《Sea Glass Eyes》 Chapter One She entered the bar. A flash of lightning from the dead of winter. Frightening. Awe-inspiring. Raw and powerful beauty. Soft, auburn waves tumbled and swirled around her in much the same way that her personality poured into a room; sultry, full of life, undecided, untamed and enrapturing. Comfortably tight red pants sat low on her hips, disappearing into black leather boots. Her shirt was a low-cut gray cowl neck that just barely revealed the deep green and black lace beneath. It was not, however, low enough to show the wire. Nothing about her appearance screamed for attention. But under scrutiny, attention was demanded. Jax was neither too thick nor too thin. Curves ran sharply up and down her body, from her narrow waist to her subtly strong shoulders. The body she possessed was beautiful. At least she knew others thought so. But that never really mattered to her for much more than its usefulness. She had a talent for manufacturing her image for whatever situation she found herself in. This was a skill she learned quickly and painfully in her formative years. Typically southern, typically Southern Baptist, her family was quite concerned with appearance. If one strand of hair was out of place, she wa ridiculed for months. Every detail of how she looked was examined with a fine toothed comb by the members of her father¡¯s congregation. And for some reason, what they thought mattered so much to her parents that her entire childhood was tailored to that one day a week at church where she could be seen as perfection. It was awful. Years later, the propensity to be hyper aware about how she looked remained while the concern did not. Sauntering to the end of the bar, she sat next to the tall, broad shouldered phenomenon nursing an unexpectedly sweet whiskey. She tossed her hair over shoulder before ordering, "Single malt, neat, twist". As hometown haunts went, this was by far her favorite. It was close enough to the coast to have its sparse decorations influenced by driftwood and fisherman''s net. But it was far enough away that seawater was never tracked inside. Plain tallow candles studded the room, flames sputtering with a warm glow. Roughly cut squares of netting hung on the walls. These shallow attempts at ambience from the owner/temporary bartender of the Fisherman''s Knot, Kip, were just the kind of thing that made her love this place. It never tried too hard. It was never too much. Kip¡¯s eyes crinkled in a warm smile as he dropped off her drink on salted napkins, along with an order of garlic and rosemary fries. It was her usual. Kip didn''t even bother to ask anymore. "Let me know what else you need, Jax. It''s on the house tonight," he winked at her. He wasn''t like a father to her. She despised father figures. He was just a sweet middle aged guy who looked out for her. Reluctantly turning from his favorite customer, Kip went to take orders from the babbling group of blondes that just stormed in. Without hesitation, he checked IDs. They were giggling and shoving like children. She would have checked them too...even if someone like her wasn''t in the building. She nudged the brooding Adonis-like man sitting next to her. "Fries?" She grabbed a couple, and dipped them in the salt-and-peppered ketchup. Unlike the gaggle of cheerleaders, she was not afraid of food. Nothing about this gorgeous man sitting next to her, or the fear of judgment from the rest of the room was going to deter her from enjoying Kip''s famous fries. Tentatively, Lance reached for them. She nudged his hand toward the olive oil dip she knew he would love. "Try that one." "Jasmine..."he said sternly. He glared at the space above her head. From what she could tell, he¡¯d not looked at her fully yet. She feared her date-night bra would be wasted on this encounter if he didn¡¯t pay attention soon. The corner of his mouth quirked up as he reached for more fries. She definitely didn¡¯t need the validation¡­ but as always, it was nice to know she was right. He took a deep breath, and swivled to face her. Forest green eyes bored into hers from underneath his stubborn waves of silver flecked, black hair. Grey streaked sea glass stared back at him. Fearless. Unflinching. Defiant, even. Though she had no reason to be. ~~~Lance~~~ He slid the note between them. She¡¯d written a time, a day, an address. It was nondescript. Cryptic, in a way. The tanned skin around his eyes tightened. From her knowing glance, he knew that his thoughts were written like a band across his eyes. How could she possibly know he would show up? He broke their fevered gaze. Only after his eyes fixed on his drink again did he breathe. His whiskey was not going to drink itself, and he had never truly understood the phrase "liquid courage" until tonight. He was a confident man. His job required it. Yet, for the first time in his life he was nervous; uncertain. Well. Not the first time. But the first time in five years. Since she¡¯d walked out of his life, leaving behind nothing but the faintest whiff of wisteria and sandalwood. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He couldn''t wrap his head around the whys of his uncertainty. It wasn''t taboo anymore. Five years changes a lot, and their ages no longer mattered. Nor did any of the other circumstances that kept them apart all those years ago. So much time had passed. He¡¯d ached for her for so long. And here she was. Like a dream. The white tendrils of innocence that wrapped around her aura she had when they first met were gone. He was surprised to find them replaced by scarlet cords of sultry intelligence. Desire coiled in his lower belly as he found this change even more devilishly irresistible. "You were saying?" She toyed with the small note. He regretted pulling it out. She was smart enough to know from the creases that he had read it too many times. "Jax." His lips closed around her nickname. Her necklaces alone showed just how much of an enigma she¡¯d always been. Yet somehow the velvet choker holding the pentagram and the rugged cross swinging between her lush¨Cwell. Her jewelry didn¡¯t seem strange together. Her stubborn faith was unwavering. Yet her academic interest in the occult made for far more interesting conversation. An enigma, a contradiction...a temptress. ~~~Jax~~~ He leaned closer. His whiskey colored breath was more intoxicating than the drink on the bar in front of her. Emotion poured out of him through each word. "Wh-why did you leave this? Do you know how confused I was? I didn''t know it was from you. I could only guess. You could have just told me. I''m not with Marissa anymore. You-you know that, right? Did Darius tell you? We could-you know-if you wanted to-" His clipped sentences revealed his honesty. Frustration. Pain. Confusion. Desire. Impatience. "Mr...Lance. Lance." She found herself hoping, if not certain that his blood warmed on her use of his first name. "I had no idea about you and Marissa. I didn''t even know if I was going to show up tonight much less you...How was I supposed to know if you even wanted to see me¡­alone? I never knew if you¡­ wanted me... I just had to take this chance..." She couldn''t look him in the eye. This was harder than she thought it would be. Finally being alone with him after all this time...her heart didn''t know if it should race, stutter, or just stop all together. ~~~Lance~~~ Lance watched her eyes linger on the tattoos peeking out of his rolled shirtsleeves. It had taken her years to figure out what they even were. He could recall the odd joy she expressed when she finally guessed. Such a little thing shouldn''t have mattered so much to a student. One that wasn''t even in his class...it was only later, after she''d left the school, after she¡¯d quit the club, that he realized that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. All those little glances, all the little flirtations, the inside jokes that were just for him... To this day, he kicked himself for not seeing it all sooner. For only seeing it all when she was gone. He stared at her tattoos in return. They were new additions to her body that he didn''t recognize. He hated that they were such a surprise to him. Starting from a simple cross on her wrist, layers of black and white ink gracefully morphed into leafy, knotted vines that delicately spread over her arm and ended at her collarbones. Their elegance and languid progression over her body mimicked the scarlet cords around her aura. She must have seen an artist with a The Sight. The same artist from what he could see. Pieces were added here and there as time aged, but the whole of the artwork flowed perfectly over her skin. It were hypnotic. In his desire-fogged mind, the tattoos looked like a road map. "I always wanted you Jax," he murmured, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. His mother would skin him alive if he was anything less than a gentleman. He would not broach her boundaries until he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wanted him. Long ago, he had trained his mind to see her as off limits. The circumstances of their initial meeting, their roles as boss and employee, and their lately chosen professions alone were enough to keep them apart, not to mention his wife he had only recently divorced. Professors and students; drug lords, and cops; married and single. These things just didn''t mix. But, it was 5 years later. He wasn¡¯t a married man anymore. His guys had done some digging and discovered that she wasn¡¯t a cop anymore. Their circumstances were prime to get back to where they could have been. He hesitated to think, even to himself in the deepest reaches of his mind, where we should have been. Conversation broadened to easier topics, but their heartbeats never slowed. They always stimulated each other in many ways, including the intellectual. Part of what made Lance so shy was that this woman (to him, she had always been a woman, even at 19) was his equal in every single way. He challenged her, as he did every person that he came in contact with. But, to his delight, she''d always challenged him right back. Her fire, her passion was part of what entranced him. Heat poured from her, intensity seeped into every word. It enraptured him. She was a sorceress, and he was powerless against her. Reaching out to push the lock of hair that was about to fall into her face behind her ear, he realized that he hadn''t been listening to a word she was saying anymore. Her lips brushed his hand. They both froze. He had been right. For all those years, he had been right. Touching her skin was bliss. Chapter Two ~~~Jax~~~ Flushed deeply, the crimson in his cheeks stood out against the worn blue of his plaid shirt. She smiled. She¡¯d seen it so many times over the years, she found herself surprised he still had it. A shirt that looked so touchably soft, she nearly reached out...But, as in the past, she flexed her self control. He¡¯d never known it was her favorite. It¡¯s not an invitation to touch him, she reminded her self.She could do this. She was stronger than her desire. She''d had enough practice resisting him five years ago. It had to be like riding a bike, right? Resistance. One of those precious abilities that she''d definitely been blessed with. Resistance and self control. Her heart could, for all the world, feel like it was leaping in her chest. But she would never let it show. Be it training, or church, or natural ability, she had herself under control at all times. It drove a lot of her dates crazy. She wasn''t the type to simper and gush over them. Her lack of insecurity in herself seemed to upset them too. Like she owed it to them to apologize for her existence. She rolled her eyes at the thought. At those men who puffed themselves up to be so important and special. But all they really amounted to were puddles of insecurity. They needed women to cower in a hole so they could feel valid in their masciulinity. It was disgusting, really. At this point, their distaste in her confidence was more satisfying than the disappointing sex that followed those dates. Their final attempt at proving how much of a man they were. She didn¡¯t even bother to fake an orgasm. Let them go home and question their effect on women. She hoped she was doing their future dates a favor. Intense as her upbringing had been, her strong willed mother refused to allow her daughter to feel anything less than confidence. "That''s how they win," she''d often whispered to Jax as she brushed her long hair. Life taught her that she owed nothing to these men. The women she brought home were always less intimidated by her confidence. At least they made sure she got off. They always called the next day. But she never bothered to pick up. Not seeing Lance for five years made it a little difficult to maintain her control and confidence. Tricking her own mind into believing that he was one of those men, those useless peacocks was easy. That distance had given her a strength she''d not expected. But, knowing that such discipline was no longer a necessity was surprisingly distracting. In the interest of her current case, it was a good idea to get quite close to him. Her captain encouraged it. ¡°Get close. Get intel. Get out,¡± she¡¯d said. But how close could she get without ripping herself in half? Of course, it was wholly unprofessional and inappropriate for any actions to be fueled by her feelings. She knew going into this that she was going to do her best to keep her true heart under lock and key. Undercover cops had to lie. But they never made it out of their assignments unscathed. Emotional scars for life, she''d been told. But how much of this did she really need to report? How much did she need to tell her captain about the baggage she was carrying into this assignment? "Lance, I''m here for more than one reason." Hesitation. A glance down and the empty glass. Let him see you falter for a second. ~~~Lance~~~ "Oh?" Suspicion confirmed. But that plurality of reasons...that "more" gave him hope that there were things they could discuss later. "And, how can I help you?" This was going to lead to more than one meeting, to more time spent together. More of these...he looked her up and down...outfits. Devils below, where did she learn to dress like that?! He took another drink. A big one. He didn''t know how to continue to think of her respectfully at the moment. And he hated himself for it. She was so much more than physical, sensual beauty. Anyone who couldn''t see that wasn''t worth her time. Starting at her hands seemed safe, so that''s what he did. Brushing her hair out of her eyes. Picking at her jewelry. Rubbing absentmindedly at her collarbone. These little habits drew him like a moth to flame. No other choice than to gaze longingly at the dancing fire until he burned. ~~~Jax~~~ Jax casually got the bartender''s attention and ordered another round. Her wimpy little sips til now weren''t going to cut it. Not for this. The way Lance was gazing at her, even her hands, was making entire body tingle with burning warmth. ~~~Kip~~~ Kip bored deeply into Jax¡¯s eyes as he set fresh glasses on the bar. He was a little concerned about her. In the years he had known her, he''d never seen her blush. Who was this man? He was attractive, sure. And not in the cocky way that the men who usually met Jax here were. He seemed more simple than that. Warm, attractive. Not leering at her in a disgusting way, but peering at her with respect. Almost adoration. Hell, the guy hadn¡¯t stopped blushing since she¡¯d sat down. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Kip decided he liked this guy for her, and poured him a double. ~~~Jax~~~ Jax exhaled deeply as Kip walked away to chase more bubbly blondes off the premises. She wasn''t sure what drew them in tonight, but she did appreciate that he was distracted. He knew her well enough to know she was probably in some deep trouble with the Greek god sitting here next to her. Might as well jump into it now. "I need work. The precinct...they let me go¡­well, they actually fired me. Lance I-I''ve been blackballed across the next 5 states. I need cash, and I need it fast." She was a natural born liar. Always so easy to manipulate the fools. But lying to him? It was a practiced habit, and it made her heart ache. ~~~Lance~~~ His eyes tightened, almost imperceptibly. Finally, they could talk about this. "Okay¡­I''ll have to get some of my guys to check your facts, of course. But, I know your history. Your work for my club was always exemplary. It shouldn''t be a problem to find you...something...to do." This was not at all what he had expected. He''d thought she was going to ask for drugs. Maybe the stress of the job had gotten to her? Or maybe she wanted a false lead. Increase her credibility with the big wigs so she could get a promotion? But a job? It had been driving him crazy since Lazlo told him--How the hell had she gotten fired? She was such a stickler for the rules. Such a by-the-book girl. She must have really messed up. She''d changed so much. His mind was reeling. Somehow he''d always thought of her as his. His Jax. His Jasmine. Sure, he''d been married to Marissa. But he never owned Marissa like he owned Jasmine. From everything he¡¯d heard from her and seen of her tonight (and by God, seeing her was as intoxicating as his whiskey), she wasn¡¯t his Jax anymore. "Something?" The sharpness of the word snapped him out of his whiskey dreams of her belonging to him in every way. "I don''t want grunt work, Kozlov." She allowed the tiniest bit of venom leech into her tone. Just enough to let him know that she meant business. "You know I am better than that." Her chin lifted. A low chuckle seemed to rise from the depths. "You''ll never change, will you Jax?" Covering her hand that had somehow found its way onto his forearm and ignoring the bliss, he continued. "It won''t be easy, though. You know that. You know how my men are. Tell me something, Jax. Do you trust me?" He''d finally started to feel the liquid courage doing its thing. ~~~Jax~~~ His hand was so warm over hers. Too warm. His blush was the only reason she didn''t think to check him for a fever. Reflexively, she nodded. Against all reasoning, she did. Jax trusted Lance. A silly sentence in her mind. The preacher¡¯s daughter trusted the bad boy. Bad boy...such a flimsy term for one of the leading drug lords up and down the coast. In the few years since she''d seen him he quit his day job, and ventured down a life she barely expected. She''d watched his progress from afar. First as a beat cop on her patrols, and now as a detective. From everything she''d seen he was not the man she used to want. She paused. "Wait. Who''s Darius?" In the haze of seeing him, in the blur of the bar, in the dream of the whiskey, she''d not cottoned on to the name. She had to make it seem like she had no understanding of the intricacies of his operation. Darius Jackson. The enforcer, the hothead, the second in command. Wanted in 3 countries for money laundering, drug running, and murder. From the reports, Jax couldn''t understand why Lance kept someone like that so close. The only reason she could ever come up with was that he needed someone to do the dirty work he had no stomach for. But even then, Lance always did what needed to be done, regardless. So to her, it seemed fishy. "Darius? He said you dropped off the note with him..." She chuckled. "That guy''s name is Darius?! Jeez. I thought he''d have a more meaty name than that...Bruce or Brick or something." Lance''s laugh burst from him. The sound was the sharp wind of a sea storm. It made most of the other bar patrons jump in their seats. Ignoring the table of judgmental older ladies looking down their noses at them, Jax closed her eyes at the sound. There he was. There was her Lance. Her Professor Kozlov. The man against whom she compared all other men. God. Why did he have to laugh like that? Against all odds the man that she had loved so long ago still existed. How she knew it by just a laugh, she had no idea. But he was there. All the long talks from those years ago, those long lunches, the office hours...Somehow after all that time spent together, one simple laugh told her that he was in there somewhere. Still wanting her. Still...how had he said it? "I''ll wait for as long as it takes for you to be ready for me." Waiting. He was still waiting. God. Just remembering him saying those words made her skin electrify. He''d said he would still be waiting for her for the rest of his life. But then he''d gone and become...well...this. A drug lord. That ridiculous term...a drug lord? The Godfather. The head of a cartel. A criminal. She drove the knife of who he¡¯d become into her heart. A warning against getting too close. He¡¯d betrayed her, when they didn''t even have anything real. The second he¡¯d taken that first step down that road to that lifestyle, she cut him off. She stopped seeing him. She put an end to it. But her Lance was still in there. How was she ever going to explain that in her report? Chapter Three Flinging her keys on the table, Jax let out a stress laden sigh. It was a relief to be out of that bar. She didn''t like emotionally manipulating people, even when she was on the job. Possessing the knowledge and ability didn¡¯t necessarily mean that she wanted to abuse them. People deserved more than that. Going in there tonight, she''d had so much determination. It was supposed to be so easy. She''d reestablish the connection, set up a plan to start working for him, and leave. Badda bing, badda boom. But now? He''d shown her that he was still in there. His heart and soul were still in there. That warm laugh had been honest when it sang of the soul that still existed underneath. And that jaw that could cut glass... No. No distractions. She had a job to do. She wanted that promotion, and this was the best way to get it. Complete this investigation, and she''d move up. Her Captain was a rewarder of good, honest work and that was what she wanted to deliver. Lance was making it complicated. Stopping herself from reaching for more whiskey, she started the electric kettle instead. At 12pm, didn¡¯t need more liquor. She''d just end up doing something stupid. *Brzt.* That damn phone. Wait. Who had this number? She''d only give it to... --LK: Hey beautiful. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay. What the hell? Not twenty minutes ago, they were saying their awkward goodbyes, and now he was checking on her? What did he think he was some kind of protector? She rolled her eyes and tossed her phone on the table right after her keys. He needed to get out of her head. If only for tonight. She didn''t feel like herself right now, and she needed to get that back. Video games? Reading? She needed to do something that felt like herself. Something grounding. She turned on a podcast, and wandered into the spare room. In all of this, she needed to treasure her home. If all went according to plan, she''d have to move once the investigation closed. Yes, most of the perps would be in jail, or WitSec, or something like that. But there was always a chance that they''d miss someone, or someone would get away. And she couldn''t be here. If she was going to single handedly take down a big drug ring on the East Coast, there had to be safety at the end of it. And that was mostly encompassed in her moving out of the area. Worst case scenario, she''d end up in WitSec herself. "Is it worth it?" Her best friend had asked her. Family estranged, she didn¡¯t have much of anyone anymore. So, for the most part, she only had Sam to lean on. She hadn''t even wanted her around to begin with. Sam had come along and essentially adopted her. A drug bust at a club that had only been successful because Sam was the designated driver for her group of friends. Sober enough to spot a deal in the back of the club, she told the bouncer that someone was dealing to a minor. The bouncer alerted Jax''s undercover team. Somehow, the dealer''s boss caught wind of what went down, and put out a hit out on Sam. They''d taken him down eventually, and Sam was safe now. But Jax still watched over her like a guardian angel. Her selfless act, her responsibility, had drawn Jax to her. But they stayed friends because Sam wouldn''t leave her alone. Honestly, though, Jax was glad for it. Sam was good for her. She was good for the world. She''d told Sam what happened; given her a brief rundown of her new assignment. Everyone in the precinct knew they were friends. And it was very likely that there was a mole. There''s always a mole when a big investigation opens up in a syndicate like Steele Workers. They flip someone close enough to get the vital information. So Sam would probably need to go into WitSec too if it all ended badly. A shame, too. She was getting famous on Instagram as a model, and Jax would hate for her to have to give that up. Sam didn''t even let her consider not taking the job. So here she was. All of this meant that Jax could not fail. She needed to take down Steele Workers efficiently, and completely. She needed to take Lance down for Sam¡¯s sake. One more night to be herself before the long nights of surveillance and reports and dates (if she could lure the right person in) would begin. Tonight was her night to get all of the stress out. Before she could miss any more of her podcast by thinking, she switched to some blues. Easy, wordless, feels music that wouldn¡¯t carry her thoughts into a place she didn''t want to be right now. Turning off the tea kettle, she poured the last glass of pinot out of the fridge. She''d need to go grocery shopping if she was going to entertain anyone. This particular assignment was going to require her to live the lie to its core, and she wanted to be prepared for all eventualities. Of course, she couldn''t get too many groceries. She''d just been "fired" from her job after all. Telling Lance she was low on cash had unfortunately hogtied her, and she''d need to be careful about being frugal going forward. Granted a cop''s salary, a detective''s even...it was nothing really special. But she''d gotten used to the niceties. Like red wine in the fridge, wet food for her cat, and the occasional bath bomb. Hopefully, whatever job Lance was able to find her in Steele Workers would be lucrative enough to continue her little comforts. She was allowed to stay human in all of this after all, wasn''t she? Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "God," she thought to herself. "Listen to me. Whining. Because I might not be able to afford a bath bomb." Looking around her spacious cottage, she forced herself to remember how lucky she was. Even Sam the burgeoning model didn''t have the luxuries she had. Steady paychecks are a luxury like no other. *Brzt brzt. Brzt brzt.* Unknown number calling. *Brzt brzt. Brzt brzt.* "Hey Lance...What do you need?" She couldn''t keep herself from sounding impatient. This was her last night. Despite what this clingy, well-meaning dofus might think, she actually enjoyed her solitude. She wasn''t the pining kind. She wasn''t waiting around for his call. So what did he want? "Well damn girl! Remind me to never date you." Jax could barely hear Sam''s voice over the thumping beat in the background. Jax froze. "Sam. How did you get this number? This is supposed to be a private line. This isn¡¯t safe." "Well if I''m going down with you, I might as well enjoy the ride, right?" "No. Sam. You can''t just-" Jax sighed. Her headache was getting worse. "Who gave it to you?" "Harris from vice. The one who was with you on Our Night?¡± ¡°Harrison, Sam. I¡¯ve told you like a thousand times.¡± ¡°Whatever. He''s been tryna get on my good side since then. He''ll do almost anything I ask. Everyone knows you and I are an item, babe. May as well just enjoy having someone under the blankets with you!" Jax cringed. "God, that''s so cheesy. How many have you had tonight?" "Not too many. You coming out?" Sam sounded so hopeful. Jax didn''t know why she still hung out with the gaggle of idiots she heard screaming in the background. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to stay in. Last night of freedom, you know?¡± Jax rolled the wine around in the glass, contemplating going anyway. She really loved hanging out with Sam, and she could stand to cut loose a little. It wasn¡¯t often she found someone that she truly enjoyed spending time with. Especially a woman. But with Sam it was different. Knowing without a doubt that Sam would support her in anything, and love her without question or reserve was a security she never knew she needed. ¡°Well if you decide to come out, the thems wanted to bar crawl on Jefferson. You¡¯ll have to hunt us down.¡± Jax heard more screaming in the background. ¡°We might need to leave soon, though. They just broke some glasses.¡± ¡°Do I need to send someone out there to break them up?¡± Sam¡¯s mother-hen act made no sense to Jax, and she¡¯d grown weary of seeing her friend used and abused. ¡°Nah girl. I can call Harris if I really need to.¡± ¡°Sam. It''s Harrison¡­¡± ¡°Right. Damn...Well, anyway. You enjoy your evening. Give Spriggs some scritches for me. Do a cleanse. Get that stress out.¡± Sam spoke in short sentences to respect her privacy around her drunk friends. As inebriated as Jax was sure they were, it was definitely overkill. But she appreciated it just the same. As if summoned, the Maine Coon Munchkin sauntered into the hallway like he owned the place. More fluff than cat, his calico fur and bent whiskers made him the sort of cat most kids would have overlooked in the pound. But when he¡¯d come up to her while she was working on her car, and meowed demands for food and love, she¡¯d had no choice. The Spriggan had chosen her. ¡°What do you say, Spriggs? Shall we do a cleanse?¡± While he never jumped into her arms outright, he never struggled away when she picked him up for cuddles. He bumped her chin with his head. ¡°A cleanse it is, then.¡± She changed into some green plaid pajama bottoms and an oversized Guinness tee. The less fabric clinging to her skin, the better. The air of the still room welcomed her as she entered. A collection of mismatched antique furniture, jars of dried herbs, a few granite mortar and pestles, and research material galore. This was a place she could truly be herself. And those places were dwindling. Especially now that she¡¯d invited Lance to the Fisherman¡¯s Knot. It still baffled her sometimes. Her abilities and her belief in God collided like meteors a few years ago. Somehow the combination of the two made sense to her. It reconciled the complexities of her childhood in a perfect practice that was unique to her. Careful around Spriggan¡¯s fur (he wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. He could probably tell how stressed she was,) she lit some candles, turned on some low acoustic beats. Grinding some valerian and chamomile flowers with a mortar and pestle, she breathed their gentle scent. Sedatives, they¡¯d help her relax and let out some of what was bothering her. Adding a little jasmine and some boneset, and she was ready to get started. Putting as much of the ground herbs into the tea diffuser as she could, she poured a knuckle of cold water over them before filling the rest of the cup with the boiled water. Scrunching some lovely fragrant oil into her hair, she sat in her armchair. Spriggan meowed from the table, and she saw him next to the sage. ¡°Really? Sage?¡± Jasmine kept her chuckle to herself. A wonderful idea, of course. But she did love to tease the little bundle of attitude. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°No Spriggs. We don¡¯t need it. Come on, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°MEOW!!¡± She chuckled, ¡°Alright, alright! I hear you!¡± Lighting the bundle of sage and juniper, she began saining the room. Amid the smoke, Jasmine was reminded of the shaman she¡¯d been researching lately. The practice of warding off negativity with thick, herbaceous smoke was a staple in so many cultures. Her own ancestors called it saining, others called it smudging. It¡¯s prominence amongst the cultures of the world was proof of its effectiveness. ¡°There. Happy?¡± She waved a circle around Spriggan. With a disgruntled murmur he jumped down and paced in the center of the room waiting. Rather than sit on the floor in the middle of the room as he demanded, she sank again into the worn armchair next to the window. Total comfort during a cleanse would produce maximum effect. Breathing in the spicy scent of the space, she forced her shoulders to relax, and her jaw to unclench. This assignment wouldn¡¯t be successful if she went into it with any sort of stress weighing her down. Chapter Four ~~~Lance~~~ An empire. That is what he had built. An empire. Now, somehow, she was going to be here in it with him. Originally, he''d done all of this for her, though he was sure she had no idea why. Stubborn as she was, he doubted she¡¯d even want to hear him explain it. Surely by joining him here in his space she would see what he¡¯d been trying to do for her for all of these years. Marijuana. The federal government kept it illegal, even though it did so much good. These issues that plagued so many people, like anxiety and insomnia, were so treatable. Yet, research would never be funded to hone it into a proper medicine because of the irrational taboo that surrounded it. Thus, an empire was born. "Lance, you can''t trust this bitch. She''s a fucking cop." Brick, no, Darius rushed into his office in a furious panic. The spacious room with spectacular views suddenly felt smaller with Darius¡¯s anger flooding it. Lance snapped out a response, "Oh-and what? Once a cop, always a cop? Tell me you¡¯re not stupid enough to actually believe a ridiculous cliche like that." He never snapped. It surprised him almost as much as it did Darius. ¡°And you gotta stop calling women bitches, Darius.¡± He sighed and walked over to look out one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Darius shook his head and kept going. "All I''m saying is that you can''t trust her, boss. If I brought someone in who was a cop, a former detective no less-would you trust her? Hell no. You''d tell me I was--I don''t know--out of my fucking mind, perhaps?" Darius started pacing the room like an angry cat. Lance was his boss, but he¡¯d always encouraged Darius to speak his mind. They weren''t drinking buddies or anything. But his opinion had always carried more weight with Lance than any of the other guys. And damnit, he was going to make sure the boss understood how stupid of an idea this was. "She slips you a note...Wait! No. She hands me a note outside of the building to give to you. No details. No name. No safety. Not to mention her just showing up out of the blue and scaring the ever living shit outta me. (Don¡¯t even get me started on how she knew to hand it to me.) And you just...go?!...I gotta know...how the hell did you even know it was her?! Did you?! You just went, didn''t you!? What if it was one of the Sweeny¡¯s? What if it was the fucking DEA? Did you think about that?" Darius''s voice turned mocking. "Noooo. ''It''s her perfume. I''d know it anywhere. And no one swirls their effs like that...It''s her. It has to be.'' I swear to god, boss. I¡¯m this close to¨C" "Watch your tone, Darius." Lance said quietly. He was getting fed up. Mostly because he knew Darius was right. Darius had to know it too cause he kept tirading. Sure, he¡¯d gone to the bar armed. But not taking any security with him? Or at least one of the other guys? He was slipping. Daruis continued, if a decibel quieter. "So off you trot. To maybe meet up with a perky young thing you used to want to nail. What? Did you think you''d finally get your chance? Didn¡¯t it cross your mind that she might try to flip you?!" All she¡¯d have to do is nail you for holding, and she could have hauled your ass in. Goddamn it. I read the note myself. I could have sent someone to tail you. I guess idiocy is catching.¡± Lance stood from his chair. He''d had enough. His judgment was unerringly sound when it came to Jax, and he knew that he could trust her. Right? He could trust her? The uncertainty made him angry. "I''m having her followed, Darius. Max looked over her rental while I was with her the other night. Lazlo confirmed that the chief herself fired her. What else you got?" Lance saved violence for the very rare cases. After all, his business was built on the mission to help, not harm. But he was beginning to think that a swift punch to Darius¡¯s nose might be just the thing to keep his own blood from boiling over. ¡°I don''t know, boss." Darius backed down. He finally realized he''d crossed the line. "Just think about it. A former cop? Trying to get in touch with you after all this time?" He shook his head. "Wanting a job?" He looked Lance in the eye, trying to help him see reason. "Ask yourself why she asked you of all people for a job. With her record she could have been a PI or something. Or found a better job on the West Coast. Hell, she coulda done private security or something. Why you, boss? Why here?" He sat down on the luxurious couch next to the window. Lance shook his head and pointed at the door. "Not today Darius. I have a lot of work to do, and I''ll never get it done with you barking in my ear." ~~~Darius~~~ Darius stalked out of the room. He''d said what he needed to say. Lance was smart enough to figure out the rest. At least he hoped so. Thinking about this woman who had the boss so wrapped up in trust, he looked forward to officially meeting her for himself. He wanted to see what all the hype was about. Sure, she was stunningly beautiful. He¡¯d seen that for himself two days ago. The way the sunlight cast into her eyes, and rested on her skin made him consider trying out women. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But was she worth risking all Lance had worked so hard to build? ~~~Lance~~~ Sinking into his chair, Lance breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn''t have handled much more questioning. Darius was right. God, he was so right. He was being a pig headed moron. So many things about that meet could have gone horribly wrong. But he loved her. To this day, he loved her. Her idealistic mind, her blind faith in a God he knew didn''t exist, her stubbornness, her deep abiding care for people around her. Each attribute more intoxicating than the last. Thankfully, he was well-versed in resisting his own desires.. But for the love of all that was holy, why did she have to look like this now? She''d been beautiful when they first met, sure. He¡¯d never seen anyone more glowingly stunning. But she¡¯d been hidden by those white threads of innocence. Now that she was older, every inch of her seemed sculpted to torment him. Now, her aura alone was enough to bring him to his knees. They say that when you look at something, your tongue knows instantly how it would feel. And fuck if his tongue wanted confirmation of everything he¡¯d seen of her last night. He knew the moment that he saw out of the corner of his eye, the smokey scarlet and emeralds winding around her, beckoning to him, that he would never be able to be in a room alone with her if they wanted to maintain any semblance of social decorum. Yes. He was an absolute moron. To agree to let her come work for him was one of the most idiotic things he¡¯d done in his life. But his mother didn¡¯t raise a man who would go back on his word. So, he was stuck. Elvia''s Southern drawl sounded from his desk phone. "Young lady here to see you, Mr. Kozlov. Wild red hair? Name''s Jasmine? I fixed her up with an espresso. She¡¯s seated in the lobby. Should I send her in now that Darius has left?" He groaned into his hands. After just deciding to not see her, here she was knocking at his door, ready to be in his office alone with him. Was she stupid? "Thank you Elvia. Please have her wait 5 minutes, and then you may send her in." "You got it." The curiosity in Elvia¡¯s voice was audible. His happily married secretary looked out for him like she was his sister. And the mere fact of Jasmine¡¯s existence in his life was sure to spark some sort of protective instinct. Opening his desk drawer, he pulled out a small wooden box. He would need to be high for this conversation. Or at least more relaxed than he was now. Marissa had shut the door on any physical or emotional affection long before they were divorced. He had no interest in casual dating. So when Jax walked out of his life all those years ago, he¡¯d been fundamentally alone. And he¡¯d been alone since. If he didn¡¯t get a firm grip on his self control, and fast, he¡¯d have her plastered on his couch as soon as she said yes. A buzz on the intercom in warning, a soft tap on the door, and that was it. She was in the office. Wild had been an understatement. She hadn''t done anything to tame her curls, and they didn''t like being contained in that flimsy excuse for a bun. One lock of hair was curled around her eyebrow. Its sheen in the light called to him. "Hey Lance-Mr. Kozlov?" "Lance." Reflexively. "Can I come in?" Nod. "Do you want the door closed? Open?" Her piercing eyes were softly rimmed in a kohl liner that made her clear eyes more penetrating, and his knees more weak. He felt he could barely speak. ¡°Lance?¡± He would need to use more than his neck or single syllables to respond to her. Clearing his throat, he was barely able to get out, "Which are you more comfortable with?" Smile wry, she closed the door and sank into the exact spot that Darius had been sitting in ten minutes ago. Funnily enough, the two personalities were not so different; volatile, intense. But one was infinitely more appealing to Lance than the other. Forced to join her, he brought his box with him. It didn''t seem like she needed to relax, but he had a feeling he was going to need a refresher on his relaxation soon. "How can I help you today, Jasmine?" Straight. To the point. Keep it brief, and get her out of here. That dress was killing him. Modest, professional, classy even. But damn. It was going to make him disintegrate into pieces if he wasn¡¯t careful. ¡°We agreed that we¡¯d go over some of the specifics of my job this morning? Don¡¯t you remember? You told me to stop by your office when you were leaving last night.¡± Seeing him so shaken, she seemed surprised. And rightfully so. When they¡¯d left each other last night, he had demanded her number, and told her under no uncertain terms that they would have coffee tomorrow morning in his office. Once again, he was being an idiot. He closed his eyes and shook his head. The weed was clearly making him seem like more of an ass than he already was. ¡°God, I¡¯m sorry Jasmine. I actually forgot.¡± ¡°How much did you have to drink last night?¡± she asked, teasingly. A small smile. ¡°Not that much. I¡¯ve just got a lot on my mind right now.¡± It wasn¡¯t the alcohol that had made him forget. Leaving her after just a few hours of talking had been like ripping out a piece of himself. He knew he¡¯d a fuckton of nothing in that parking lot. Mostly though, it was just him stalling. The ravenous beast in his chest had thanked him for it. Having her so close was feeding its addiction. She hadn¡¯t answered his text message last night. He¡¯d stared at his phone for hours waiting. He almost sent someone to check on her. Thankfully he¡¯d practiced restraint. None of his people needed to see how weak she made him. He gathered his laptop and a notebook from his desk. When he sat back down, he realized that she¡¯d moved almost imperceptibly closer. Almost. A deep breath was a mistake though, because he inhaled that same deadly perfume she¡¯d worn the night before. Wisteria and tobacco. Something like what she used to wear in college. But more mature. More heady. It was starting to annoy him. He felt like a dumb teenager when she was around. His lizard brain was railing at him to do things to her that had nothing to do with words. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t even close to ready for something like that. Yet. Doing his best to snap into businessman mode, he opened the company¡¯s database. ¡°What sort of work were you looking for, exactly?¡± Chapter Five ~~~Jax~~~ Seeing Lance so readily get down to business, fingers poised over the laptop, Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn¡¯t forgotten their agreement to meet in his office this morning after all. She had no desire to play the sex-crazed seductress again. It had taken so much out of her to put on that show in the bar last night. Portraying the desire hadn¡¯t been the hard part. He was still an incredibly attractive, warm-voiced, hard bodied man. It was the control over that desire that had been the surprising struggle. The desire was real, and strong. The control was not. After the morning she¡¯d had, she wasn¡¯t too sure she would be up for doing it all over again. Letting out all of that darkness and vitriol during her cleanse the night before had been freeing. It was a little surprising to her, in fact, how much of it was in there. Sam knew her well, and Jax was glad she¡¯d suggested it. Consequently, she slept wonderfully last night. So wonderfully, in fact, that she¡¯d slept through her first few alarms. Thankfully Spriggan couldn¡¯t abide the sound of an alarm and meowed in her ear until she turned the last one off. The next two hours were a whirlwind. A short morning full of coffee and indecision. Going into this as a ¡°former¡± cop, she was starting off on a bad foot with anyone she came into contact with in his office. It wasn¡¯t going to be some big secret, she was sure. They¡¯d be suspicious and resentful. So everything, everything, about her appearance and manner had to be perfect. Throw them off the scent. Distract. Subvert. Something she was definitely used to. Most of her life had been some form of fabricated distraction or another. ¡°It¡¯s just a conversation,¡± she said sternly to her reflection after the third outfit change. ¡°Get in, establish yourself, get out. You don¡¯t care about him. You¡¯re just there to do a job.¡± She took off the red silk shirt and pencil skirt to change back into the more modest gray dress she¡¯d been wearing moments before. The dress was off the shoulder on one side, and gathered at the hip. It was high-necked, and knee length, but also form fitting. Nothing overtly sexy yet, she decided. Subtlety, respectability. These things would be less likely to get her noticed. Simple flats and small silver hoops completed the ensemble. Looking at her hair, she decided that trying to tame it would take far too long. She slapped it in as close to a French twist as she could get, and put it out of her mind. No time for anything special. Besides, if she remembered correctly, that subtle neck exposure would keep Lance just distracted enough to not ask any of the hard questions. A little smudgy eyeliner, a lip stain, some cream blush, a longing look at the coffee maker, and she was out the door. Belatedly, she was grateful for the shortened time. It forced her not to be too perfectly polished. In her experience in any workplace, wearing no make-up would create whispers. Wearing too much makeup would make them talk. Cop Jasmine knew exactly where his office was in the building. But fired cop Jax had no idea. The building directory told her he was on the top two floors. She decided to go to the lower floor and see if that would give her some kind of access to someone who could tell her where to go. The elevator opened onto a cozy lobby with a front desk. Stumbling from the elevator, she dropped her keys, and fought constantly with a lock of hair that wouldn¡¯t stay out of her left eye. This was only partially an act. That curl was going to get chopped off if it wasn¡¯t careful. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The receptionist was a no-nonsense woman from the deep South. However, she took pity on Jasmine. ¡°Rough morning?¡± She¡¯d asked. Her own bun was equally unkempt, but the rest of her seemed polished to perfection. Surprised at the lack of venom in her voice, Jasmine responded as best as she could, ¡°Yeah. I just couldn''t get out of bed. You know how it is.¡± Finally getting her belongings squared away, she faced the woman. The receptionist smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Elvia. Are you Darius¡¯s 9am?¡± ¡°No, sorry. I actually was supposed to have a meeting with Mr. Koslov this morning to discuss options for my employment? We didn¡¯t set an exact time, but I assumed 8am. My name is Jasmine McKisson.¡± ¡°Well let''s see here.¡± Typing at record speeds, Elvia seemed to be accessing every database in the country. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have an individual appointment for him this morning.¡± She dropped her voice to a conspiratory whisper, ¡°But sometimes he forgets to tell me. Let me see what he says.¡± She reached for the phone, but stopped herself. ¡°Would you like some coffee? My day always gets better after some caffeine.¡± Before Jax could answer, Elvia started walking into a hallway just off of the lobby. ¡°Now we don¡¯t have much in the way of creamer or sugar, or anything. I keep milk in the fridge though. You know, for the fancier stuff. We have this wonderful cappuccino, latte, espresso machine-thing that the boss got for the floor. It makes great stuff. Latte okay?¡± Smiling at the kindness, ¡°That sounds lovely, thank you Elvia.¡± Coming out of the break room alongside Elvia in a comfortable quiet, Jasmine saw the man she¡¯d handed the note to last week. She didn¡¯t know him well enough to know if the look on his face was normal or not. But he definitely didn¡¯t look thrilled. When he saw her standing there with coffee and Elvia, the scowl on his face grew infinitesimally more pronounced. Oh yeah, he definitely knew who she was. She had a bit of patchwork to do there. Expanding her lungs in an inhale, she forced herself to relax. Less than 24 hours into this operation, and she could already tell it was going to be a slow burner. Couldn¡¯t stress over everything all at once. She¡¯d start making mistakes. That¡¯s how cops got caught. Just relax, live the lie, and keep going. ¡°Nice to see you again. I didn¡¯t catch your name before. I¡¯m Jax.¡± She put a small smile on her face, and offered her hand. Sneering at her hand, he pushed past her. With a nod to Elvia he went into the office on the opposite side of her desk and slammed his door. ¡°Oh don¡¯t mind him, hon. Boss probably said no to his lunch plans or something.¡± Elvia sat down in her chair and buzzed Lance¡¯s office. "Young lady here to see you, Mr. Kozlov. Wild red hair?¡± A wink at Jax. ¡°Name''s Jasmine? I fixed her up with an espresso. She¡¯s seated in the lobby. Should I send her in now that Darius has left?" Warm mug in hand, Jasmine relaxed into the plush sofa in the lobby, waiting. Every inch of this place was warm and inviting. Elvia especially seemed wonderful. Even though this was an undercover assignment, she had a feeling she was going to like working here. If the others accepted her after whatever Darius was sure to tell them, that is. Chapter Six ~~~Lance~~~ ¡°Jax?¡± He looked closely at her. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Shaking her head she said, ¡°Yeah! Sorry Lance. Elvia makes a killer latte. I guess I just got a little lost in it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been there. She does weird and wonderful things with that machine back there. You want a hit?¡± He offered her his box. He expected her to be repulsed by it. But if anything she seemed interested. ¡°No. Wait. Yes.¡± She blushed a little. ¡°Sorry. Former cop. Habits, you know?¡± ¡°I was meaning to talk to you about that.¡± He hesitated. ¡°Uh. Why did you want to come work for me? I mean, you have to know that being what you are, or were, is not going to make for an easy transition into my company. They¡¯re going to talk. A lot. About you. About,¡± he paused. ¡°About us, Jax. They¡¯re going to talk about us. About why I trusted you with a place here.¡± He could feel himself rambling, but he couldn¡¯t stop. Beating around the bush was so much easier than just saying it outright. ¡°Why did you come to me? There are so many other things you could have done with experience like yours. All the cases you¡¯ve been on, your successes, your collars. I know you know what we really do here. Why join a cartel when you could be doing almost anything else?¡± He exhaled. Between last night and this morning, he¡¯d forgotten how to talk to her all over again. ~~~Jax~~~ She sighed too. ¡°Lance, I¡¯m not going to lie to you. This wasn¡¯t an easy decision. But after what the Sweenys did to Hunter, I guess I¡¯m looking for some kind of revenge.¡± Uh oh. This was not what the Captain had suggested for her cover story. The truth was the last thing she¡¯d wanted to tell him. ~~~Lance~~~ Lance could tell that she was trying her best to keep the shock of sharing the truth with him off of her face. He was surprised too. He¡¯d expected her to share some bizarre story about always wanting to live on the wild side or needing to stick it to the Captain for firing her. When he¡¯d heard about Hunter shortly after she¡¯d quit the club, two main thoughts had pervaded his mind. First, his heart broke for her. He knew how close they were. And he knew how hard she would take it. Rule keeper¡¯s brother goes to prison for sex trafficking? He¡¯d only met Hunter a handful of times, but from everything he¡¯d seen of him, he wasn¡¯t anything like what the tabloids had painted him to be. Trashy, sociopathic, villainous. It just didn¡¯t seem to fit with his character. Second, he knew that Jax¡¯s retribution would be slow moving and devastating. She¡¯d take her time, she would be thorough. The Sweenys probably wouldn¡¯t see it coming, whatever she had planned. And if he knew her well enough, it would probably also completely tear their cartel down. Hell, she¡¯d be doing him a favor. That had to be good enough for Darius and the rest of them, right? In a moment of pure concern and sorrow, he put his hand over hers. ¡°You know, I never got to tell you how sorry I was for all of that, Jasmine. Hunter seemed like a genuinely good guy.¡± ~~~Jax~~~ ¡°He¡¯s still alive, Lance. Don¡¯t act like he¡¯s dead. He¡¯s just rotting in a cell.¡± She pulled her hand out from under his. She was not in the mood to explain to one more person that her brother was framed. No one ever believed her, so she didn¡¯t even try anymore. The media had done a stellar job in painting him as a monster. And that was all anyone ever saw. He closed his eyes for a moment. She was grateful for the break in his searing gaze. She hated the pity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jasmine. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just talk about work. What kind of openings do you have?¡± She brushed the stupid curl behind her ear one more time, and forced herself to unclench her shoulders. ¡°We have an opening in payroll, security, admin, and custodial.¡± As he skimmed the database, he found himself fixated on getting her a position either in his office, or as close to it as possible. ¡°Any of those sound interesting?¡± ¡°Security? With my cop-ing experience, that might be a good fit. Definitely not payroll. No one would get their checks on time. I¡¯m the worst at paperwork. I could also do admin...especially if I was working with Elvia.¡± Not having control over this was a big hurdle. She needed access to the company. Real access. The kind where she could get real information for the Captain. But she had to leave the ultimate decision up to him. Especially if she wanted to seem like she just wanted a job. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°So, let¡¯s just talk about the elephant in the room,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°My people aren¡¯t going to trust you all that easily. Hell, I had someone in here this morning telling me not to allow you to join our operation. The position in security is to be Darius¡¯s bodyguard. But you have to trust your bodyguard implicitly. And I know it would take the two of you a long while before you established anything remotely close to that level.¡± He hesitated. ¡°I get it, Lance. I¡¯m coming into this with black marks all over a brand new record. I know how it¡¯s going to be.¡± Taking a deep breath, she plummeted deeper into her cover, ¡°But I need to be able to get intel on the Sweeny¡¯s. I need to be able to take them down. You doing it for me wouldn¡¯t be right. I need to do it myself.¡± It was a gamble. He might just kick her out right now. Here he was doing her a favor, and she was making demands. She was sounding like one of her bad dates. He didn¡¯t say anything. Just raised his eyebrows and looked at her. It was a look she¡¯d seen many, many times on his face. She laughed uneasily. ¡°Too intense?¡± ¡°Jasmine.¡± Her whole body flushed. ¡°I¡¯m going to need more than that, love.¡± They stared at each other in shock. Five years. It¡¯d been five long years since he¡¯d called her that. She savored it like a delicacy. Fighting her libido to keep her head in the game, she did her best to continue their train of thought from before. ¡°Y-you¡­ah¡­You wanna know why I got fired, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked hesitantly. She curled her fingers in the hair at the base of her neck, trying to get her mind to re-focus. The oil she¡¯d put there this morning was still there. Rubbing her fingers together, she steeled her mind with the ritualistic movement. His eyes didn¡¯t leave her hands at their movements. But he, as always, was able to keep up with her. ¡°You know that I¡¯ve gotta know, Jax. Standard question for any job. I¡¯m not trying to pry past what you want to share. But knowing will give me control over how the information is presented to the staff. And if its something I can¡¯t work with, its best that we both know now.¡± Setting her mug on the coffee table, she stood up. This was it. The lie she was going to have to sell perfectly. Failing this, she¡¯d lose her chance at revenge on the Sweeny¡¯s. She¡¯d be a burned cop. As much as she still cared for Lance, and trusted him, she had no idea what he might do if he found out what she was really doing. ¡°So, it¡¯s a complicated story. I can¡¯t tell you everything because of the privacy laws and everything. But ultimately, it was willful disobedience and police brutality.¡± His eyes bored into her back as she faced the city skyline. ¡°Police brutality? I mean¡­The willful disobedience, I can understand. I do know you after all. And no one can change that much¡­But brutality?¡± When she turned to face him, there was no disgust in his eyes. Only disbelief. Hearing the shock in his silence, she continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t your men get all of this when they checked my story?¡± ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t read their full report. I just checked to confirm that you were, in fact, fired.¡± He looked at his hands, as they twisted around his dugout box. He was fidgeting. That meant he was uncomfortable with the information. Good. That meant he had to be buying it. She sat back down next to him. ¡°The file is supposed to be sealed. I¡¯d be impressed if they were able to get all the details. What exactly do you need to know?¡± ¡°Well, I mean...what the fuck happened, Jasmine?!¡± A smile slipped through her perfect facade. Always to the point, was Lance. ¡°We had a perp in custody. There was a countdown on a little girl¡¯s life. You know..one of those classic TV show situations. He wouldn¡¯t tell us anything unless we promised him immunity, which my Captain doesn¡¯t do. She always thinks there¡¯s a way around it. So I did what I had to to get the information out of him. He was stubborn at first, but in the end he told me where she was. I got there just in time. They had to use the paddles on her, but she made it.¡± She sighed and put her face in her hands. ¡°Since there¡¯s a kid involved and it made the department look bad, they sealed the case file. But they also fired me.¡± ¡°What about the perp? Is he pressing charges?¡± Lance ran through the list of criminals in the city in his head. He¡¯d shake down anyone he needed to. Jasmine had done the right thing, and he didn¡¯t want her to get penalized for it. ¡°For now, no. He might change his mind. I¡¯m not too worried, though. It was all ultimately off the record, and he said some incriminating things while I was...interrogating him. If he presses charges for this, the department could press charges for a whole host of other things that he admitted to.¡± Thankfully, not all of this could be officially corroborated. Lance could do all the digging he wanted, but an officially off the record alibi was easier to sell. Lance drew closer to her. ¡°We¡¯ll make this work, Jax. I don¡¯t see anything wrong with what you did. Hell, in our line of work, it will be respected.¡± He touched her arm. The air between them thickened again, but she had to keep it the line of information open. Let him think he got her guard down just this once, and then she¡¯d never have to talk about it again. Chapter Seven ¡°So, knowing all of that doesn¡¯t make you want to cut ties with me?¡± Jax had to play more surprised than she really was. She knew he didn¡¯t have a clean record. Nor did he associate with those who did. Even though she didn¡¯t do what she just told him about, there were other dark parts of her past that she wasn¡¯t proud of. Parts of herself that she thought best kept hidden. Parts that would completely qualify her for this company. Sharing herself with people was uncomfortable. The truth of it was, if that situation had really gone down like that, she probably would have done exactly what she just lied about. She definitely didn¡¯t like that about herself. ¡°Look, Jax,¡± Lance said sternly. ¡°I¡¯ve hired a lot of people who¡¯ve done a lot worse than any of what you just told me. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find you a place here.¡± She visibly relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s good. I really do want to work for you. Outside of wanting revenge on the Sweeneys I think it will be nice to work together again.¡± She¡¯d forgotten to flirt with him amid all of the stress of the lies and truths she¡¯d just shared. ¡°So, if I was an assistant,¡± she asked suggestively, ¡°would that mean that I get to work closely with you?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. You¡¯d-ah you¡¯d be a shared assistant between me and Darius.¡± He blushed deeply. ¡°You¡¯d work most closely with Elvia. She¡¯s on the hiring committee for that position.¡± ¡°Hiring committee?¡± ¡°You thought I wasn¡¯t going to make you work for this a little bit?¡± He nudged her with his elbow. The playfulness caught her off guard. It was a refreshing break from the heady tension. ¡°I mean, yeah. I knew you¡¯d make me work for it. I just haven''t been interviewed for anything in 5 years.¡± It had been ridiculous, she supposed, to assume that he would just hand her a job. Besides, she¡¯d be more respected by her potential co-workers if she had to go through normal channels to get it. ¡°So, honestly, Jax. Do you want to be a bodyguard or an assistant? You¡¯re more qualified for a bodyguard. But Elvia is a great teacher, and would have you trained in no time,¡± Lance paused. He didn¡¯t know which one he wanted her to do. Both prospects terrified him for completely different reasons. Having her close to him was trouble enough. But letting Darius close to her for an extended period of time? They¡¯d come to blows eventually. He was sure of it. Maybe he could establish a peace between them before anything happened. Cut off the head of the beast before it hatched, in a manner of speaking. She hesitated. If he didn¡¯t know her better, he would have assumed those were nerves he was seeing. ¡°How much time do I have to think about it before you need an answer? Well. I guess a better question would be¨Cwhen do you need these,¡± she smirked at him coyly, ¡°positions filled?¡± Laughter bubbled out of him again. ¡°I¡­uh¡­you¡­we need bodies in about a week,¡± he said haltingly. ¡°If you choose to work with Darius, I want to warn you¡­He¡¯s not a big fan of you right now. He doesn¡¯t like your background.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he have a say in who is protecting him?¡± Jax asked. Lance sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°Sure I¡¯d let him have a say. If he would actually pick someone. But he¡¯s been dragging his feet for over 3 months after his last guy quit, and I don¡¯t like him going to meetings alone.¡± ¡°But why are you even giving me the option if you know he won¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°Honestly, I think you two would get along fantastically if he can look past your background, and you can table your¡­¡± He stopped, blushing. Jax went cold. There was, of course, always something people didn¡¯t like about each other. It¡¯s the nature of humanity. But to know that there was something Lance felt the need to protect his man from? It threw her off in a big way. ¡°My what? Table my what?¡± She chuckled a little to try to ease the sudden tension. ¡°Come on Lance, what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Mirroring his actions from before, she nudged him with her elbow. She didn¡¯t know what scared her more. That there was already something about her that might ruin her whole assignment, or the fact that Lance didn¡¯t see her as a perfect woman. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Humorless, he said, ¡°You uh¡­.you come on a little strong.¡± ¡°A little strong? What¡¯s that mean?¡± He sighed. ¡°The intensity, Jax. I don¡¯t think you realize how intense you are. The way you bore into people¡¯s eyes. The way your laugh is like an afterthought chuckle. The way you constantly look like you just had the best sex of your life. I mean, just the way you talk to people. There¡¯s very little levity with you. You need to lighten up. Darius is a joker. He teases everyone about everything. He¡¯s passionate and a little moody. And you¡¯re just,¡± he breathed deeply into his lungs, ¡°You¡¯re so serious. Just¡­lighten up a little.¡± He didn¡¯t want to have this conversation with her. Talking was starting to get exhausting. ¡°I get it, I guess.¡± She said. That was it? She¡¯d expected something worse. This was definitely not the first time she¡¯d been told this, and she doubted it would be the last. A similar conversation with her captain came to mind. As she started to fiddle with the empty mug in her hand, she wondered to herself what she¡¯d expected him to say. ¡°I guess I just thought you might think of me as perfect.¡± What?! She heard the words come out of her mouth before her brain caught up, and hated every one of them. It¡¯d absentmindedly just spilled out of her. Quickly, she looked at his face to gauge his reaction, not sure at all what he might think about the asinine word vomit. He laughed a little, and took the mug from her. ¡°I think assistants need a little more tact than that, love. Bodyguard it is.¡± Walking over to the desk, he pressed a button on the landline. ¡°Elvia, would you mind terribly bringing Jax another of those fantastic lattes? I will have one too if you have the time. And see if Darius is available for a few minutes?¡± ¡°You got it bossman.¡± Elvia chirped over the line. Lance settled back onto the sofa next to Jax, infinitesimally closer to her, their elbows brushing against each other. She looked at him, focusing on keeping things light and jovial. ¡°So Darius¡¯ bodyguard, huh? I can¡¯t be yours?¡± ¡°I like mine a lot, honestly. And as Darius is the head of security, anything else would be a demotion for him. Bodyguards here do more than just security,¡± he said. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be driving him all over the city, right?¡± She shuddered a little at the idea of the servant-type role she was sure Darius would try to make her fill. ¡°Actually, Darius likes to drive himself most places. He loves his car. I don¡¯t think he would trust his own mother with it.¡± Lance grabbed his laptop, and opened the job description. ¡°Come to think of it, I think you¡¯d be great for this position. You¡¯d be talking to the feds some. You¡¯d also be helping us navigate the legal side of the business¨Chelping us make sure our cover is solid, alibis, etc. We don¡¯t run an operation like the Sweeny¡¯s, so it wouldn¡¯t be anything too nefarious that you¡¯d be helping us cover up. But it¡¯s definitely a way that you could be a great asset to our company.¡± ¡°Is it often that you have to deal with the feds? I didn¡¯t think they had anything on you,¡± she asked as nonchalantly as she could. Be careful, she thought to herself. If she wasn¡¯t, there would be a lot of explaining to do. ¡°From everything we know, we¡¯re not under any sort of scrutiny. We keep our noses clean for the most part. Apart from marijuana distribution they don¡¯t really have anything to worry about with us, so we¡¯re mostly left alone.¡± The lie flowed so naturally from his lips, she almost believed him. Almost. ¡°But if I or anyone else ever gets questioned, I think it might be a good idea to rope you into those conversations. You¡¯d have a good idea of what to look out for, how they might try to trip us up, you know?¡± Elvia breezed in with two cups of coffee and a notepad tucked under her arm. For all the world, she looked like she should be the boss, and Lance the assistant. Her charcoal slacks and purple silk blouse were expertly steamed, and her elegant earrings screamed, ¡°I am a professional, respect me.¡± Lance¡¯s untucked plaid shirt was lightly rumpled, and his 5 o¡¯clock shadow said, ¡°I¡¯ll probably mess up your coffee.¡± Yet as he politely accepted the coffee from her, and gave her instructions about his afternoon schedule, Jax could tell that Elvia had the highest respect for Lance, and was perfectly content with their respective roles. She started to wonder if she should have accepted the assistant position when she¡¯d had the chance. Chapter Eight ~~~Darius~~~ Darius glowered when he entered his boss¡¯s office. Lance was practically sitting in her lap. So this was really happening. The boss was going to let this woman come and work in the company. No questions asked. Probably going to have her fill that assistant vacancy, and keep her as close to him as possible. There was no mystery over why she was getting the red carpet rolled out for her. Darius saw that gleam in Lance¡¯s eye. It reminded him of the gleam in his ex husband¡¯s eye the night they met. Pure desire. Doing his best to keep his thoughts respectful, he stood in front of the sofa. His background and training required that he wait to be asked to have a seat. She had the audacity to look at him as though he was the intruder. As though he was the one who didn¡¯t belong. He looked right back at her, unflinching. So it was going to be a pissing match? He resisted the urge to chuckle at the thought. He¡¯d win that one, no contest. ¡°Have a seat, Darius. Elvia, please stay as well. I have a proposal for the two of you,¡± Lance gestured to the chairs in front of the couch, making no effort to put any sort of professional distance between the woman and himself. Elvia produced a cup of coffee from mid-air and settled into the chair directly in front of the boss. It forced Darius to sit in front of the vixen that had the boss so deeply ensnared. This Jasmine. As much as he loved Elvia, she was going to get on his last nerve if she insisted on pushing him to be nice to people. Security. That was his job. Enforcing secrecy, ensuring safety, technology management. All of it was limited in the realm of human interaction, and he liked it that way. His team was handpicked. He chose people that he trusted implicitly; people that he was comfortable with. Otherwise, they weren¡¯t added to the team. Until now, Lance had been very generous in letting him pick his people. Despite disbelieving the threats that that freedom was coming to an end, he knew that if he didn¡¯t act fast someone like her was going to end up on his team. Lance would do it just to spite him. He didn¡¯t understand Darius¡¯s reticence in picking a new bodyguard. The last one had been an unfortunate misunderstanding. The man couldn¡¯t stomach the illegality of some of their operations, and ran for the hills. Signed NDAs helped Darius sleep at night. But he knew one day that man was going to talk. He sighed. Just one more fire to put out; one more thing he¡¯d have to do to keep the blind boss happy. ¡°Let me guess, we have our new assistant chosen and hired without having to pass through the proper interview process?¡± Darius spat out. There was much more venom in his words than he¡¯d intended, but he couldn¡¯t convince himself to feel bad about it. Lance frowned at him. ¡°Actually, I wanted to present an alternative to the two of you.¡± Darius¡¯s body went cold. This wasn¡¯t good. Lance only used this voice when he REALLY needed to convince someone of something. ¡°With Ms. McKission¡¯s extensive background in law enforcement, I thought it might be a good idea to explore the option of her joining our team as security staff, with a focus in legal advising.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Y-You want her to do what? We don¡¯t even have a position in security open. Besides, you promised me I¡¯d be able to pick my staff when you brought me aboard¡­¡± Darius paused, horrified, as realization struck him like a bolt of hot lightning. ¡°Wait. You want her to join MY team?! As MY personal security guard?!¡± He stared at the man, certain that he¡¯d lost his rational mind. ¡°The person I¡¯m supposed to be able to trust more than anything, and you just want to give that position away to this lying...without even consulting me?!¡± He scoffed at the two morons snuggled up together on the sofa in front of him. ¡°And here I thought I was working for someone who actually thought with his mind, rather than what¡¯s in his pants.¡± ¡°That will be enough, Darius,¡± Lance said quietly. His eyes hardened as he looked at the man he thought was his friend intently. Out of respect, and only respect for the man he¡¯d spend the last 4 working with, he bit his tongue. But it was not easy. This woman had snaked her way into Lance¡¯s trust, and Darius was sure that it would end in some kind of dumpster fire. No exaggeration. He expected there to be actual fire. This situation had all the makings of social napalm. Darius pinched the bridge of his nose. This couldn¡¯t be happening. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Elvia, saint of a woman, piped up, ¡°Lovely as you are Jasmine, I can understand where Darius is coming from.¡± Both men looked at her, shocked. This was the last thing they¡¯d expected to hear from her. She held up her hand to silence them before they said a word. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I would love to learn to trust you, dear. But we all know the kind of operation we have going here. We all know the stakes. How are we supposed to know that you aren¡¯t some kind of undercover cop or something?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s been a big concern for me too. Despite what my man here thinks, I am doing my best to be objective. But if you allow her to tell you her story, I think it would help,¡± Lance said. As Jasmine explained her desire to take down the Sweeny¡¯s and the circumstances behind her termination as one of Salem¡¯s finest, Darius could see Elvia start to relax. He wasn¡¯t as convinced. It all sounded a little too easy, a little too coincidental. He examined her face, looking for deception. The planes of her face remained smooth. But when she started talking about why she was fired, her eyes tightened nearly imperceptibly. Was it deception? Was she simply angry at herself for what she did? What was that little look in her eyes? He found himself regretting not knowing her well enough to know the answer. He could see in everything that she did that every action, every word was quickly and carefully calculated. It worried him. There was something going on here. And as hunky as Lance was, Darius highly doubted she was simply putting on a show for the boss. There was something more. ¡°You have people who can corroborate your story, I¡¯m sure?¡± Darius asked shortly. She looked at him carefully with those calculating eyes. But then the mask seemed to break a little. Was that a slip? A chink in her armor? ¡°Honestly, Darius, I wish I could bring you a newspaper clipping of the incident or the case file or something. But I don¡¯t have anything. I¡¯m sure you all heard about my brother¡¯s trial. I mean, anyone would want revenge on the Sweeney''s, right?¡± The passion in her voice, and his own memories of the sordid trial had him convinced on that part. But losing it on a suspect? That seemed far less plausible. Her control seemed nearly as well honed as his own. She was too tailored in every action. She wouldn¡¯t lose it like that. He scoffed, doing his best to distract from his careful observation of her every movement. Couldn¡¯t let her see how much attention he was paying to every movement, every detail of her stories. He wished he¡¯d brought a pad to take notes. ¡°I think everyone understands your feelings toward the people who revealed your brother for the scum that he is.¡± Her knuckles went white. But a deep breath, and she was back to her calm and collected manner. He¡¯d have to try harder to get her to break this facade. ¡°I wish that I could offer you a different narrative that you would believe.¡± She looked him square in the eyes, accusingly. ¡°But I doubt you believe a word coming out of my mouth, so why should I even bother?¡± With a cold clarity creeping up his spine, he realized then that he would need to back off a little if he was going to figure out her secret. She was observing him too. Elvia, ever the level headed peacekeeper, cut him off before he could deliver a snippy retort, ¡°That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here, you two. I know that must be a very painful subject for you, Jasmine. I can guarantee that it will not influence our decision when it comes to your employment with us. Will it Darius?¡± She looked at him pointedly. "We don''t want to run a company that judges people for their background, do we? Neither of us would be here if that was the case." There was one answer he could give, really. And he didn¡¯t want to. It made him feel like a petulant child. ¡°I hire based on merit alone. Everyone knows that,¡± Darius said. Jasmine exhaled, hard. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but there was almost a look of relief on her face. Maybe he wasn¡¯t wrong when he assumed that she¡¯d ¡°applied¡± for acceptable reasons. ¡°So. It¡¯s decided then? Jasmine will join our team as Darius¡¯s bodyguard?¡± Lance said, expectantly. So many thoughts flooded around Darius¡¯s head. His ears started ringing with all of that pent up anger. The room tilted sideways. He snapped.