“Hello, Jude.”He could hear the smile in the voice of Red’s wife.
“Thalia, is Red there?”
“Yes.He’s driving.I’ll switch you to speaker.”If he listened closely, he could hear the rain bouncing against the car and the whoosh of the wipers.
“Jude?”
“Hey, Red.I need a favor.”The rain continued to come down hard and every so often the cabin would illuminate with a streak of lightning.
“Name it.”
“Need transportation for a friend’s brother.Their apartment complex might be compromised.”He stated the address, fully expecting Red to be an hour or so away.All he could do was hope that his friend arrived before anyone with nefarious intentions.Ash could always take a cab, and Red could check in to make sure he’d made it to his girlfriend’s house.
“We’re not even ten minutes from there.Tiny’s vet is the neighboring town.We just left there and are headed back to Coronado.No reason we can’t stop in and help.”
If anyone else told him they’d driven so far to take a lizard to a vet, he might be concerned but he knew the iguana held special significance for Red and Thalia.Plus, the dog-sized reptile was downright congenial after living with Red its whole life.He crossed the room to Ivy, who was still on the phone, so he could fill her in on the transportation for Ash.
“My friend, Mason Williams, is on his way to the apartment.He’ll go to the door, knock, and show his identification.He has red hair and a beard.He’ll take Ash where he needs to go.He’s about ten minutes out.”
“Did you hear that, Ash?”
“Yes.A stranger is going to pick me up at the apartment.”
“You can ask for his I.D.”She had to look up to meet Jude’s eyes.“You don’t have to share any personal information with him, but you can trust him to get you to Jess’s condo.I trust Jude to get me home when it’s safe, but you’ll need to stay with Jess until you hear from me.Otherwise, you can continue your weekly schedule, just from Jess’s condo.I love you.Please be safe.”
He said goodbye to Thalia and Red, then disconnected the call after only half processing their goodbyes.He couldn’t concentrate.Not when Ivy’s words resonated in his chest.I trust Jude to get me home when it’s safe.Maybe she just said the words to calm her brother, but the way she looked up at him when she said it?Fuck, he could practically see the truth radiating through those warm, trusting eyes.He clenched his jaw tightly, hating that this innocent woman had been dragged into something so depraved.They’d been searching for a lead, any hint that the missing children might be linked to a trafficking case.What were the odds that his recent anguish would lead him here at the exact time this woman needed his help?A woman who by some curse or miracle found herself in the middle of a potential crime ring.Not only that, but she’d been intuitive enough to recognize danger and record the men.The audio was as clear as if his team had bugged the house.
“Your brother—is he okay with the plan?”
“It’s going to be hard for him.Usually when there’s a change of plans, I update this schedule we have, and it makes things easier.On Sundays we work on one of those big three-thousand-piece puzzles and order pizza.”
His stomach knotted as an image popped into his head.One of him and his family sitting around a board game.Pizza off to one side.Popcorn on the other.Their Friday night tradition.Christ, he hadn’t thought of that in years.Didn’t want to think about what he’d lost, but this woman seemed to intensify those memories.There would always be darkness inside him.He couldn’t escape that, which is why he did his best to forget all the light and happiness he’d once had.
“Jude?”Once again, the tips of her fingers pressed into his skin.This time his arm, not his face, but her touch was no less potent.He jerked away.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.“I don’t know why I keep doing that.Ash hates being touched by people without his consent first, so you’d think I’d be able to honor your personal boundaries, too.It won’t happen again.”
Jesus.He was a prick.Jude wanted to tell her it was okay but the fact that he suddenly felt cold without her petite hands gripping his arm was all he needed to simply give her a curt nod.“If you had access to a laptop, could you update his schedule?”
Her gaze met his, eyes brightening as though he’d just given her a gift.She didn’t hold back her smile, and it made his breath catch in his chest.He’d done his best to ignore how pretty she was, but with that smile aimed in his direction he couldn’t deny what was right in front of him.Her face was heart-shaped and free of makeup.Her large eyes glittered in varying shades of golden brown.She was petite but he hadn’t missed her curves as he held her against him on the walk toward the cabin.Annoyed with himself, he spun around—not able to reciprocate her sweet smile—and went to retrieve his laptop.When he returned, he expected to see frustration on her face, but she simply thanked him for letting her use his computer and settled on the couch.He couldn’t deny he was interested in what she was doing, so he made himself busy and brewed a pot of coffee.
“That smells amazing.”She sighed from her space on the sofa.
“I don’t have any cream or sugar,” he grumbled.
“If you share, I promise I won’t complain.”She was peering at him with an animated expression.Like one of those cartoons where the character’s eyes went wide as they pleaded for something.
His lips quirked, shocking the shit out of him.He couldn’t remember the last time he smiled.“Fuck.”He bit out a string of expletives as the boiling liquid splashed over his wrist instead of into the cup.He dropped the mug, and it shattered on the floor.Before he could even move to set down the pot, Ivy was there removing it from his hands.She flipped on the kitchen sink, took his arm, and positioned it under the cool water.
“Ouch,” she soothed.“Burns hurt.I’m sorry I distracted you.”
“You didn’t,” he said through clenched teeth, wishing she didn’t look so goddamn cute with concern furrowing her brow.He couldn’t remember the last time someone worried over him.It felt too familial, like something his mother might’ve done.The pain along his skin was suddenly unnoticeable compared to the crushing agony in his chest.The memory of his mother kneeling on the bathroom floor cleansing a skinned knee.His dad telling jokes as he leaned just inside the doorframe, distracting him.The rustle behind him made him turn.Ivy was already crouched over the mess he’d made, sweeping the shards of glass into a dustpan.
“Leave it,” he said over his shoulder.“You’re going to cut yourself.”
He jerked back when her laughter filled the space.“Seriously?I think I can manage.”
Jude wasn’t used to be questioned or laughed at for that matter.He didn’t care for it.Keeping people at arm’s length was ineffective when the other party seemed to completely dismiss his standoffish attitude.She poured the glass into the small waste bin at the corner of the kitchenette.
