Jagger

 

 

 

“You’ve been spying on her?” Tenn said.

I thought he would laugh. That was the sort of thing my partner got a kick out of—as awful as it was—since he had a childish sense of humor.

“I had to make sure she was safe. Being with her, in her life, was putting her at risk,” I said accentuating my point by sawing my hands in the air.

It made sense. I didn’t want anything to happen to Tiffany or her son. What better person to make sure no one hurt them than me, a government agent.

“Then stop having her in your life! Like I talked to you about last week when you swore you were going to end things.”

“I was. I meant to but . . .” I drifted off not wanting to finish. Luckily, I had a cup of coffee in front of me to bring to my lips.

We were back at Wake Up Joe’s taking a break from work. I was trying to get him on my side, make him understand why I still needed to see Tiffany and David.

“But what?”

“Tiffany grabbed my ass. And I sniffed her hair.” With each explanation, Tenn’s eyes grew wider. “Then after spying on her date three days ago, I almost kissed her.”

Tenn sat back in the booth with a curious look on his face.

“But that’s all that happened. I swear.” I held my hands up.

“Does she know?”

“No. She started to figure something out when I mentioned her date’s name, and she had never told it to me. But I quickly recovered by telling her I heard his mom yell out his name before they left the restaurant. That was close.” I scratched the back of my neck as it was really itchy since we got here.

Tenn’s eyes widened before shaking his head. “And how were you spying on her?”

“Hmm.” I brought the cup to my lips again turning my gaze to the other people in the café.

“I know you heard me, Jagger.”

“Oh, you know.” I shrugged and blew air past my lips which made a ridiculous farting sound.

I was hoping if I dodged Tenn’s question enough then he would drop it.

“No, I don’t, Jagger. I’m your partner. What you are doing doesn’t just affect Tiffany . . . it affects me, the agency, and even the government. This is the shit that gets agents thrown in jail. The best-case scenario in all this would be losing your job.”

I guess he’s not going to drop it.

“This time I’m going to end things. I swear!” I held up my hand as if I had the other on a bible in a courtroom.

He shook his head and wouldn’t look at me.

I scratched at my neck again. “What? I am. Besides I got rid of the listening devices after her date. It felt weird doing that. It’s just going—”

“It’s not that, Jagger. It’s the Jewel, Emma Hawthorne. She’s saying that you framed her. That everything you did this past year, was a setup. She says she isn’t the one who planned this out. It was someone else, and you’re helping to protect that person,” Tenn said as he finally turned to me, his eyes burrowing into mine.

I sat up straighter.

“What the fuck? Who does she think I’m protecting?”

That woman was a piece of work. She had all the money in the world and a good son. Instead of being a doting mother, she manipulated her son since he was a little boy so she could get back at the men who had hurt her.

To do that, she tried to force her loving son to marry into a political dynasty. Emma wanted her son to run for public office and one day become President of the United States. All so she could use his status and his name to take revenge on the men she despised.

Not only was she evil, but she was also petty.

“Emma Hawthorne is saying her daughter, Grace, influenced her. That she was so grateful to have found her long-lost daughter, that when Grace started to talk about getting back at the men who took her away, she promised Grace she would do anything to make her daughter happy. She claims she was just a mother being protective of her daughter.”

“That’s still a crime. I’m sure her lawyers have told her that. Mrs. Hawthorne may think she can manipulate her lawyers, but she can’t screw the federal government,” I said.

Tenn nodded but shrugged as if everything he was saying made sense. “She understands she played a part. But that part has less jail time. She said when she felt it was going too far she came to you because she was worried about her daughter. That you told her to play along to catch Grace. She agreed and only said those things at the warehouse to trick everyone into catching her daughter.”

I shook my head. “But that doesn’t make sense. Grace, wasn’t even at the warehouse. She was with me. Why would Emma Hawthorne say all those things to incriminate herself at the warehouse if her daughter, Grace, wasn’t even there?”

“Apparently, the judge is reviewing everything with her lawyers. In the meantime, the boss wants you off the case. I’m to take it over now.”

This was all messed up. Emma was blaming her own daughter for the crimes she committed. Her daughter, Grace, didn’t even know she had a mother until earlier this year when Emma tracked her down.

The case was complicated. Grace thought she was getting to know her real mother, not being framed for her mother’s crime. I reached out to Grace earlier this year when I knew she had contact with Mrs. Hawthorne. Grace quickly learned her mother wasn’t the sweet woman she hoped she would be.

Grace even helped me take her down.

“But Emma Hawthorne is lying. Even Katlin has to know that.” I leaned forward as if getting closer would help change everything.

“It doesn’t matter, Jagger. You’re going to have to step off the case. When they go forward with her allegations, it will all come out in court. Maybe something else will arise in regard to Emma before the court date and all this will be forgotten.”

“I guess,” I said as my thoughts drifted to everything about Emma Hawthorne’s case.

I analyzed anything that might be questionable in my head as I sat in that café. There were a few things I had to do in order not to blow my cover but nothing that would lend truth to her words.

“I got to get back. You coming?” Tenn got up and threw his thumb toward the door.

“No, I’m going to be here for a while. I’ll see you later.”

He nodded and turned to leave the café.

Something wasn’t right. Why all of a sudden, almost two months after Emma Hawthorne got caught, does she come up with the allegation that she’s being framed?

Tenn was right, I had to walk away from Tiffany and her son, no matter how hard it was going to be. I couldn’t let anything jeopardize this case. As much as I wanted to watch Tiffany melt as I made her come on my fingers, on my mouth, and on my cock, I had to walk away.

I got out my phone and texted Tiffany to tell her I needed to discuss something with her in person. After a few minutes, my phone vibrated letting me know she responded.

Tiffany: I’m here now. You can stop by. David’s here, he wants to ask you something.

Me: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

Damn it. I forgot about David. I can’t give him ninja lessons anymore. I only gave him and his friend lessons once, after Tiffany made that amazing dinner, but I had a great time. I’m usually around intense and emotionally closed off government agents, so it was refreshing to goof around with some kids.

I left the café. As I made my way farther south toward Tiffany’s building in a taxi, I tried to come up with an explanation that wouldn’t break that boy’s heart.

By the time I was in front of her building I realized I had thought up every excuse but nothing was going to prevent me from letting him down. He reminded me so much of my cousin, Ben, which made this worse. With Ben, I could be angry at his mother, and especially my father, for doing what they did, but with David, I’m the one abandoning him.

Tiffany buzzed me inside and I took my time getting to her door. I wanted to prolong the inevitable forever but knew that couldn’t happen.

The door swung open before I even brought my hand to knock.

“Jagger!” A shining pair of blue eyes with a mop of dark hair greeted me.

“Hi, David. Is your mom here?” I didn’t have to force the smile on my face. That boy was always alight with life, even when he was unsure and awkward like the first couple of times I was around him.

“Yeah.” He held onto the door as he stepped back, stumbling slightly.

He was still working on his balance, which I noticed when I taught him some tae kwon do. I decided to give him extra core strengthening exercises to help him better master the moves I was teaching him.

“Before you talk to Mom,” David said as I followed him into their living room, “can I ask you something?”

I helped him onto the couch and took a seat next to him. “Shoot.”

“I’m having a party on Saturday. It’s my birthday,” he said as his eyes darted to the carpet and his cheeks turned pink.

“Happy early birthday. How old?”

“Thirteen.”

“How does your mom feel about you becoming a teenager?” I laughed, making light of it but David frowned.

“She still thinks I’m a three-year-old. I’m surprised she’s even letting me have a party.”

I hated to admit it, but I agreed with David. Tiffany was a little too protective of that boy.

“Where’s the party?”

A smile broke out and his face glowed with happiness. “At Kart One in Buffalo Grove. They have kart racing. It’s going to be cool.”

I took a big gulp of air to brace myself and tell him why I couldn’t be at his party. Why I couldn’t be in his life anymore.

“The thing is, David. I am going to—”

“Oh, you’re here. Did you ask him, David?” Tiffany’s voice came from behind.

I turned upon hearing Tiffany. The back of my neck already tickled as electric awareness grew the closer she came.

Her hair was down. Most of the times I had seen her, her thick mass of chocolate waves was pulled back in a ponytail or braid. The few times I had seen her with her hair down, it captivated me. But this time it framed her face bringing to life the red of her lips and the soft pink of her cheeks. I even noticed a dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose.

I stared. It was obvious, but I wasn’t going to hide it. If this was going to be the last time I saw Tiffany, I wanted to memorize everything. Even how the corner of her right lip lifted a little higher when she smiled. As if her lips contained knowledge only the luckiest members of the human race were privy too.

But when I got to her eyes, there was something there that had me wondering something I shouldn’t. And as I wondered, my heart pounded. I knew there were going to be people upset with what I was about to do, but I wasn’t trained for how she affected my heart.

“Yes, he did. I’d love to come to his party,” I said and didn’t regret it for a second.