“So, what’s got you riding around so late?” Mia asked when Jonathon strolled through the door.

“You should tell me why you’re awake first. Your job is having their annual feed the beast party, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mia mumbled, “but I wouldn’t mind it if a rich man came out of nowhere and swept me off my feet and told me I didn’t ever have to work again.” She batted her eyes at him, and Jonathon laughed boisterously.

“I would be offended, so it’s a good thing I don’t take you seriously,” he said.

“And therein lies the problem.”

Jonathon laughed heartily again and followed Mia’s petite frame through the hallway to her bar room. She wore a T-shirt that stopped mid-thigh and exposed her brown legs and feet. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and the tattoo of a butterfly sat on her neck.

“How did I guess you were relaxing in this room?” Jonathon asked.

“Because you think you know me, but you don’t.”

“Yeah, I think I know you quite well.”

“And I know that you would like a drink as well.”

Jonathon nodded. “True that, but only one.”

Mia cut her eyes at him. “One? Since when?”

Jonathon smirked. “It’s after one. A brother’s got to drive home.”

Mia shook her head vigorously. “You can stay here. I don’t bite.”

Jonathon peered at her.

“I don’t,” she said, taking a sip of her wine. “Not in the way you think anyway.”

Jonathon reached for a couch pillow and tossed it at her.

“I’m just saying.” Mia handed him a glass of clear liquid. “Scotch?”

Jonathon accepted it.

“To late nights when we can’t sleep.” Mia held up her glass, and they clinked as they cheered.

Jonathon took a mild sip. “Why do you have scotch in your arsenal anyway? You don’t drink it.”

“Why do you think?” Mia took another sip of her wine.

“For your brother?”

Mia shook her head. “Try again.”

“For your father.”

“You have one more guess, and if you get it wrong, you do not get to pass go, and you don’t get to collect two hundred dollars.”

Jonathon laughed. “Okay, I guess I deserved that.”

“Un huh.”

Jonathon took another sip, and their gazes held. “Me?”

“Ah!” Mia sat her glass down and clapped her hands. “Congratulations, you have just won The Price Is Right.”

Jonathon laughed and cried on the inside. If Mia felt about him how he felt about Octavia, the universe had some nasty jokes. And he didn’t like it one bit.

“Thank you,” Jonathon said. “I’m flattered.”

“Are you?”

“I am.”

“Flattered enough tooooo…”

Jonathon’s brows rose. “To what?”

“Yah know, spend the night.”

“Are you that bored?”

“Yeah sure, if that’s what it takes to get you to stay over.”

Jonathon thought about her request. It had been a full year since he’d slept with anyone. It was kind of pathetic. Waiting for Octavia to open up and realize they were meant to be together was becoming pointless.

“Maybe some other time.”

Mia perked up. She hadn’t heard Jonathon say anything remotely close to that, and he wasn’t the type to make promises he didn’t intend to keep.

“Should we put it on the calendar?” Mia asked.

Jonathon polished off the rest of the scotch. “Nah, I’ll let you know.”

“A girl can try, can’t she?”

He chuckled again and traipsed toward the bar.

“If you want more, help yourself.”

Jonathon knew if he wanted to leave within the next few minutes one drink was all he needed. But he found himself saying, “Why not?”

 

The next morning Jonathon awakened at 9 and found himself stretched out across a bed. Groggily, he sat up straight and searched the room for familiarity but found none. He rubbed a hand down his face and stood to his feet just as a door in the room opened.

Mia strutted out wrapped in a towel with her hair pinned to the top of her head and water dripping from her ankles.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she said.

“Shit” was Jonathon’s response.

“What’s wrong?”

Jonathon checked his pockets for his phone and car keys.

“You left them both on the kitchen counter,” Mia offered, aware of what he searched for.

“You’ve gotten a few calls and a few text messages. One number called so much I felt like I should answer it.”

“Did you?” he asked.

“Yeah. If I was out of line, I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t an emergency. They kept calling.”

“Who was it?”

“Ya homegirl, she said her name was Octavia. I figured that’s the one you call O, right?”

Jonathon swore under his breath. Mia looked disturbed.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her you were asleep, but if it were an emergency, I’d wake you.”

Jonathon stood silent for a minute. “What did she say?”

“Nothing really, she paused for a minute, and I thought she would say something else, but she didn’t. Just hung up the phone.”

Jonathon let the scenario run through his mind.

“I’m sensing there’s a problem.”

Jonathon couldn’t be mad at Mia. Not really. She’d answered his phone with good intentions; he was the one stupid enough to fall asleep at her home.

“You’re good. I’m heading out,” he said, going to the door. As he stepped into the hallway, Jonathon paused and turned back to her. “We didn’t…”

“Have sex?”

Jonathon nodded and braced himself for her response.

“Would it be so bad if we did?”

Her question was met with a brief silence. “Did we?”

Mia folded her arms. “No. Look at yourself. You’re fully dressed.”

Jonathon looked down at himself.

“You fell asleep on the couch, but I was able to coach you back to the bed.” Mia smirked. “I thought about taking advantage of you for a minute, but when I put it on you, I want you to know it.”

Jonathon’s brows arched, and he smirked and left the hallway. On the way out, he grabbed his cell and keys without making another stop. Jumping in his Hummer, Jonathon drove across town to his penthouse. He didn’t pause for breakfast once inside; instead, he went straight for a shower. Returning Octavia’s call had crossed his mind, but he needed to see her in person. To feel her out. If she truly weren’t interested in him, then Octavia wouldn’t be concerned with Mia answering his phone. But if she gave him any attitude at all, he would know otherwise, and right then and there, Jonathon would get down to it. He was done playing games with Octavia. If he felt any iota of frustration come from her, today would be the day he let out everything he’d wanted to say.

Jonathon moved from the shower to the sink, brushing his teeth and taking a small comb through his groomed beard. Refreshed, he left the bathroom for his bedroom and came across his ringing phone. The call appeared to come from Officer Davis’ cell.

“Rose Security Group,” Jonathon answered.

“This is Officer Davis. I’m over at station three. Will you and your men join us in our search today?”

“Yes, sir. We’re on our way now.”

“Excellent, I’ll see you here.”

Jonathon ended the call and tossed his cell on top of the bed. His feet sank into the milky white shag rug as he strolled into his walk-in closet. Upon entrance, lights overhead and along the back walls illuminated. Jonathon approached a built-in dresser and hit a few buttons that in return released a lock and a dresser door slid open. Inside he pulled out a belt, and a nine-millimeter baby desert eagle then grabbed a pair of jeans and a crisp black T-shirt before leaving the room. Jonathon dressed and received confirmation from one of his men that they were en route to his location. While he waited, Jonathon strolled to his computer and pulled up the monitoring system at Rose Security Group. It was an ordinary day at the building with security guards checking people in and out. There were a few candidates that needed training next week, and Jonathon would need to be there to make sure it was done efficiently.

When his phone buzzed, Jonathon powered down the computer and holstered his nine-millimeter before leaving the luxury apartment. He tried to keep thoughts of Octavia away, even though he’d see her in just a few minutes. Jonathon needed to have his mind clear and focused on what they all came together to do.

Find Ayana Bradwell, safe and sound.