Chapter Ten
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David wasn’t normally a late sleeper, so to find Jada had been able to slip from the bed without him noticing was unusual. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone into such a deep slumber or waking so refreshed. But he wasn’t going to stay in bed and wonder where his little angel had disappeared to.
Throwing the blanket off, David got up and checked to see if she was in the bathroom. He didn’t hear water running, but if she were soaking in a tub, he would be more than happy to join her. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there either. He shouldn’t worry because she was here for business, not pleasure. Although, there was a lot of pleasure last night.
David had his own work that needed attention, so he quickly showered and dressed. He had offered to meet up with Rafe and the others, but Gabe had yet to reach out to him with the details. No one had to say anything, but David knew his brother was trying to give him some time alone with Jada. Gabe had a knack of picking up on things like that. It was annoying, but David had to admit he appreciated it. That didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about how the others were faring on their mission.
Before reaching out to Gabe for a status update, he had to fulfill a promise he had made to Paul. He didn’t want Paul wondering if Jada was okay, but he wasn’t going to say how he helped her work through her stress. Some things don’t need to be talked about.
He dialed Paul’s number, and he answered it immediately. “Did you find her? Is she okay?” He could hear how desperate Paul had been, waiting for news.
“Yes, Jada is fine. We had a long conversation last night.” David was glad he could ease his mind without having to lie to him.
“You don’t know how glad I am to hear that; I’ve been so worried.”
Paul was probably being an overprotective father because of everything he’d recently learned about Peckham. It was a difficult time for both Paul and Jada, but he knew they were going to get through it. You guys have been through so much already. Losing someone you love in a fire must have been hell.
“No need to worry, Paul. Jada is a strong woman, and she will get through this. You both will.”
He heard Paul yawn over the phone. “Since I’ve heard from you, and I know Jada is okay, I’m going to bed. And I might sleep for a week. I’m getting too old for this crap. Tell her I’ll call her later.”
David slipped his phone into his pocket. Paul may be in his sixties, but David would not call him old. But he knew exactly what Paul meant. Knowing Jada was safe and lying in his arms had relaxed David more than he ever remembered. Even more than relaxing at the cabin.
That was a shocking revelation, as the cabin had been his only safe haven for a few years now. It didn’t scare him; it confused him. Being tense and in a state of readiness was how he lived his life. Was he able to change? Do I want to? He knew if he became too soft and comfortable, he wouldn’t be effective in the field.
If he doubted that for a moment, it was confirmed by his actions this morning. David’s first thought this morning was of Jada, not his team or his brothers. Jada was no longer an assignment. David’s reason for being there was personal. He could try to deny it or rationalize he was still needed, but the need was not what it had been before. He needed something real. I’m not even sure what that is anymore.
Whether he liked it or not, being around Jada changed him. But nothing would change him to the point that he couldn’t do his job. Still, he wanted to enjoy every second he spent with Jada.
David walked over to the table where some papers were out in the open. He didn’t consider it snooping. If Jada didn’t want them read she would’ve put them away. They were a printout sent from her manager. There had been a change in her itinerary, and she was required to have breakfast with a client. That explained where she was. He scanned her agenda for the remainder of the day, seeing her manager had booked back-to-back engagements. I guess I’m not the only one who can’t stop working.
Although he wanted to spend the day with Jada in his arms, now he’d be able to concentrate on his work guilt free. Before he could pull his phone out of his pocket, it vibrated.
“What’s up, Gabe?”
Gabe’s voice was not light and lacked the humor it normally held. “We need you packed and ready. The chopper will pick you up within the hour.”
Gabe never spoke like this. Something had gone wrong. “What happened?”
There was a pause before Gabe finally replied, “There was an explosion. An IED.”
Fuck! David hadn’t been brought up to speed on where Turchetta’s Promise was and what their mission was. They kept each other on a need-to-know basis, no different than how it had been handled when they were in the military. They had each other’s back, but they also trusted each other to do their jobs. For David that meant protecting Jada. When that ended, his ass should have been with his team.
“Injuries?” David wasn’t going to ask or even think about fatalities. But if there were, he knew it would be his fault for not going when he should have.
“Two men on Josh’s team. One in stable condition, the other is critical.”
Whether it was Josh’s team or David’s, they really considered themselves one team. This meant he needed to get out there now. “Tell the pilot I’ll be ready.”
“Will do. Right now you’ll be assisting in securing the extraction. I’ll email you the details.”
“Roger.”
David wanted to give Jada a call, find her, and tell her he needed to leave immediately. But interrupting her business meeting wouldn’t help things. If anything, her absence was best. It meant David could leave her a sweet note with little information. He jotted a few words on a piece of paper and left it on the pillow. He didn’t have time to think about his choice of words. Time was of the essence right now. When he returned, they would talk. Really talk.
He left her hotel room and quickly made his way to the rendezvous with the chopper. When they were in the air, the chopper flew over Jada’s hotel. He refused to let himself look at it again. I need to focus on what’s important. And making sure everyone makes it home alive is what I do best.
Jada thought breakfast would have ended quickly, and she could have made it back to the room before David woke. But instead, she went from breakfast to a brunch, then to a lunch meeting, and finally meeting another client for a drink in the bar. What was her manager thinking by planning so many meetings around food? It was a good thing she didn’t eat after breakfast but spent her time smiling and chatting. Was he trying to sabotage her career, because at this rate, she’d gain twenty pounds by the end of the day?
She wasn’t one of those models who became uptight about a few extra pounds. Even when she was eighteen, she ate what she wanted. She never overate, but she enjoyed a piece of blueberry cheesecake or a dish of peanut-butter-cup ice cream every chance she got. There were times she would skip the meal just to enjoy dessert. Now, why can’t the tabloids write about things like that?
Jada should be thankful they didn’t because they would alter the facts and say she purged after eating. That was not true. However, right now, as she lay on her bed, she was extremely nauseous, and for a damn good reason. Jada rubbed her stomach and moaned in agony. I think I’m going to die.
It was her own fault for eating so much at the first meeting, but she needed to recoup some of her strength after a delightful night of making love with David. They’d contemplated ordering room service, but at the time they were only hungry for each other. Morning had been a different story.
Because she was so busy, she missed saying goodbye to David. That was an entirely different ache. It had only been several hours, but already she missed him. The parting wasn’t as it had been last time. She knew they were going to get together again soon. Or at least, as soon as our schedules permit.
That was the problem with falling for a man who was as busy as she was. Their time together would be limited, so they’d need to work on making the most of what they had together. What am I thinking? We never talked about a future. Of us being together. I’m starting to talk like the tabloids are real.
Things had moved quickly between them, and the connection was undeniable. She had a good idea what her feelings were for him. Although she had never been in love before, she knew that’s what it was. David never said how he felt about her either. She knew he wanted her, and in her mind, it was not sex, it was making love. Sweet love like I never thought possible.
David had threatened to make her toes curl, and he’d achieved that and much more. This morning she felt dehydrated, and her whole body was sore in the most delicious way. She knew it was possible David wasn’t capable of verbalizing his feelings. Maybe last night was his way of telling her how he felt. If that was the case, he loved her a lot. But she couldn’t assume that was true. What was happening between them was too important to guess.
She picked up his note and read it again. He called her sweetheart just as he had last night. Jada flashed back to when he’d done so several times before. Usually, when you’re telling me, you won’t hurt me. He might not mean to, but by him not being here when she returned, it did hurt. There was no logical reason for it to affect her this way. They shared a wonderful night of passion. Mind-blowing. But there were no promises except that they’d talk later. Maybe it was better they didn’t speak. She had no idea what she would say to him anyway. David made her feel. . .torn. Confused. Or maybe it’s just for the first time in a long time. I feel something, and that is what’s got me all tied up in knots.
Jada could spend hours contemplating what it all meant, what last night meant, but she had nothing to go on except for the few brief words on the note. Besides the word sweetheart, the rest lacked any emotion. It stated he was called to work, and he would contact her later. He even told her to have a nice day. I say that to strangers, but would I to a person I’m in love with?
Although Jada had never called David and didn’t have his number, she’d had several missed calls while she was on her little retreat. They’d come from an unlisted number with no way of returning the call. It very well could’ve been David. Thankfully Jada knew her father had been in contact with David. Surely he still had his number. When she felt a little better, she’d get up and give her father a call. She would come up with some excuse for needing David’s number. She may be a grown adult, but she didn’t want to let her father know, at least not yet, how she felt about David.
Jada had no idea when her eyes had closed but when she finally woke it was the middle of the night. Her father was on the East Coast, which was three hours earlier than Las Vegas. Even though it wasn’t quite as late for him, if she called at this time of night, he would never believe everything was okay. He’s a worrywart. And I love him for that. Sometimes.
The only sad part was she’d need to wait until tomorrow to call David. She missed hearing his voice, never mind his touch. Is this what it’s going to be like? Is love just another level of loneliness?
That was a feeling Jada worked hard to bury. But to feel the good that came with loving David, she had to accept the bad as well. She wasn’t positive what he did for a living, but she knew security wasn’t it. Which honestly meant she needed to prepare herself for spending many nights alone. Worrying where he is and if he’s okay.
She chuckled to herself as she rolled over and pulled the blankets up to her chin. If David were there, he would dispute her rationale. From the moment they met he had stressed his concern for her safety and her well-being, and now it seemed to be her turn. Life is ironic.
Jada hoped all her worrying was for naught. David had been a right to worry about me. Don’t let me be right.
Since she couldn’t sleep, and she couldn’t call either of the two men she cared about, Jada decided to do something she never normally did. She was going to get dressed and go down to the casino to try her luck at the slots. Losing money will hurt a lot less. Jada wasn’t a gambler, but right now everything was riding on her and David.
It didn’t take long for her to lose a thousand dollars between the slot machines and the poker table. There was a good reason she didn’t frequent such places. There were people who could have used that money, and she felt horrible for throwing it away like that. She still had a few hundred dollars in her purse that she refused to throw inside one of those machines.
I know a better place to put it. Jada got up from the table and headed out the front door. On the drive from the airport, she remembered seeing part of the strip that had large cardboard boxes in an alley. No one had to tell her they were homeless dwellings. She had noticed several of the men lingering around that area had been wearing military fatigue jackets and boots. David had spoken to her several times about veterans. She knew not every one of them was fortunate enough to have something to come home to.
She didn’t use the normal exits for fear of being noticed by reporters. Jada had been able to convince the kitchen crew to let her slip out the back door. Once she was outside, she found the night to be colder than anticipated. Jada wished she’d grabbed a coat, but she had made it this far, so she might as well do this quickly and head back to her hotel room. Thankfully she had chosen to wear a pair of slacks and flat shoes instead of a dress and heels. If she walked quickly, she could be there and back within an hour.
As she made her way down the strip, she was reminded that, like New York, Las Vegas never went to sleep. The streets were filled with laughter, music, and loud noises. It was easy to become part of the crowd. Something I’m not used to.
Within a few minutes she arrived at the alley that had caught her eye earlier. It was darker than she remembered, and she was questioning her judgment. Jada knew she was doing the right thing giving them the money instead of the casino, but going alone at this time a night was really stupid.
She turned to head back and tripped over the curb, falling to her knees. Before she could pull herself up, two men were by her side, assisting her off the ground. Her heart raced as they held her steady. She remembered David had trained her to kick and claw her way out of any situation. Never give in. Never submit.
“Ma’am, are you all right?”
She looked over her shoulder to find a man who reminded her of Bill. The first time we met. She’d been afraid of Bill then realized he was a gentle giant. In the end, she knew David was a hell of a lot more intimidating than Bill. It was highly possible that this man was being kind. Please be nice.
Jada knew she could not show her fear because that would make her more vulnerable than she already was. She scanned the area, and the crowd seemed to have stopped a block back. Even the drunks are smart enough not to come this far. But she was here, and she had to think quickly about how to make sure she made it back safely. David will never let me out of his sight again if he finds out I did this.
“I’m fine. If you’ll excuse me, my friends are waiting for me.” The first level of protection was to let them think you’re not alone.
She pulled her arm from his grip, and he didn’t fight to hold on to her. He stood there and shook his head. Then he turned to the alley where she had been going in the first place. It was weird, but Jada had the feeling she had hurt him somehow. The second man hadn’t budged. Instead, he looked Jada squarely in the eyes and said, “You could have tried using the words thank you.”
It took a moment, but Jada understood. She may be dressed up, but the other man had more class than she did at the moment. Her fear had gotten the better of her, and she wasn’t going to let that happen again.
“I’m sorry. That was very rude of me.” She extended her hand in his direction and said, “I’m Jada—”
“Hope. Yeah, I know.” He didn’t shake her hand.
She arched a brow, puzzled by that. “You do? How?”
“We might be down on our luck, but we know how to read.”
And I’m still being rude. “I wasn’t trying to suggest you didn’t. It’s that I appear on magazines I didn’t think you’d follow.”
The man laughed. “I sure as hell don’t. However, I saw a picture of an old friend with you, and that was one article I had to read.”
Her photo was plastered in magazines every day with different people. She could not begin to guess who he was speaking of. “That’s nice.”
“If he knew where you were right now, he’d be mad as hell.”
Jada could at least narrow down that his friend was a man. “I was just heading back.”
“What the hell were you even doing down here?”
She had come this far so she might as well finish what she had started. Jada reached deep into her pocket and pulled out the money. “I wanted to give this to the people living here.”
“Why?”
Jada would have thought it was obvious. “Because it looks like you guys need it more than the casino.”
He reached out, took the money, and flipped through the bills. Jada could tell he was surprised at the amount. I should tell him this is all I have. But he surprised her in return and crammed the money back into her hand.
“We don’t need your handout. What we need is a job. And you are not in a line of work that can utilize us.”
Jada couldn’t believe this. He truly didn’t want her money. “Maybe one of the others would—”
“They wouldn’t,” the man snapped.
She put the money back into her pocket. “Then I better head back to my hotel.”
“Not without an escort.”
“I made it here on my own; I can return the same way.”
The man laughed again, and she had no idea what was so funny. “Turchetta has his hands full with you.”
David? “You know David?”
“Not personally. I know of Turchetta. He has a reputation that many veterans have come to respect.”
Jada had been correct in her assumption that those men were veterans. That eased her mind greatly. She wished David was here with her right now. She figured she would end this conversation on a lighter note and said jokingly, “I think I’m the one who has my hands full.”
She turned and headed back toward her hotel, and the man followed her until she entered the hotel doors. Jada didn’t know their names, but she was going to make mention of how kind they were to her next time she saw David. They might not let me help, but maybe they’ll allow David to.
Jada went to the elevator, and there was a sign on it that said temporarily out of order. At least taking the stairs will help me burn off all that food I ate earlier.
She made it over to the stairwell and pushed the door open. Jada considered herself in good shape, however, she wasn’t looking forward to climbing ten flights of stairs after the day she’d had. A girl has got to do what a girl has to do.
Once the door slammed behind her, she heard the sound echo throughout the empty stairwell. It was not surprising because most people would rather wait until the elevator was up and running again before taking the stairs. But they were here on vacation, Jada wasn’t. She needed the exercise and needed to get to sleep because she had a meeting with her manager first thing in the morning. They had things to discuss. There were things she wasn’t happy with. It was going to be a difficult conversation, but if he wasn’t willing to compromise, they were going to part ways.
She turned the corner for the first landing when the doorway opened. She assumed people trying to make their way to the casino. But when she looked up, they were dressed in black and wore ski masks. There was no doubt that a real gun pointed in her direction. She wanted scream. David had told her not to go down without fighting. But she froze like she had when David had pinned her to the floor.
Another man must’ve come out from behind her because a cloth suddenly covered her mouth. Jada struggled before everything went black.