Chapter Four
Justice couldn’t believe Jagger wasn’t going to hand her over to her father and Jordan the first chance he got.
She had no reason to believe that the same man who kidnapped her in the alley now had a change of heart and was going to just let her go.
She stood and picked up her bag and her jacket, holding out her hand to Jagger.
If he were being honest, he wouldn’t try to stop her from leaving.
“Keys?” She cocked her eyebrow at him and waited. He reluctantly handed them over and sighed. “I won’t try to keep you here, Justice. But I could use your help.” His hand brushed over hers, sending chills down her spine. She closed her fingers, her keys, and nodded.
“I appreciate you letting me go, Jag. I do, but I can’t take the chance that you’ll change your mind and turn me over to my father, or worse—Wolf.” Justice headed for the front door, and she could almost feel his desperation.
“He’ll kill Jules if I don’t deliver you to him. Please.” Justice turned to face him—her first mistake. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, and the pleading look on his face nearly did her in.
“I’m not sure what you think I can do for you, Jagger.
If you want your sister back, you’re going to have to deliver me to my father.
You just promised me you would let me go, yet here we are, you begging me to help you free Jules.
” Justice shook her head, trying to decide what to do.
If she helped him, she would be getting herself tangled up with her father again, and the thought of having Jordan Wolf anywhere near her made her physically sick.
“If you walk out that door right now, she’s as good as dead.
What I did today, kidnapping you and dragging you into my mess, I did save my sister.
Please believe that I had no choice. She’s all I’ve got, and I’d do anything to help her.
” Jagger wiped at the tears that were freely falling down his face.
“See Jag, I believe you, and that’s why I can’t stay.
You admit that you’d do anything to save Jules, and I’m pretty sure that includes trading my life for hers.
” Justice turned to leave again, and Jagger grabbed her arm, stopping her.
She wanted to pull free from his hold, but she found herself being drawn into his desperation.
“Just give me a day or two to come up with a plan. Dean will be back in the morning, and he knows Jules. If anyone can come up with an idea to help, he can. Please, Justice.” She knew she was being a fool.
If she had any sense left, she would turn tail and run, but what kind of person would that make her?
She knew firsthand exactly what her father was capable of, and she couldn’t let him destroy another young woman’s life because she refused to help.
“I keep my keys, and I can leave any time I want?” She took a step towards Jagger, who was still holding her arm.
“Absolutely,” he whispered. “You call all the shots from here on out, Justice.” He took a step towards her, and she could have sworn that she could hear his heart beating.
“You are free to go whenever you’d like,” he promised.
Justice could feel his breath on her cheek like a warm caress, and she leaned into him.
“Fine,” she said, pulling her arm free and taking a step back from him.
She wasn’t sure what just happened, but she knew she couldn’t let it happen again.
She needed to remember that Jagger had abducted her just that morning.
She needed to remember that he had been planning on delivering her to her father just hours ago.
And she needed to remember that letting her traitorous body do the thinking for her was a bad idea.
Jagger showed Justice to his sister’s childhood bedroom. They have since turned it into a regular spare room, but he still thought of it as Jules’ room. Justice put her bag and jacket at the end of the bed and sat down.
“I hope this is okay,” Jagger said, looking around the room.
“If you need anything, I’ll be just next door.
” He nodded over to his room. A part of him worried that if he left her there, she would change her mind and leave.
He also knew he had no choice but to trust Justice and hope that she lived up to her word.
She smiled up at him. “It’s all right, Jag, I’m not going to bolt.
I get that you don’t know me, but I gave you my word and I always keep my word.
” Jagger nodded and turned to leave the room, pulling the door shut as he left.
“Um, Jag, can you leave the door open?” He turned to look at her and saw the fear in her eyes.
“Sure,” he said, pushing the door back open.
Justice pulled off her shoes and tossed them into the corner.
“You know you’re safe here, Justice, right?
” He hated the fact that she was afraid to be in his home.
He had a state-of-the-art security system that he installed himself.
If someone wanted to get to them, he’d know it before they got within three miles of his cabin.
Justice shrugged, trying to act cool, but he could still see her fear.
“Whatever you say, Jag. But you should know that my father doesn’t back down. He’ll find us, and there will be no place for us to hide.”
“I won’t let that happen, Justice,” he promised.
“Don’t make me guarantees, Jag. It’s only a matter of time before dear old Dad finds me, and hopefully, you’ll have your sister back before that happens.
He won’t stop until I give him what he wants.
It’s time that I face up to that and figure out if I want to run for the rest of my life looking over my shoulder or if I want to stand up to him and fight for my freedom.
” Jagger turned to leave her room, not knowing what to say to Justice.
A part of him felt terrible that he dragged her back into this mess.
From what Justice told him, she broke free from her father and made a nice life for herself in Harvest Ridge.
He was mad at himself and his sister for getting themselves both into this bind.
If Jules had just listened to him when he warned her against working for someone as high-profile as Hobbs, they wouldn’t all be in this mess.
He would have never met Justice, and she would be safely tucked away in the haven that she built for herself.
He crossed the hallway into his bedroom and wasn’t sure if he should close his door or not.
A part of him wanted to keep his eyes and ears open for Justice, and the other part of him felt like a peeping Tom, wanting to watch her as she slept.
He knew it had been some time since he was with a woman, but Justice Hobbs made his body hum to life and ache with need—two things that didn’t happen in quite some time.
Watching her sleep just across the hall wasn’t going to be pleasant for him, but he guessed he deserved every unpleasant second for dragging her into this mess.
Jagger showered and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms to sleep.
He usually slept nude, but he was sure that if he and Justice ran into each other in the middle of the night, that might make things even more awkward between the two of them.
He could see the confusion in her eyes every time he touched her, as if she felt the same damn sparks between them as he had.
Hell, he was just as confused by the unwanted feelings.
He crawled into his bed and groaned at the bliss of stretching out on his mattress.
He hadn’t slept in his bed in so long, he forgot how good it felt.
Jagger peeked through the doorway across the hall to where Justice was lying in her bed.
He realized she was watching him, and once again, he worried she was waiting for him to fall to sleep to make her escape.
Jagger sat up in bed, worried that if he got too comfortable, he’d be asleep in minutes.
Justice sat up in her bed, flicked on her light, and smiled at him.
“You know, I’m starting to think you aren’t a very trusting guy, Jag.
” She winked at him, causing him to laugh.
She was right, he didn’t trust many people, but he was a product of his military training.
He had a very small circle of people he could trust—Jules and Dean.
He knew that made him seem pathetic, but he wouldn’t apologize for who he was.
“I guess I haven’t earned your trust either, Justice,” Jagger said. It felt odd having the conversation with her across the hallway, but he worried that if he got up and went into her room, he wouldn’t want to leave.
“No, you haven’t. How about we cut each other a break and call a truce for the night?
I’m tired, after a long day of being kidnapped and dragged here, and you have to be exhausted after driving all day.
” She smiled at him across the hallway, and he couldn’t help but smile back.
She was trouble and sass and fire—all the things he loved in a woman.
Justice Hobbs was going to be a challenge, and he needed to remember that and keep his fucking hands to himself.
“What kind of truce?” he hesitantly asked.
“How about we call a cease-fire and both get some sleep? In the morning, we can pick up arms again and try to figure out if the other is being truthful or not.” Justice watched him, waiting him out.
He wanted to say yes because she was right; he was dead tired from everything that had happened.
Jagger knew he wouldn’t be able to stay awake to keep an eye on her, even if he wanted to.
He had no choice but to agree to her armistice.