Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“I didn’t say that,” JJ retorted. Now he was the one catching me off guard.
He tipped his head for a moment. “Okay, maybe I have said it, but I guess…”
I held my breath as I waited for him to say he hadn’t meant it, but the words didn’t come.
“I need to call my brother. He’s probably already losing his shit because I haven’t come home or called in,” JJ said, crossing his arms in quiet defiance.
“Who do you think drove us up here and took my car back home?” I asked as I prepared myself for the impending blow-up.
“You’re lying,” JJ said quietly. He shook his head but kept his eyes on mine. “He would never do that. He hates you as much as I do, maybe more.”
“Fine,” I said. “Believe what you want. I’ll leave that part of the conversation between you and your brother when he comes to get us.”
JJ snorted. “Sure, he’s going to come and get us. Is he bringing Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny with him?”
I sighed. God, I’d forgotten how stubborn the real JJ was. I’d loved and hated the quality at the same time. Despite his kind, sweet nature, he’d never backed down from any challenge. He was loyal to a fault until you did something to betray that loyalty. He protected the people he loved. It was one of the traits that had made him such a great cop.
Did make him a great cop.
JJ might not have been able to return to his former job, but just like the Marines were a part of my blood, the same was true for him. I’d seen proof of that when he’d risked his life to save Jenna and the teenager who’d unwittingly put himself in the line of fire. Despite his hatred of me, he hadn’t let me take the fall for shooting the gunman even though his former colleagues had been itching to take me into custody for any reason.
I was betting my life on my belief that his cop side would overcome his bitter, angry, and distrusting side.
“Sully took my Mustang and your gun and phone with him when he left. My phone and gun are in a very sturdy wall safe in the living room. No one knows we’re here besides your brother, so we should be safe from any outside threats. If you decide to stab me with a pointy object while I’m sleeping or you somehow manage to beat me to death with your bare hands, then stay put in the cabin and Sully will eventually come get you. There’s plenty of food in the fridge and pantry, there’s a grill outside that door, and the closest highway is a four-mile hike through less-than-ideal conditions. By the time we’re done here, you’ll either figure out the code to the safe because it’s a number you’ll find in the files or you’ll have made your judgment as to whether I’m guilty or not,” I said.
“If I manage to beat you to death?” JJ drawled.
I smiled because it didn’t surprise me in the least that those were the words he took issue with. That was my JJ talking.
I shrugged and pretended to read the file in front of me.
“When does all this bullshit start?” he asked.
“Whenever you’re up to it, sweetheart,” I responded. I raised my eyes and slowly raked them over the parts of his body I could see. Based on his response to me in the motel room, I knew that he didn’t stand a chance of resisting me sexually since he was as attracted to me as I was to him. The challenge was for me to keep my hands off him. Not an easy feat considering our forced proximity for the next several days.
“I’m ready now,” he declared. He still had his arms crossed but I could see the lust in his eyes. If he held out his hands, they’d probably be shaking as hard as mine were. I couldn’t help but wonder if the small table we were sitting at would hold our combined weight if it came to that.
“Go for it,” I dared as I motioned to the files.
“Not yet,” JJ said as he glanced at the assortment of files and documents. “Questions first.”
I leaned back in my chair and crossed my own arms. “Do you want to swear me in?” I asked. “I didn’t think to bring a Bible.”
“Not necessary,” he said simply.
His next words blew my attempt at sarcastic humor out of the water.
“How was prison, Cass?”
CHAPTER 12
Jj
It didn’t feel as good as I expected it would.
Throwing Cass off his game had been meant to give me a sense of being on equal footing with him, especially after the humiliation he’d put me through when he’d questioned me about my need to return to Tank’s night after night. His words had been softly spoken but they’d carried a big punch.