What If

My mother barely contains the satisfied squeak that slips from her Chanel lips.

“Well, then.” She starts running her hands down the front of her pink and black trimmed blazer. “Let’s put all this behind us then, shall we?”

Mitchell licks his lips and looks down at his shoes. “I’m sorry, Jessie. I’m sorry I couldn’t do better. I’ll call the D.A. later today and let you know what’s next.”

Chapter 13

Torin

“He’s a fucking bully and a coward.” I stuff three French fries into my mouth as Gerald eyes me with doubt.

“You said you wouldn’t go after her. You said it would hurt her more if something happened to you.”

“I’m not fucking going after her.”

That’s a straight up lie. Of course, I’m going after her, there was never in any doubt, but I’ll do it in my way. In my time. There’s no fucking way I was ever letting this go.

Letting her go.

Never.

I know where she is. I’ve kept tabs on her since the day of the arrest. I’ve made sure she’s safe. I even had a tracker on her phone from the second day we were together. I’m her stalker; I’m just fucking good at not being found out.

“You could get yourself kicked off the force. You realize that? If this doesn’t go exactly the way you want, it could be your job. That’s exactly what Jessie didn’t want.”

“That’s not going to happen. Have I ever screwed up a deal before? Have any of my cases come back to bite me?” I throw the next round of French fries back onto the tray and lean back in my chair, running both hands through my hair as I take a breath. I don’t give him a chance to answer; I do it for him. “The answer is no, Gerald. No. I’ve got this.”

“Okay, my friend. Then I’ve got your back. What do you need from me?”

“Nothing. Just keep anyone from looking for me for the next few hours. Keep tabs on the D.A. Let me know any news that comes in. The timing is tight, and I’m going to need her as soon as I get things in place.”

“Check.” He sips from the straw in his Dr. Pepper as I tap out a text on my phone to my contact, making sure things are still on target.

I look up, feeling my heartbeat pound in my temples. It’s starting to rain, dotting the windows at the diner where we’re sitting with thousands of clear droplets, each one reflecting Jessie’s face back at me.

“Good luck, brother.”

I nod at Gerald, drawing a deep breath through my nose and then stand, making my way out the door and to my car. All I’ve done since her arrest is work and plan how to get her back. Work on our future, because we will have a future. Every moment not at work I’ve been putting things in place.

Quietly.

Methodically.

Some of them could end my career, but that’s on me, not her, and I’ve been around enough to know where to push and when to pull. It’s the law of life, not the law of the land. I’d risk it all for her because my life is already forfeit if she’s not going to be in it.

It’s a short drive to where it’s all going to go down. I’ve spent the last eight or so weeks playing this game of chess. Getting within two moves of the checkmate I need.

But two moves are two moves.

And nothing is for sure until the king falls.

In my car on the way to the meet, I pull up the tracking app and see she is at her mother and stepfather’s house. Earlier, she was at her attorney’s, and that makes me nervous as hell not knowing what’s going on. She doesn’t go out much. Which makes me sad, but also keeps me from losing my mind any more than I have since we’ve been apart.

If she was out, moving around, going places, I’d be hard pressed to get any work done, and my new position has had me buried in cases and supervising staff. Sleep has become a thing of the past, but I’ll gladly give up all of my earthly comforts to be sure she’s safe.

In the small hours of last night, I sat outside the house where she’s staying. Looking at her window. Thinking of her soft body laying in the bed alone. Wondering if she thinks of me. If she touches herself. Remembers how I touched her. How I loved her.

As my thoughts wandered, a low light came on in the room. I sat up in my truck, trained my eyes on the low glow of the window and saw her form move about the room. Her movements were meandering as though she was wandering through some meadow, unsure where she should go.