Page 17 of Death Wish

“You should have told me.” Jesse trailed the back of his fingers along Simone’s cheek. “If he contacts you again, I want to know. I’ll take care of it.”

“Jesse, that’s unnecessary.”

“Yeah, it is. No woman should feel threatened. No real man would threaten a woman, especially one he claimed to care about.”

“We’re in Mexico. He’s not. The Jerk isn’t a problem.”

Jesse watched her a moment. “He’ll find you. That’s how stalkers work. Promise you’ll tell me when he pops up again.”

“What can you do about him?”

His eyebrow rose.

Yeah, okay. Her question couldn’t be answered truthfully. Otherwise, Joy would be even more curious about Jesse than she already was. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to know.”

“I want your promise, sweetheart.”

This was pretend, right? It didn’t matter what she answered. Except Simone knew her answer mattered to Jesse. Somehow, he had figured out she told Joy the truth and planned to take care of the problem for her if The Jerk showed up again. When he showed up again. He was like a bad penny, turning up when you least expected or wanted. “I promise.”

Joy sighed, her chin resting on her palm. “Do you have brothers, Jesse?”

He chuckled. “I do. They’re married with two kids a piece.”

“Isn’t that how things always work?” she said. “All the good ones are taken.”

“Except for Griffin?” Simone teased.

Her friend’s face flushed. “As if he’d ever notice me. I’ve been here for two years, and he hasn’t so much as looked in my direction yet. So, Jesse, how has your first day on the job been?”

“Uneventful, just how I like them when I work security.”

“What work were in you before this?”

“Army,” he answered with his cover story. “Military police.”

“Did you like it?”

“Sometimes. A lot of boring stretches with no action interspersed with heavy firefights to ramp up your adrenaline.” He grimaced. “Most of the time I drank too much terrible coffee and dealt with sand everywhere.”

Joy laughed. “You should feel right at home in Sayulita.”

“What about you?” Simone asked to get attention off of her and Jesse. “Where did you work before you came to Dragon Alley?”

“A computer programming job in San Francisco.”

Seriously? Some coincidence that Joy was from Simone’s home town. “Why did you apply for a job here? San Francisco is home to many good tech companies who could use your skill.”

“Bored with my job. I wanted a challenge, and working in a foreign country sounded exciting.” She smiled slightly. “I had a nasty breakup, too, and needed a change of scenery. I applied here on a whim and was thrilled when I landed an interview. As soon as DA offered me a job, I jumped at it and moved, telling no one where I was going. My mother thought I moved to Georgia to get away from Todd, my ex-boyfriend. I finally told her where I was a few months ago but only after Todd had married my former best friend. They have a kid now.” Joy shivered. “I’m glad I escaped. I feel sorry for Beth and her little girl.”

“I’m happy you’re safe.” Simone sipped her tea. “So, we just got into town last night. What places do you recommend Jesse and I visit and the best restaurants?”

“I hope you like Mexican food because that’s all there is in Sayulita except for a Mediterranean restaurant and a Chinese place.” She told Simone and Jesse the names of the restaurants and her recommendations for the best ones to try. “We have an excellent theater company and good ballet if you’re into that kind of thing. We also have two movie theaters and more bars than you can shake a stick at. Oh, and coffee shops on every street corner.”

“Sold on the coffee shops.” Simone finished the last bite of her lunch. “What self-respecting computer programmer doesn’t live on caffeine?”

Joy laughed. “That’s what I say. If you want, I can take you to my favorite coffee shop after work tonight. They have an excellent selection of baked goods, too.”

“That’s a winner,” Jesse said. “We won’t have to cook breakfast in the morning before we head here.”

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