Page 31 of Once a Killer

Nothing. No bugs in the elevator. “Okay to talk again,” she said.

As if he hadn’t been interrupted, Jameson continued, “You’re right. Having a target on my back is terrifying. Especially since I don’t know where the threat is coming from.” His mouth pinched as he shoved his hand through his hair. “I was mostly terrified on the commute before you got here. Now? It’s been a lot more interesting since you showed up to protect me.”

“I showed up to protect you because that ‘interesting’ was likely to kill you. You’re a smart guy, Jameson. I’m sure you know that your life isn’t a video game, where the characters get shot but no one’s really hurt.”

He tapped his foot and stared at the elevator door. Why was this thing moving so slowly? “I want this over,” he finally said, his voice low. “I don’t want to think about someone wanting me dead. Or even about someone trying to steal my program. I don’t want to be terrified to step out of the building or pull out of my garage. It’s a lot easier to focus on the other stuff.”

Bree inhaled. Blew out a breath. “I get that,” she said quietly. “Easier to focus on the interesting things, even if they’re dangerous, than to focus on the threats to you. To your program. To the possibility that someone you know, someone you’re helping, is trying to steal from you. Much more… comforting to think about the action than the reason for the action.” She reached over and squeezed his shoulder, and he leaned into her touch. She froze for a moment, and when she broke the contact, he wanted her to touch him again. “Just don’t lose sight of the fact that someone wants to steal from you. Hurt you.That’syour reality.”

“Yeah, I know, Bree.” The elevator slowed, then stopped and the doors slid open. “But if I think about my situation all day, every day, it makes me jumpy. Worried. Unable to focus on my program.” He sighed. “The best thing for me is to get it finished and patented. Get it into the marketplace. Then, if someone steals something from it, there are things I can do. Things that will protect me and my work.”

“And in the meantime,” she said, “it’s easier to think about car chases and bugs in your office and hidden cameras.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, unlocking the lab door.

She nudged him with her shoulder, and the tiny impact reverberated through his whole body. “Sounds like you’re getting close to getting all those things done,” she said. “Based on what you told me when I got here.”

“I am.” He drew in a deep breath. “All these distractions aren’t helping, though.”

“Like having a bodyguard?” she asked.

He shook his head, hard. “Not at all. You’re not part of the problem,” he said. “You’re the best part of what’s going on right now.”

“I’d think that getting work done on your program would be the best part,” she retorted.

He closed the door behind him and scanned the lab, looking for anything out of place. But it looked exactly like it had looked when they left the previous night. “I’ve been working on this program for a long time,” he said, flipping the light switch in his office. The can lights illuminated Bree’s concerned expression. The way she was studying him, as if he were a butterfly pinned to a board and she wanted to understand everything about him.

“How long?” she asked softly.

“I started it in grad school. It was my thesis project for my PhD. I got my degree five years ago, and I’ve spent the five years since working on this one damn program. Improving it. Fixing bugs. Expanding its functionality. Making it more user friendly. I’m ready to be done with it, you know?”

“Yeah, I do,” she said. She dropped her gaze to the floor. “When I was in the military, and then in the government agency, I had one job. I hated that job. Couldn’t wait to get out, so I’d never have to do it again. So I understand that you want to be done with your program.”

“What job did you do?” he asked, holding his breath. He wanted to know as much as possible about Bree. She was a fascinating woman, and she had depths she rarely revealed.

She shook her head. “Can’t tell you that,” she said. She smiled, but it looked forced. Shadows lingered in her expression. “If I did, I’d have to kill you.”

Her smile fell away and she looked sad. Regretful. About her job in the military? What kind of job caused those reactions?

“Ah, one ofthosekinds of jobs,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “I always wanted someone to say that to me about what they used to do. So thank you for that.”

She actually smiled. “You’re welcome. Blackhawk Security tries to be a full-service organization.” She jerked her head toward his desk. “Why don’t you get to work before your engineers show up? Think about your goal and work toward it.”

“Aha,” he said, trying to keep things light. “I know what you did for that un-named agency. You were a motivational speaker. Am I right?”

She laughed, and the shadows disappeared from her face. “Nope. Not a motivational speaker. I was a motivational ass-kicker.”

Her smile eased the pressure in his chest. And to his surprise, he found himself returning her smile. “Yeah, I can see that about you. You’d be an excellent ass-kicker.”

“I pride myself on that skill.”

She turned away, but he grabbed her hand. The calluses on her palm and her fingers sent a tiny shiver over his skin. Her index finger had a long, thin scar on the bottom, and he wanted to know how she’d gotten it. Why she had the calluses. “Thank you,” he said, clinging to her hand.

“For…?” She looked puzzled, but she didn’t try to pull away from him.

“For not telling me to knock it off. Not yelling at me to take these threats seriously. Not lecturing me about what I should and shouldn’t do.”

She studied him for a long moment, and he thought her gray eyes softened. “I don’t have to do that, Jameson. You’re pretty much a perfect client. You do what I tell you to do. You don’t think you know more about protection than I do. And you tell me what I need to know to protect you.”

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