9

Christina

The following morning, I woke up with a splitting headache. After experiencing one of the best orgasms of my life, I was surprised to wake up to one of the worst migraines.

Although, I didn't get much sleep last night. My heart raced, and my body felt as though a current of electricity ran through it. I'd never felt anxious before, but a tirade of emotions flowed through me and I couldn't make sense of any of them.

I tossed back three pain pills and prayed they would kick in by the time I reached the office.

Dressed in a tan pair of pants and a white blazer, I rushed out the door and into my car.

I arrived at work later than usual. But no one said anything to me. Not even Calvin. And he always made passive-aggressive comments whenever people were late. He'd only done it once to me, but after a few choice words, he never did it again.

Dropping into my chair, I immediately started researching precedent for Faye's situation and how I could get her out of her marriage as soon as possible. I'd worked on cases of abuse before, but Faye's was different, as there wasn't any physical evidence. But that just meant I had to work harder to get her and her children away from her husband.

I texted her: "How are you feeling this morning?"

She replied after ten minutes. "Fine. A little shaken up and unsure what to tell my kids, but fine."

"Do you need me to order you some groceries or anything for the kids?"

"Thanks, but Will has already been here to check on us and he brought bags of stuff with him. I haven't even had a chance to go through it all."

She piqued my curiosity. "What sort of stuff?"

"Food, toys, a crib, bassinet, and I think there's even a neck massager for me, lol. I don't know when he thinks I'll have the time for that."

I didn't, either, but it was a kind gesture, nonetheless.

Another text from Faye came through. "I don't know how I will ever repay him, even though he said they are gifts."

"I wouldn't worry about that. I'll call you as soon as I have more information about our next steps. I promise I'll take care of this for you."

"Thank you. I've got to run. The baby just woke up. Bye."

"Bye."

A vein at my temple throbbed, and I rubbed it. The headache still hadn't gone away, and my text conversation with Faye hadn't helped.

What was Will's motive? I rarely found people who wanted to help out of the goodness of their hearts. Was there something in it for him? I didn't think it was money. It didn't seem like he was in much need of any. Was he interested in Gabby? Did he want to impress her? But she never spoke about him in any romantic way.

I couldn't think about it now. There was too much on my mind, and frankly, it had nothing to do with me. Why should I care? I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my chest. A pain shot between my ribs and I rubbed that, too. What the hell was wrong with me?

I was still researching Faye's case when Nikole stepped into my office a half hour later.

"Do you have the name of the judge who presided over your last case?"

I rubbed my forehead, trying to recall the information. "I should have it in my schedule. Let me check."

She pursed her lips. "Is everything all right?"

"Fine," I said, dismissing her concern.

"Okay."

Then, while I looked for the name on my computer, she added, "If you ever need to talk to someone. I'm here."

"Thank you."

I knew she meant well, but talking never helped me.

"You know, Will and the guys are great at investigating things, too. You don't have to get the police involved with your sister if you don't want to."

"It's not that," I said, still not making eye contact. "I haven't seen Simon break any laws, so I don't know what I'd even accuse him of."

Besides, I'd never asked anyone for help, and I wasn't interested in starting now.

Nikole stepped further into my office and sat on the chair in front of my desk. "Christina, there's something I should tell you."

The hesitancy in her voice scared me. "All right."

"Jake and his friends are not just ex-soldiers."

"They're not."

She shook her head. "They have specialized skills in rescuing people from dangerous situations. Will should be the one to tell you more, but I want you to know I'm recommending them because I think they could help."

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.

Mmm. This sounded promising.

If Will and his friends were equipped to rescue people, then perhaps he could help get in touch with my sister privately.

"Thank you for telling me that. I think it does make a difference."

She smiled. "So, you're going to ask him to help you?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not looking for any favors. I'm going to hire him."

"Oh," Nikole's face fell. "Ok. That works, too."

"It's perfect. I'm so glad you suggested it."

"Well, I didn't suggest that, but sure, that works, too."

She stood from the chair and put her hand on my desk. "It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help, you know?"

I smiled, forcing my lips to spread across my face. "I know."

She stared at me and nodded. "Ok. I'll see you later."

Just as she was about to walk out my door, I stopped her. "Didn't you want the name of that judge?"

She blinked twice. "Oh, yes, that. Sure. You can email it to me." And then she left.

I narrowed my eyes at her exit and wondered if Nikole thought I'd buy that.

Regardless of her intent, she did have a point. I should use whatever weapons I had at my disposal to take Simon Graff down.

I dialed Will's number, and he answered after two short rings. "Hey," he said slowly. "I'm glad you called."

"Me, too," I said. "I was hoping we could talk today. Do you have time to meet me at the coffee place down the street from my office at lunch?"

"Definitely. I'll be there."

"Great, see you then." I was just about to hang up when his voice stopped me. "Christina?"

"Yes?"

"How did you sleep last night?"

"Terribly."

He paused, then sighed. "Me, too. You should have stayed."

My heart beat faster, and that anxious feeling in my chest returned. "I'll see you later," I said and hung up the phone.

What the fuck was wrong with me? Why didn't I set him straight like I always do? He should know that shit like that didn't work with me. If he said something like that again, I'd be prepared to set him straight. He wouldn't catch me off guard again.

***

The smell of roasted coffee beans brightened my mood when I walked into the coffee shop a few hours later. Will was already sitting in a booth near the front, wearing a white shirt and holding two drinks in his hands.

I raised my eyebrows. "Double-fisting coffees now?"

He shook his head and smiled. "When you didn't get back to me with your order, I asked Nikole."

I had ignored his texts earlier because I was busy with a client and also because I didn't want this to come across as a date. I needed to set the record straight immediately.

"Will, I asked you to meet me here because there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"I'm glad because there's something I'd like to discuss with you, too. I'll go first."

My heart leaped out of my chest. If he said something about us seeing each other, it would make my work request awkward, so I quickly jumped back. "No, no. I'll go first."

He smiled. "All right. Go ahead."

"Nikole mentioned to me earlier today that you possess a certain set of skills that could be useful in retrieving my sister from Simon's house."

He furrowed his brow. "I might."

"Great. Then I'd like to hire you to get my sister out of there."

"Hire me?"

"Yes."

"As in, pay me money to do a job for you?"

I squinted at him, wondering if he was trying to be difficult on purpose to get back to me for leaving last night. "Yes," I said slowly.

He shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"That's right."

"What do you mean, no?"

"Um… as in, no, I won't accept your money."

"Oh." So, this was a conflict with his conscience. He would get over it. "Don't be ridiculous. You're a bodyguard and apparently trained to rescue people. I need someone to free my sister from a potentially dangerous situation. There's no problem here."

"Yes, there is," he said slowly. "We slept together last night. This is no longer a business transaction."

I shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"You don't?"

"Not at all."

He shook his head and smiled, but he didn't look very happy.

"If I don't have a problem with it, then you shouldn't either. Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be."

He looked around the room, apparently thinking about my proposal.

He let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine," he said, finally.

"Great." I folded my hands around the warm coffee cup. "What is your fee? And do you take credit card payments?"

He looked down at my hands, as though he was considering taking the coffee back. "No. I don't."

"That's not a problem. I just like to collect points. Cash then?"

"No."

"Well, how the hell do you want me to pay you?"

He smiled. "I'll let you know when the job is complete."

"How do I know you're not ripping me off?"

"I would never do that."

"How do you know I can even pay the amount if I don't agree to it?"

"I won't ask you for anything I know you can't give."

He stared at me, his eyes roaming down my neck, to the throbbing artery in my neck and heat rushed up my body. He wasn't talking about money, was he? The thought made me wild, but I pushed it down.

"Fine. Agreed."

He nodded but didn't smile. "Let's get to work, then." He pushed his coffee cup aside and stared at me intently. "Tell me everything you know about Simon Graff."

My chest tightened, and I hesitated. An image of Simon on top of me immediately came to mind, but I swatted it away. "He's an asshole."

"I figured that. What does he do for a living?"

"I don't know. Nothing legit, I'm sure. I just can't prove it."

"Where does he live?"

I gave him the address, and he punched it into his phone. He pulled up an aerial map of the place and sent it to someone by text.

"Does he live alone?"

I shook my head. "I didn't see anyone else when I went there, but his twin brother is never far from him."

"What's his name?"

"Gerry."

"How would you describe Simon's temperament?"

"Volatile, unpredictable, mean, vulgar, selfish—"

He raised his hand. "I get the picture."

"Was he violent?"

My hands fisted. "Yes."

He stopped texting in his notes and looked up at me. "Was he ever violent with you?"

My jaw tightened, and I barely got the words out. "Next question."

He blinked. "Christina?"

My heart beat like a charging horse in my chest. "Next. Question."

He swallowed and rubbed both hands over his face. "All right. I'll put together a plan and get back to you when I'm done."

"What do you need me to do in the meantime?"

"Stay away from Simon."

I understood why he asked that of me, but I hated direct orders. I always ignored them when someone told me not to do something. But I would not do it this time. "I'll stay away from Simon, but you've got to keep me in the loop at every turn. I hired you and I expect regular updates. Understood?"

He smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

Then, reaching across the table, he placed his hand over mine. "Come to my place tonight."

My skin tingled where he touched it, and I yanked my hand away. "I'm preparing for a trial, plus I'm working on Faye's case. I don't have time for a personal life right now."

He nodded but held my eyes. "Dinner?"

"I just said—"

"I know what you said. But you've got to eat. I'll bring it to you. Home or office?"

My leg bounced under the table. I didn't know what I wanted to say. I didn't even know which word would come out of my mouth until I said it. "Home."

"I'll be there at seven."

I inhaled sharply as I gathered my things. "Fine. See you then."

I rushed out of the coffee shop, but he called out my name.

I looked over my shoulder. He held up my coffee cup with a smile. Begrudgingly, I went back to get it.

It was good coffee.

The tightening in my chest had nothing to do with the fact that his dimple made my stomach drop.