Page 17 of James (Big Northwest #6)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

JAMES

T HE SCOWL ON Phillip’s face was almost as cute as his jealousy over Enzo.

Honestly, the emotion was probably warranted. Enzo was ridiculously hot and ridiculously wealthy and ridiculously powerful.

Which was why she had no real interest in him. Everything about the man was ridiculous. Plus, she’d seen what power could do to men, and the risks weren’t worth the rewards.

No matter how tall, dark, and handsome those rewards might be.

“How in the hell did he end up on your list if he’s such a nice fucking guy?” Phillip’s scowl permeated each word, making the question sound angry and almost accusing. Like he was judging her ability to decipher a person’s character.

But she wasn’t the only one in the car who knew Enzo and had dealings with him. “Obviously you didn’t think he was an awful person either or you wouldn’t have taken him on as a client.”

Phillip was silent. He should be. She made a good point.

“So don’t act like I’m an idiot and you’re not.” She shifted around in her seat, kicking off the slides she’d picked up at the store so she could tuck both feet under her ass as she leaned against the console. “And Enzo wasn’t the one responsible for his name ending up on that list. His right-hand man was.” She had genuinely liked Enzo. The nights he came into the club where she worked before moving to The Secret Garden were some of her favorites.

And best paying.

But then Enzo’s guy got a little handsy and she got a little angry and shit went sideways. She hadn’t loved that club to start with—it was nice, but not close enough to the strip to attract the high rollers—so the whole interaction was a good enough reason to move along and find her way to a better opportunity.

And honestly, her altercation with Enzo’s man was way less problematic than the rest of the incidents on that list, so she sort of thought she could get away with just going to a different club instead of moving to a new city. Part of her genuinely believed Enzo wouldn’t let his guy come after her. He always requested her when he came in. Acted respectable and tipped well. Sometimes he didn’t even want her to dance. Sometimes they just sat and talked.

Imagining him deciding to send men to abduct her was difficult, if not impossible. “Is Nathan sure it was Enzo’s men who came to the hotel?”

Phillip’s frown deepened. Like her questioning the validity of his team’s intel was offensive. “He’s positive.”

“I’m just checking.” She scooted back to sit fully in her own seat. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Her eyes snapped to his lap as the morning rush flashed through her brain. “Is that why you’re so grumpy? Because you forgot to put underwear on?” She gave him a sweet smile. “Because if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t have time to put any on either.”

Phillip’s eyes slowly slid her way, skimming down the line of the flowy dress he’d seen her admiring at the store. “Show me.”

And just like that, all thoughts of Enzo fell out of her brain, scattering like spilled marbles.

She swallowed hard as her body immediately reacted to his rough demand. Normally she would argue. Refuse simply because no one told her what to do, especially a man.

Except…

She sort of wanted to see where this would go.

She’d had sex. It was fine. An acceptable way to pass time. But the men she’d been with had never been quite as focused on her as Phillip was last night, and that warranted some amount of agreeable behavior from her. If for no other reason than to see if that focus was just a one-time thing.

Or if it was an all-the-time thing.

Phillip’s attention flicked from the road to where she sat, nostrils flaring as she slowly gathered the long fabric of her dress, lifting it up her legs until it was bunched at her waist, leaving her bottom half bare.

She lifted her brows. “See?” The word was a little breathless, but she wasn’t trying to be seductive. She was trying not to combust from anticipation.

“I’m not so interested in seeing.” Phillip’s gaze continued bouncing between her and the road, making him look a little like a liar. “I’d rather touch.”

“Then touch.” She lifted one foot, propping her heel on the seat and letting her knee rest against the door, giving him better access. She wasn’t going to turn down an orgasm. Not from this man.

Phillip didn’t hesitate. His hand covered her mound, the warmth of his palm sinking into her heated flesh. His middle finger traced the line of her slit, teasing along it before pressing deeper into the cleft. He found her clit right out of the gate and teased alongside it in slow strokes.

She was already heading for the checkered flag when the fabric of her skirt was suddenly flung back into place, startling her.

“Fucking untinted windows.” Phillip worked to cover her up as they passed a semi.

She peeked out to see the truck’s vantage point would have given the driver a clear view of what was happening inside their car.

Phillip was still mumbling about killing Nathan and never renting a shitty car again as he fumbled around with her dress, his hand trying to find access. “Where in the hell can I get back in?”

She smiled at his frustration. That he was so irritated by not being able to get back to making her feel good.

And who was she to keep him from doing the thing he obviously wanted to do?

Finding the hem of her skirt, she adjusted it so Phillip’s searching fingers could easily get where they wanted to go. Where she also wanted them to go.

Her eyes rolled back as he picked up right where he left off. In minutes she was coming, one hand gripping his arm and the other holding the door as her body shuddered and shook. Her head rocked back against the seat as a smile curved her lips. “I think I like taking road trips with you.”

Phillip righted her dress, smoothing it down before resting his hand on her thigh. “It would be better if we were in a comfortable vehicle,” he grumbled, sounding like a petulant child.

“You do realize this is actually a nice car, right?” It was newer, clean, and ran well. “Most people would be thrilled with a car like this.”

“Most people aren’t driving across the country to get away from a crime lord.” Phillip’s scowl came back. “I wish I could have gotten you on a plane. We could be thousands of miles away by now.”

"Thousands of miles away?" Her brain tried to do the math but failed. "Where in the hell would you have taken me?"

Phillip’s mouth pressed into a considering line. "I don't know. Hawaii?" He thought on it a second longer. "Maybe France."

James stared at him for a beat before starting to laugh. "Because you think Enzo can't afford to fly to Hawaii or Europe?" The plan was flawed for lots of reasons. "Plus, we couldn't have had someone leave a car for us at a bus station parking lot in Germany."

"I wouldn't say it would have been impossible..." Phillip rocked his head from side to side. "But it would have been more difficult to arrange," he admitted.

Yeah, it would have. "As amazing as a trip to Europe sounds, I think sticking to the United States is probably our best bet right now." She turned, looking over the empty back seat. "But it would be nice to have more stuff with us and maybe not have to sleep in a different hotel every night." She'd slept in worse places, but after working so hard to build a life, it was hard not to miss the material things she’d acquired.

Phillip’s face tightened a little. The way it did when he was thinking really hard. Working through something in his mind. She waited, already knowing it was best to just let him figure it out. If she started asking questions, he would get distracted and irritated and the whole process would take twice as long. Considering time was turning out to be of the essence, it was probably better to keep things efficient.

"You're right." Phillip made the admission easily. "The farther away we get, the less I can easily accomplish." He picked up his phone and passed it over. "Call Nathan."

James glanced at the clock on the dash. "You don't think he went back to bed?" Nathan had probably gotten less sleep than they had, and she wouldn't fault the guy for taking a nap. Especially since she wanted him clear headed and on the ball when things got crazy.

Phillip shook his head. "Not after finding out Enzo knew where we were. He won't sleep until he knows we’re in the clear." Phillip tipped his head at the cell. "Call him."

James sighed. "Your bossiness is really starting to show."

"If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll let you boss me around later." Phillip looked pointedly at the phone. "Now start dialing."

She rolled her eyes, opening the phone using the passcode Phillip gave her and tapping Nathan's name where it took the top spot on his saved contacts. She eyed Phillip as the line rang. "Why is Nathan number one in your contact list? Shouldn't your dad or mom be there?"

"We've established that my father is a problem." Phillip took a deep breath, letting it back out. "My mother is number two on that list."

Nathan answered, cutting off her next question. "Everything okay?"

"Okay enough." Phillip kept his eyes on the windshield as he continued. "We’re coming to Chicago. Can you reach out to Morris and see if he can make sure my place is ready for company?"

Everyone was silent. Nathan must have been just as shocked as she was by the news that she was not only coming to Chicago, but would be staying with Phillip.

“You still there?" Phillip sounded almost bored. Like he hadn't just taken an already strange situation and made it even weirder.

Except, staying with Phillip in his home didn’t really seem that weird. It was actually a little exciting. They hadn't known each other long, but she’d started developing an idea of who the man beside her was in his normal life. It would be interesting to see how accurate her assumptions were.

"I'm still here." To his credit, Nathan hid any shock he may or may not have been feeling. "I'll get in touch with Morris right away. What time do you expect to be here?"

Phillip checked the clock then glanced at a passing road sign. "I don't have a fucking clue. I only halfway know where we are. When we stop for gas I’ll add you to our GPS and it will keep you posted."

"That's probably a good idea. Then if anything happens, I'll be able to narrow down your location."

James sat a little straighter, her eyes moving from Phillip to the phone. "What do you mean if anything happens? Do you think they're going to find us again?"

She'd been really good about keeping her mouth shut. Letting Phillip do his thing. This was his specialty, so her thoughts and opinions and questions probably weren't very relevant. But Phillip didn’t seem to be trying to hide anything from her, and she had helped him not die on the side of her apartment building, so fuck it. So far they'd done their best work when they tackled things together—like climbing out of a building and escaping not just one but two hotels.

"Currently, I’ve seen nothing to indicate you’ll be found again." Nathan spoke slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully. "But that could change at any moment."

The last bit would probably freak most people all the way out. But she’d never been like most people.

“Question.” James leaned back in her seat, figuring if she was in for a dime she might as well be in for a dollar. “Say someone does find us. Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if one of them accidentally stops breathing?”

Phillip reached across the car and stole the phone from her hand. “Thanks, Nathan. We’ll be in touch.” He ended the call and dropped the cell into one of the cup holders.

James scoffed, widening her eyes. “What was that for?”

“What was that for?” Phillip stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “What you were asking could be considered premeditation.”

Well… Shit.

She didn’t think of that.

Letting out a loud sigh that turned into a groan, James rolled her eyes closed. “Fine. I won’t ask any more questions.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t ask questions.” Phillip’s tone gentled. “But you should probably keep those kinds of questions between us.”

She opened her eyes, looking Phillip over. “I thought you trusted Nathan?”

“I do.” He ran his tongue across his teeth. “Just not with you.”

She grinned at him, feeling stupidly flattered. “Is that because I’m special?”

Phillip chuckled. “Yes, James. That’s because you’re special.”

She’d never been special to a man. Never aspired to be. Their opinions of and feelings about her were irrelevant and usually unwanted. Mostly because she didn’t respect them. And who gave a shit what someone you didn’t respect thought of you?

But, Phillip… He was turning out to be all kinds of different.

“You’re pretty special too.” She reached across the console to trace the line of a vein in his forearm, mesmerized by how something so small could be so sexy. “But don’t tell anyone I said that. They’ll think I’m going soft.”

“So far this week you’ve killed a man, hit another with a car, and climbed out of a fifth-floor window.” Phillip flashed her a smile. “I don’t think anyone will accuse you of going soft.”

Her heart did a little dance at both the flattery and how freaking handsome he was when he smiled. “Not a bad partner in crime I guess, huh?”

Phillip shook his head, turning back to face the road. “Don’t get too good at it. I’ll drag you around with me everywhere.”