Chapter 22 #2
“Fine,” he grunted, before carefully grabbing the woman’s waist with both hands and gently setting her on the porch, where she swayed slightly. Had he taken her straight from her bed? He’d have to guess yes, since she wore a top that matched the pajama bottoms.
“Woah, head rush,” she said, as she swiped her long, curly, strawberry-blond hair from her face. He instantly recognized her from the one other time he’d met her.
“Please tell me you didn’t kidnap Journi Spivey.” That was the only sensible conclusion he could make, since he seriously doubted he’d just come from the woman’s bed, or that she’d left her bed of her own free will.
“He most certainly did,” she said, stomping one bare foot. Then Duncan’s eyes widened when she batted Enders’ arm. It wasn’t so much the hit to the other man, but the stupid grin on his face when she did it. “Who does that?”
“I do,” Enders said, his voice going gruffer than normal as he squatted to her eye level.
“And you’re not going back to that ratty apartment.
No,” he said, placing two fingers against her lips, when she’d opened her mouth.
“No one even bothered to come out when you were yelling your head off when I carried you away.”
“I don’t understand,” Solace said, now standing in the doorway with him. “You’re Tolbert Spivey’s daughter. So?—”
“She finally disowned the fucker a couple of months ago,” Enders said with quite a bit of satisfaction, before his features turned dark. “The new senator got pissed and blacklisted her with just about every business in the state.”
Senator…
Spivey had made it through the special election a few weeks ago. But it wasn’t going to stop Mercy Carter from continuing her investigation into his time as district attorney. Or the deaths of that intern and Darius Hamner. The Russian connection? So far, she’d run into a dead end.
“It’s all she can afford working as a grocery cashier,” Enders continued, his tone deadly. “And she won’t take any money from me.”
“It’s not that bad,” Journi muttered. “And I don’t need your money.
But does my shadow here listen?” She gave Duncan a frowning look.
“No.” Duncan could relate. “I’ll eventually be able to use my business degree.
” Along with irritation, sadness crossed her features.
“I just might have to move away to do it.”
“Not happening,” Enders growled.
“It’s not your decision,” Journi shot back, her face scrunching as she stared up at him, crossed her arms, and tapped a bare foot on the porch.
“Let’s take this inside,” Duncan said, when a visible shiver shook Journi’s body.
“As long as your woman doesn’t shoot me,” Enders said. Duncan followed Enders’ gaze to the point where he had focused. Solace still had her gun at her side.
“And, of course, you can see no reason why I might want to shoot you, do you?” Solace said, her features tight.
“All you did was make me think Duncan was dead. With a body and everything.” Journi gasped and stared wide-eyed up at Enders.
“Had me attend a funeral where I thought I’d lost the love of my life. ”
His heart swelled at that. She’d told him she loved him but had never said it in quite that way before.
“And then I get shot when I find out he’s not dead because you decided…” She lifted her free hand, making a quote-mark sign. “To smoke out the bad guy.”
“It worked.” Enders’ shrug and slight smirk might, in all actuality, get him shot. But then his intense gray eyes bored into Solace.
“Enders…” Duncan’s low warning growl of the other man’s name had no effect as he sidestepped to shield Solace from the growing look of menace on the man’s face. “Back off.”
“He’s alive.” The words rumbled from Enders as he kept his laser focus on Solace over Duncan’s shoulder, while ignoring him completely.
“He’s here. He’s safe. So, it’s what had to be done.
Am I sorry you got shot? Yes.” A true look of regret flashed over his hardened features for a split-second.
“But I’d do it again without a second thought. ”
Duncan didn’t look over his shoulder at Solace, but from Enders’ unwavering gaze, an obvious stare-down was going on between the two of them.
“Okay,” Solace finally said, cutting into the thick silence. “As a Marine, I can respect that. Now, let’s get inside before Journi freezes to death.”
“I like her, Sheppard,” Enders said, grinning and basically pushing him aside and guiding Journi through the door. He stared after the man following Solace, who took the time to throw a smug look over his shoulder and wink at him. “Don’t fuck it up.”
An exasperated groan sounded from Journi, who shrugged out from under Enders’ hands and quickstepped away.
“I think you should follow your own advice.” Duncan eyed Journi disappearing around the corner and into his living room. “Journi?—”
“She’s not for me.” With that abrupt statement, Enders features went stony as he turned and followed the women. Duncan supposed he should do the same. So, he shut and locked his front door, then headed off after his guests.
“Nice house,” Enders said, before plopping himself onto the couch next to Journi—who shifted until she had crowded herself into the corner. “So…” Enders leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and a friendly—at least for Enders—expression on his face. “How you doing, Sheppard?”
Duncan’s brow crinkled at the random question.
“Why are you being nice to me?” It was almost off-putting, since it wasn’t a normal thing for the other man. At least as far as Duncan had experienced.
“You’re having a baby.”
“He’s having a baby?” Journi said on a short laugh that turned into a snort.
“Well, he helped,” Enders said, eyeing the woman next to him.
“Two minutes isn’t helping,” Journi said low, her face turning pink.
Now Duncan was offended. But it was Solace who came to his defense.
“Oh,” she said, giving Duncan a grin. “It was more than two minutes.” A blush competing with Journi’s traveled down Solace’s neck. Then she frowned, giving the younger woman a speculative look. “If that’s your experience, you need to find another man.”
Journi’s blush deepened—if that was even possible—while she clasped her hands in her lap and eyes went wide, as she bit at her lip.
“Um…” She cleared her throat. “You see… I…” A growing look of panic filled her fair features. “Well, I haven’t?—”
“You haven’t?” Enders turned toward her on the couch so fast, Journi’s body almost toppled into him.
“No. No, I haven’t.” Prim and proper might be a good way to describe her bearing as she straightened and grabbed hold of the couch arm to stay upright. “And it’s not your concern.”
“A virgin,” the big man managed to say on a low groan.
It was the kind of groan Duncan was well familiar with.
It was the kind where your woman had succeeded in making you crazy.
And while witnessing the man squirm might be fun for him, he had other, more important matters to deal with and he wanted the two of them gone.
“So,” Duncan said, bringing all eyes toward him. “Why are you here at the crack of dawn?”
“Yes,” Journi said, her hazel eyes boring into Enders. The man didn’t seem to notice. Though, of course, there was no doubt in Duncan’s mind he had. He was just ignoring it. “Why did you feel the need to drag me out of bed in the middle of the night.”
“A job.”
“I told you I’d hire you.”
“Not me.” He cast his gaze next to him. “For Journi.”
“Me?” Journi said, her eyes going wide again, first on Enders, and then on him. “Oh, crap. I am so sorry Mr. Sheppard. This is so embarrass?—”
“Journi,” Duncan said, shaking his head. There was something about her. Something innocent. It was the kind of innocence that brought out Duncan’s fatherly instincts. God knew the father she had was worthless. “There’s no need to apologize.”
“It’s fine, Journi,” Solace added.
“After a few months with this guy, I know how hard he is to deal with.”
“See if I’m nice to you again,” Enders groused.
“So, you have a business degree?” This had not been the best time for Enders to barge in, but he couldn’t completely get mad at the guy. He had his heart in the right place—bad timing or not.
Duncan hadn’t taken the time to advertise for a new office/business manager. To say life had gotten in the way would be an understatement. So, who knew, maybe this could turn into a good thing.
“Yes sir. I majored in business management, with minors in accounting and finance, at Virginia Tech.”
“I see.” Virginia Tech was a good school. “Have you worked in the field at all?”
This was the strangest job interview he’d ever conducted—him shirtless and a pajama-clad applicant, along with a half-naked girlfriend and a giant in attendance.
“I was about to start a job at Jessup and Jessup, but that sort of, well, went away.”
“Fucking Spivey,” Enders groused.
“Can you start Monday?” He glanced over at a grinning Solace who gave him a quick nod, while another glance at Journi found her jaw dropped and mouth wide open, before she composed herself.
“You want to hire me?”
“I do,” Duncan said, giving her what he hoped was a friendly smile, before turning his attention back to Enders. “You’ll report to me Monday too. I’ve got some assignments you would be a good fit for.”
“I was going to anyhow,” the other man said with a smug smile.
“Of course, you were.” Duncan wouldn’t have expected anything less. “Now that that’s settled,” he said, heading toward his foyer. “Solace and I were in the middle of a serious conversation.” He needed them gone.
I need Solace’s answer.
“Conversation,” Enders said, chuckling. “Right.”
“Would you please stop,” Journi muttered, then said, louder and close behind him. “Mr. Sheppard, I?—”
“It wasn’t that serious.” Solace’s quietly spoken words from the living room interrupted Journi and stopped him just short of the door, with his hand already reaching out for the handle.