They’d hit a dead-end with the security footage, as he thought they would. With every passing day, it was clear they were dealing with professionals who knew what the fuck they were doing.
Which brought Viktor Konzovic back to the top of their list of suspects.
Cass was scouring the dark web to find out if he’d put out a request for Steff to be eliminated, but had yet to find any evidence that he had. If anything, Viktor had gone to ground after his attempt to get rid of Isaac.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you need to stop.” Steff’s fingers brushed over his forehead, and he captured her hand, kissing her palm. He noted her nails were still short.
She’d come a long way since the first night he’d met her, and today’s session with her therapist was only going to help that process along.
“I’m sorry, I just wish we had answers.”
“I know and I do too, but we’ll get them. And when it’s all over, we’ll all go out and celebrate.”
“Yeah, we will.” He hugged her tight. “You’ve got your earrings in?”
She pulled out of his embrace and flicked her hair back, the stones winking up at him. He reached out and lightly traced them. “Yep, I never take them out.”
“That’s good.” Knowing that he could find her if anything happened gave him a small measure of comfort. Logically, following her twenty-four-seven was out of the question, yet that was what he wanted to do.
He was so smitten with her, and he didn’t care if he acted like a fool around her. It didn’t seem to bother her either.
“Steff.” He paused, and licked his lips. Was now the time to tell her he loved her? Because he did. He couldn’t imagine life without her, which was why it was hard to let her do the things she needed to do when they had no idea who was after her.
“What? Do I have something on my face?”
He gave himself a mental slap. “No, you look beautiful. That’s what I wanted to say.” It wasn’t, but it would have to do. He’d find the right time to tell her how he felt about her. A time when he could worship her body so she wouldn’t have any doubts about the depth of his feelings for her.
She canted her head as if trying to determine if that was what he meant to say, but with a shrug, she rose on tiptoe and kissed him. He would never get tired of kissing her. Their relationship had deepened since they’d made love.
When they broke apart, her cheeks were flushed and her hair mussed. “You need to go, otherwise you’ll be late.” She gave him a gentle push.
“I know. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
Ensuring his place was locked tight, Jag surveyed his hallway, his senses were quiet, no tingles to suggest danger lurked. The trek to where they were parked didn’t take long. He liked seeing Steff’s car parked next to his. Heck, if he was beinghonest, he loved seeing all her stuff next to his in his bedroom, bathroom, and living room.
“Text me when you get to your appointment?” He played with the fabric of the blouse she was wearing, tempted to touch the soft flesh he knew lay beneath.
“I will if you’ll text me when you get to work,” she sassed back.
“Always.” He captured her lips in a searing kiss. His cock hardened against his zipper. Everything about this woman turned him on.
They broke apart and gazed at each other. This quiet moment after sharing a kiss was time he treasured. They were both breathless and, no doubt, had goofy smiles on their faces.
Jag reached around and opened the car door. Like she always did before she left him, Steff touched his cheek. The gesture sweet, and it said so much without saying anything at the same time.
He stepped back and shut the door. This was the first time since she’d started staying at his place that they were going in separate directions. She’d been coming to work with him after he returned from PT. Steff seemed to enjoy helping out, and he wasn’t sad about that at all. He liked having her close, and could understand why Ox and Angel liked having their wives working for Alliez as well.
With a final wave, Steff pulled out and headed up the ramp toward the exit. The moment her taillights disappeared, he headed toward his car.
Thirty minutes later he pulled into the parking garage next door to his building and made his way to the office. He had only just sat and fired up his computer when he heard raised voices coming from the conference room—an unusual occurrence.
“What’s going on?” he asked Deal. “Who’s in there?”
“Fox, Zadie Nyx, and her team. Along with her sister, Rowan Harper.”
Jag recalled Fox talking about Zadie at PT. “Are they still trying to get him to go on that trip with them to Texas?”
“I’m guessing so. He’s been fielding calls from Zadie. I think she wants more from him than just protection.” Deal waggled his eyebrows.
