Page 20

Chapter 20

Jay

W hat was I thinking, kissing Maxwell? I did it for the right reason, but there were other ways I could’ve achieved the same thing.

Kissing her crossed the line.

But damn, it felt good. I shifted to look out the window so I could adjust myself without being too obvious. The kiss sent most of my blood to the part of my body that needed it least.

Maxwell drove me crazy and made me feel like a failure. There was no way I felt anything for her. So, kissing her shouldn’t have stirred up anything.

Who was I kidding, I was a healthy young guy who’d just pushed a gorgeous, feisty woman against a wall and kissed her like my life depended on it. Of course it stirred things up.

Like the stupid sensations in my chest I refused to give words to.

Nope .

And the fire in her eyes when she yelled at me, wasn’t a turn on. Neither was the color in her pale, slightly freckled cheeks when she blushed.

Nope.

Not even a little.

Not at all.

I had zero intentions of catching feelings ever again. And there was no way in hell I’d allow myself to catch them for the woman sitting in my truck, the co-worker who irritated the fuck out of me every day.

Awkward silence filled the cab as I drove back to the office.

Until my phone rang. “Sheppard. You’re on speaker.”

“We found something you need to see.”

Before Doug could say anything else, I said, “We’re fifteen minutes out.”

“Meet us in the conference room.”

I barely had time to say, “Copy that,” before he disconnected the call.

“Just what we need, more good news.” I said, laying the sarcasm on thick.

Maxwell nodded, but didn’t answer as her fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on her thighs.

The sinking feeling in my gut encouraged me to press the accelerator and push the boundaries of what the local cops considered “acceptable” speeding.

Back in the conference room, Doug had a bunch of images up on the big screen. He’d been running facial recognition for Wendy and our mystery man in the greater Parker and Dallas counties .

“I think we found your guy,” he said.

I walked up to the screen, and peered at the pictures. Maxwell stood right beside me, smelling delicious. Nope . Can’t think like that.

“Who is he?” she asked.

“His name is Robert Roman.”

Turning around, I said. “So Mr. R. is a Roman.” It shouldn’t have surprised me, having considered the possibility, but I’d hoped, for Wendy’s sake, it wouldn’t be true.

“He’s Richard’s nephew,” my father answered. “And by all accounts, he’s spoiled rotten and has caused more than his fair share of trouble.”

“Legal, I presume, but what kind?” Maxwell asked.

“He’s had run-ins with the law for everything from petty theft to drunk driving but nothing stuck,” Jamie answered. “He currently works for his uncle.”

“Where’s Blake?” I asked.

“She’s safe. Eric’s bringing her here now,” Dad answered.

“And AJ?” Maxwell asked.

“Dean’s already en route to replace him, so he’ll be back soon,” Dad added. Smart move. He couldn’t risk the companies reputation if AJ went all protective ape and left a client unprotected. AJ was reliable and responsible, but he was also prone to losing his mind if he thought Blake was in danger.

No, that wasn’t true. He’d compartmentalized his feelings earlier this year when he’d been forced to trade Blake for Meg. And he’d shown remarkable restraint when he gave Roman’s goon, who was holding a gun to Blake’s head, a chance to surrender.

“Once I had a name, I found out everything I could on his recent whereabouts.” Doug clicked on a picture and enlarged it. “That’s when I found this.”

It was a picture of Robert and Wendy leaving Maison Beaumont, a high-end restaurant where you had to know someone to get a reservation. Wendy was dressed to the nines, and wearing the same chandelier necklace we saw in the photo from the party.

Maxwell stared at the photo for a good minute before saying, “She doesn’t look happy.” She turned to Doug. “Do you have a date on this?”

“The Saturday before her father noticed she was missing,” he answered.

She was alive Saturday night, but the look on her face and the tension in her body made me nervous. What happened? Why hadn’t she come home?

“Anything more recent, of either of them?”

“Nothing.” Doug answered Maxwell.

“What’s your gut telling you?” Dad asked her.

“Something happened that night.” She paused. “A place like this has to have cameras. Did you get any footage?”

“No, they hung up on us when we called and asked,” Jamie said.

Just then Jack walked in. “Blake’s downstairs with Meg. Door’s locked and Eric’s with them.” I think he said the last part for his benefit, not ours. He was still freaked out about Roman’s, Richard not Robert, goons taking Meg, forcing us to exchange Blake for her. I couldn’t blame him; they’d found out she was pregnant a week before it happened.

Jamie looked down at his phone, his shoulders relaxing as he read. “Sammie will be here any minute with Emily,” he said. Emily hadn’t been threatened last time, but Roman would use any means necessary to get to us once he learned we were investigating him.

No one was safe until we put that fucker behind bars.

Or six feet under .

I looked at Dad. “And Ma?”

He laughed. “She refused to leave the shop, reminding me she’s locked and loaded. So is Beth.” He shared a look with Doug. “I called the chief and asked him to park a cruiser outside. And Chase is currently living the dream at WPD.” That kid loved police officers and would tell anyone who’d listen he wanted to, ‘be the police’ when he grew up.

“No doubt talking the ear off anyone who’ll listen,” Doug said. He kept his voice calm, but the tension his body showed how worried his was for his fiancée and soon to be son.

Everyone we loved was accounted for. The only other person Roman could threaten to get to us was Jamie’s twin, Madi, but she was currently living on a Navy base in Louisiana.

“I’ll make some calls,” Maxwell said, already pulling out her phone and stepping into the hall. When she came back she said, “I should have the footage in a few hours at the latest.”

Having friends in the FBI was helpful when we needed to do things the right way. Or when we got stone walled. No doubt Doug could hack the restaurants surveillance cameras, but the evidence wouldn’t be admissible in court.

“We need to a make game plan,” Jamie said. “I wrapped up my case today, and don’t have anything I can’t shuffle around for the week.”

“I should be free by tomorrow afternoon,” Jack added.

“I can help before and after my protection detail tomorrow and Friday,” Doug added.

“I’m yours for whatever you need. I’ve asked Meg not to schedule anything else for the rest of the week,” Dad said.