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There’s no mention of him or The Archer anywhere, not even in Tyler’s reports from his undercover work.
I contacted Roxy for an update on Lincoln’s death, but she doesn’t have any leads yet. She also filled me in on what happened after we left the services. The two men were both shot by armed response after they injured several bystanders. There’s still no news on the ID of the man posing as a waiter at the hotel, and I’m beginning to feel like everything is against us. I don’t know Roxy, but I trust her, which is unusual for me, so I told her about Jess’ father being The Archer. She’d heard the name and wasn’t in the least surprised. She may even have a lead, which she promised to check out.
I filled Seb in on my meeting before he and Jamie left for London yesterday. Seb wants to do some digging into his father. My meeting with Richard went as I expected. He’s claiming he doesn’t know anything more than we do and is just as concerned. I’m not sure I believe him, even though I’d like to. I just hope it’s to protect his family and not because he’s involved in whatever this fucking shit is.
When we were in the army together, I would have trusted him with my life, and I did more than once. Something always felt off about the op, but I trusted his role as my commanding officer. He was a fucking major for Christ’s sake.
When I questioned him about the videos, his only answer was that someone at the house Kuffs and I were held at filmed it. Fucking genius. Why didn’t I think of that? Why film us if there wasn’t a specific reason to? It makes no sense.
I’ve barely slept since my meeting with Richard. Instead, my nights have been filled with the nightmares of my past. Swirling visions of Kuffs and Sam begging me to help them, and every time I’m too late.
A month ago, these nightmares would have just about finished me off, but not now. I have something, or should I say someone, that’s keeping me focused and helping me heal, even if she’s not currently speaking to me.
I shove the papers aside as my phone vibrates on the table. It’s Scott letting me know that he’s just sent the information from Jake Danvers file to my secure dropbox. I collect everything up and head inside.
As I approach Jess’ room, I see her door is ajar, and she passes by, stripping her t-shirt off as she goes. I pause and like some fucking creeper peer through the gap to see her disappear into the en suite in only her underwear.
Her phone is on the bed and lights up as the bathroom door closes and the shower starts up, drowning out the ringing. Pushing the door open, I step up to the bed and look down at the caller ID. There’s no name, but I see it’s a London area code. The call rings off, and a second later it pings to indicate a new voicemail.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I quickly type in the number and dial it. It rings three times before a female voice answers.
“Good afternoon, Rendezvous, how can I help you?”I end the call just as the door to the bathroom opens and Jess steps out in nothing but a small towel that barely covers her.
“What the fuck, Rick!”
My eyes rake over her, taking in her toned, olive tanned legs, up over her body to beautiful blue eyes that are blazing with fury.
“What the fuck indeed,” I drawl, unable to hide the effect she’s having on me standing there pissed and only a towel hiding her sinful body. Yes, a sinful body. I’ve spent five years trying to right my wrongs, atone for my sins, only to go and fall in love with a woman that can’t be described as anything other than pure sin.
I’m snapped out of my thoughts as her hand comes out and grasps my chin. “Eyes are up here, arsehole!” I hadn’t even realised she’d moved, that’s how lost in my thoughts I was. Damn, three days without touching her, hearing her call my name as I bring her to the edge, and at the sight of her body, I’m lost.
“What are you doing in here?”
I chuck the folder I’m holding to the bed and snatch her round the waist. “Three days, Jess. Three fucking days. How long are you going to ignore me?” I grind my teeth against the need to lean in and kiss her. However, I’m not strong enough to deny myself the urge to bring our body’s closer together, making her breath catch.
“I’m not ignoring you. I needed some time.” Her hand comes up, and she trails her fingers over my jaw. “I told you before that I didn’t want to be the person that caused you that pain again, but I already am, Rick. You told me it was all on you, but it wasn’t. My father is the cause of all this, and not just what happened to you and my brother. What about what happened to Cam? And how many more people have suffered because of my father?”
I go to interrupt her, but she stops me. “Please, let me finish.” And as though to reassure me, she reaches up and kisses me gently. “I’m not blaming myself for anything other than being born to a man who has destroyed lives, including mine, well, he tried, to garner power and money. Something he clearly regards more highly than the lives and wellbeing of his own children. I just needed a minute to remind myself that I’m not responsible for the decisions or actions of my father. But I am responsible for what I do with that knowledge. My—no, our actions now are what matter. I say we bring down the house of cards and let the ace fall.”
“Fuck, you’re amazing,” I say, clamping her head in my hands and bringing our lips together in a fiery kiss full of everything neither of us dare to say yet. But it’s all there. I can feel her strumming beneath my skin, in my blood, making it hum, and my heart beats in tune with hers.
Before I get completely swept up in her, my mind reminds me why I was in here in the first place.
“If we’re going to do this, then I need full disclosure from you.” She quirks a brow at me, and I know what it means. “From us both.” She nods, then leans forward to kiss me again, but I pull back. Confusion lines her forehead and dulls her eyes. “Want to tell me why Rendezvous, the escort agency, are calling you?”
“Shit!” She snatches up her phone, dialling into her voicemail and listens intently. When she’s finished, a string of curses fall from her lips as she throws her phone back to the bed next to my file.
“What’s going on?”
“My application was refused. Apparently, I’m not what they are looking for just now. They clearly don’t know a hot woman when they see one,” she mocks, and I don’t disagree.
“You are not fucking wrong.” My voice comes out gravely, tone low and sultry, and I see her breathing pick up, chest rising heavily as lust and arousal lick up my spine. Shaking the thoughts away, I pick up the file. “Come on, get dressed. There’s something we need to do.”
Seeing that I’m serious, she instantly drops the towel and saunters to the wardrobe to look for something to wear. When she pulls out a sheer cami, which I have no recollection of ordering for her, and starts to slip it over her head, I snap.
“Hell no,” I say, striding to her and ripping it from her hands.
“I can stay naked, if you prefer,” she purrs, her hand running down between the valley of her breasts.
