Page 38 of Jace
Fuck, I can be a dark man when it comes to protecting her.
Vivian writes a list for Delphine and Ruby of every place her ex frequents and may be hiding those servers. She emails her friend, the attorney, asking her to share files with Nash and Axel.
She watches intently as Grant shows her how to download a dummy app he’s developed onto David’s phone or laptop if shegets the chance. It’ll give Grant secret access if she can do it undetected.
It makes me so damn proud of her.
Hours later,after her client leaves, I can tell today has been a lot. I offer to take a rain check on the darkroom if I can escort her home.
The power of our proximity, the promise of what we can be together, and the peril she’s in leave me quiet as we near her house.
“I have to go home every night.” She pierces the silence, explaining. “He checks the security cameras at my house. And?—”
“I understand.” I clench my jaw.
“Even when I travel for work, I feel like he’s watching me. Guess that’s paranoia, or?—”
“It’s not. It’s smart.”
Walking side by side, our arms brush, but I don’t hold her hand again. Not in public. The little fucker or one of his poser friends could be tailing us.
I know better.
As much as I want to bomb that fucker’s face with my fist, this is a stealth mission, and we’re used to them. Hiding from our father. Hunting traffickers. Ending this war.
I can feel everything coming to a head, while mine swims with thoughts of holding Vivian again.
“Thank you.” She softly sighs into the night. “I never feltthatbefore.”
My pulse climbs, not sure what she’s referring to because I felt everything today. Love. Lust. Blood lust. Blood brothers. Fierce women. Fierce bonds.
“Felt what?” I risk the question.
“Felt like I had a family or something like it. It was always my mom and me, or my dad and me. And for years, it’s been just me. I mean, I have Harlow and my mom, but they don’t know what’s going on.”
“Not even Harlow? She’s your best friend, right?”
“Yeah, so I want to keep her on the right side of the law, because if I tell her, she’d break them for me. And my mom?” she laments. “She’d give up her dream career to come home for me, but I’ll be okay.”
We turn the corner toward her house, kicking through a carpet of pink magnolia petals on the sidewalk.
A soft touch grazes my pinky, and my soul ignites. It’s Vivian, sneaking a touch. “You’re my best friend too,” she murmurs. “You feel it, right?”
We stop in front of her iron gate, and for the first time, being best friends isn’t enough. It’s not enough to contain everything I feel for her. I thought I could hold this in, but it’s been a year and forever, and the links in my chain are breaking free, one by one.
I can barely speak, holding back the beast. “Yeah.”
She blinks up at me with warm, expectant eyes. “Good night, Jace.” Before they dart to her left in an obvious gesture.
The camera above her gate is aimed at me, its red light blinking.
Goddamn, I want to kiss her right here in front of it. I want him to see how sheshouldbe loved. I want him to watch me pound my dick so hard inside her, I’ll leave no doubt she’s mine now. I’ll make her come with a scream for meandhis camera.
Fuck him.
Instead, we’ll hack the camera. We’ll load dummy footage of an empty sidewalk for him to watch, while I take Vivian inside and empty my aching balls so deep inside her. I’ll watch it drip from her pussy before I lick it up, making her come before I do it all over again.
“Good night, Vivian. And for the record…” I shove my hands into my pockets, drawing her attention to how hard I love her. She softly gasps at it before I add, “Smokeshow, you’re my besteverything.”
