War shook his head. Then lasered his attention on Ali. “What do you want to do?”
She wanted to go back to having a normal life. Wasn’t that why she’d told her handler she was out even before that last mission had begun? Unlike War and Jinx, she wasn’t former military. Jinx had been right when he said she’d always had a wall around her on their missions. Her job hadn’t been the fighting and the explosions and everything else that could still give her nightmares. She’d been about retrieval. Infiltration.
And the way she’d gotten that job? A long and twisted road. A road that had begun when she’d broken the law and been given two options.
Option one…jail.
Option two…work for the government.
Either way, she’d been told that she had to do her time in order to make the crime go away. I didn’t have my own life for too long. I want it now. I want to be like everyone else.
“He’s already coming after me.” Jinx grabbed for one of the donuts. Started munching as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “And this morning, seeing as how he was tracking your ride, I’m sure he knows you came here. To me.”
But she hadn’t been going to him. She’d been going to Trouble for Hire. She’d been hoping War and Odin would keep this whole matter off Jinx’s radar.
And that didn’t happen.
Jinx watched her carefully. “You can walk away and try to keep handling things solo, but the guy has me in his sights, and based on what you’ve said, I doubt he’s just going to let me tra-la-la on my merry way. He’ll come for me again, whether you’re involved in the plan I have or not.”
Her twisting gut told her that he was right.
“If we work together, at least you can watch my sexy ass.” Jinx finished the donut. Licked a little glaze off his finger.
And she had a quick flash of what he could do with that talented tongue of his.
Not now.
But her cheeks were flushing. Jinx, of course, noticed. “You’ll move into my place. No sense staying at a condo that probably has BS security. I’ll keep you close. We’ll put on a show the stalker will never forget, and when he comes in from the dark, we’ll have him.”
The plan sounded simple enough, but she knew it wasn’t simple. There were about a million things that could go wrong.
“Do you have another option?” Jinx wanted to know.
If she’d had another option, she wouldn’t be standing there.
Jinx’s expression said he knew as much.
So…
“Looks like we’re going to be lovers again,” he told her. He seemed absolutely gleeful.
***
Jinx ducked out of the office because he had to make a fast phone call. War was going over some details with Ali, and Jinx wanted to get his ass back in there ASAP, but first…
“What the hell is it now?” Ramsey demanded when he answered the call.
“The attack last night wasn’t about you. I don’t think our connection is known.”
“What?”
“He was coming for me, and he’s been trying to hurt something that’s mine.” Jinx wasn’t going to say more. Ramsey didn’t need to know more about Ali. “I’ll be taking care of him. Consider the problem eliminated.”
“Jinx—”
He hung up. Mostly because he’d just caught sight of War. The guy had shoved his head out of the office door.
Most days, he liked War. Got along great with him. Considered him family. But War didn’t know all of Jinx’s secrets, and the man could be like a dog with a bone…
“Everything good?” War asked as he slipped fully out of the office and pulled the door shut behind him.
Jinx considered how to play the scene. Decided to go with straight honesty. “No.” He shoved the phone into his back pocket. “Ali’s been on her own handling this for too long. She should have come to me sooner.” I will be pissed about this for a while.
War tilted his head. “She should have come to you…because you had a one-night stand with her?”
Jinx smiled at his friend. Strolled toward him. Slapped a hand on War’s shoulder. “Who said I had a one-night stand?”
“Uh, you did. Loudly. Not even thirty minutes ago—”
“I had a beginning with her. That’s what I had. Now I get to have the rest.”
War’s eyes widened. Then narrowed. “It’s a show, isn’t it? An act…”
“Sure, the whole world’s a friggin’ stage. I’m sure someone famous said that once.”
“It was Shakespeare.”
“See? Someone famous.” He let go of War. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to my girlfriend.”
“Your pretend girlfriend.”
He sidled around War.
“Is there something else I need to know about?” War asked.
His question stopped Jinx just as he was reaching for the doorknob.
“Because I swear, lately with you, I feel like I’m missing pieces of a puzzle. You’ve always been secretive, but this is a whole other level.”
Jinx didn’t open the door. Not yet. “You are one of the closest friends that I have in this world. You and Odin got me through some dark times, and I would kill for you two any day of the week.” He looked back. “I’d also kill for the woman in that room. You, Odin, and Ali have my loyalty, and I hope you all know it. Any secrets that I carry would never hurt you. I wouldn’t let them hurt the three of you.”
War nodded. “I believe you, but you don’t have to carry things alone. That’s what we’re here for, remember?”
“Tell that shit to Ali. She’s the one that’s been stalked while we didn’t know a damn thing about it.” A situation that had now changed. He yanked open the door.
***
“It’s pretend, you get that, don’t you?” Ali asked softly as they parked beside Armageddon later that night.
Why did people keep telling him stuff was for pretend? Jinx just shook his head.
As typical for a Friday night, War’s bar was packed. There was a line of people waiting to get in—War did have the best whiskey in town, after all—but Jinx knew he wouldn’t be standing in that line. There were perks that came from being buddies with the owner of the place. Immediate entrance? Perk number one.
She climbed off the motorcycle. Clung to Jinx’s shoulders for just a moment before she stepped back. During the ride over, she’d been plastered ever-so-wonderfully against him. Her arms had wrapped around his waist, and she’d held him as if she’d never let go.
For the cover, of course. Just like everything else that was about to happen would be for the cover, too.
“I’m not looking to…ah…pick up where we left off.” She handed him her helmet. He secured it. Then took his time getting off the bike. He’d already removed his own helmet.
“Why not?” he asked, truly curious. “I’m pretty sure you told me the sex was phenomenal.”
“I—” Her nose scrunched in thought. “Did I say that?”
He was sure she’d meant to say that. “Phenomenal…incredible…same thing, am I right?”