Royce ignored her surly attitude. “Bonnie was kind of annoying, wasn’t she?”
“Bonnie? I thought her name was Bambi or Barbie.”
He shrugged his shoulder carelessly. “Maybe. I don’t think Blake cared what her name was.”
“Blake?” She felt confused. Maybe she should have stayed in bed longer. Her dad still hadn’t come in and she wasn’t sure why she did. Somewhere deep inside of her, she knew it was because she wanted to see Royce. She was addicted to seeing him every day but she couldn’t admit that out loud. Then everyone would know how pathetic she was, wanting a man who didn’t want her.
“She left with Blake,” Royce answered without hesitation. He didn’t look like it bothered him at all.
He shook his head and tried to look forlorn. “I went home all alone.”
Jessy rolled her eyes. Secretly she was pleased, since she had gone home alone, too. “I bet that doesn’t happen often.”
“You would be surprised,” he admitted softly.
“So, what was so important, Royce? If it’s not work related what could it be?” She changed the subject. She did not want to think about Royce’s sex life. She didn’t need those kinds of images in her head. She had plenty from the one night she spent with him.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about us,” he admitted frankly, sitting up.
“There is no us, Royce. We’re just friends who messed up one night,” she reminded him, ignoring the now-familiar ache in her chest when she allowed herself to think about that wonderful night.
“I know that’s what I said, but honestly I can’t stop thinking of you. I know the physical attraction is there, on my part at least. I think we need to give ourselves a chance to see where it leads.”
Jessy let out a heavy sigh looking at Royce, the man she had been wanting for so long. “A few weeks back I would have jumped at the chance, but now you put doubts into my head. Your words hurt and you burst the bubble I had been living in for almost a year. At the same time, you made sense. What if down the road you decide being with one woman is no fun? You still have unresolved feelings for your ex or you wouldn’t still be stuck on what happened with her.”
“My feelings for her are not unresolved. I feel foolish for falling for her and maybe my pride was dented, but I know I never loved her. I lusted after her, that’s all,” he insisted, but Jessy didn’t believe him.
Jessy put her elbow on the desk and leaned her head on it. She wanted to believe him but she couldn’t take that chance again. Look how hurt she was after one night. Her feelings for Royce were real and would not go away easily, she knew and accepted that. She had doubts about him though. Sure, he wanted her today, and then next week he could be bored. Could she be so noble as to work with him and pretend everything was great if he moved on? Her dad depended on Royce. Her answer was clear. No
“I see by your silence you have doubts,” he guessed with a shake of his head.
She nodded. “My feelings for you run deep, Royce. You’re right, they haven’t changed. You want me now and I get we can’t see the future, but honestly I’m not sure I’m strong enough to work with you and see you with someone else down the road. You say you are over what Trina did to you, but I’m not so sure. You are still allowing that hurt to rule your life.”
She was about to explain more of her thoughts when Tom came running in, spitting mad.
“Those punks are back and they are trashing your car, Jessy,” he yelled.
“What!” she yelled loudly, following a running Royce and Tom out of her office and outside.
“Call 911, Jessy, but stay inside,” Royce yelled, picking up a baseball bat he had started keeping up by the front door.
She called the police with shaky fingers and reported what was happening.
“Please hurry,” she pleaded with the operator and hung up. Martin was off today or she would call him. She wished some of the guys were here. The bunch of them would scare these guys away.
She stood in the doorway with anxiety. Royce was yelling at one of the gang members and she could see her tires were slashed and it had been spray painted with gang signs. The second one of them pushed Tom and his face turned red. He might be an older man but he was used to sparring in the ring, and he was tough. Jessy felt sorry for the young punks. Tom threw a punch and it landed on his jaw. He landed on his ass on the ground. Jessy felt like cheering but she stayed silent, not wanting to distract Tom or Royce.
A third man came out of nowhere and the two of them jumped Royce and although she knew he was tough and could fight she hated to see them gang up on him like that. Jared pulled into the parking lot and she could hear his tires screeching to a stop. He jumped out and joined the fray, and it was all chaos from there. She watched while trying to contain her nerves and silently praying for the police to hurry.
She saw one man take a gun out and point it toward Royce’s back. Royce was too busy fighting with the man in front of him and didn’t even notice what was going on.
Without a second thought she ran toward the man, hoping to divert his attention from shooting Royce in the back.
She yelled out and he turned the gun toward her running figure. She never heard the shot but she felt a burning sensation near her chest and saw black spots in front of her eyes. She thought she heard her name being yelled out but she couldn’t be sure. Everything sounded so far away and then she knew no more.
Chapter 16
Royce couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Jessy running out of the building and then saw her fall to the ground. It took a minute for his brain to connect the loud pop with a gun going off. The gang member ran off and Royce let him. All he cared about was reaching Jessy. He ran as fast as he could toward her but his legs felt like lead. He heard the sirens in the distance and felt relief that help was on the way. He turned her over slowly and gently and saw blood pooling on her chest. He tore off his shirt and pressed down hard to s