Cobra (Blue Angel Security Book 1), page 34
“Yeah, I think I’m just going to stay busy over the next few weeks. At least I have one contract that I’m looking forward to,” I say as Liam pulls back in. “And pizza.”
“Do you wanna eat out here or in the house?”
“Out here, I’ll go get the plates.”
“Nah, I’ll go get them. I’ll be right back,” Whiskey says as Liam walks up the porch.
“What’s wrong?” he says, placing the pizzas on Whiskey’s now abandoned chair.
“Whiskey just told me some news I wasn’t prepared to hear. I can’t really say anything else. It just feels like everything is falling apart.”
“But you’re okay, right?”
“Yes, Liam, she’s okay. I promise nothing will happen to her. Not as long as I’m around, it won’t.”
“Good. Well, since everyone is playing hush hush and won’t tell me anything. How about I give you a reason to smile?” Liam says, smiling from ear to ear.
“I have some good news. I was going to keep it to myself, but I think you need to hear it and maybe it’ll cheer you up.”
“What’s that Liam? And don’t get offended if nothing cheers me up.”
“Clayton comes home in six weeks.”
“Oh, my God. You’re serious? He’s coming home?”
“Yep. And from what he tells me, he has eight months left of his enlistment and then he’s mine. He’s not re-upping.”
I pull away from Whiskey and run to my best friend, “He’s coming home!”
“He’s coming home. Now what do you say that we start planning the most awesome, over the top, welcome home party that Manhasset Hills has ever seen?” Liam teases me knowing damn well we’re doing this thing…
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I text Kylee.
Me: You knew and didn’t say anything to me!
Kylee: Ha! Mama and Liam made me swear, although Mama is going to skin Liam alive when she finds out he spilled the beans. But I’m so happy!
Me: Me too. So, are you ready to officially join the let’s plan the biggest, best party to welcome home our personal hero?
Kylee: Hell yeah… I can come over tonight. I’ll even bring the wine.
Me: Perfect. Liam will be here too.
Kylee: And Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious?
Me: Yes, and we still need to find you a man.
Kylee: Boy, how have the times changed. My little girl is all grown up… sniff, sniff. She wants to play match maker now…
Me: Drama queen, be safe on the way over and we will see you in a few hours.
37
DALTON
Tucked away miles from civilization, I bide my time as I finish the final preparations. A wicked smile crosses my face as I watch endless hours of video feed of my unsuspecting prey.
In a few short weeks we’ll have our revenge. That little bitch will learn that she can run, but she can’t hide. And thanks to an unlikely alliance, and a woman who’s got more motives than we do, getting Phoebe back under our control is going to be a piece of cake.
Soon, not even her best friends, or her boyfriend, will be able to save her. Soon we will have everything we need, and then we can finally put Phoebe where she should have been years ago.
Sealed in a pine box next to her dear ol’ parents.
38
COBRA
I can’t help but laugh a little as I walk through my kitchen, noticing it looks more like a party planner’s home than the home of a bodyguard or webpage designer. With stacks of recipes, drink order sheets, and games that Emma can play with us, it’s obvious that the party planning is in full swing. Not to mention the woman who claims she doesn’t live here has her shoes laying in the middle of the living room floor while playing tug o’ war with Nyx. But remember, she don’t live here. Yeah, right, she does, she just won’t admit it yet and so does Nyx. I love that pup. He’s such a riot.
Every day when I come home from work, not only am I met with a kiss from Jaycee, but now Nyx meets me at the door with his favorite toy. A thick ass piece of rope for a game of tug o’ war. That dog is a beast. He may not win, but he sure as hell gives me a run for my money.
“Jaycee…” I call out to her, not hearing a response I head down the hall to our office. Last week, I surprised her with a whole new office set up with matching desks and two much larger bookshelves. I walk in seeing her on the phone with a client. She smiles and places her finger to her lips as I lean against the wall watching my girl in her element. Suddenly, she winks at me before placing the call on speaker.
“Now Jefferson, we talked about this. You need to send me the updated pictures for the page.”
“I told you I didn’t need it. My name should be enough for people to want me to design their future dreams.”
“Jefferson, new clients may not want to see something designed a decade ago. They need to see your progression, that you are a modern designer as well as skilled at the antique styles, too.”
“Like I told you a month ago when you called, I’ll think about it.”
“Nope, your time is up. Raelyn has been on my ass to finish your new page. Hers has been updated for weeks. Now I’m calling her and telling her exactly what we talked about. Good luck, you can deal with your wife.”
“It’s my fucking business.”
“Yep, and she’s your wife, but she’s also my friend. I don’t want her upset with me. I’ve heard enough stories from Luca over her southern temper. I’m not pissing her off. That’s your job.”
“You’d really call her?”
“In a New York minute,” she laughs, landing her threat at his feet.
“That isn’t that fast. I might have time to get home and persuade her not to care first.”
“Or I could have already texted her while we were talking, and you’ll be spending a lot of time with Rosey Palmer and her five friends.”
“You’re evil, and I blame my fucking wife. I’ll have Mal send that email out to you by the end of the day.”
“You do that. And if I don’t have it by dinner, I’m walking over to Mal’s and asking him myself what happened to my communication.”
“Fine. Anything else?”
“Yep. Have a great afternoon, I know I will. Oh, and don’t forget about the barbeque next weekend.”
“As if I could. My wife has gone nuts with all those fucking dishes she plans on bringing over. And it’s for another man, not me… she’s lucky I don’t paddle her for it.”
“Go ahead and paddle her, Jefferson. I bet she’d enjoy it!”
“Okay. On that note, I’m hanging up. This isn’t your local gossip channel,” he tells her, disconnecting the call while she laughs.
“You really are a shit stirrer. No wonder he cringes when he hears you and Raelyn are getting together for lunch or something.”
“Well, if he’d just do what I asked him to do in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to threaten him with Raelyn. It’s really his fault. He didn’t give me much of a choice. It was either deal with Raelyn’s wrath myself, or throw him under the bus. Obviously, I chose to protect myself,” she retorts saucily at me. “Besides, you wouldn’t be very impressed at having to rescue me from Raelyn.”
“You’re absolutely right. She can be a bulldog when she gets going. So, baby, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I have two clients that need to send me photos and one client that I’m nearly done with his page design.”
“Can you take a break for a while? I thought we could go for a bike ride.”
“I’d love to go for a ride. Both bikes or just yours?”
“I was hoping my lady would agree to riding with me.”
“Perfect. Let me go change into my jeans. Leggings aren’t the best for riding. It may finally be warming up enough for our barbeques, but it’s definitely still too chilly for me to ride on the back of your bike in just leggings.”
I roll my bike outside just as I see her approach me with her helmet. I smile as I take it from her and place it back in the garage.
“I thought we were going for a ride?”
“Oh, we are Tiger, but first, I got you something,” I say, handing her the new helmet I had custom designed for her. “For my Tiger.”
“Luca,” she softly whispers, looking at me with shimmering eyes. “How? When?”
“A few weeks ago, I took your helmet to the shop I use. After they took the measurements, I had them custom design this one for you. I thought it was fitting. Now, my Tiger really looks like a tiger on the back of my bike,” I tell her as I watch her gently glide her hand over her nickname that has been etched onto her new orange and black striped helmet. “I also had one designed for myself,” I say, picking up my whiskey-colored helmet with ripples that has also been personalized.
Lovingly, she glides her hand across my nickname. “Whiskey,” she says, reading my new name on the helmet. “I love them both.”
“Good, and they’re also equipped with microphones and speakers so we can now talk while riding,” I grin as she places her helmet on for the first time.
“Perfect fit,” she says, sitting on my bike, waiting for me.
“Great, now let’s ride,” I reply, climbing on in front of her.
“Where are we going?” she asks a few minutes into the ride.
“I thought we could just go for a ride. We can ride up to the mountain. I don’t know about you, but I could use an afternoon of just riding my bike with my girl.”
“That sounds perfect to me.”
Jaycee
The bike ride that Luca took me on earlier this afternoon had been unexpected, but very much appreciated. It seems like between my work picking up and the few new clients that BA has taken on, our time together is limited at best. And the bitter awareness of my ex always lurking around the corner in his mind, doesn’t help our situation. He’s always so wound up, always looking for the next possible threat. Which means that he never, not even for ten minutes, relaxes. At least he was able to for the hour or so we were riding. Too bad that feeling couldn’t have stayed a while longer, I think to myself, walking back into our office.
Reluctantly, I turn my computer back on praying that Jefferson finally did as I asked. It wasn’t Whiskey who didn’t want to come back to the real world this afternoon, it was me as well. And after seeing the image that Mal sent me, I’m further inclined to call Whiskey and head back out on our bikes.
“Raelyn,” I groan as she answers.
“What’s up doll?” she replies cheekily.
“Do you have any recent pictures of Jefferson’s designs from the last decade or so? Mal sent me pictures, but they are nearly as old. Your husband really is the most uncooperative client I’ve ever met.”
“I know he can be. You should have met him like five years ago. He really was a jerk, then, too,” she giggles. “How about this? Are you home or still over at Luca’s?”
“Luca’s.”
“Okay, give me an hour and I’ll be over. I have plenty of pictures I’ve taken over the last few years of the properties he has designed. The man is seriously talented, even if he’s about as helpful as a preschooler picking up her toys.”
“Uh-oh, is Emma giving Mommy a hard time again?”
“When isn’t she? Just get the wine ready. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Will do.” I hang up with her, seeing Luca leaning against the doorway.
“Should I be expecting a call from Jefferson complaining about you screwing up his night?”
“Probably,” I giggle, getting up to kiss him. “She told me to get the wine ready.”
“Yeah, he’s not going—” Suddenly his words are cut off as his phone rings. “Speak of the devil.”
“What the fuck is your woman up to now?”
“Why Jefferson, it was so nice of you to call us,” Luca taunts him. And the man talks about me? Shaking my head, I walk out of the office, leaving him to rib Jefferson in peace and quiet.
I’m clearing off the table of all our party plans when Raelyn arrives. She barely knocks once, before the door pops open and she breezes in. “Hey doll. Has my husband called yours yet?”
“Did I miss my own wedding? Last I knew I didn’t have a husband…”
“Pish posh, you might as well be married to the big galoot. You two already act like an old married couple, and hell, you’re basically living together.”
“Basically, and are, aren’t the same and you know it,” I remind her. “Besides, he hasn’t asked me to move in with him.”
She instantly breaks into a huge smile followed by a roar of laughter. “Oh lord, girl, it’s no wonder we’re friends. Does he need to write you out an invitation?”
“Huh? Raelyn, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Jaycee, where do you sleep at night? Here with Luca or in your bed across the street?”
“Here.”
“Where is Nyx and his food?”
“Here, and here.”
“Where are your clothes, your bath products?”
“Here,” I softly say.
“What about your business supplies? Do you have your own access code for the house? When was the last time you cooked a meal in your home?”
“Oh, my God. I—”
“Yep, you big dunce. You already live with the big dummy. All you need to do is to finish bringing your stuff over here.”
“But what if he doesn’t—”
“He does,” I hear Luca say from behind me while Raelyn smirks.
“You’re welcome, both of you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find the wine while you two play kissy face.”
I pivot on my heel expecting to find Whiskey looking at me, instead I find myself being wrapped in his arms as he claims my lips in a fierce kiss. “Tiger, I’m more than ready for you to make this, make us, permanent.”
“Are you sure, Whiskey? I can be—”
“A bed hog, a pain in the ass, you love to take an hour-long shower, you’re never ready on time, and you’re the woman who owns my heart. Yes, Tiger. I’m more than ready for you to be officially living in this house with me.”
“Luca,” I whisper. Gently, he tilts my chin with his thumb, kissing me tenderly. I get lost in this kiss. This one promises me the world, all I have to do is—
“Say yes, Jaycee,” he says the words I know I’ll agree to. “Say you’ll make us official and move in with me.” I look into his loving eyes and smile as I say the one sentence that promises to change everything…
“Yes Luca, I’ll move in with you.”
39
JAYCEE
It’s been a week since Luca asked me to move in with him officially and it still feels surreal. The only reason at this point that I even go across the street to ‘my’ house is when I feel like dancing. Although, if Whiskey has it his way, even that will be a thing of the past very soon. Tomorrow, he has a crew coming over to give him an estimate on recreating my ballet studio downstairs in his unfinished basement. I had argued with him for hours over that one until he kissed me senselessly and told me he was moving his gym downstairs as well.
Damn stubborn ass man. Oh well, it’s a good thing I love the fool as much as I do.
As usual, this morning when I woke up, he was already gone. There has been a lot of activity lately with my fucking ex in California. With his upcoming court date, everyone, especially, Luca is on edge.
I walk outside to the front porch and see Shadow is already here. “What time did you get here?”
“About an hour ago. Cobra should be back in a couple of hours. Jackal wanted to go over a few things with him in preparation for the weeks leading up to, and during the trial.”
“I hate knowing everyone is worried about me. Whiskey would kill someone if they ever hurt me. For the record, I know in the bottom of my heart that every member of Blue Angels would kill for me, if necessary.”
“Damn straight we would. The shit you get us into,” he says while trying to keep a straight face. Failing miserably, he laughs.
“We love you, girl. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for you.”
“I love you all, too. Even that stubborn ass Jackal. He’d better straighten up, or his chance with a certain blonde is going to pass him by.”
Shadow looks over at me grinning. “Oh, I think she’s going to give him hell. If the fool can pull his ass out of his head,” he says as my phone pings with an incoming text.
Alex: Jaycee, I have some free time today. Do you think you can meet me to start finalizing the web layout?
“Shadow, this is the client I’ve been working with on the store front for domestic violence victims. She’s finally ready for us to meet. Since Luca won’t be home for a few hours, do you think you could come with me? I don’t think I have anything to worry about, but I also know he’d flip his lid if I tried to go alone.”
“Yeah, no problem, and you’re right. He’d be pissed at the both of us if I left you alone. Text lover boy and let him know I’m going with you.”
Me: Alex is ready for a face-to-face meeting. Shadow is going to come with me. He told me to let lover boy know. I love you Whiskey.
Whiskey: Be careful and I love you too. Tell dickhead I’ll remember this when he finds his damn soulmate.
Me: Soulmate huh?
Whiskey: You know you are. Now get going. I want to take you out to that fancy seafood restaurant you like so much tonight.
Me: Yum. See you soon.
“Give me fifteen minutes. I need to change and get my computer.”
