Page 5 of Wired Justice

Chapter Four

Jake pickedup his duffel from the checked bags section at the Hilo airport. He hated checking a bag, but carrying his weapons demanded it.

Flying commercial was such a buzzkill.

Security Solutions was expanding its transportation fleet, but it looked like it would be a while before the company jet was whisking anyone but their CEO, Sheldon Hamilton, around the world.

As soon as he picked up his rented Jeep, Jake phoned Sophie.

To his surprise she answered. “Jake. I’m on my way into Hilo with some detectives. Where can we meet?”

His heart didn’t just give a great big thunderous squeeze at the sound of Sophie’s sexy accented voice. No, his hands weren’t sweaty, gripping the steering wheel at the mere thought of being alone with her. He hadn’t just jumped on this job so he’d have a reason to track her down. Nope. Not at all.

Jake cleared his throat. “Let’s meet wherever they’re taking you. We need to start working with the local PD on this missing persons case, anyway. What station are you headed for?”

He listened to a muffled conversation, then Sophie said, “I will meet you at South Hilo Station in an hour.” She hung up.

Sophie often hung up on him.

What did it say about their relationship that she was usually either hanging up on him, leaving him, or getting a new burner phone with a number he didn’t have?

But he had this phone number. Her latest number. He’d memorized it immediately.

Jake glanced down at the inside of his forearm where she had written a series of digits in ink. She crossed her sevens and drew a line through her zeros. Only a faint tinge of blue still showed. Not that he had been consciously trying to keep the number from disappearing or anything—that area up there by his elbow was just out of handwashing range.

Jake remembered that moment in the restaurant vividly. She’d written the number on his arm with a ballpoint pen from the hostess stand; he’d said something funny and as she finished writing she froze suddenly, holding his wrist. He heard the deep inhale of her breathing. Electricity surged between them. She held his arm for a long moment, the pen pressed against his skin, not moving.

The atoms in him streamed toward the atoms in her—it felt weirdly metaphysical.

“Sophie,” he whispered.

This wasn’t the only time attraction had zapped them out of nowhere. They’d almost crossed that invisible line several times.

They’d saved each other’s lives more than once. Saving someone’s life tattooed the person on your heart a little bit—especially when that someone was so utterly awesome.

Sophie had flung his arm down and practically ran out of the restaurant. Jake was so repulsive to her that she’d jogged away to join that bastard Alika with his helicopter and smooth moves.

He was fooling himself, imagining that he could be the one to get past the ways Sophie’s sick, abusive ex had messed her up.

He’d tried to get over Sophie on their last job together by having a thing with Antigua, the estate manager at their client Shank Miller’s.

Antigua was great: gorgeous, a wonderful cook, hot in the sack, a really quality person. She’d given him the heave-ho after a month. “Make a move on Sophie, Jake. I won’t be anyone’s second choice.” Ouch. The lady was right.

He had to make a move on this trip. Sophie was still on the rebound from her boyfriend Todd Remarkian’s death. She was going to get scooped up by that rich player Alika if he didn’t do something.

Jake’s belly knotted. He’d already been stung by the nettle of rejection more than once when Sophie shut down his flirting. He’d never had trouble getting a woman he wanted before; but Sophie had ignored or refused his various tried-and-true gambits, shit that always worked with chicks in the past.

Jake was stuck in the friend zone, trapped between the pillars of work partnership and the way he annoyed her.

Yeah, he was too restless. Too loud. Too impatient. Had too much energy. Always wanted to take the lead. None of that was going to change.

Tough.They’d find a way somehow to rub along and give each other space—they already had, as partners. And he’d make up for how irritating he was by being so fucking good to her in bed she wouldn’t be able to walk or do anything but sigh and say, “Oh, yes, Jake. Yes.”

Jake missed the turn onto the highway because he was so caught up in his thoughts. He shifted in his seat, hot and uncomfortable, and pulled the Jeep over onto the side of the road to put down the soft top and get some more air, since the AC didn’t seem to be working.

“Dream on, Jake. She’s not into you. Why are you torturing yourself?” She was making him crazy. He was talking to himself like an idiot. He never got this twisted up about women!

Jake looked around at the urban sprawl outside of Hilo’s old town area. All vegetation was bright green, saturated by the Big Island’s frequent east side rains. Traffic was heavy on the busy freeway going into town. Hilo had the look of a place that had once been sleepy and small, but had sprawled into utilitarian growth.

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