“Thank you.” I hung up just as Jack came walking into the kitchen.
“Something smells good.” She rubbed a towel over her head, peering over my shoulder as I moved the food from the pan to a plate.
“Fajitas?” She gave me a pointed look. “If you’re trying to make my favorite food to get on my good side, it’s not going to work.”
I hummed, setting the plate and the tortillas with a side of sour cream,pico de gallo, and several other toppings I knew she would want on the table.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just had this stuff in my fridge. Figured it was a quick and easy dinner.”
“Uh-huh.” Jack slid into a chair, picking up her glass of wine. “You know, this really should be a margarita if you’re trying to win brownie points.”
Sliding into the chair next to her, I started to put my plate together. “Which I’m not. So you’ll have to make do with plain old wine.”
She gave me another look before digging into the food in front of her. We sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes, eating and drinking until Jack finally turned to me.
“What’d Tristen say?”
I looked up from my plate. “What do you mean?”
Jack pursed her lips and sat her wine glass down. “I’m not stupid, Julian. I know you reported to Tristen. Was he freaking out?”
“No.” Sighing, I turned in my seat to face her. “I also didn’t tell him everything.”
Inclining her head, she shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth, chewing slowly. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. I promised I wouldn’t make them pull you from the mission, and I meant it.” I slowly turned back to my food. “There’s only one bedroom so I’ll take the couch, keep watching in case someone tries their luck here.”
“Really?” Her fork clattered on the plate, her body twisting to face me. “You can’t really think they would come here, do you? They haven’t been very brave up until this point, and they didn’t even attack me. It’s still all threats and notes.”
She picked her fork back up, shoving food into her mouth. “I can take the couch.”
“Duran— Jack,” I turned her in her chair to face me our knees knocking together. “Please. Don’t fight me on this. Just let me... let me protect you. Just while you’re here, then you can go back to being Miss Independent later.”
She stared at me for a long moment.
I hoped she saw the real concern I had for her in my eyes. I felt like I’d done a pretty good job hiding how worried I’d been about her during this mission, but this was too close.
What would have happened had she walked in while they were redecorating her room? Where did they get all that blood? I was doing everything I could not to have her pulled off this case simply for my own peace of mind.
“Fine,” she relented, taking a mouthful of wine.
After we both finished our food, Jack insisted on rinsing the dishes to put in the dishwasher while I prepped the couch for me to sleep on. Looking at it, I realized it wasn’t going to be very comfortable. I was too long.
Still, I didn’t say anything, going to the bedroom to change my clothes for bed.
Jack lingered outside the bedroom door until I stepped out. She waved her toothbrush in front of her.
“I already did my teeth, so the bathroom is all yours.”
I nodded, side stepping her to go brush my teeth.
Once I was done, I stopped in the doorway of my bedroom. My eyes lingered on her laying in my bed, all snuggled down and looking like she belonged there. The t-shirt she wore was clearly a man’s shirt, but I didn’t ask whose. I didn’t want to know.
I swallowed thickly. “Night.”
Jack turned on her side, her eyes locking with mine. “Good night.”
Turning the light off in my room, I closed the door before working through the apartment. I turned lights off as I went. When it was just me in the living room, I sat on the edge of the couch and rubbed my hands together.
