Chapter 32
Thirty-two
Jameson
I’m sitting beside Lane, chairs pushed close together, thighs brushing every time we shift. Her brows are furrowed in concentration, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she clicks through each file from the drive Vic brought home with him from his contact.
Her disappointment was adorable, almost comical, when she saw the open laptop sitting on the dining room table instead of dusty boxes full of files. She didn’t find it as funny, shooting me a glare when I laughed; muttering something about 'the detectives on TV get real files'.
The afternoon sunlight filters through the room, golden rays, highlighting her high cheekbones and vibrant eyes. Eyes that I’m lucky enough to get lost in for the rest of my life.
I can’t stop staring. Not because she's beautiful; though she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but because she is mine.
I was afraid I had lost her forever. That the only woman I’ve ever loved, could ever love, would never forgive me.
Being near her but unable to hold her, to see her smile at me, carved a hole in my chest. The moment I opened the door and saw her standing there, like a dream wrapped in silk, it sealed right back up.
I have the girl, now I just have to destroy the villain. And that starts with finding out who the hell he is.
Lane exhales a heavy sigh and slumps back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. “Ugh. Can I give up yet?”
A low chuckle rumbles out of me. To be fair she’s been at this for over an hour. There are over two hundred files and she’s only about half way through.
She shoots me a look. I reach over, brushing a stand of hair behind her ear. “The sooner we find him, the sooner we can go home.”
Her head tilts. “We?”
She still hasn’t realized that she is now my entire world. But she will. “I told you I was never letting you go. So yes, after we find this asshole, we are going home.”
She sits up straighter, her hand going back to the mouse, opening the next file. “What about your job?”
I grip her chin gently between my fingers, bringing her gaze to mine, making sure she really hears me.
To make sure she understands there is no way I’m ever leaving her.
“I can work from anywhere, Lane. I already talked to Miles about relocating closer to New Haven. He hates the city and is on board.”
My thumb traces along her jaw, my voice softening. “I love you, Wildflower. Home is where you are.”
Her lip catches between her teeth, then that bright smile I adore blooms across her face. “I love you too.”
Those words. That smile. They hit me right in the chest. Before Lane, I didn’t think love was in the cards for me. I was content being a bachelor, taking jobs, building our business.
The moment I laid my eyes on her everything changed. She knocked the air from my lungs and rewrote everything I thought I wanted from life. Now, all I want is a life with her.
She clicks through a few more files, then freezes. Her eyes go wide, breath catching in her throat. “Oh my god, this is him.”
I lean in, pulse kicking up as my eyes scan every line.
Derek Rodgers.
Thirty-one. Chicago, Illinois. Single. Eight years working as a private investigator.
My jaw locks tight, fury rising from deep within, low and sharp. I dig my phone from my pocket and call Miles.
“We found the other PI,” I say the second he answers. “Get back here. Now.”
“On my way.” Click.
Lane watches me, worry shadowing her features. “What happens now?”
I pull the USB drive from the laptop, gripping it tight in my fist. “Now, I go have a conversation with Rodgers. I need to find out what he knows and if he’s a liability.”
Leaving her alone after I just got her back is the last thing I want to do right now, especially when someone is out there actively hunting her down. But this is something I need to handle personally.
We find Vic in the living room with my mom, the soft glow from the movie they are watching flickers across their features, where they sit curled together on the couch.
Mom’s head rests on Vic’s shoulder, happy and comfortable, exactly the way I remember them always being. They have the kind of long-lasting love I know Lane and I will have for the rest of our lives, once I make sure she is safe.
The sharp thud of my boots, followed by Lane’s much softer steps, has their heads turning our way; perfectly in sync. “We found him,” I grit out. “Derek Rodgers.”
Vic presses a quick kiss to Mom’s cheek before pushing off the couch. “Did you call Miles?”
I nod. “He’s on his way.”
“Good. I’ll go make flight arrangements.” He takes the flash drive from my hand before disappearing up the stairs, his footsteps fading down the hall, and the door to his office closing seconds later.
He hasn’t told me who his connections are, and I’m not about to ask. Not that he would tell me if I did. I don’t need to know. That only thing that matters is, one of the favors he’s racked up over the years is going to save Lane’s life.
I pull Lane into my arms, wrapping my arms around her, cheek resting on her head. “I will be back as soon as I can, twenty-four hours max.”
We are standing in the middle of our temporary bedroom a few hours later. Miles got back an hour ago and the jet is waiting for us.
She chuckles, but her arms tighten as she borrows deeper into my chest. “I will be fine, Jameson. Your mom is here, and Kam is here. I promise I won’t step outside the house until you are back.”
I kiss the top of her head, lingering for a moment, marveling at how perfectly she fits in my arms. I meant it when I told her home is wherever she is. Home doesn't always have to be a place. It can be a person, too.
Reluctantly, I release her and take a small step back, already missing the warmth of her body pressed against mine.
“I have something for you,” I say, reaching into my pocket.
“Really, they are from my mom.” I open my hand, in my palm are two tiny diamond studs.
“She gave them to me to give to you, knowing it would give me peace of mind.”
She stares at the earrings, brows knit in confusion.
“Vic gave these to my mom when they were still dating. He was worried someone would go after her in retaliation. It gave him peace of mind while he was away on jobs.” I pick one up between my finger and my thumb. “There is a tiny tracker inside each one.”
I could have easily given her the earrings without telling her about the tracker inside; but I promised her complete honesty, and I refuse to ever take her choice away again. Other than moving into my bedroom. Her sleeping in my bed is nonnegotiable.
Her lips tilt in an amused smile. “You know you are ridiculous, right?”
“Please wear them, Wildflower. Leaving you is already killing me, I need to have some way to have eyes on you.”
She takes one of the studs from my hand, pushing it through the hole in her ear. “These come out as soon as you are back.”
“Wildflower,” I warn as she pushes the second one into her lobe.
She shoots me a look, then sighs, rolling her eyes. “Fine. I’ll leave them in until this is over, but don’t think I’m wearing them every time you have to leave town.”
I press a soft kiss to her lips, lingering a moment. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
It’s late, just past eleven PM, when we pull in front of Rodgers’ house. The neighborhood is quiet. Not quite the suburbs, not the hood either. Everyone tucked in, resting for the start of the work week.
Vic cuts the engine, his eyes landing on me across the dimly lit car. “How do you want to do this?”
He’s letting me take point, knowing I need to handle this my way.
“Miles stays here, keeping watch,” I tell him, my voice calm, controlled. “You and I go in. He’s probably asleep, so subduing him shouldn’t be an issue. If he’s awake, we take him down as quietly as possible. I don’t want to draw unwanted attention. Once he’s secured, we’ll find out what he knows.”
“And after?”
I hold his eyes, pulling on a pair of black leather gloves. “He knows she’s alive. We can’t risk it.”
He gives me a tight nod, pulling on his own gloves. Not because he approves, but because if it were mom’s life in danger, he’d do the same thing.
We exit the car and cross the street, eyes and ears alert to our surroundings as we slip around the back of the house. Pulling my tool from my pocket, I slip it into the lock, disengaging it with ease.
The house is quiet, the only light a flickering glow from the next room. I signal Vic to hang back and creep across the kitchen, keeping my footsteps light. Pausing at the doorway, peeking around the corner.
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath and step into the room.
Derek is slumped back against the couch, a bullet hole through the middle of his forehead. The sharp, unmistakable smell of early-stage decay hits me; making bile rise in my throat. He’s been dead for days.
“Vic,” I call, just loud enough for him to hear me.
He rounds the corner, takes one look, and exhales sharply. “God damn it.”
My thoughts exactly. He was our only fucking lead.
I underestimated the client. I didn’t anticipate him killing Rodgers. A mistake I won’t be making again. We still don’t have a fucking clue who he is, what he wants, or if he’s hired anyone else to find Lane.
It’s only a matter of time until he comes after her.
I pull my phone from my pocket, and check the tracking app I installed. Some of the tension leaves my body when I see she’s still exactly where I left her.
By the time we are in the air a few hours later I’m running on fumes. I check my watch for what feels like the hundredth time since take off. Just over an hour until we land. All I want is to be home, wrapped around my woman, her scent in my lungs, and her body in my arms.
Vic’s phone rings.
He puts it to his ear, his voice still so full of the love he feels for her. “Hello, love. We are on our way back.”
His smile drops. So does my stomach.
He doesn’t need to say it. I already know.
Lane is gone.