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“Oh goodness,” Rebecca gasped. “They’re causing problems?”
“Huge problems, Mom.”
“Jake’s right,” she said pulling up the news release Bryant had sent her. “The person they went after was me, right before the charity auction.”
“Good lord,” Leo said looking at Jake. “You didn’t tell us that she nearly died!”
“I wanted to, but she insisted she was okay.”
“I am, or was, I knew they couldn’t get to me while they were in jail but now, I don’t know what is going on.”
“Someone tried to kill you Stacey, how can you possibly have been okay with that?” he asked.
“Because I know better than anyone that I never did anything to warrant the attention, I didn’t go out with them, it wasn’t my fault. Nathaniel held a knife to my throat for four hours while facing off against the police and I wouldn’t let that affect me. I won’t let this either, but I will take precautions to make sure I don’t put myself in unnecessary harm.”
“This man held a knife to you?” Rebecca asked putting her arms around her and pulling her into her. “Oh, my poor girl, I wish you’d never have left.”
“Part of me does too,” she admitted letting her presence wash over her. It was so nice to feel as though someone cared completely, loved her entirely again.
“So, what are you going to do to keep her safe?” Leo asked Jake.
“We’re heading to my place to pack some things up, staying away from Seattle and hope these guys don’t get access to the supplies they need,” he answered leaning down to drop a kiss on her head when his mother guided them to the couch. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt Cee again.”
“And the two of you, what are your plans for the future?” Leo inquired.
“Mine are to get this girl down the aisle but she’s resisting still, she won’t tell me why.”
“I’ve told you why Jake.”
“And I’ve told you…”
“Enough Jake,” his mom cut him off feeling her tense. “Let’s simply enjoy the rest of the day; we’re going to worry about the two of you enough once you’re gone.”
“I agree,” Leo stated. “Plus, we want to hear all about Stacey’s job and this carnival that’s coming.”
She gave them a smile and proceeded to tell them a bit of what she did and about Lucca’s family without telling Jake about Lucca. He’d hate knowing the truth of what she’d shared with him even if it wasn’t sexual. She figured the team wouldn’t be available with final practices before the games started the week after the carnival was scheduled. If she was lucky in the slightest, they would be, and he’d never even meet Lucca. Then again, her luck still seemed to be black, as was evident by everything that had happened that day.
∞∞∞
“It’s been over a week Jake, no one’s seen them, and you have to get to camp tomorrow so we’re going home,” Stacey said crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him.
“Only if you agree to stay with me at the hotelandkeep Rice with you at all times. I don’t care if you have meetings; he’s going to be outside monitoring what’s going on.”
She wanted to argue so badly, but she couldn’t. Every day that had passed made her worry a tiny bit more but with Jake and Rice with her, she could feel slightly safe. “I’m not going to go looking for them Jake. I don’t have a death wish.”
“I know you don’t, you’d miss out on loads of great sex then,” he teased wishing he could convince her to stay here but that would put her on the opposite side of the country from him and he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight like that. It’d taken him far too long to find her and he wasn’t going to lose her because of this. “Just promise you’ll be careful.”
“I promise, Jake, now let’s go home,” she sighed missing Seattle and her friends.
“Alright,” he agreed.
When they reached the airport, he kept a close eye on her while Rice watched the crowd around them. All of his attention was on her, and she felt herself go back in time to how she felt when they’d first gotten together. She wanted them to feel this way for a good reason and not because he was worried about someone hurting her.
“Jake, please stop hovering.”
“Who says I’m hovering? I’m infatuated, besotted, in love with my Cee,” he whispered against her ear as he pulled her into his arms.
“You’re making the others feel bad,” she teased resting against him as the pull between them intensified.
