Chapter 65
WE ALL DECIDED TO BUNK in one cabin.
There are two bedrooms and one bath. A kitchen, and a living room which is the largest space in the cabin.
We reached a unanimous vote that one bedroom will go to Jace. Obvious reasons being his health and I'm big on creating as little stress for him as possible in this very stressful situation.
If I'm being honest, though, I've already failed spectacularly at that.
The other bedroom will go to Jessi.
The birthday boy himself doesn't mind sleeping on the floor of the cabin's living room. As long as Laken is beside him, he doesn't care.
The door to the bedroom Jace is staying in is open and he's sorting through his backpack for clean clothes and his toothbrush, preparing for a shower. But he stops when I enter, narrowing his eyes at me in accusation. He points a finger.
"You sly wolf."
I show my palms. He wags a finger as I sit on the empty side of the bed, swinging my feet up and crossing them at the ankles.
"We didn't finish our conversation from earlier. You got lucky," he chides, barely putting up a fight when I take his wrists and drag him across the bed and to my side.
"You're not getting away again," he tells me, moving his head away as I lean in, and I have to resort to gripping his chin to keep him steady.
"Kiss me first and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
"No," he defies, trying and failing to pry himself out of my grip around his waist. "That's cheating."
"That's a fair trade, Conner," I reply, leaning in once more. He tilts his head away and I get his cheek instead.
"You always do this."
"Do what?" I feign ignorance, continuing a trail of kisses down his neck. His breathing has changed pitch, growing heavier and slower, his muscles tensing. I move my hand from his chin to his thigh, gripping tight, and pulling him even closer until he's practically in my lap.
"You know what," he struggles, but ultimately gives up when I hike him over my lap so that he's straddling my hips. He goes silent, green eyes peering down at me, equal parts accusation and glazed over in lustful anticipation. His hands settle on my shoulders.
I shake my head, a playful grin on my face as my hands travel the hot length over his thighs and hips. "I don't. What do I always do?"
He presses a fingertip to my nose, a disapproving stare fixed on me. "Don't," he reprimands. "You always use physical touch or sex to get out of talking."
"I do not," I defend.
I have. But it's not all my fault. If he didn't look at me all lovestruck, giving the appearance of someone so smitten and willing to do whatever I command, maybe I'd have more control over my animal desire to claim every inch of his skin, and taste every soft mewl and moan out of his mouth.
"You're doing it right now."
I laugh softly, reaching up to brush blonde strands of hair out of his eyes. "I'm really not. I haven't held you all day, let alone kissed you. Give me one minute and I'll tell you the truth."
His nose scrunches.
Goddess, I can never get enough of that.
"You promise? You're not bullshitting me? Using that as an excuse and once you have me, you'll do other things and make me forget."
Leaning against the headboard, I cross my arms over my chest. Jace rocks back, looking far too delectable in this position – him straddling me and his hands resting against my arms. For a hot second, I picture a dirtier scene but keep my hands where they are.
We're not alone in this cabin and everyone else is just one room away. The walls aren't nearly thick enough to muffle the sounds of sex. Besides, I have no condoms since I'm certain, he's not yet ready to take it that far.
"I promise. Let me hold you for a while." I hold my arms open, wriggling my fingers in anticipation. Despite himself, the attempt at a stern resolve cracks and crumbles giving way to a coy smile. Red colors his cheeks and ears and he rolls his eyes.
"Fine." He gives in, hunkering down into my arms, his hands sliding round my waist and he cuddles close, his head tucked against my chest. We remain that way for minutes at a time.
There's no excessive physical contact, just him in my arms. Sometimes, his finger would skitter across my chest, drawing lazy circles. Other times, my fingers comb through his hair.
"Reenergized yet?" He breaks the silence with a playful jab.
"Almost. But I'm ready to talk if you're ready to listen. Just don't freak out. I promise there's a good reason for all the things you noticed today."
He tilts his head, green eyes peering up. "You mean all the guns and stuff?" I nod and he reaches up to trace the sharpness of my collarbone with a finger. "What about it?"
I kiss his forehead. "Remember the almost-break-in I stopped? And those enemies I told you my family has."
"Of course. How could I forget? Your life is...exciting."
I brush that remark off. I wouldn't say it's exciting living in a world where I have to watch over my shoulder because some senile bastard wants my head and the end of my bloodline.
"Something happened."
Jace stays silent. He's occupied himself with tracing the length of my fingers, drawing invisible, lazy doodles across my palm and then up my forearm, following the vein that runs from the back of my hand to my bicep.
He tilts his head to look at me, an unspoken communication that he's waiting for me to continue.
"The man who tried breaking in, the one I stopped this week...he's dead."
The invisible doodles across my arm ceases. He swallows and tucks into my side even further.
"He's...dead?" he repeats, hoping for clarification.
"Yeah. I heard about it yesterday evening. He was supposed to be under witness protection and had been relocated. But those enemies I mentioned, they caught up to him. It was bad. Really bad."
"You're sure it's the same people?" he asks, sitting up to look at me.
"Yeah. It's the same guy."
Jace's eyes widen. "Guy? Singular? You mean to tell me that the person who broke in last week, attacked me and my parents, and the one from earlier this week, they were sent by one man?" I nod. "How do you know?"
"There have been other...incidents." I can't tell him about Lativa. Not yet. "Other perps. They were questioned and parts of their stories coincide. But this person who sent them, he has an identifier. A symbol that's associated with him. And it was found at the crime scene."
Jace has gone pale. A light sweat coats his brow and his lips are slightly parted. He stares into blank space, his mind reeling from the information I've just slapped him with.
He was worried before seeing us armed with all that ammunition for a harmless hiking trip and overnight stay in a cabin near a lake. His worries weren't unwarranted.
"Still want to date me?" I tease, hoping to lighten the mood, though part of me is dead serious.
Jace scowls and peers over through thick eyelashes. "You think one murder is going to scare me away? I'm serious, you know. When I get back to Jasper Falls, if I'm not busy, I'm going to spend every spare moment perfecting my skills at the shooting range."
I shake my head, taking his hand in mine. "Baby, I need you to understand what this means. The break-ins. My mother's death twelve years ago. They're all connected. Because there's something I didn't tell you. Something that happened when I stopped the almost-break-in."
He waits, looking on in curiosity.
"I spoke to that perp. The man who started all of this...killing my mother was just the beginning."
"What do you mean?" His voice is softer now, lacking its earlier confidence when he spoke about spending time at the shooting range.
"He means to wipe my family out. Me. My father. Anyone we're involved with. Including you."
His grip on my hand tightens, lips pulling into a thin line. His eyebrows dip deep, breathing unsteady as the gravity of what I'm implying begins to settle.
"I'm not telling you this to frighten you. Though you probably should be. If you want to be with me, you have to know what you're up against."
Seconds tick by. Those turn into minutes. He lets go of my hand, slides off the bed, and begins a slow but steady pace up and down the floor of the bedroom. He flutters from one end to the next and back again.
"Baby?"
He stops pacing and turns to me. Dazed. "Hmm?"
"So, after hearing me out, what's your verdict? Still want me, or do you want out? I won't stop you if you choose to leave."
He shakes his head. Defiant. Determined.
It shines bright in his eyes, mirroring in his voice when he replies, "All the more reason to get better at handling a gun. Even if that man comes at me himself and points a gun to my head, I'm not leaving you."
Call me foolish but that admission just made my whole weekend. I've fallen for him. Again.