“Exactly what I said, Jacks. You and Misty are capable of wrapping this up in a few hours and get what we need.” Josh rose from his chair. “I told you, I have shit to do, and I meant it.”
Jacks stood, too. “Hold on, bloke. What shit do you have that’s more important than this case?”
Josh moved around his desk and headed for the door.
“You are not walking away from this case for some grade school pussy, that’s absurd.”
Josh turned quickly, moved with the speed of a serpent and clasped his hand around Jacks’ throat. His movement was so quick, it caught both Jacks and Misty off guard.
Josh was seething with rage so much so he even envisioned snapping Jacks’ neck and worked out where he could get rid of the body without a trace in milliseconds.
“Say something else about her that I don’t like, and I’ll bury you… get in my way or fuck this up for me, and I’ll bury you. I don’t give two fucks what kind of history we have together. She doesn’t deserve that shit, you got me?”
Jacks held on to Josh’s wrist, but he never struggled. He looked into Josh’s eyes and caught a glimpse of his own demise. He knew Josh’s question was rhetorical, so he didn’t move.
Josh finally let him go then walked out of the room, but not before saying calmly as he left, “I have my cell if you need me.”
Josh found Kenya in the main office area talking to Junior. They both were hovered over his computer screen when he entered the room, which didn’t help his mood. He wanted to get her out of here as soon as he could and lose himself nice and slow.
Kenya sensed his brooding presence and met him before he got to Junior’s desk. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying her best to ignore everyone in the room. Josh looked down at her, wrapped his arms around her waist and felt the ice that was flowing through him melt the moment she smiled.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes, everything is fine,” he answered. He looked over her head and said, “I see you’ve been making friends?”
Kenya laughed lightly and shook her head. “Oh yeah, well just Junior. You have great people working for you that respect and admire you.”
Josh’s eyebrows rose, and he looked down at her. He cocked his smile to the side and pulled her closer to him.
“You think so?”
“Yes, I do.” She leaned in closer to him and whispered, “So be nice.”
He was shocked at her statement. He never thought he treated his team badly. He was a no–nonsense type of guy, but for the most part not hard to get along with. But if she saw something there then maybe his team did too. If he was honest with himself, he really didn’t care what they thought of him just as long as they did their job and didn’t get him killed. But Summer Dean aka Kenya Frost had changed him.
He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.
He said just as softly, “For you, anything.”
He moved from her arms and went to Junior’s desk. Junior, who right along with everyone else, witnessed the exchange, was in utter disbelief.
Junior was small in stature, at five seven and barely weighed one twenty. He wore his hair long and kept it in a ponytail and wore small–framed glasses. One thing he wasn’t was a punk. He always met bullies and challenges head on. He learned how to protect himself and became a black belt while in high school.
He trained in China for three years, studying computers with a legendary technology school as well as martial arts and the Chinese language and culture. He was by far one of the smartest men in America and didn’t have a problem with letting people know it.
He met Josh while he was on a job in China ten years ago. Junior was one of his contacts over there and quickly became his partner, especially when Josh saw how he could handle himself both on the job and off.
Josh recruited Junior to work for him solely, and when the agency gave him his own team, he brought Junior along. Junior had been with Josh almost as long as Misty had, so he knew him very well and had invited Junior to his parent’s home as well as his own on multiple occasions.
Junior was one of the few people who were never bothered by Josh’s attitude and temper. He knew without a doubt that Josh had his back, and Josh knew Junior had his. It was an unspoken rule that was established the day they first met.
So when Josh walked up to him and said calmly, something that wasn’t being portrayed in his body language, “Do you have any updates for me?” He couldn’t help but be stunned.
Junior stared at his boss for a few seconds before he snapped out of it and said, “Oh yeah, um, the packages have arrived, and they’re being placed in the interrogation rooms in the dungeon.”
Josh nodded. “About time. Call Misty and Jacks and let them know.”
“I already have.”
Josh nodded. “And what about the other items I asked you to look into?”
“Still looking but I should have something for you by the end of the week. Has anything changed?” Junior looked back at Kenya then to his boss.
Josh shook his head. “Nope, business as usual. Although hold off on making contact. I want to do that on my own, and I can’t do that for at least a few weeks.”
“No problem then. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Junior,” Josh replied then looked at Kenya. “Are you ready?”
Kenya nodded and walked up to the pair, looking at Junior while placing her hand in Josh’s.
“It was very nice to meet you, Junior.”
“You too, Kenya.” He smiled then turned and sat back in his chair.
Josh grunted, grabbed his jacket and guided Kenya to the door to leave.
When they got back into the car, Josh looked at Kenya and asked, “Where to?”
Kenya didn’t waste any time and said, “My place.”
Josh nodded and pulled out of the parking lot, heading west on Carson Street trying not to speed. He didn’t know if she would want to just be dropped off and left alone or if she would invite him in. Earlier in his office he would have thought the latter; however, letting what Jacks said get to him he started second guessing himself.
What if he was right and his life was too much for her? Would he be willing to let her go without a fight? Could he just lie to her and hope she wouldn’t leave the moment she found out? He needed to know unequivocally how she felt about him, about this whole mess. He could make assumptions, but he wanted to hear it from her mouth.
When they pulled up to her apartment, he put the car in park and stayed idle. He kept his hands on the wheel and looked over at her. He saw the apprehension in her body language then the resolve.
She asked him, “Are you coming inside?”
Trying not to smile, especially because there was still a chance this could go bad he said, “Let me find a parking space, and I’ll be right in.”
She nodded and got out of the car without looking back… Bad sign, he thought.
He had to go around the block twice before he caught someone leaving around the corner from her building. He parked and got out, trying to rehearse what he could say to her if she didn’t want to see him again.
He was already making a few changes in his life to fit her in. He didn’t mind making more. He just needed to let her know he would do whatever it took to keep her.
He walked into the building then absently opened her door. He locked the door and turned the corner of the living room to the kitchen, and she wasn’t there. He kept walking toward her bedroom and found her standing by her bed in a silk robe that she left untied. He took stock in the curves of her body, remembered the sweet taste it gave off and he felt himself grow with anticipation, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t, for one thing, but for another, he wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do. Was this all she wanted or was it more? Did she feel obligated because of what he said to her earlier or did she really want him?
His questions were answered when she walked toward him, dropping her robe as she moved. Her hands went straight to his belt buckle, and she pulled him completely inside her room.
“Do the rules still apply from earlier?” she asked him, her green eyes intense with fire.
His breathing became shallow, and he felt his heart picking up its pace.
He cleared his throat to make sure it was working and said, “If that’s what you want?”
Kenya moved her hands up his sides, around to his chest, up to his neck and in his hair. She positioned her body as close to his as she could and slowly moved her body up so her lips would be closer to his.
She tilted his head down to her, and she said, inches from his mouth, “You’re what I want.” Then, she kissed him.
Josh didn’t waste any time getting naked and wasted no time claiming her body again. He’d wanted to taste her since the moment she got up this morning and didn’t know how long he would make it without it. He needed her desperately, and he knew he shouldn’t feel that way. It was dangerous for him, but he didn’t have a way to stop.
He got lost in her sweetness until he and she couldn’t take it anymore. He stroked her long and hard the way she was beginning to enjoy, and once he felt the level of control disseminate, he became hard and rough and primal, and she took it all from him.
Finally, after exhausting themselves fully, they collapsed on the bed with her back against his chest and his arm protectively around her waist. They fell asleep soundly and wordlessly until Josh felt light kisses on his chest. He squirmed and let a slow and long moan escape his throat. His hands went in search of the source of the feeling and put his hands in her hair. When he opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful set of green ones looking back at him.