Page 5 of Desperate Temptations

E arly Saturday morning , a knock sounded at her door. Tired and sluggish from lack of sleep, Jessa answered, surprised to see Gary standing there with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Come in, Gary,” she said, stepping aside and then closing the door.

Before she could step farther into the room, Gary spun around angrily.

“What the hell, Jessa?”

Jessa stopped, her hand going to her throat, shocked. She closed her mouth and took a small, hesitant step back. In all the time she’d known him, Gary had never raised his voice to her.

“What?” That was two men in less than eight hours who had been angry with her.

He brushed his hand through his thinning hair.

“I’ve asked you to please stay out of the investigation, and I find out you’re still snooping around.

Snooping in places you have no right being.

” He strode to her, grasped her shoulder tightly, and made her flinch.

“You’re going to get killed if you don’t stop.

Do you realize how much danger you’re putting yourself in and what things Martinez will do to you if he finds you? ”

She shrugged away from him and took a step back. Realization and then anger flashed through her.

“How did you know I was there last night?” Then another thought raced through her mind. A cold knot formed in her stomach. “That man from last night? Is he the one who told you about me? You know him?”

He turned away from her, his frustration showing in every line of his body. He turned back.

“Yes, he did tell me. He is someone I thought maybe could get through to you. You weren’t listening to me. It helped that he’s scary as hell, very much like the people you’re stalking, and I expected if anyone could persuade you to stay away, he could.”

She wrapped her arms around her middle. A raw and primitive feeling of deceit was pressing down, trying to overwhelm her. When she tried to speak, her voice wavered.

“Who is he?”

Gary’s jaw bunched, his fists clenching at his side.

“His name is Cain Owens. He was a friend of Drew’s from way back.”

Jessa’s hand lifted to cover her mouth, eyes wide with shock.

“How do you know him? And if he was friends with Drew, why didn’t I ever meet him, or hear about him for that matter?”

Gary closed his eyes and pressed onto the bridge of his nose.

“Cain is—was—military. He was in a specialized group of men who did delicate work for our government. He’s been out of the country for many years.

The few times he had been back to see Drew were brief visits.

He doesn’t like being around people, and he’s especially uncomfortable around women like you.

So, when Drew suggested he come for dinner to meet you, he always declined.

From what Drew has told me, he’s an extremely private man, so the less you know about him, the better. ”

Jessa walked to the bay window, looked out at the yard, and wrapped her arms around her waist. Her dismay grew, making her increasingly uncomfortable.

“Women like me? What does that mean?” she asked quietly.

Gary rubbed the back of his head, his eyes skimming over her. He hesitated.

“You’re nice, classy, and soft-spoken. You’re used to finer things. He’s used to hard women, used to the harsher side of life.”

She tensed, resenting that. Hadn’t she gone through enough harshness? Was there something worse than seeing someone you love die right before your eyes? Jessa shook her head and walked around the living room.

“Why is he here now? Why didn’t Drew ever tell me, his wife,” she tapped her chest with her hand, “about him?”

“I don’t know what to tell you about Drew. They grew up together, I know that. Their families were friends.”

He gave her a fiery, angry look that she’d never seen on him.

“Maybe it had something to do with his occupation, or maybe he didn’t want you anywhere around the man. He’s been to every hellhole on earth doing God knows what.”

Some of her anger evaporated and left only questions and confused emotions.

“What else do you know about him?”

Gary gritted his teeth. Anger flashed like lightning across his face. She could tell he was getting more frustrated.

“He’s retired now. When he came back to town a few months ago, the DA’s office hired him as an investigator. Don’t ask me any more questions about him because that’s all I know. Drew didn’t tell me a lot about the man.”

She paced as her thoughts raced through her head. She didn’t understand why she wanted—no, needed —to know more about him and why he fascinated her so much. Maybe it was the fact that he’d been a part of Drew’s life that he kept separate from her.

Gary stopped her thoughts.

“I need your promise you’ll stay out of this. It will only get you hurt.” He held her shoulders and bent to look in her eyes, worry evident in his puckered brow. “Promise me.”

Her large green eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head slowly.

“If it were Aubrey, would you give up?” Jessa asked.

She was confused by the rapid look of disdain that crossed his face before he cursed under his breath and walked a few feet away from her, his shoulders rigid with resentment. When he turned, desperation and a level of firm insistence crept into the words.

“I’m trained for this kind of thing. You’re not. God, if they got ahold of you, the things they’d do. You have no idea.”

Her voice was hoarse with frustration. “I’m not an idiot. I’ve thought about what I’m doing and the risks I’m taking, and frankly, I’m willing to do it. This is all I have. Please don’t try to take it away from me.”

She saw him grit his teeth, his body so tense he looked rigid.

“You’re willing to die?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes!” she yelled, shocking them both. Jessa unclenched her hands, took deep breaths, and willed herself to calm down.

He was still angry but strained to keep his voice even.

“Why?” He raised his arms to his side with a look of disbelief on his face. “Why, Jessa?”

Defensive tears slowly slid down her cheeks. She dabbed them angrily away with the back of her hand.

“Because if I don’t do something to find out why this happened, I might as well lie down and die myself.” Holding her hands out in front of her, pleading with him to understand. “It’s what keeps me going every day.”

Jessa paced over to the big bay window again, turned her back to him, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

She gazed out through the glass but saw absolutely nothing.

Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, emotions, and retrospection, which made her blind to everything else. She took a stuttering breath.

“I know he’s been gone a long time. But Gary, I don’t think it’s all about Drew. It’s about me being a different person now. I’m no longer the little princess who lets everyone take care of me.” Her voice grew in strength. “I want, no, I have to, be stronger than I was.”

“You’re scaring me, Honey. You can be strong without putting yourself in danger. It sounds like you have some kind of death wish. You have people who care about you. What about us?”

She heard the desperation in his tone. She looked at him over her shoulder.

“No, not a death wish. But I won’t sit by and do nothing either.” A feeling of darkness seeped into her heart. What if she died? She couldn’t think of anyone who’d mourn her, maybe Gary and Aubrey, but they weren’t really that close anymore.

She suddenly realized she hadn’t seen or talked to Aubrey in over a year. Some friend I am , she thought.

Frustration was written on his face. Finally, he looked down and shook his head.

“I must tell you, Jessa, if my boss orders me to arrest you for tampering with the investigation, I will. I’ll do it if it will keep you safe.”

Looking just as determined, she tilted her chin up.

“Okay, I understand. You do what you have to do, and I’ll do what I have to do.”

“You’re not leaving me any choice, Jessa.”

She frowned at him, confused.

“What choice? To arrest me? Go for it,” she said and shrugged.

****

G ary watched her silently for several minutes while his heart sank in despair. He couldn’t lose her now, not when he was so close to finally having her. Everything was, at last, coming together for him.

He felt a desperate defeat. He hoped he wouldn’t make a mistake she’d never forgive him for, or he could forgive himself for.

He just prayed the interest she showed over Cain was because of fear, or maybe the fact that Drew had been his friend and she hadn’t known about it, so she was curious, and nothing else.

He didn’t think he had to worry about Cain’s feelings for her.

The man didn’t seem to have any, and he could never see Jessa fall for someone like Cain.

“No ... worse. Most people would choose jail over what’s coming for you.”

Good, her eyes widened, and he finally glimpsed a shadow of fear that darkened her beautiful eyes.

“What are you talking about, Gary?” she asked.

He walked to the door and turned back with his hand on the knob.

“Just remember I warned you, Jessa, and frankly this is the only way I know to keep you safe and away from Martinez. I’ll keep in touch,” he said, then walked out the door and ignored her call to come back.

****

T he rest of the day she pondered what he said. What could he do worse than arrest? Gary wouldn’t go after Martinez himself, would he? She didn’t want him to get hurt because of her.

She didn’t think he’d send that guy to scare her again since it didn’t work the last time. She’d tried to call Gary after he left. He didn’t answer, so she left a message to call her back. Jessa would ask him then.

Jessa made herself a salad for dinner, sat, and picked at it as she pondered everything. She decided it didn’t matter. She would deal with whatever he threw at her. She was determined, and nothing was going to stop her.