Chapter 15

We'd managed two new hires which would help with scheduling and the workload at the firm. You'd think I'd be a little less tense now that was taken care of. But no. Between needing another two employees to add to our roster and the situation with Jasmine's ex, I was on edge.

All our software was up to date, and I'd fixed a security patch in our motion sensor camera system that morning. I'd taken Jasmine outside to practice aiming with the new pepper gel I got her. It was only illegal in twenty-six states. The fact that Virginia was one of them and the District of Columbia wouldn't even let law enforcement carry it didn't concern me.

It was the strongest one with proven results and an indelible dye to tag the perp. She could flick the safety tab and spray it smoothly and quickly, at a distance or close range and knew to duck her head and spray over her shoulder if the assailant was behind her.

When she balked at being taught how to shoot to kill, I told her that she needed to take the situation seriously.

"If you don't think I know how bad this is, let me be the first to inform you, I've been strangled by this man until a blood vessel in my eye burst. I know what it feels like to know in my bones that I'm defeated and the last thing I'll see this side of hell is those cold eyes that don't even see me as human. I'm garbage to him. I have to be punished for daring to go against him, to argue or talk back or leave. It's what I deserve and he's just meting out justice, Jake. I know exactly how bad this is. Ever since I saw his name on the screen as an applicant I've felt it, like my blood congealed and it's this viscous sludge in my body now, just waiting to spill out on the floor in a too-big pool once he gets a hold of me. So don't you ever think for one second that I'm not taking this seriously."

She'd been trembling by the time she quit talking. She bit her thumbnail and turned away. I wanted to fold her in my arms and promise her I'd keep her safe no matter what. A rush of compassion tangled up with my practical experience in security. I had to go get a drink of water and offered her one as well. "I'm sorry to have to quiz you about this, and I understand how hard it is to talk about. But any detail you can give us about his habits and interests will help us track him. This is the part where you're the best weapon against him, because you have the knowledge that arms us. I hate to ask it of you, Jas."

"You can ask me anything. Just, could we go in your office? It feels weird to talk about this out in the open where anyone can walk in." She heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping. I nodded and touched her back as she preceded me into my office.

We took seats on the black leather couch across from my desk.

"What can you remember about him during your time together? Places he liked to eat, his hobbies, anything."

"He drank Fireball and Jim Beam, Jack if he could get it. He had worked at a body shop for a while, but he got fired for not showing up. He knew how to charm you, how to make people feel seen. He would've been a terrific salesman in another life because he could manipulate you without you ever suspecting. He didn't have any ambition. Everybody always screwed him over, took his opportunities. Never his fault."

"I know the type," I managed, trying to keep from giving in to the instinct to rip his limbs off.

"He only drank beer if somebody else was buying, and then it was Budweiser in a bottle, not draft. He likes meat and potatoes, not drive-thru food. So he'd be at some greasy spoon or diner. Country music, old stuff, Charlie Daniels Band and George Jones, or anything with a cute girl in a crop top shaking her ass. Fast and Furious movies were his favorite, Mob shows where ‘the men were men', and the women were sexy and submissive or got slapped around if they weren't."

She leaned forward, elbows on her knees and held her face in her hands for a second. I rubbed Jasmine's back in slow circles. "I'm okay," she mumbled, and sat up, forcing herself through this ordeal, determined.

"Nike shoes and Columbia, any other brand was crap. Roll Tide all the way, no other sports teams except he sometimes watched the Braves baseball games or wrestling. Pepsi or Mountain Dew, sometimes an energy drink. The magazines with big trucks, and girls with big tits in bikinis on the trucks. Everything else had to be American made and southern if possible. He wanted to go to Texas and wanted to try drag-racing but he never talked about any goals or plans."

"You've given me a lot to work with. That kind of information helps us track his movements. What kind of place would he want to stay if he went out of town?"

"Someplace cheap with a bar nearby. He had bad credit and I doubt he's turned that around since I got away, so anyplace expensive is out," she said.

"He still has bad credit. I ran a report when I did his background check. He doesn't have a regular place of employment unless he's paid in cash."

"You ran a credit check on him?" she said. "And a criminal background check? I mean beyond the one we do for basic applicants?"

"Absolutely," I told her with no remorse. "I'd like to do a hell of a lot more than dig up information on him. He doesn't have an active debit or credit card in his legal name so it's not possible to track him with his spending. I've pulled up his car on some traffic cams, but it's tedious and inefficient."

"What neighborhood was he in?"

"He was all over the place. Not in our neighborhood, considering it's a gated community and the guys all have his photo and license number and everything to be on the lookout for him."

"Thanks. It's good to know he's not tracked me down that completely yet, but he wants me to know he can get to me at any time. He knows where I work and all."

"Jas, he can't get to you at all. We're going to see to that. Did you talk to the cops?"

"Yes," she swallowed hard. "I told them a lot of details about why and how I left him, how he was obviously watching the firm's site and applied as soon as a job posting went up. He has no background in this field and did it to target me. The guy I spoke with was pretty nice about it, but with no outstanding warrants on him and no paper trail leading him back to me and any kind of felony, there's really nothing they can do. I couldn't even get an order of protection unless I could physically prove he was stalking me."

"Those are practically worthless anyway. I mean, if they were worth the paper they're printed on, we would probably be out of a job in a lot of cases," I said derisively.

"I was disappointed. I felt stupid, like I wasted their time. I am the one who got involved with him and thought I was in love and literally cut my mom and sister out of my life over him. Stupid games get stupid prizes, right? So here I go. I was on borrowed time from the minute I got away. I even told myself it would be worth it. Even if I got one night of sleep on the run, one night where I didn't have to be scared out of my mind, where I could think straight and feel like me again. But that was a lie. I wanted more. I wanted a whole life away from him, years and years of freedom. I've brought trouble to your doorstep, right to the business you've worked so long to build."

I watched her shrink inside herself, shoulders hunched, head down, as she made herself smaller with shame. It wrenched something in my gut.

"May I?" I said, reaching for her. She leaned into my chest, her arms slipping around my back. I rested my cheek on her hair and tried to take slow, even breaths to calm her. Soon she synced up her breathing with mine and snuggled against me.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing that happened to you then or that is happening now is your fault. That's still him talking in your head. You did nothing to deserve any of this."

"Thank you for everything, Jake. You've put so much time and effort into this mess. I appreciate it."

"You're worth it, Jas. Worth way more than this. I'd give anything to make this go away."

I captured her lips, kissed her slow and deep. "I'll keep you safe no matter what. He's not going to hurt you again, baby. I swear to God."

Then her arms were around my neck. I drew her into my lap and played with the ends of her hair as she molded her sweet curves to the hard planes of my body. I fitted her against me and gave her the kind of tender, searching kisses that I knew would feel romantic and safe, not demanding or possessive.

Right now, she needed to feel cared for, and I was going to give that to her.