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“Hey, wasn’t that takedown happening tonight? I should have asked Rian about it before he left. They’re going to notify us, right?” Jase got quiet, only to continue. “They’ll keep us in the loop; they have to. We found that location and that slimy son of a bitch, Patterson. Warez will let us know.” He looked between his laptop and an agent sitting feet away at a fold-out table. His lips tightened at the nod, and he seemed satisfied at the acknowledgement.
I poured my juice, sliding the carton back in the refrigerator. It was already almost empty, and I’d just ordered it yesterday. For me. Again. Not that it was any of the agents fault I was so moody over juice. Jase was the culprit. I wasn’t even sure he realized what he was doing again. He truly couldn’t help how immersed he became once he started. If he was eating or drinking or breathing, he was doing it staring at his screen. My words didn’t always register. My needs weren’t getting met. He wanted nothing but these men to pay and go down, and although a lot had, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get to the point where V was caught. No one would talk, and V was nowhere to be found. So, what did that say about us? About our lives?
“Maybe I should call Warez. Do you think that last bust played out a little too easily? I swear, it’s almost like the information was fed to us. Maybe I’ll call Rian instead. He mentioned stopping at the diner. He should still be awake.”
I nearly choked on my juice. For the first time since I’d left the bed, Jase turned and noticed me.
“Kody. I didn’t see you.” He blinked through his thoughts, finally looking at the clock before coming back to me. “It’s early. Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?”
“Fine. I’m great.”
“You’re upset. Did I wake you? I…I’m sorry. I got pretty loud earlier, didn’t I?”
Loud was the understatement of the century. I thought all hell was breaking lose when I’d heard Jase yelling up a storm. And it wasn’t the first time tonight, or any night. He was furious…over something he’d found…again. I didn’t even ask what was happening anymore. Each outburst was a disappointment. I was starting to think this wasn’t ever going to end.
“That was almost an hour ago. Are you ready for bed? If not, I guess I’m awake.”
The slightest twinge of attitude had him sitting straighter. I hadn’t meant to let it get out. The last thing I wanted was to argue, but I was also frustrated. He looked around the room, only to turn back to his laptop.
“I guess I’m at a good stopping point. I was hoping to hear how the takedown went.”
“I’m sure they’re busy and have their hands full. You can always call when you wake up. It’ll be a decent time by then anyway. It’s five in the morning, Jase…Five.”
“Right.” He stood, shutting his laptop. I saw the confliction. He was practically wincing as he left the device and walked to the fridge. He pulled out the juice, opened the lid, and finished off the carton in one long drink. His arm lowered, and he slowed. “Did you want some?”
“For crying out loud.” I headed for our room, feeling him right on my heels as I broke through the threshold.
“Whoa. What’s wrong? Are you mad at me?”
He barely had the door closed before I spun and lunged in his direction. “Mad? I’m trying not to be. Do you not remember the argument we had before? I’m doing everything I can to keep it together and be supportive of you, but I don’t think I’ve had a good night’s sleep in over three weeks. You wake me up multiple times, at every hour imaginable. You eat my bananas. You drink all my juice. You even stole my razor from the shower to shave your face, and then threw it away. I order the groceries. I make huge meals now every night because you refuse to let any of us, including the agents, order out. I’m tired, Jase. I’m tired, and neglected, and I want to go back to the way things were.” My bottom lip stuck out at the sadness. “With the house. With us.”
“They will.” He let out a sigh, trying to pull me into his arms. I sidestepped just in time. “They will, love, I promise. I’m trying, here. I know how hard this is for you. It’s hard for me too. Trust me, I want to go back to normal just as much as you, but we can’t do that until this is over. You’re not safe if we stop now.”
“We’re never going to be safe,” I exploded. “What if you never find him? What if it takes ten years? I’m trying. I really am, but I’m alone. You said that wasn’t going to happen again. We barely even talk since you moved the FBI in. You stare at the screen for almost twenty hours a day. You’ve gone back to sleeping on the couch. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. You made me a promise. We were so close, and things were finally getting good.”
Jase straightened. “Are you finished?”
“No.”
He took a step closer, reaching out to pull against the lining of my pajama shorts.
“Are you finished?”
I cut my eyes up, crossing my arms over my chest. My fingers ran over my scars that were once covered by the 3D cast. Even weeks later, I still wasn’t used to it being gone.
“It depends.”
His other arm wrapped around me, pulling me closer as he slipped his hand past my shorts. When his finger traced over my entrance, I placed my palms over his pecs.
“Just because I’ve been working doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about you.”
“Thinking isn’t doing.”
“No. It’s not.” His fingertip dipped inside, making me even wetter as he began to tease me with small thrusts. “I’ll start coming to bed at a more decent time. I didn’t realize how much I woke you up.” He pushed deeper. “And I’ll help cook.”
“And my juice?”
A smile began to form as he leaned in.
