“Ah. Still in Georgia. Still waiting for trial.” It was easy to see the disgust on Chris’s face, to hear it in his voice.
“It’s been months.”
“Yeah, well, the courts are backed up, and since he is such a good citizen, he’s out on bail.”
“Fuck.”
Chris nodded. “Exactly.”
Anger and frustration had Kai popping up out of the seat and pacing. “You don’t think there’s a chance that he’d show up here, do you?”
“If he could, he would try. But she has a restraining order, and one of the best things to come out of this mess is that his restaurant business went to shit. His standing in the community sort of faltered. His wife just finished off his divorce and left him with nothing. Her lawyer was so ruthless, I was amazed she didn’t end up getting alimony from him, even though she has all the money. So financially he can’t make it over here. I doubt he has enough money to take a bus across town let alone a flight to Hawaii from Atlanta.”
“You keep a close track on him?”
Chris nodded. “I have a friend who lives in Georgia. He’s been keeping track of it. I protect what is mine.”
Kai stopped and stared at Chris. “So do I.”
Chris sighed. “So I guess you’re serious. I’m not sure if she’s ready.”
Kai groaned in frustration. “Jesus, Dupree, I tried. But your sister has a one-track mind, and when she sets it to something there is no getting off that train. I can see how she graduated at the top of her class.”
Chris smiled. “Yeah, it is a bit annoying. I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“No. Knowing Jocelyn, if I broke it off because of you, she would first kick my ass, then yours.”
Chris’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, you know her well.”
Kai shrugged. “She’s an open book.”
Chris shook his head. “No, especially not since her attack. She was so…closed off. Not like she wouldn’t communicate, but she just doesn’t share as much as she used to.”
“Makes sense.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you let me know if anything happens with that ass. I want to know right away if there is even the smallest chance that he could show up here.”
“Are you going to protect my sister?”
“You forget that I started working on the docks at fifteen. I know how to protect what’s mine. I also know how to make someone disappear.”
“Duly noted.”
“I got get going. I have some errands to run.”
He had his hand on the doorknob when Chris stopped him.
“I’m not happy about this.”
Kai looked over his shoulder at him, ready for a fight, but was relieved to see that Chris wasn’t really angry.
“But as you said, Jocelyn doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to. But by God, you hurt her and I’ll hurt you right back.”
“And I’d deserve it.”
He left, knowing that he had just admitted to more than he expected. And he was well and truly tangled up over a woman who would probably not be happy about it.
“You’re brooding,” Cynthia said as she sped around a slow moving truck. “Did something happen at work?”
He shook his head. “No. Kai came by.”
She sighed and he could hear the disapproval in it. Cynthia hadn’t been too happy with his behavior toward Kai since Jocelyn had arrived.
“Please tell me you were nicer to him than you have been lately?”
“I was.” She made a disgusted sound. “Mostly.”
“Christopher Michael Dupree—”
“Hey, don’t three name me, woman. Damn, I laid off him because he wanted to talk about Greg.”
She pursed her lips. “He was trying to pry information out of you?”
“How did someone as sweet as me get tangled up with such a nasty woman?” He shook his head and tsked. “No. She told him about it last night apparently.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
“Well, she didn’t say anything to me about it. I mean, she told me about their date last night, but not that. And I find that more significant.”
“Yeah, it made me think that this may be bigger than we expected.”
“We?”
“Well, you know what I mean. They only just met.”
“You wanted to whisk me away from Georgia after one night, sir.”
He felt his cheeks heat. “Yeah, well, we’re special.”
She laughed, and as always his heart skipped a beat. She had the window open and the balmy afternoon air slipped through her locks. Even though she had lost a few pounds, her face glowed.
“I love you.”