Page 50 of Wired Justice

Chapter Thirty

Jake was waitingoutside the Hilo Police Department for Sophie when she finally drove up in the Jeep. He’d thought long and hard about what to say, and decided to play it cool. Pretend he wasn’t pissed off and freaked out and worried as hell she was going to take off and disappear, like she’d done so many times before. Being clingy, needy, or jealous was lame and never worked with women. Jake had options. He had to remember that and act like it. Play a little hard to get.

All of Jake’s mental scheming evaporated the minute he got done greeting the dogs, turned around in his seat, and got a good look at Sophie’s face.

Her vibrant golden skin tone was ashen; her big brown eyes shadowed and dark, her mouth pinched. That mask she hid behind was in place, but it couldn’t hide the pain radiating off her in waves.

“What happened?” He reached for Sophie’s hand and peeled it off the steering wheel. Her fingers were icy, and he pressed her hand against his chest to warm it, sandwiching it beneath his. “Something happened. Tell me.”

Sophie shook her head. “We need to get to the rental place before five.” She yanked her hand away and gripped the steering wheel, eyes forward. “I am getting my own car and I have a reservation for a room downtown. I will take Tank to my place if you don’t want to deal with him.”

Jake recoiled, absorbing the rejection. She was hurting. He had to make it stop. “I won’t leave you like this.”

“I don’t need or want your help.”

Ow. That hurt. He forced his mouth to close on arguments, his arms to stay down, not grabbing her and dragging her against him and causing an accident. He was a cave man, but at least he knew it.

Jake sucked a few breaths and then turned to the dogs in the back seat. “Hear that, guys? She’s taking off and trying to take you with her. Well, I’m not going to let her do it, ya hear? We’re sticking together. We’ve got work to do.”

Ginger woofed and Tank pricked his ears.

Calmer, Jake turned to face forward. “Something happened. I respect that you want some space, but I have no intention of letting you blow me off. So, I’ll just follow you to wherever you’re staying and get a room there too.”

A long beat passed by. Sophie gave a tiny nod. “Tank would like to stay with Ginger and we are still working together, so that would be acceptable.”

He felt like he’d won a major battle, but schooled himself not to show it.

At the car rental place, she went into the office and got keys. She came back to the Jeep with them in her hand. “I’ll take Ginger and my backpack and go now.” She was still trying to leave him.

“Not necessary. Just tell me where your room is and I’ll bring the dogs and your things.” Keep the high ground and make no concessions—he’d learned that in Special Forces.

They locked eyes. His chest hurt at how dead her gaze was. Sophie was deep in her depression, barely functioning, trying to get to somewhere to hole up. “It’s the Banyan Tree Motel downtown,” she finally said.

“I’ll be right behind you.”

Sophie walked off and located a small blue Ford Focus. She unlocked it and got in. He followed her in the Jeep through the busy streets of Hilo to a side road near the harbor. The motel was three stories of cinderblock painted the green of a hospital hallway, deep in the shade of a massive banyan. They parked and went into the small office without speaking.

“Checking in,” Sophie said, and presented a credit card.

Jake pushed her hand aside and handed the clerk the Security Solutions business credit card.

“Both rooms on this card, please. Adjacent if you have it,” Jake said. “Is this place dog-friendly?” He held up a hundred-dollar bill.

“It is now.” The clerk grinned. He assigned Jake the room next to Sophie’s, ran the card and pocketed the cash.

By the time Jake got his stuff moved in and the dogs installed in his room, Sophie had drawn the drapes on her side. He didn’t see any light around the door, and it was locked.

She didn’t answer when he knocked.

She hadn’t even taken her backpack inside the room.

This was bad.

Jake calledfor a pizza delivery and took the dogs out for a run before bed. Back at the motel, he couldn’t shake his worry when she didn’t answer the door for the pizza, either.

Only one person he knew had successfully dealt with Sophie when she was like this: Marcella.

“Hey Jake. What’s up?” The beautiful Italian FBI agent always sounded so cheerful. Why couldn’t he have fallen for a woman like her? Marcella was awesome, and what you saw was what you got. But Sophie? There was no end to the depths and layers of Sophie.

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