“So?” Jessica breaks the silence. I was wondering how long it would take her.

“So what?” I feign ignorance as I fix my eyes on the dark, empty road from Dewhurst to Ashbourne, my hands on the steering wheel of Jessica’s car.

Before we left Ashbourne, she had straight up refused to hop onto my Harley because she didn't want to mess up her dress and her hair. Me being the nice person that I am, I didn’t want to ruin all the hard work that she had put into dressing up tonight.

Besides, I was enjoying the view, too. Jessica is a beautiful woman even on a bad day. But on a night like this, she’s stunning. Literally head turning. No kidding, I saw quite a few men do a double take when she walked into the restaurant.

So I told her we could take the car, but only if I were the one driving. She said yes, of course, because she really wanted to know what I know.

She asks, “So what did you learn about Caine Foster?”

“He’s a big shot whose family used to own most of the illegal businesses in San Francisco. They're clean now, though.”

“That's it? I could've Googled that.” She plops her head back on the headrest of the passenger seat, disappointed.

“I’m not done,” I say. “He's been asking around about Nancy Jones. He even paid a visit to the Pussy Cat. That’s strange, because he's the kind of straight-laced guy who wouldn't normally make an appearance at a strip club. I still don't know how he's related to Nancy Jones, but there's definitely something there.”

“Is he dangerous?” Jessica stiffens in her seat. She’s been tense since she heard the name Nancy Jones.

I know the dead girl used to work at the strip club too, but who is she to Jessica, and what has Jessica done to make people come after her? I’ll find out sooner or later, but this is not the time.

“Not as far as I can tell. No record of him ever posing any real danger to anyone else,” I say. “But you have to remember something. You’ve probably already figured out that he's got a lot of money. A lot. Like, more than people like us can even comprehend. If he wants to, he can hide any information he wants hidden.”

“Yeah. You're right.” Jessica stares into the darkness outside the car, lost in her own dark thoughts.

Jessica had ignored me for three whole days after we’d fucked in the kitchen, except for greeting me ‘hello’ and opening the door for me. But when I told her I had some news, she jumped at the chance to learn more. I thought it would be fun for us to finally have a proper date.

I’ll admit it’s partly due to pettiness. Every night, when Jessica opens the door for me, I’m annoyed that fucking Tony has her keys, while I have to knock on the door. What else has he done with my girl that I haven't? I bet they haven't fucked in the restroom of Le Grande, that's for sure.

Jessica asks, “Do you think I should see him?”

“Absolutely not. It's not safe. You don't know what he wants. But I’d bet my left nut that he already knows everything about you. You’ve been ignoring his attempts at communication so far, which is the right move. Just keep doing that. Er, I mean, not doing that.” I grin at Jessica, but she doesn't find it funny. She looks worried, slumped in her seat while staring into the woods all around us.

“Oh, and another thing. Tony’s harmless too,” I say

It takes a while for Jessica to wake up from her daze and understand what I said. She turns her head around to face me in slow motion and frown. “You looked into Tony?”

“Yeah. Did you know he has kids?”

“What the… Of course I do! And I don't need you to tell me Tony’s harmless. He's my friend! Is this why it took you so long to come up with any news? Because you’ve been investigating Tony? For fuck’s sake,” she says.

‘Friend,’ huh? Interesting choice of words.

“Tony sounds nice.” I pause while I carefully phrase my next questions. “Are his kids as cute as they seem in the pictures? Are they well-behaved?”

“Yeah. They're good kids.”

Damn it. She has met Tony’s kids. I was hoping she wouldn’t even know they existed. She called him a friend and I assumed it's a casual relationship, but maybe they're closer than I thought.

“They must make it hard for you guys to see each other much,” I say.

“It's not a big deal. Most people I know are married with children.”

“Oh, Tony's married?” My eyes flick between the road and Jessica. This is unexpected.

“Well, technically not. But they’ve been together for so long they’re practically married. Why does it even matter to you?”

“I just didn't think a married man would have the freedom to have such a close friendship with you.”

“What are you ta…” Jessica's voice trails off as she puts her hands over her mouth like she's in shock. “Oh my God. Are you… Did you think… Are you jealous of Tony?” Jessica throws her head back and laughs. “Listen, Mr. Detective, Sir. Tony is a great guy, but he's super gay. I’m surprised you didn't find out about this in your investigation.”

“Well, I stopped investigating when I learned that he's harmless.” Or, to be precise, Matt did. If it were up to me, I would've learned all there is to know about The Guy With The Keys. The gay guy with the keys, as it turns out. But Jessica doesn't need to know that. I say, “Because all that matters is your safety. I’m just trying to make small talk, that's all.”

“Bullshit. You're jealous, admit it,” she says, teasing me. She thinks this is funny?

“Okay, Jessica. I'm jealous. I don't share my things. That includes you now. You're mine.”

“Really now?” She tilts her head. “I don't remember ever agreeing to anything like that.”

“You say that, but you know you're already mine. You crave my touch.” I slide one hand from Jessica's knee up her inner thigh and smile to myself when I hear her gasp. When she exhales, her breath is loud and heavy. With both hands back on the steering wheel, I add, “it's not a sign of weakness. You can't help it. Even if you say no, you know deep inside that you belong to me now.”

Jessica remains quiet. That's okay if she needs some time to process it. Soon, she'll see that I’m right.

Besides, now I know I’m the only one fucking her. Her luscious body is mine. All that honey between her legs belongs to me. Good.

It's just a matter of time until Jessica understands that. I have time. I’m not letting her out of my sight now.

She wants to give me the silent treatment? That's fine. We have the rest of our lives for conversation.