don’t feel well, but can’t you just…?”

  “No,” I say, deadpan. “Do you want me to get sicker?”

  Jacqui wavers. For a moment, I think she might just decide to stay anyway, flu medicine be damned. But then her eyes dart to my flushed cheeks, and I know she knows that she has to go. I’ve started running a slight fever, and I’ll only get worse without the medicine.

  “Look, I’m still mobile,” I assure her. “I’m not so sick that I can’t get up. I’ll be okay while you go to the shops. All I’ll do is sit here and sneeze and sniffle, anyway.”

  Jacqui looks at me, conflicted, and then sighs, her shoulders slumping.

  “Fine, but only because I don’t want to drag you out while you’re looking that pale,” she grumbles. “You better not give that cold to me!”

  “Then this is the perfect opportunity to keep away from me,” I say with a grin.

  Jacqui throws her hands up in the air. “You better stay right there. And call me if anything comes up.”

  “I will,” I promise her.

  She glares at me, unfairly suspicious.

  “Can I have some orange juice as well?” I ask hopefully.

  “I’ll think about it,” she grumbles, picking up her wallet and keys. She opens her door and turns to point imperiously at me. “Stay!”

  “I’m not a dog!” I shout after her as the door closes.

  Honestly, she’s worse than Kyle! I wait several moments, just in case Jacqui returns for some reason, and then haul myself off the couch, making my way over to the window. I look out just in time to see Jacqui’s white car join the traffic, finally leaving me alone.

  I blink. This is a weird feeling. I haven’t been alone for over a week and a half. If it wasn’t Kyle trying to inconspicuously watch over me, it’s been Jacqui nagging me to stay with her, or one of Kyle’s clubmates keeping watch in the corner of my vision. For the first time, I feel like I can breathe without everyone hovering over me.

  Then I catch sight of a familiar jacket in the café across the road. In fact, I would know that tall form, hunched hilariously at a tiny table, anywhere. Maybe I’m not completely alone, then.

  My lips twitch into a smile. I haven’t seen Kyle since we broke up, but it somehow doesn’t surprise me to know that he’s also on protective detail. And he calls me stubborn.

  I lean against the window. Part of me wants him to look up and see me, to meet his eyes once more. I’ve missed him more than I want to admit to. I keep looking over the messages he sent me yesterday, wondering if I replied in the right way. Even now, every part of me wants to go down to that café and tell him how much I want him.

  Then I remember the card. I close my eyes and lean my forehead against the window, the glass cool against my skin. Jesse is still out there, after all. He’s only been staying away because Kyle’s friends are chasing him off, but he would probably become determined enough to break through that if he noticed me hanging around the biker again.

  I’m not going to take that risk until Jesse is out of our lives.

  I haven’t heard much from the police. I had a call from Bryant yesterday morning, but all he could tell me was that they were still investigating, sounding tired and fed up with it all. Meanwhile, I’m having an ongoing argument with my landlord, who is pissed off about being forced to shell out the money for security cameras, and, as such, is dragging his feet about fixing my door.

  Well, more fool him. Jacqui and I have applied for a few different apartments, even if they’re slightly more expensive than what I’m paying now, and I’ve already had an offer to come and look at one of them. I’ll be moving before long, and then he’ll have to fix the door if he wants to rent the room to another tenant.

  I open my eyes with a yawn and then I see movement. It’s Kyle. He’s standing, dragging his jacket off the back of the chair, and heading to the counter. I squint, ducking my head down a little, but I can’t see him anymore. Then he strides out the door and I duck to the side as his eyes scan the apartment. Is he looking for me? Making sure there aren’t any threats?

  I watch him shake his head. And then he stuffs his hands into his pocket and walks away.

  I watch him go. His shoulders are slumped, and my heart clenches at how dejected he looks. Did I do this to him? I keep my eyes on him until he disappears around the corner and I sigh.

  I’m not sure where he’s going and, selfishly, I feel a little lonely now that I know he’s gone. I also feel exasperated; he really is a fool. He has no idea why I really broke up with him; as far as he knows, I didn’t want a relationship with him. Yet he still comes here day after day, watching out for me while keeping his distance.

  I really don’t know what I did to deserve this type of devotion.

  With nothing left to keep my attention outside, I push away from the window. Coughing absently (I pretended that I was feeling worse that I am to push Jacqui out the door, but it would be karmic retribution if I did end up really sick), I head to the kitchen and open the fridge, scanning the contents. Since we went shopping last night, there’s plenty to eat and drink, but my stomach still feels oddly tight. Eventually, I close the door and retrieve a glass instead, filling it with water.

  The worst thing about all this is the guilt, which piles right on top of the odd loneliness I’ve felt since I last saw Kyle. I hadn’t noticed it at the time, but the way that Kyle treated me was like I was the most precious thing in the world, someone to be taken care of and protected. I had baulked at this, because I don’t need protection; I was taking care of myself long before I ever met Kyle.

  But…it was nice. I sip at my water and consider this. Jesse never treated me like that. On the occasions where he was nice to me, I would be lucky if I got a box of chocolates lugged in my direction. Kyle, though, touched me reverently, and looked at me like I hung the moon.

  Maybe, one day, I’ll be able to apologize to him for everything I put him through.

  I hear the lock click open and I yawn, drawing my blanket tighter around my shoulders. I put my glass down on the sink, turning to the door as it swings open silently.

  “T
hat was quick,” I commented, moving toward the door. “Did you get…?”

  I trail off. I assumed that it was Jacqui entering the apartment after breaking a few speeding laws to get back her quickly. But it’s not. Instead, Jesse steps inside.

  My brain stutters to a halt. Of everything that I could have expected today, it was not Jesse entering my friend’s apartment while I’m here. How did he even get in? My eyes dart down to his hand, which is clenching a set of lock-picking tools.

  How long has Jesse been able to pick locks? I raise my eyes slowly to meet his, incredulous. Did I even know this man, despite dating him for two years?

  “Thought you were clever?” Jesse asks, and there’s a smirk I’ve never seen before curving at his lips. “Thought you’d chased me away?”

  I should feign innocence; I’m not supposed to know about the men guarding me, considering the lengths they go to, to stay out of my sight. But I’m too stunned to do anything other than stare. Jesse steps fully into the apartment and slams the door closed.

  The sound is what finally snaps me from my stupor.

  “Jesse!” I exclaim. Shit, where’s my phone? “What are you doing here?”

  Jesse snorts. “Not that it was hard to find you. There’s only one place you’d run to when you couldn’t stay at your place.”

  I take a step back. My phone isn’t in my pocket. Where is it? Finally, with a sinking heart, I see it on the coffee table in front of the lounge; I left it there when I got up. There’s no way for me to get it without Jesse noticing.

  Jacqui is gone because I pushed her out the door.

  I just watched Kyle wander off. I haven’t seen any of his friends around today, either.

  I’m completely alone.

  I clear my throat. “How did you know Jacqui was gone?”

  “Watched her leave,” Jesse sneers. “Then I saw that mountain run off, too. I figured now’s my best chance to talk.”