Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“Exactly,” Drew said.
Jasmine was wrapped in Jake’s coat, Eli and Jake both huddled around her like the offensive line protecting the quarterback. She saw me coming toward them and broke away to run into my arms. I caught her and lifted her off her feet. Then I set her down and held her to my chest, palmed the back of her head and just breathed her in.
“Thank God,” I muttered against her hair. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m shaken up, but I’m safe. How are you? Did you break your hand punching him?” she asked, concerned.
“No way. But they’ll have to wire his jaw down at the county hospital,” I said kind of proudly. She grinned at me.
“Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. That shit hurts—I had mine wired once. Because of him. My teeth still don’t hit right in back after he screwed up my jaw,” she said.
“Are you kidding me?” I said, white rage sweeping away my relief. “What all haven’t you told us? I know it’s not something you like to talk about, but I think after today—”
“I should’ve told you all before now, but I’m just ashamed of how bad I let it get.”
“You didn’t let it get bad. He made it bad, and you survived against all odds. You should be proud as hell of who you are and what you’ve overcome, Jas.”
“Thanks for punching him,” she said a little sheepishly.
“Thanks for shoving his nuts up his ass with that knee of yours. Pretty badass,” I said.
“Yeah, don’t you forget it,” she said.
27
ELI
As thrilled as I’d been to provide my family with the luxurious vacation, I was glad as hell to see that place in the rearview mirror. I flew us home the next day. Everyone was eager to get back to the office and the reassuring predictability of that routine.
Jasmine slipped almost seamlessly back into her role as office manager and assistant. She managed the phones and scheduling, ordered supplies, joked with the bookkeeper, and taught one of the newly promoted full-timers how to sweet talk Ty into fixing the printer. If it weren’t for the way she held her shoulders up too high, the fact she wasn’t humming and singing under her breath all the time anymore, and the tightness around her mouth and between her brows—you’d think she was just fine.
She didn’t even want barbecue when we ordered it in for lunch one day. She insisted she wasn’t hungry, that she’d just had a granola bar earlier. Then she said it smelled weird and didn’t want to stay in the conference room while we ate it. This was the same woman who put away two pulled pork sandwiches, a mountain of chips and pickles and some slaw the last time we had it for lunch and stole a couple bites off Drew’s sandwich when he wasn’t looking.
I got it into my head that we should do something special for her, make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day that was coming up fast. It would be our first one with Jasmine and I wanted to celebrate in a way that she understood we intend to spend all our future Valentine’s Days with her and it could be a kind of romantic anniversary for us. I talked to the guys, and they were all for it. We divided up the jobs so everything would get done properly.
“It’s going to be epic!” Jake told me.
“Please never use that word again,” I said, wincing.
“Ouch,” he said. “You could’ve let me down easy on my slang. I’m the one with all the code. I can fuck up your encrypted channels and let someone steal your identity, you know,” he groused.
“Yeah, but we’re twins, so it would probably screw with your credit score or something,” I said.
“You know, they said you were the genius, but that still makes no sense,” he said, “Anyway, I got the gas station chicken wings ordered, and you should know that it gives me pain to do this. I could make my dry rub seasoning blend, marinate some antibiotic-free chicken…” he shook his head.
“No. It’s about what she likes. Not what we want to give her. I know it killed part of you to enter a gas station and preorder three dozen hot and spicy wings, but I’m proud of you, bro.”
“Thanks, E. I’m gonna go for a run, clear my head.” Jake still looked bemused, gave a small shudder and I had to hold back a laugh.
“Still trying to shake off the grease and cigarette smell of that place?”
“Maybe. I’m a food snob. But that wrapped up what I needed to order for the dinner. Thanks for doing all this. She’ll love it.”
“I know,” I said, a self-satisfied grin on my face.
I couldn’t wait.
28
JASMINE
Not for the first time, I was glad to be the only woman on full time staff at the security firm. It made the ladies’ room my exclusive property. So I could stand there leaning on the sink as long as I wanted while my life practically flashed before my eyes.