Safer With You (24 page)

“Please, go on,” she says quietly.

“A few weeks after he came home, several men came and collected my father’s debts. With his life and my mother’s.” Nora gasps at my confession.

I kiss the top of her head and then lean against it. “My mother is alive, but the bastards took a baseball bat to her head. She was in a coma for years. The day she finally woke was the best day of my life. She has residual damage, though. She still remembers me and other family members, but sometimes she forgets certain things and goes back in time.” I scoff. “Sometimes, she thinks my father is still alive and forgets how much she loves my Uncle Joe.”

Nora sits up, her caramel eyes wide with shock. “They love each other?”

I nod, smiling, thinking of my mother and Uncle Joe. How happy they once were.

“Oh, Jase,” Nora says. “I’m so sorry…about…everything.”

I smile at her. She is always so kind, so caring, never thinks of herself. Nora is a breath of fresh air compared to the monsters I am used to. I don’t deserve her in my life, but in this moment, I thank God that he even allows me to be near her.

“Is Uncle Joe okay?” she asks. I know what she means.

“He is, but he can’t be with her like he wants to. Not yet, anyway. Maybe never. He visits her every day. He’s the reason I made you move back in with your parents.”

Confusion wipes across her face.

“Nora, you were attacked because of me. I don’t know why, but this lunatic has targeted you and my mother. I had to get you away from me. Uncle Joe reminded me that I can’t let what happened to my mother happen to you. Your attack was bad enough. We think it’s someone on the inside, but we don’t know who.”

She lets go and moves away from me. “Oh, no, I…I don’t even know what to say.”

“There is nothing to say. My mother is safe at Uncle Joe’s, and you are safe in your parents’ home. Your parents and Max know too.” I rub my forehead in frustration for how stupid I’m being, going back on my plan to stay away from her. “But I guess I wasn’t hidden from you.”
 

Nora actually blushes and says sorry.

“Nora, don’t be sorry for anything. You have no idea how many times I wanted to break down your parents’ door and bring you over here, or call you, or just let you know I never left you. I’ve been here since the moment you moved in. It’s torture being next door to you and not being able to be with you.”

Nora’s quiet, watching the waves wash onto the beach. “Can you tell me what you’re thinking?”

She hesitates, and I wonder if she hears me over the ocean. Finally, she turns to me.
 

“I don’t know, Jase. I knew you were different from the moment I met you, but criminals? Are you in constant danger? I mean, are you going to get arrested? Hurt?”

I sigh, but let her continue. It’s her turn to talk now. “Not to mention that you disappeared on me. We made love, and the next day you were gone. I heard you talking with Samantha that night. I saw you two together, and the next morning, she was in your room.”

I let out a deep breath and grab my hair in frustration. Fucking Samantha and this fucking job.
 

“Nora, I didn’t want to leave you.” I can’t believe she could think that. “That morning when I woke up, I wanted the whole fucking world to disappear so I’d never have to leave you. But these men I protect, they don’t care about anyone but themselves. They make decisions based on money, greed, adrenaline, and lust. They don’t give a fuck about the consequences of their actions. They act in the moment, caught up in it all. When I figured out this could be an inside job, that something like…that God awful night…could happen again, I had to leave.”

Her eyes roam. I don’t think she knows what to believe.

“Uncle Joe and I came up with the idea to police the criminals after what happened to my parents. Make them think we are on their side, connect them with the right people who owe us favors. But we never let it get out of line. Uncle Joe works with the criminals, and I take care of connecting them with the right people. They still get what they want; it’s just controlled. Our way.”

“So, you’re like Robin Hood, but different?”

I laugh, “We prevent crimes from taking place, or at least stop them from escalating.”

“I don’t think I understand completely, Jase.” Her forehead is crinkled in thought, trying to understand this absurd explanation of my criminal involvement. I almost forgot that I am talking to a police officer’s daughter. He is a good cop and an honest man.

“I’m sorry, and I know it sounds fucked up. I’m not helping with my shitty explanation. I’ve just never really explained it to anyone before. Basically, we do what we do so that innocent people don’t get hurt.”

Her jaw drops as she stares at me. I try a different tact. “I stop the bad men, the really uncontrollable men, the men who think they are gods among men. I find the one piece of information that can take down their empire, and use it against them. Everyone has their own vice and price.”

“So, you blackmail the criminals?” she asks.

If I live it, I have to own it. “Yes,” I answer.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Nora

I have no idea what to say to him. He’s told me his truth, and I don’t have the words. I’m hunched over with my arms wrapped around my legs, holding myself together.

He talks again while I fix my eyes on the ocean. I can’t look at him. Even though I hated him before he told me about his life, I find myself wanting to hold him and comfort him any way I can.

“Samantha is one of my client’s targets. She is making a large contribution to his cause and he needed me to persuade her for funding. Along with her comes a few hotels that will benefit some of my other clients. Her family would only let people they trust buy the hotels, so I charmed her parents, got engaged, and got exactly what I wanted, the hotels.”

Oh, my God, what a jerk. He sounds awful. But then I think of how awful Samantha is and realize he’s just playing her game, their game.

“Do you love her?” I cover my mouth with my hand; I can’t believe I asked that out loud.

His blues eyes shimmer with laughter. “No, Nora. My job is to keep her happy and make her spend money. I let her come back to the house and I flirted with her to manage her. She means nothing to me. She’s part of my job.”

“I don’t think this is a job—this is a lifestyle, Jase. I can’t even begin to comprehend it.” My eyes wander down to his firm chest and over his sun-kissed skin. I remember laying my head on that chest and kissing it softly. Why can’t I find a normal guy? One who’s good looking and in a normal career? An accountant maybe?

“You don’t hurt anyone, do you?” I ask to cover all my bases.

“Like I said, I keep them in line and everyone safe.”

We are silent for a few minutes. Both of us absorbing the aftermath of this conversation.

He scoots his body behind me and encompasses me in his arms. Jase places his head on my shoulder and remains silent. We both take in the beauty of the sight before us. The waves are crashing closer to our bodies, now that the tide is coming up. The salty breeze whips around us and my heart races at the sensation of his breath on my neck.

“So, are you still going to the party with Luke?” Jase asks calmly.

“I bought a dress. I don’t want to go, but Jenny persuaded me to get out of the house. Plus, I thought you were gone. I wouldn’t have agreed, had I known you were right next door.”

I can’t look at him. I feel so guilty. He knows that Luke has been with me every day. How do I explain that to him? Will Jase understand I was using Luke to fill the lonely void he left me with?

“Will you be going too?” I ask sheepishly.

Jase moves until he is in front of me. He tugs my chin so that his deep blue eyes gaze into mine. “I will be. Don’t feel guilty about going with him.” My eyes double in size; I swear, sometimes he can read my mind.

“It’s alright, Nora. I know you thought I left you and that I didn’t care, but I do…” His mouth moves closer to mine. His breath dances on my lips, and he whispers, “So much, Nora, I care so much.” Passion washes over me like the waves I’ve been staring at, as his lips meet mine.
 

Oh, God, this is heaven. I’ve wanted this for so long. He makes me feel every kiss, every caress, and I enjoy every second with him. Jase’s hand are in my hair and he slowly pulls away. I want to scream and tell him not to stop. He is breathing rapidly and his eyes are hooded.

He brushes his nose up and down my lips and chin. Quietly, he says, “I don’t want you to say anything about going with Luke. I don’t want to hear anything about him from your sweet lips. I just want you to know I never left you, not for a second. Go to the party, have fun, and enjoy yourself. Just save a dance for me.”

“Jase, I…He’s what I know, he’s comfortable, and he’s…”

“Here. I know.”

“I wanted you, Jase, this whole time, you.”

“Do you love him?”

No, I love you, only you, Jase. I can’t get my mouth to work to say the words.

“Don’t answer that.” Jase puts his finger over my lips. “I never abandoned you; I’ve been trying to find your attacker. When I haven’t been searching, I’ve been watching you from that window.” He points to the house behind us.

I’m frozen; I can’t get anything to work. He’s got me so tangled up, my hormones and my mind are racing in two different directions. Before I can gather myself, he kisses my cheek and jogs toward the rental house.

“Wait!” I yell, but he keeps going. I watch his lean body, his muscular back, and his perfect ass run away from me until he vanishes.

Tucker appears just as he passes Jase. Tucker nods his head, almost like an, “I got this,” nod.
 

He clears his throat from behind me. “Ms. Skye, can I escort you?”

I stand tall and straighten my shoulders, acting as if I’m not falling apart. We walk further down the beach and avoid passing the rental house. I just want to get to my room and break down as soon as possible.

When I reach the top of the steps, Jenny and Max are sitting on the porch licking each other’s ice cream cones. “Can you two stop being gross for like two seconds?”

“Ah, come on, Nora. You know I can’t keep my tongue off your sister’s goodies.”

“Ew…gross. Please stop.” I make a disgusted face.

Max leans over to lick the tip of Jenny’s nose.

“Where have you been? I thought you’d be hanging out with Luke, since he’s here every night,” Max says sarcastically.

“No, he’s busy tonight. So, when were you guys going to tell me Jase is staying at the rental?”

Max puts his head down and Jenny shrugs her shoulders.
 

“Thanks guys,” I say, annoyed.

I head up to my bedroom to make sense of what Jase just told me.

When I’m finally comfy in my bed, I end up staring at the purple walls for a while. Being all alone in this room takes me back to when I was a teenager and grounded for something. If only life were as simple as it was back then.

I’ve been replaying the conversation with Jase over and over in my mind. I’m finding it all hard to digest. I mean, how do you even work with criminals? Now, am I in danger because of him? I was with him just the night of the wedding. We talked and danced, but nothing confirmed we were a couple.

My mind keeps racing with questions. There is only one way to stop it; I have to see Jase again.

I peek my head out the door and Jenny’s giggle penetrates my eardrums. Well, at least my mind will be off my problems for a bit.
 

At the bottom of the stairs, I hook a right into the empty kitchen. The voices I hear are coming from the porch. I pad through the kitchen and open the screen door with a creak. The summer night air assaults me and so do the bugs. I shoo the bugs from my face before locking eyes with Luke.

Ugh, I inwardly cringe. Forget about getting my mind off my problems.

Jenny, Dad, and Luke are all sitting on the porch like one big happy family, well, except for my Dad, who doesn’t look so thrilled to be in Luke’s company by the glare he’s throwing his way.

“Sis, did you miss the local bugs when you were in Miami?” Jenny’s sarcasm makes me want to turn around and leave. I ignore her comment, “Where’s Max?”
 

I feel like I haven’t talked to him in so long. He and Jenny are inseparable. I honestly feel like he’s been avoiding me. I guess it’s the honeymoon phase, but I could really use some Max time.

“You know, I’m not sure. He just said he had something to do for a little bit, but should be back soon.” Jenny shrugs. It’s no big deal to her, but with all these secrets floating around, I wonder what he’s keeping from her or me.

I nod. What can I say? She doesn’t seem concerned. I wonder how much Max knows about Jase’s business and his past.

I sit down on the wooden swing beside Dad. He’s reading a car magazine when he looks up at me and smiles. “Hi, buttercup. I thought you were in bed for the night.”

“I was going to, but I’m too restless, plus I heard some voices.” I bump my shoulder into my Dad’s side. He puts on his reading glasses and chuckles. Luke’s eyes are permeating my skin.