Chapter Five
Jordan
After my perfect first date with Laci, I was tempted to tell her everything. Sit her down and tell her the whole, awful truth. But as much as I wanted to be completely transparent and open with her, I knew I couldn’t – not yet. If she knew even a hint of what my sordid past contained, she’d be running for Logan Airport before I could even finish my sentence.
There was no way I could be truthful with Laci about my past.
But I wasn’t going to worry about that, at least, not just yet. First, I had bigger issues to deal with.
When she’d asked me at the Italian restaurant if I’d been looking for her, I’d lied. Of course, I’d wanted to see her again…more than other people would have thought possible. But I hadn’t been haunting that section of Boston to see her gorgeous face.
I’d been looking for Leo McKinney – the man who’d assaulted Laci. The man who, at one horrible point in my life, had been a close friend of mine.
I kept going back to that neighborhood, looking for Leo. I had to know what he was doing…and why he was still doing it. After all, if I was able to turn my life around, I felt fully confident that others should be able to do the same.
But after a week of searching, it became glaringly obvious that I wouldn’t have such an easy time tracking Leo down. So, I called Ken and asked to meet him for lunch at a cheap cafeteria in the same neighborhood.
When Ken arrived, I could tell he was suspicious.
“West, what the hell are you doing in a place like this,” Ken asked with a frown as he lowered himself into the grimy, plastic booth. “You know I don’t like seeing you in these bad parts.”
“I’m looking for someone,” I said. “An old…well, someone I used to know.”
Ken gave me a deeply concerned look. “I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I don’t like that idea, Jordan. Not one bit – you remember everything you learned, don’t you?”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s insulting,” I replied. “You know I wouldn’t give up my life now. I’ve got everything.”
“Look, I’m just doing my job,” Ken replied. He wrapped his hands around a cheap ceramic mug of coffee and lifted it to his lips. “And part of that job is to keep an eye on you.”
“I’m not in trouble anymore,” I said angrily. “And I’m worried about Leo. He was always in a bad way, and this could be the beginning of the end for him. If he kills someone – or god forbid, something even worse – I’ll feel responsible.”
Ken gave me a strange look. “You’re a lot of things, West, but I never thought you’d take to vigilantism.”
“It’s not vigilantism,” I said. “Don’t you understand? If you knew someone was struggling – with addiction, or threats – wouldn’t you want to help them get back on their feet? Fuck, why the hell did you become a parole officer if you don’t feel that way?”
Ken sighed. “You’re twisting my words,” he said.
“Well, have you seen anything?” I prodded. “Because I’d really like to get Leo help. Or see him put behind bars for good, if he tries anything else.”
“What did you see?” Ken asked.
“Nothing,” I lied. I knew I could be held legally responsible for assaulting Leo and leaving him in the alley…but what the hell should I have done instead? Run away with Laci and leave Leo capable to assault another woman? I’d had no choice – and deep down, I was sure Ken would agree with me.
Ken looked suspicious, but he didn’t ask any more questions. After I paid for our lunch, I took a long walk by the waterfront, wondering what would happen. It was very troubling. I couldn’t keep Laci in the dark forever, especially not with the whole Leo McKinney situation, but neither could I say a goddamned word until Leo had been apprehended.
In the next few days, I spent my time stalking the bad neighborhoods, keeping an eye out. Despite my expensive clothing and shoes, men still got out of the way when they saw me coming. It was funny – I’d turned my entire life around, and yet people could tell with a mere glance that I was a dangerous man. Maybe it was the way I’d never stopped keeping my hair in a close-cropped prison cut, or maybe it was the look in my eyes but that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that anyone with a lick of sense in their body got the fuck out of the way when they saw Jordan West coming.
Just like it should be, I thought, squaring my shoulders and puffing my chest out as I strode through the neighborhoods. Back when I’d first gotten out of prison, I hadn’t realized the effect on people. But that had been years ago, and now it was very clear to me that I cut a frightening form. And if I was going to find Leo, I had to keep that up for as long as I could.
I asked everywhere I could think of. I went to every chop shop in Boston looking for him. I went to every back-alley “pizza joint” that was clearly a front for the mob. I even started listening to the police scanner in my office at work, hoping for a tip-off.
But there was nothing. And by the end of the week, I knew I was going to have to do something really drastic if I wanted to find Leo McKinney alive.
The next Friday, I took Laci out to a Russian restaurant by the waterfront. It was exclusive, and most people weren’t able to get restaurants. But just like the sight of my eyes and tattooed frame frightened the people in the streets, the name Jordan West was equally powerful…just in different ways.
“This is really something,” Laci whispered. She put her hand in mine as we walked into the main dining room. “I feel like I’ve gone back in time by about two hundred years.”
“You’re right,” I said. I chuckled. “This place is out there.”
As Laci and I moved past the different tables, I noticed a lot of men checking her out. Of course, it was hard not to – she wore a tight black minidress that perfectly complimented her slender curves and her brown hair was tied into an elegant knot at the back of her head, exposing her creamy, delicate neck. I wanted to bury my face in her neck and bite until she cried out with pain, but I knew I had to restrain myself…at least until the end of the meal. After our first date, I’d gone home with the worst case of blue balls that I’d ever had. It had been exquisite, perfect torture. And while I was sure she was probably going to make me wait a little bit longer, I knew that sleeping with Laci would be every bit as perfect as I wanted it to be. There was no denying she had pure sexual energy that flowed from her bright blue eyes. Despite her sweet, girl-next-door manners, I had a feeling that I was going to unleash a well of passion in Laci that would be impossible to contain.
Still, that didn’t mean I wanted other men ogling what was mine. And Laci Wright was most definitely mine. I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted another woman.
“Champagne or vodka?” I asked as we sat down. “Both are excellent with caviar.”
Laci flushed, two perfect circles of pink on her pale cheeks. “Whichever,” she said. “I trust you.” She winked at me and I grinned, knowing that she remembered our inside joke from our last date.
“Fuck it,” I said, smirking. “Let’s get both.”
To start, I ordered a bottle of champagne, a bottle of vodka, caviar service, and roasted duck thighs.
“Wow,” Laci said nervously as the waiter rolled the caviar service to our table. “This is really something, Jordan. Are you sure about this?” She giggled. “I don’t even know that I like caviar. I’ve never had it, after all.”
I winked at her. Taking a blini in my hands, I dabbed some caviar on top, then added a small dollop of sour cream and some chives.
“Open your mouth.”
Laci licked her lips – the sight was enough to make my cock hard – then obediently opened her mouth and closed her eyes. With a wolfish grin, I slid the blini inside her mouth, gently running the edge of my finger along the inside of her lip.
“Now chew,” I said, removing my fingers and wiping them on my napkin. Other patrons were staring, but I didn’t give a shit. I wanted to give Laci the most sensual dinner she’d ever have…and then a dozen hot, sweaty orgasms for dessert. And maybe strawberries and whipped cream, I thought, imagining the sight of Laci’s naked body, spread-eagled on my bed, with whipped cream leading down to her wet, waiting pussy. I had to resist the urge to groan as my balls ached with desire.
Laci chewed, then swallowed. I handed her a flute of champagne and she sipped.
“That was delicious,” she said, running the tip of her pink tongue over her lower lip. “It feels a little gross eating eggs, though.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “They can’t feel anything.”
Laci giggled. She tossed her head and I stared at her swanlike neck. In the intimate, candle-lit Russian restaurant, she looked more beautiful than ever.
“More champagne?”
Laci nodded and I refilled her flute, feeling decadent and rich and arrogant. In my opinion, it was the best way to feel…especially with a woman like Laci at my side.
“So,” Laci said. She cleared her throat. “Last time, when we were out together, I asked you about where you grew up.” She bit her lip and glanced away. “And you didn’t really tell me very much. What about your family? Are they around here?”
My lustful arrogance vanished and I shook my head, trying hard to maintain my poker face.
“Some are,” I said. “I have a brother.”
“Oh, that must be so nice,” Laci said. She smiled sweetly. “Are you close?” Without waiting for me to answer, she rambled on: “I don’t know what I’d do without Jenna. She’s my best friend, even if she does get on my nerves all the time. But I always wanted a brother – an older brother, you know? I got teased a lot in school.”
I smirked and reached for her hand. “If anyone tries to bully you now, I’ll kick their ass and make them wish they’d never been born.”
“What about your brother, though?” Laci pressed on.
I shrugged. “He’s always done his own thing,” I said, thinking of James. “Our father died years ago.”
“Oh, that’s so awful,” Laci said. Tears came to her blue eyes. “How old were you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. I grinned. “Hey, it’s something else we’ve got in common.”
Laci frowned. “Jordan, that’s never a good thing,” she said softly. “I’m just sorry you had to go through that.”
“It was a long time ago,” I said drily. “And a lot has happened between now and then. Hey, how was your week at work?”
Laci gave me a skeptical look. “Why won’t you answer any of my questions?” She asked. “Are you ashamed? Jordan, you know I’m not interested in you for your money…I wouldn’t care about your family, even if they were bad people!”
“I’ll tell you sometime.” Just saying the words was a struggle. “But not right now, okay?”
Laci pouted, but after a few seconds, she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “That’s only fair.” She bit her lip. “I just want to know you, Jordan. I want to know everything about you.” Her usually timid voice took on a hint of intensity.
“I know,” I said. I took her hand and kissed it. “And I want to know everything about you, too. But this is only our second date. Don’t you think we should keep things lighter for now?”
The look on Laci’s face clearly said ‘no,’ but she didn’t push the subject.
“Okay,” Laci said after a few moments. “I guess you’re right.”
As we ate and talked in the candlelit restaurant, I realized that when I was around Laci, I felt like I’d never felt before. It was so strange – my heart was pounding just from looking at her, just from thinking about what it would be like to get close to her.
Was I falling in love?