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“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head as she placed the taco fixings before him. “I just wish I could talk to him. The two-minute conversation we had wasn’t nearly enough.”
Downing half a taco in one bite, Xavier took a moment to savor the delightful flavor before he said, “Your brother is definitely not one for words.”
She dropped into a chair across from him and sighed. “Even when he was younger, he wasn’t a big talker. I made up for it, though. Papa Mac used to say that the McAlister men let their size do their talking for them.”
It lifted his heart to envision a young, energetic Jazz chatting away with her family. And he could definitely see where Brody McAlister’s size would send a message to anyone without him having to use words.
“He loves you.” Xavier hadn’t thought he’d ever say that about her brother, but it was obvious. While he might not approve of the way the man had handled things, he would no longer deny that Brody did care about his sister.
“Of course he does.”
She said it so simply, so assuredly, his heart practically jumped from his chest. The fact that she’d never lost faith in her brother, even after all this time and what she’d been through, was a testament to the character of Jazz McAlister. She was loyalty, strength, and bravery wrapped up in a beautiful, delightful package.
And showing that she was also still a keen-eyed OZ operative, she continued, “So what’s the deal on this Sullivan guy he told you about? Is he after me, too?”
“Hard to say. He’s Doyle’s former brother-in-law, so the possibility of his involvement is strong, but his digital footprint is almost nonexistent. He’s either completely innocent, or he’s very, very good at covering his tracks.”
“But Brody obviously thinks he’s dirty.”
“He does, and that’s why we’re focusing on him.” He took her hand and said, “I couldn’t stay away from you any longer, though. I’ve missed you so damn much.”
When he tugged on her hand, she stood and walked around the table to him. Sitting on his lap, she cuddled against him and whispered, “I can’t believe you’re really here. This seems like a dream come true.”
Xavier drew in a breath. This wasn’t how he’d planned it at all, but he could no longer hold himself back.
“I love you, Jazz. You know that, right?”
Lifting her head, she gazed into his eyes and said softly, “I do. And I love you, too.”
Withdrawing a small box that had been burning a hole in his pocket all the way here, he handed it to her as he asked gruffly, “Then would you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?”
She froze in his arms, and the shocked expression on her face sent terror throughout Xavier’s body. Had he jumped the gun and scared her off? He should have waited, given her a chance to talk about where she wanted to go with their relationship. Maybe his idea of love wasn’t hers. They should have talked about it before he’d thrown the question out there.
Swallowing past a rapidly developing lump of dread in his throat, he rasped, “Jazz, you don’t?—”
Tears gleaming in her eyes, she stopped his stumbling words with her fingertips to his mouth. “Xavier Quinn, there is nothing I would love more than to be your wife.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Chicago
Someone was on to him. It was the only explanation for all the increased interest about him online. Whoever was digging into him was good, almost as good as he was. They had erased all digital footprints that would lead him to their identity, but he had trigger alarms set up to alert him of any unusual activity, and over the past few days, there had been a lot of it.
Chewing nervously on his lip, Oscar continued to click through the latest batch of worms trying to infiltrate his personal data. Every time they came close, one of his soldier worms ate the intel, and it disappeared. At any other time, he would enjoy the challenge, but this concerned him on a level he had never experienced.
Had the people who were supposed to be helping him sold him out? Were they perhaps dallying with him, mocking him, and then they planned to eliminate him? The very idea that he had worked so hard for all this for it to fall apart on him was mind-blowing. He wanted to call them and demand answers, but he also didn’t want to call attention to himself again.
Couldn’t they just do what he had asked them to do? Wasn’t that the agreement? And if they were going to do what they’d said they would do, why hadn’t they? They had spies everywhere. Surely they knew where the girl was. Were they just toying with him?
Slamming his laptop closed, he surged up from his chair and paced around his desk. What was he going to do if he was their target now? He was on their radar. Nothing would protect him if they wanted to take him out. They had thousands, perhaps millions, of people in their debt who, at a moment’s notice, might be told to do away with him. And he would never see it coming—just like Bass and so many others.
How could he have been so stupid?
Oscar pulled at his hair and ground his teeth till his jaw ached. If he weren’t so distraught, he would be laughing, because he suddenly wished Kevin were alive so he could get his take. He hadn’t had a lot of respect for his brother-in-law, and he deserved to be dead after what he’d done, but for just a few minutes, he’d like to have the man here.
A buzzing noise sounded, and he almost jumped out of his skin. When he realized it was just his phone, a strangled laugh emerged from his dry mouth. If he jumped at every small sound, he’d likely die of a heart attack long before anyone from the Wren Project could get to him.