Chapter Seventeen
Bella woke a few hours later and knew that Jason was gone. After they had made love, they had drifted back to sleep until Jason got a call. He had kissed her lightly and told her that he had to go. Bella murmured for him to be careful and that she loved him before succumbing to sleep once more.
Feeling refreshed, she rolled to his side of the bed and breathed in his scent. Running her hand along his pillow, a sparkle caught her eye. On her ring finger was the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. It was a brilliant princess cut diamond set in platinum with little diamonds running along the length of the band. With a startled cry, she sat up so she could see it clearly.
Of course.
She laughed lightly. He had just asked her to marry him hours ago, but of course he already had his ring on her finger.
Holding her hand close to her chest, she felt love surging through her. Jason must have put the ring on while she slept.
That man, her man still had problems with emotional situations. She imagined that he had given her the ring while she slept to avoid getting mushy again. Oh, he has a lot to learn, and she would be the one to teach him, she thought with a smile.
* * * *
Jason had a large study on the other side of his apartment, and he preferred to do most of his business from the dominion of that room. It was actually two spacious rooms that he had modified to create a meeting area and a private office in the back with access from only one entrance. High-tech equipment mixed with plush comfortable chairs and settees in an informal meeting area that looked as though it belonged in an elegant gentlemen’s club and a huge conference table and leather chairs at the far end room for more formal meetings. Thick carpeting and soundproof walls ensured privacy of conversations within this inner sanctum.
Set on the interior side of the apartment, there were no windows to the outside world. Even though all the windows of the building had thick, bullet-resistant glass, nothing was bulletproof, and in his profession it was always better to be safer than sorry.
In addition, all of the doors in the apartment were thick steel frames with dark wood overlay that could withstand a battering ram, but this room, his sanctuary, was fully protected with reinforced walls as well. One wall of the great room held an impressive collection of ancient weapons, which Jason could wield with frightening accuracy and precision, artfully arranged around an enormous fireplace.
A large opened doorway led to his official office with his formal desk and computer systems. Hidden amongst the dark panels of wood was a hidden elevator that no one knew about and a safe that would take a team of professionals days to crack. He took the information he handled very seriously and did everything possible to ensure that it remained secure.
Sal, Rock, Adrian, Slade, and Brett Michaels sat with him in the informal meeting area as they went over the data that had been collected on Victor Dane. Brett had just come back from an assignment overseas and wanted in on the details.
Tara and Tony were busy down in headquarters trying to hack into any available cameras around the area to find a shot of Dane’s transportation or perhaps even a license plate to go on. It was just a matter of time before they traced him to wherever he was hiding.
No one escaped them for long. Victor Dane was a dead man walking.
Jason hated waiting. Dealing with terrorists wasn’t easy, but at least there was usually a method to their madness. Power, greed, and corruption were addictive incentives for nefarious characters, and like the old adage stated, there was very little honor amongst those leading a life of crime. Patience was important in their line of work. No matter what, Jason always got his man, but this was entirely different.
This was worse.
Jason hated that Dane was in the same city as Bella. Hell, he hated that Dane existed in the same world as Bella. But that would end soon. He would find Victor Dane. And when he did, he would kill him. What made this even more difficult was that Victor was harder to trace because he was just plain fucking crazy. Crazy psychos were less predictable than regular criminals, but still they would find him.
Then Jason would end the threat against his woman.
Automatically tensing at a sound in the open doorway, Jason only had a second before Bella ran into the room and threw herself onto him, kissing him passionately. His arms immediately wound around her, holding her to him as he kissed her back with matching enthusiasm.
Rock, Adrian, and Slade coughed to cover their laughter, leaving Sal to grumble alone. Brett Michaels just watched them with considering and curious eyes.
Bella pulled back to smile at Jason. Shafts of desire surged through him just by looking at her, making his cock press against the zipper of his jeans. Christ, she was beautiful. Her smile soothed his soul, made him ache to touch her, and filled him with love.