Page 25 of Forbidden Wish
“That he wants us to be faceless, anonymous, unnoticeable,” she said, and suddenly his choice of location made sense. “You’re scared Ford will find out about this, us spending time together!”
“I’m not scared of your brother.”
“Why didn’t you take me to your place then? Jagg’s is Ford’s permanent address.” Though sometimes he stayed with their dad or a girlfriend or wherever. “We would be safe behind your security gate.”
“You feel unsafe here?”
Licking her lips, another truth tightened her chest. “I would… if you were anyone else.”
“I’m not sure you’re safe with me, Genny.”
His arms lay on the table again, the coffee between them as he toyed with a torn corner of the napkin between them.
Sitting up, she clasped her hands over his. “I think about kissing you… way more than I should think about kissing you.”
“Gen—”
“I know, it’s not on the table. The last thing I’d want to do is get between you and Ford. You’ve been through everything together.”
“Yeah. More than you know.”
“In some ways, I know everything about you. In others… I don’t know you at all.” Something she had to remedy. Had to. So much was becoming a must around him. “Your mom died when you were a baby.”
“Mm hmm,” he said, freeing his hands from hers to fold the napkin.
“Your dad was violent. Drunk or sober. He beat you. Sometimes just for fun.”
“I take it back, you have been paying attention.”
When he dumped the napkin in his coffee, he inhaled like maybe he intended to get up.
She took his hands again before he could. “Tell me something I don’t know about you, Jagg.”
“I spent more of my first ten years sleeping at your place than I did my own.”
Which she already knew. And that he’d basically moved in with her brother and father after she and her mom left town. Whenever Strat had visitation with her, Jagg was around, whether Ford was there or not.
“Where is he now? Your dad. Do you still see him?”
“Once in a while. He’s around,” Jagg said. “I hear from him less since I cut ties with… my past life.”
“Bet he still comes around when he wants money.” His response was a single brow raise that relaxed again just as quickly. “You deserve better than the hand you were dealt, Jagg.”
He glanced up from his coffee. “My cards were just fine. I have skills that make me money. A roof over my head. Friends I can rely on. Family is a label that has nothing to do with blood.”
Bending over the table, she laid her cheek on her hands, still in his. “You think it’s too early for breakfast?”
“Way too early, baby,” he said, though scanned in the direction of the counter. “Hungry?”
“You really want to hear everything I have about the case? Every theory? That’s a lot of ground to cover.”
And not just professionally. If she hadn’t been paying attention before, she sure was now. Jagg was more than just her brother’s best friend; he was a staple in her life. One she’d stop taking for granted.
TWELVE
“OH MY GOD. Oh my God! He does not!”
“True story,” Jagg said, bobbing his head in confirmation.
