Pursuit of a Kiss (9 page)
Authors: Lola Drake
“How so?”
“To be frank, most gang-related violence witnesses
come from poor areas heavily dominated by those same gangs they’re testifying
against. You live in a fringe area. You happened to be in the wrong place at
the wrong time, but
had probably never crossed paths with this gang before that night on the beach.
That makes it highly unlikely any gang members would pursue you after the
trial.”
Jake watched her reaction. She had begun picking
at her nail polish again. He had no idea what to say to her. Part of him wanted
to scoop her up into his arms and take her away from all this. Another part
knew she could be the key in dismantling a dangerous gang. And still another
part wanted to run far away from her until he knew her thoughts about last
night.
Fuck… Since when had he started analyzing women?
Shutting off his brain, he put a hand over hers. He could sort all this out
when her life stopped being in danger.
****
Juliet intertwined her fingers with his. As she
breathed a sigh of relief, she wanted to smack herself. How could she even
think about Jake’s indeterminate emotions with her life at stake? Annoyed with
herself, she turned back towards Wetherby.
“But a trial could still take several months,
right?”
“Yes, it can. Depending on the defense council,
the trial could even be delayed a year.”
“A
year
?”
Juliet slumped back in her chair. She knew she
should go into witness protection for her own safety. After all, she valued her
life far more than her job. She just hated the idea of running away. She wished
she could grab a gun like Jake and the cops and stand up for herself if attacked
again. Instead, she knew she’d take their advice and go hide somewhere safe.
Who was she kidding? She’d never even touched a
real gun. To stay alive, she needed protection.
“Hey, think of it this way.” Jake squeezed her
hand again. “You can’t live in your house right now anyway because of the fire.
This way you get to stay somewhere safe at the state’s expense while the
repairs get done.”
“Now why didn’t I think of it that way?” Juliet
rolled her eyes, making Jake laugh. “What exactly would witness protection
involve?”
“We’d move you somewhere safe, take care of the
rent on your temporary home, and cover your basic living expenses. If you’d
like, we can also give you armed protection before, during, or after legal
proceedings. You shouldn’t need a new identity, but you will need to cut off
ties to everyone while you’re in the program. We can also find you a job for
the duration, but it shouldn’t be in your current field since that would make
it easier for someone to find you.”
Juliet glanced over at Jake, hoping to get a
sense of his reaction. His face remained impassive.
“So, what happens now?”
“If you feel safe, you can stay at this hotel
for the time being until we arrange for your temporary housing. A member of
Gang Victims’ Services can also contact you if you’d like to further discuss
what happens from now through the trial, or to arrange counseling for your
trauma.”
“Um…sure, yeah, that’d be great.” Juliet’s eyes
slid toward Jake once more but he still hadn’t looked at her. “Is it safe for
me to go to my house? Check out the damage?”
The three men all seemed to have a silent conversation
in exchanged glances before Detective Harris at last replied, “Sure, if Parker
here will go with you as a bodyguard. We’ll have a patrol car meet you there
and stay out front to discourage unwanted guests.”
Wetherby concurred, “In broad daylight you
should be reasonably safe.”
Juliet thanked all of them, getting to her feet
and looking expectantly at Jake. Without meeting her eyes, he nodded at the
others and rose to his feet, moving protectively in front of Juliet as they
left the restaurant. His started to take her hand once more, then jerked away
as if the touch had scorched his hand. Juliet glanced up at him, but he
continued scanning the restaurant without looking in her direction.
She knew his reputation from Aaron’s stories.
Women came and went like a revolving door. But this morning before they’d been
interrupted he’d been so sweet and romantic, she’d begun to think maybe he felt
something for her. She’d gone into last night with her eyes open, but if she
stopped lying to herself she could admit she’d hoped making love would, well,
make him fall in love. Apparently, that hadn’t happened. At all.
Chapter Four
The Trouble with Love
Jake remained silent throughout the drive to
Juliet’s house. She waited, dreading what would come out of his mouth when he
finally deigned to speak to her again. Picking at her nail polish, the little
she still had left, she darted occasional glances at him trying to determine
his mood. Should she go ahead and say something? Or would he resent that?
When they pulled up to the curb, all thoughts of
Jake vanished. Her house looked like a war zone, or at least what she imagined
a war zone might look like. Just like dealing with gang members and getting
shot, she’d never imagined sifting through the wreckage of a burnt home.
Luckily, Jake had had the presence of mind to arrange for emergency services to
secure the property against looters once the fire fighters had finished.
Stepping closer, Juliet took in the charred
remains of her couch and a pile of ash that used to be her beautifully carved
coffee table. The windows that hadn’t been shot were now solid black. Her comfy
chair appeared to have withstood the flames somehow, but the fire fighters had
destroyed it with their water and foam. Soot stained the walls. The smell of
smoke permeated the air. Following the scorch marks, she glanced into the
kitchen. The room had become a gray and black wasteland. Her appliances still
stood, except for the microwave, but several of the cabinet doors had burned or
broken. The heat had caused her refrigerator door to melt into waves. Ash and
foam residue encrusted the walls.
“You’ll need to get a crew in to check for
structural damage.”
Juliet nodded, trying not to cry. “I guess
there’s no point in getting anything from my closet. All my clothes would
smell.”
“Even more importantly, you shouldn’t use those
stairs until they’ve been checked out.”
“Jake, what should I do? Not just about the
house, but…” She waved her arm as if to encompass everything.
Jake opened his arms to hug her. The moment he
did, she buried her face against his shirt and held on as though her life
depended on it.
“It’ll be all right.” He rubbed her back and
held her tighter. “You’re going to get through this.”
Juliet could feel him rest his cheek on her head
as he gently rocked her. She pulled back just enough to look up into his face.
“What about witness protection? I’d have to leave… everyone.”
He stroked her cheek, wiping away a tear.
“You’ll be back in a year. Maybe less.”
Without thinking, she turned her head to kiss
his palm. He sucked in a sharp breath, his fingers tightening in her hair for a
second before he released her.
“You’re in the FBI, though. You could contact
me, at least, couldn’t you?”
Jake shook his head, looking inexplicably
guilty. “I’m not supposed to. It would be safer for you if you cut all ties.”
“But what about for the next week, until the
preliminary hearing? That’s only a temporary house. So you’ll stay with me for
that, won’t you?”
Juliet hated how needy she sounded, but she
couldn’t seem to stop herself from pleading. Last night had been the most
memorable night of her life. For as long as she could remember, she had
compared other men to the fantasy image she had of Jake Parker. Brad had never
measured up. And last night when fantasy had finally become reality, she’d felt
as though they could become something special. At the very least, she wanted
the chance to find out if they could.
This clinginess would be the most surefire way
to send Jake running for the hills, but damn it, after everything she’d been
through the last few days, she had a right to want someone strong to lean on.
“Look, Juliet…”
She shook her head, stepping out of his arms.
Disappointment overwhelmed her, and she felt incredibly naïve. She should have
expected this. He didn’t do relationships. She had been stupid to think she
could be the one to change him.
“Please
don’t say it.”
Whether Jake would have answered, Juliet would
never know. At that moment they heard the revving of a car engine. It grew to a
roar as it peeled out from the corner. She tripped as she started to back away
from the sound, landing hard on her tailbone. Jake whipped out his gun and
sprinted to the street.
“Jake, don’t.” Juliet bit her lip as he took aim
at the car speeding towards them. She could see a gun emerge from the passenger
side window, one that looked a whole lot bigger than Jake’s.
The cop in the patrol car flipped on his lights
and sirens, causing the other car to screech on his breaks and steer into a
fast U-turn. Jake fired at the tires but missed as the car sped off. He waved
his arm at the patrol car. Nothing else was needed—the cop lifted his radio as
he went into pursuit.
Jake helped Juliet to her feet and hustled her
into his car before running around to the driver’s side.
“They’re really determined to shut me up, aren’t
they?”
“You’re a unique witness, Jules. You’re squeaky
clean, credible, the first strong eyewitness against
narcotics trade around here for a long time and isn’t going to go down easily.”
“If he’s in jail, why don’t they just let him
rot and move someone else into his place? You’d think another gang member would
want to nab the power position.”
“I told you, gangs transcend prison walls. Hell,
some of the most powerful gangs originated inside those prison walls. They need
to suck up to anyone with connections like his. If someone eliminates you,
huge.”
Jake’s eyes never stopped moving as he raced
away from the house. Juliet glanced back, wondering if she’d ever see her home
again. Once they hit the freeway, he seemed to relax slightly.
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll call Wetherby to see where he wants me to
take you for transport to the safe house.”
“So, you won’t be taking me there yourself.”
“I can’t, Jules. In hiding you’ll have constant
police protection to keep you safe, which means I really should get back to
work. You understand, don’t you?”
Juliet balked at the question but had no idea
what she could possibly say. Of course, she logically understood. After all,
she had her own job that she wished she could simply get back to. But after
this latest incident, they both knew her life remained in serious danger. Jake
had told her he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She could understand him
not contacting her in witness protection, sort of, but in this last week before
the preliminary hearing? How could he abandon her now?
She tried to keep her voice light and teasing,
but failed miserably. “I thought you promised Aaron, and me, that you’d look
out for me.”
“I was. I am. I just have prior commitments, you
know? Work and stuff.”
“And stuff.”
“Hey, duty calls, right?” His laugh sounded
forced, and he wouldn’t quite meet Juliet’s eyes.
Juliet remained silent. First Brad and now Jake.
Boy, did she know how to pick them.
****
Her silence unnerved him. If she’d shouted or
cried or done something he could have responded, but the lack of reaction was
almost eerie. Not knowing what else to do, he called Wetherby.
With speeding, he made good time driving to the
lawyer’s office. Juliet practically had her door open before he’d come to a
complete stop.
“Jules, wait.”
“Don’t worry, Jake, I know you have stuff to do.
No need to see me in. I’m sure Michael will take good care of me.”
He knew she only used that sugary sweet voice to
push his buttons, but it still worked. He slammed the car door behind him,
following her up the steps and grabbing her arm. “Don’t walk off by yourself in
any exposed area like this, you got me? The guys in
if you’re not at your house you might be here.”
“So? What do you care?”
Jake pulled her to a halt, but she refused to
look at him. “You know I care.”
“Ok, fine, you’d care if I died—mainly because
Aaron would never forgive you.”
“No. You know there’s more to it than that.”