Chapter 14 Jesse
JESSE
The sea was a sparkling blue today and the temperature was perfect.
My little apartment was a converted open basement that Sofija, the elderly lady who owned the house above me, rented cheaply in exchange for help with her garden.
My private patio area, overflowing with oleanders and hydrangeas, looked out over the Adriatic Sea.
Like all of the places I’d stayed before, I kept my living arrangements low-key, both to avoid any undue notice and because I hadn’t yet figured out where I wanted to live.
I’d stayed in Dominica for a while—an underrated gem but too close to the US for comfort.
Shenzhen had been amazing but too busy, and Chinese visas were a bear to get, given my cousin’s status stateside.
Grodno was beautiful, but…not a fit. My Belarusian friends suggested Montenegro, and they were onto something.
As it happens, Montenegro is the perfect option for the international fugitive on the go.
I closed my eyes and leaned back into my lounger, enjoying the breeze off the water. I still wasn’t sure what to do with myself, but I knew I wanted to start over here, and that was good enough for now.
A few moments into a half-assed attempt at meditation, something light landed on my chest. I startled, looking down in a panic.
It was a battered postcard with a picture of Rummikub tiles.
A grin the size of Texas took over my face.
“I was wondering when you’d show up.”
Rafferty stepped in beside me, looking down at me with a serious expression. “That postcard is the only clue you left me. I landed here almost a week ago.”
I lifted a shoulder. “You’re a detective, Raff. I had full faith in you.”
“I was a detective,” he corrected. His eyes sparkled like the sea. “Though I do like the idea of you having faith in me.”
I laughed, then jumped up and threw my arms around him. “You have no idea how good it is to see a familiar face.”
“Mm,” he rumbled. “It is good to be seen.”
To be honest, I’d doubted he’d show up at all. I wouldn’t have blamed him for forgetting I existed.
An Austin news site was reporting that my father and Kyler had vanished somewhere between Texas and the Caribbean, and that I was presumed dead. Rafferty had wanted me to go through DFW, but they’d started rolling out new screening tech, and I couldn’t risk drawing attention by opting out.
Aside from a small hiccup at the San Antonio airport—they called Kyler’s name to board, and I forgot they meant me—I got out of the country without much trouble. Money took care of the rest.
Coming back to the present, I stared at Rafferty, suddenly awkward, not sure where we stood. Were we friends? Were we lovers? Was he here on an international mission to kidnap me and return me to the States?
We hadn’t had a chance to talk about it.
Before I could catastrophize his presence, he grinned down at me and for the first time in a long time—a little over six months, to be exact—I felt safe.
I took a deep breath and released it slowly.
Rafferty shook his head and pulled me in for a kiss. A moan escaped my throat as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth. Carefully, we sat on the lounger, and he pulled me onto his lap.
“Hey,” I said, straddling him.
“Hey,” he responded, running his nose across mine.
My cheeks heated as I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his neck.
“Why so shy?”
“I just…” I huffed out a laugh, feeling ridiculous. “I don’t actually know what this is.”
“What do you want it to be?” he asked, running his palm over the buzzed look I’d grown fond of.
I bit my lip and looked out at the ocean. “More.”
His smile could’ve lit a darkened cave. “I can work with more.”