The edges of his eyebrows dipped. “Yes, it is.” Deep within his eyes, a slow burn of complex heat and sadness grew.
I shifted side to side. Why is he looking at me like that?
Jacob lifted a finger, rubbing the indent of his lower lip. A jolt of excitement slammed between my thighs. I had to resist reaching up and touching my own lips. They were buzzing with the memory of his rough kiss.
Did he... miss me? Is that what he's trying to say?
Kite stepped in, putting a new glass in front of me. The liquid inside was dark; he offered a similar drink to Jacob. “Let's celebrate,” he said, beaming proudly. His knuckles stood out, catching the low lights. The letters of his tattoo were engraved like forgotten names on old gravestones. “Step one is complete, we have a lead on this guy.”
“You're right,” Jacob agreed. Both of them sat on either side of the booth, sandwiching me. I had no where to go, my skull throbbing with their combined voices and scents.
When the glasses were raised, I shook myself and smiled. Yes, this is worth celebrating. We were some perverse version of the Three Musketeers, our glasses raised to clink together in unison.
Something warm touched me on my left. Glancing down, I spotted Jacob's leg against my thigh. Before I could think of how to react, Kite put his hand on my shoulder.
Goosebumps ran outward. My flesh was a security system, warning me I was under attack from all angles. What the hell were these two men thinking?
Strangling my glass, I chugged it back and emptied it in one go. “Well!” I coughed, tears burning from the harsh alcohol—I thought it was whiskey. “What happens now?”
Pushing his empty glass aside, Kite leaned across me, speaking to Jacob. “While you were gone, I finished moving Marina out of her apartment.”
He nodded, one blue eye rolling my way, then back to his friend. “So everything is packed up?”
“She has some more stuff at my place, but otherwise, yeah.”
I didn't like how they were ignoring me. I also didn't like how light-headed I was getting from the pressure of their warmth on me.
Tapping the glass downwards, I acted like it was a judge's gavel. “Hey, hello? I asked what happens now.”
Kite tilted his empty drink, frowning at the air inside. “We need to find out where this guy is.”
“And who he is,” Jacob added flatly.
“Right.” Kite stared at his hands, focusing there. “Yeah, that too.”
Wriggling in place, I tried to subtly indicate I wanted them to let me out of the booth. Neither of them budged. “Fine. Let's go do some research. I can start showing this picture around.”
Jacob's chuckle was velvet and ice. “That's a great way to let him know someone is after him.”
Their cavalier attitude was getting under my skin. “You two know how badly I want to find this man. I've been sitting on my hands since the start, I want to take some action. To be proactive.”
“You haven't been doing nothing,” Kite said with a shrug. “I took you shooting.”
Not just shooting, I thought with a flutter. We did so much more that night. Kite had spread me open on the floor of that old building. Then, afterwards, he'd exposed me to the dark, dangerous side that lived low in his heart.
My thankful smile was a little weak. “Yes, and I appreciate that. But I want to start looking for this man.” Gripping the envelope, I brought it up between all of us.
Jacob was too fast; the paper left my fingers, stolen by his. My mouth fell open, gawking at his speed. He asked, “You really want to look for him, starting right now?”
I couldn't take my stare off of that envelope. It was like Jacob had taken my limbs, my guts.
My soul.
I needed it back and I knew he realized it. “Yes.” I licked my dry lips. “I would rather look for him right now.”
There was a sly edge to Jacob's grin. “Lucky for you, there's a chance I know where he'll be tonight.”
I stopped breathing; my tongue was wooden. “Where?” I whispered.
When he offered the envelope back, I clutched it to my chest. Jacob was so close to me, I noticed the freshness of his skin. He'd taken a shower before he came here, the edge of his collar was still damp.
“Do you own any fancy dresses?” he asked softly.
Warily, I shook my chin side to side. “What? No, I don't own anything like that.”
Looking over my head, Jacob winked at Kite. “Then we're going to need to fix that.”
- Chapter 17 -
Marina
––––––––
Jacob's car was oddly familiar to me.
Kite had driven it the first night I'd met them. But Jacob himself had never been in it, not with me.
Not until now.
He sat inches away, reclining comfortably. Soft, classical music flowed from the car's speakers. Outside, the world was dreary and limp.
In our private little pocket, the air was wild fire.
I couldn't sit still. Digging my nails into the seat belt, I fought to find words. Why did Jacob make me so nervous?
Because the last time you were alone with him, he kissed you.
He made you bleed.