chapter 16
“All right. Get your asses in gear. We have a lot to do today.” Noah rubbed his hands together and the room quieted.
Jonas, however, had his eyes on the man sitting on Noah’s left. It wasn’t unusual for them to have outsiders in the office, but considering who the guests were, they were all on edge. He could see it in the hard set of Oskar’s shoulders and the tense lines around Matthias’s mouth. Ryan and Dylan didn’t know the history Noah and the others had with ORUS, but even they could tell something was up. It wasn’t often they had Ian, the head of ORUS, sitting in on their meetings.
“First up, lets do a status check on our current clients. Jonas, how are things with Lindsey Meyers?”
While he went over the details of his last check-in with Lindsey, Jonas kept one eye on the man who’d accompanied Ian. David. The guy was pretending to pay attention, but every so often, his eyes would slip to the windows leading out into the main office area. What the hell was he looking at? Jonas coughed and turned discreetly, checking to see if Lucia was walking around or something. Hell, if the dude got caught checking out Lucia they wouldn’t have to worry about a probationary period. Noah would take him out before he even got started.
“Also Rafe is coming in a little later.”
“Excellent. We need all the help we can get. Ok, I’ll turn the floor over to Ian. He and one of his best agents have been working on a case for the past few months that they need assistance with.”
As Ian stood to speak, Jonas kept his eyes on the man still sitting. What was it about the guy that rubbed him the wrong way? Maybe it was the shit-eating smirk on his face, like he knew something they didn’t, or was just tolerating being here.
When Noah had told them about Ian’s unusual request for them to assist on a case, he hadn’t minced words. He didn’t like the idea of getting into bed with ORUS, even if it was only temporary. Also, the agent assigned to this particular case, David West, code name Chamaeleon, had been a little too trigger happy back in the day, in Noah’s opinion. Matthias hadn’t said anything, but Jonas definitely got the impression he didn’t like the guy either. Still, considering how valuable it could to be to have the head of ORUS owing them a favor, he couldn’t blame Noah for taking the case.
“Thanks for the help, Noah. This is a time sensitive situation. We might need significant technical assistance on this one.” Ian glanced over at Matthias, who didn’t move.
Movement behind him caught Jonas’s eye again. David had shifted in his seat slightly and was staring out into the main living area. Jonas barely heard Ian droning on about rebel strongholds in Colombia because his senses were tingling. Something was up with this David guy, and he was going to figure out what it was.
Noah dropped into the seat next to him. “What’s your take on this?”
He was used to Noah asking for his read on all types of situations. Coming from law enforcement, he had the training to detect liars and the general gut instinct to tell when shit was about to get real. But he wasn’t entirely sure what to tell his old friend. Ian was Ian, no surprise there. The real wild card was David West, who was only here to assist Ian. So why did the guy make Jonas so anxious?
“What’s the deal with that guy?” He inclined his head slightly in David’s direction.
Noah snorted under his breath. “Your typical over-confident ORUS agent. I remember him. He was always hanging around me and Rafe, trying to one-up us. Not exactly a team player. I don’t know why Ian brought him in on this.”
“Is he always this twitchy? He acts like anything could set him off.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed as he took in David’s rapt attention to something outside the room. Finally Jonas turned again. Lucia stood right outside in full view, laughing at something. The room was soundproofed so they couldn’t hear her, but it was pretty obvious what David was staring at.
“Motherfucker.” Noah stood, his chair scraping back from the table loudly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Jonas figured he had about two seconds to defuse the situation before Noah went nuclear.
“Gentlemen, we’ve just gotten word of an emergency situation. Apologies, but we’re going to have to cut this short.”
Without waiting for another word, Matthias stood and walked toward the door. Ryan and Dylan glanced around in confusion.
“This is time sensitive,” Ian began.
Noah held up his hand. “Let’s go to my office. Ian, why don’t you and David come with me? Jonas can handle this situation while we finish up.”
Jonas smirked. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to handle getting Lucia out of sight, but he’d have to think of something. Hell, maybe he’d just tell her the truth. She knew better than anyone how jealous Noah could be. Luckily she loved him madly and put up with him and his crazy ways.
“That’s fine.” Ian looked confused but followed Noah’s lead. David walked up right behind him. To Jonas’s surprise, Noah stuck out his hand.
“David. It’s been a long time. How long have you been back stateside?”
The other man winced slightly, and Jonas looked down to where Noah had his hand locked in a vice grip. “About six months,” David finally ground out.
Jesus. He needed to get them out of there before Noah decided to go all He-Man and challenge the guy to a duel or something.
“I’ll start handling the emergency situation,” Jonas said.
Noah smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you. I’ll call you when we’re done.”
Translation: Don’t bring Lucia back here until this motherfucker is gone.
Jonas smiled. “Got it, boss.”
He walked out of the office and was immediately able to see what Lucia had been laughing at. JJ was in the kitchen, just out of view, holding up a picture of something on her phone. His heart sped up when he saw her.
“Hey baby. I didn’t even know you were back yet. That didn’t take long.”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t find anything. Shopping isn’t as much fun without Lucia. So I figured I’d wait until you guys could watch the baby so we can go. I need her to tell me which tops make my boobs look the best.”
“I can do that,” Jonas promised.
“Yeah, I bet you can.”
Damn, this was fun. As much fun as their bickering had always been, it had partially been born of sexual frustration. How amazing was it to have this back and forth chemistry with a woman who satisfied him completely in every way? Jessica Jones was truly his perfect match.
It hit him like a lightning bolt. She was the one. His future. His destiny.
His wife.
Jonas almost fell to his knees at the intensity of the thought. Marriage had always been something that he figured he’d avoid. It wasn’t as if he’d had the best exposure to the institution, and truthfully, he’d never understood the point of a piece of paper when you could just live with whomever you wanted. It wasn’t like it was the 1950s and you’d get run out of town for living in sin.
But in that moment, Jonas got it. He understood Noah’s obsession with having Lucia as his wife. He wanted the same things with JJ. He wanted her to be his. To carry his name. To be filled with his child. He wanted them merged and blended in every way possible because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was meant to be with this woman forever.
“I can so do that,” he mumbled, reeling from the life-altering thoughts going through his head. The entire landscape of his future had just realigned in the space of a heartbeat, but the rest of the world went on unaware.
JJ smiled at him gently. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
“No,” he answered truthfully. “I was too busy wondering how I got so lucky that you’re mine.”
She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Everything became background noise. Lucia telling them how sweet they were, the rumble of Noah’s voice, and even the sound of her feet on the floor as she walked over to Jonas. None of it registered in light of the heart-stopping look on his face.
“I feel exactly the same way.”
The way his eyes crinkled as he smiled made her so warm inside. It was amazing how making him happy could complete her. But over the last few weeks, she’d slowly discovered that the formula for her ultimate happiness lay in Jonas smiling at her exactly like that.
“I love you, Jonas.”
His arms opened automatically and she cuddled into his embrace. She stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. He swallowed the little whimper she made and cupped her cheek to hold her still as he devoured her lips.
This was home, coming into his arms and knowing that she’d always be welcome there. It was more than she’d ever dared to hope for, but here it was. Living proof that dreams could come true.
Then, right before her eyes, it all turned to dust.
Because standing right behind the living embodiment of her dreams, was the ghost of the man who’d once torn them all down.
“No. It’s not possible. No. No. No.”
With a cry, JJ spun on her heel and ran from the room, dropping her phone in the process. She heard a chorus of voices calling after her but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. His face swam in her mind, and she ran faster. She had to get to safety.
Where the hell could she go? Then she noticed the door to Noah and Lucia’s room was ajar. She pushed it open, her eyes sweeping the room. Her gaze landed on the flat wall across from the door.
The panic room.
Noah had made her and Lucia practice the code over and over when she’d first moved in. He’d claimed that muscle memory would come through for them in an emergency even if they were too rattled to remember the code. As her fingers raced over the buttons, JJ promised to thank him later. The door slid open and she rushed inside. She didn’t take another breath until the door slid closed behind her.
“Jesus, what the hell?” The muffled voice from outside the door made JJ whimper.
How had he found her? She went to the far corner of the small room and curled up in a ball on the floor. After so many years, just when she thought she was safe.
Haven’t you learned by now? Nowhere is safe.
JJ covered her head with her arms and sobbed.