“Like what he did to your car,” War muttered.
“Yes, like the car. But I already knew he was here, or at least, I feared he was.” Her fingers wiggled in the air. “It’s like a tingle on the back of your neck. An awareness that just comes when you know you’re being hunted. He’s hunting me. I knew it. I hoped I was wrong. I wanted to be wrong, but…” She stopped. Seemed to refocus. “I knew he was watching me when I came back to the country after Jacques’s death. When I…” Now her stare flickered toward Jinx. “When I came back to see you.”
She’d been hunted back then and hadn’t told him?
“It was right after Paris,” she whispered. “Just days later. I didn’t realize he was going to be able to track me so well. I thought I could escape. I was using an alias in France, and I’d always been so careful to cover my identity. I had told you I’d come back, so I-I did…” Her words trailed away.
He finished, “And you saw me with the freaking singer. Like I said, that was nothing—”
“He saw me…going to you. I had barely stepped foot out of the club before my phone was ringing.” Her voice thickened. “When I answered, he asked me…how many men would have to die before I understood how serious he was?”
That was why she’d stayed away?
“And now you say that he came after you last night.” Guilt was clear to see as she added, “You have a target on you because of me, and I am sorry, Jinx.”
Oh, hell, no. “War, I need the room a minute.”
“Uh…you sure about that?”
He dead-eye stared his friend. “War, I need the room a minute,” Jinx repeated flatly. His words were code for…Get the fuck out because I need to make sure Ali understands some shit about me.
War nodded. “Right. So…I’ll just get started checking her ride. Take the room. Have a minute. Have ten.” He sauntered toward the door. “Not like it’s my office or anything. Not like I’m the one who came up with Trouble for Hire. No, no, go ahead. Act like it’s your place.”
Jinx followed him to the door. “Thanks, I will.” Once War had cleared the threshold, Jinx slammed the door shut and locked it before whirling to confront Ali. He stared at her, taking her in, every beautiful, glorious inch of her. And he could only shake his head. “Have you met me before?” He took a surging step toward her.
“Ah, yes…?”
“You’ve seen me in action? Seen me in fantastic battle mode as I cut through my enemies with no hesitation?” Another step.
“I’ve seen you fight and shoot, yes.”
“And I’m spectacular. The best you’ve ever had, am I right?” Another step. Two more.
Her brows rose. “Are you talking about your fighting skills or something else?”
“Both.” Another step.
“I—”
“I can kick ass and fuck all night long.” The words were mocking but he felt anything but teasing. His back teeth had clenched, and he gritted out, “So why the hell would you face this jackass alone? Why in the fucking world would you ever think that I needed to be protected?” Why would she have wasted even a moment being afraid when she could have come to him at any time, and he would have dropped everything for her? Didn’t she get that? Didn’t she know that he would be there for her in an instant, that he would—
A faint tremble of her lower lip. Then she bit that delectable lip. Took a moment and quietly admitted, “I didn’t come to you because the man who is doing this to me? He’s someone on the inside. Someone who works for the same group that we did.”
His gaze sharpened on her.
“I was able to find out that much, at least. He’s part of the black ops group that used us before. He has access to all of our private information. He knows us, inside and out, and because of that, he knows our weaknesses. Our friends. Our families. He knows how to wreck us. I wanted to protect you from that. I tried. I was going off book last night, going to criminals for help because I thought they were people he wouldn’t be able to control.”
“You think he can control me?” No one could.
“I think that I didn’t want to imagine what he could do to you. I have a stalker, all right. Someone with access to every single bit of intel Uncle Sam has on me. On you. Someone who knows how we operate. How to anticipate our moves and wreck us.” She shook her head. “I was trying to protect you. I wanted to protect all of my friends. Coming in today at Trouble for Hire was my last option. I want to turn the tables on this bastard. I want to stop letting him hunt me, and I want to hunt him. I realized last night, I can’t do it alone. He just won’t stop. He’ll keep coming and coming, no matter where I go. To end this, I need backup.”
“Done.” Easy. Should have happened months ago, but at least it was happening now.
“What?”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered against her cheek. “Sweets, you’re staring straight at your backup.” He winked at her. “Your backup, your white knight, your loaded gun, the attack dog you let rip and destroy…” A roll of his shoulders. “Whatever the hell you want me to be, just consider it…done.”
Chapter Four
“Just like that?”
His hand was still against her cheek. Slightly rough, callused fingertips that she was far too aware of as they pressed to her skin. Ali swallowed.
“Just like that,” Jinx told her.
He was so close that if she just leaned up onto her toes, she’d be kissing him. Not that she intended to do that. Bad plan. But… “You realize there’s lots of danger here? We’re obviously dealing with someone who has one hell of a lot of power and who is also super unstable.”
Not a flicker of concern showed on Jinx’s handsome face. “Yes, but I already have a killer plan.”
Was he serious? For the life of her, she could not tell. Typical Jinx. “Do not jerk me around on this,” she whispered. “You don’t know what it’s been like for me. He is always there. Always ahead of me. Why do you think I was so eager to run down here? I wanted breathing space. Room to think and plan.”
“Told you, I already have a plan, and it’s genius.” His gaze slid to her mouth. “But it will have to look convincing, so do keep that in mind. Practice will make perfect.”
“What are you talking about?” And why was she starting to push up onto her tiptoes as if she wanted to kiss him?
A hard rap shook the door. “Are you done with my office?” War demanded, obviously disgruntled.
“Not quite finished working out the details,” Jinx called back cheerfully. “Why don’t you go make another donut run?”
“Screw you, man!”
Jinx’s mouth hitched into a half-smile.
“Can nothing rattle you?” Ali had to shake her head. “I mean, this jerk came for you last night. I just told you that he killed my last target. You’re in his sights now, and you act like this is all a joke.”
He blinked. “It’s no joke.”
Okay…
“Nothing about your safety is ever funny to me. Don’t forget that.”